The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys From Kentucky, Ranked

When it comes to bourbon, Kentucky is the epicenter. The rolling green hills of bluegrass, isolated cool hollers, and rich limestone all add to the aura of Kentucky bourbon. But maybe more importantly, it’s the people that call Kentucky home who are making some of the best whiskey out there. And they’re making a lot of it. There’s so much Kentucky bourbon on the shelf these days that I figured it was high time that I called out the top 100 bottles of Kentucky-made bourbon that you can find in 2023.

Since so many people misunderstand what defines bourbon, plenty of folks might think that all bourbon is from KY. But while The Bluegrass State’s bourbon heritage is unparalleled, the spirit can be made in any state (as we’ve covered extensively). Meaning that an all-Kentucky list is much needed.

For this list, I’m looking at everything from the standard but delicious bottles that you can find on pretty much every shelf to the unicorn bourbons that you’re going to have to hunt for. The only real rule here is that the whiskey has to be Kentucky bourbon that tastes good (that means that I’m not calling out any multi-state blends or even bourbons made in another state but bottled in Kentucky). Amazingly, there’s so much of it right now that this list wasn’t that hard to fill. I tried to keep repeats from the same brand to a minimum, though there are two Pappy Van Winkle expressions (out of six). I’m also only including current releases. There are no vintage bottles from, like, 1965 listed below.

As for the ranking, I’ve split that into two sections. 100-51 are the bottles that you can generally get. They’re inexpensive, findable (for the most part), and really tasty. The top 50 are all the greats. And look, a few of the top 50 is 100% findable and relatively well-priced too, but there are also some real unicorns in there.

We have a long way to go to get to that number one spot — so let’s dive right in!

• The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2022, Ranked
• Our Head Drinks Critic Reveals The Expensive Bourbons He *Won’t* Pay Above Retail For
• The Absolute Best Bourbons Between $50-$60, Ranked
• Every Single Buffalo Trace Whiskey & Spirits Brand, Ranked
• The Absolute Best Bourbons Between $20-$30, Ranked

PART I — GENERALLY AVAILABLE KENTUCKY BOURBONS (100-51)

100. Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $16

The Whiskey:

Look, Heaven Hill makes great whiskey, especially inexpensive bottled in bonds. This “b-i-b” is tailored for the Evan Williams flavor profile. Still, this is Heaven Hill, so we’re talking about the same mash bill, same warehouses, and same parent company as several entries on this list. This is simply built to match a higher-end Evan Williams vibe.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a lovely nose at play with soft taco mix spice next to creamy vanilla, caramel-dipped cherries, a hint of pear skins, and plenty of nutmeg.

Palate: The palate has a minor note of cornbread muffins next to cherry-vanilla tobacco with a dash of leather and toffee.

Finish: The end leans into some fresh gingerbread with a vanilla frosting next to hints of pear candy cut with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Bottom Line:

This is classic, cheap bourbon. You’re not going to have your socks blown off by this one, but it will be very satisfying. Basically, this is a bourbon lover’s bourbon at an amazing price point.

99. Benchmark Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $19

The Whiskey:

The bourbon in this bottle is a standard “small batch” though there’s not a whole lot of information on what that entails, exactly. What we do know is that the base juice comes from Buffalo Trace’s Mash Bill #1, which is the same base as Eagle Rare, E.H. Taylor, Stagg, and Buffalo Trace Bourbon.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Soft leather and old vanilla pods mix with old lawn furniture sitting in green grass with a hint of floral honey and apple pie on the nose.

Palate: The palate has a rich toffee vibe next to sweet cinnamon and plenty of eggnog creamy/spicy vibes that leads to a nutmeg-heavy mocha latte.

Finish: There’s a sense of dried corn husks on the finish with a mix of rum-raisin, vanilla pound cake, and cherry bark-infused tobacco layered into an old cedar box.

Bottom Line:

This really started leaning into “I could see sipping this neat” territory. That said, this felt like a classic utility bourbon that can work however you want to use it.

98. J.T.S. Brown Bottled In Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $13

The Whiskey:

This is a quality whiskey from Heaven Hill’s expansive bourbon mash bill (78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye). That means this is the same base juice as Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, several Parker’s Heritages, and Henry McKenna. It’s a bottled-in-bond, meaning it’s from similar stocks to their iconic Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond and a few other whiskeys on this list.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Cream soda with a dash of cherry opens the nose next to dry leather patches, caramel sauce, and a light touch of floral honey.

Palate: The palate brings forward dry and woody spices with a hint of eggnog creaminess leading toward Graham Crackers and a sweet tobacco chew.

Finish: The end turns the woody spice into old oak with more vanilla, honey, and leather lingering the longest.

Bottom Line:

This one really popped with a purely classic bourbon profile that had some nice depth. I can see sipping this over ice or in an old fashioned.

97. Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $24

The Whisky:

This is Maker’s signature expression made with Red winter wheat and aged seasoned Ozark oak for six to seven years. This expression’s whiskey is sourced from only 150 barrels (making this a “small batch”). Those barrels are then blended and proofed with Kentucky limestone water before bottling and dipping in their iconic red wax.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose has classic hints of caramel and vanilla with a grassy underbelly next to soft cherry, hints of oak, and a touch of apple orchard.

Palate: That grassiness becomes vaguely floral as slightly spiced caramel apples arrive, along with a chewy mouthfeel that leads towards a soft mineral vibe — kind of like wet granite.

Finish: The end holds onto the fruit and sweetness as the oak and dried grass stay in your senses.

Bottom Line:

Get this if you’re making cocktails. It’ll shine.

96. Wild Turkey 101 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50.5%

Average Price: $19

The Whiskey:

A lot of Wild Turkey’s character comes from the hard and deep char they use on their oak barrels. 101 starts with a high-rye mash bill that leans into the wood and aging, having spent six years in the cask. A little of that soft Kentucky limestone water is added to cool it down a bit before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Sweet and buttery toffee is countered by burnt orange, old oak, and a hint of cumin and red chili pepper flakes.

Palate: The palate leans into soft vanilla pudding cups with a touch of butterscotch swirled in next to orange oils, nougat, and a hint of menthol tobacco.

Finish: The midpalate tobacco warmth gives way to a finish that’s full of woody winter spices and a whisper of Cherry Coke next to orange/clove by way of a dark chocolate bar flaked with salt.

Bottom Line:

This is so classic. It’s that wonderful balance of spicy sweet Kentucky bourbon that just delivers. Get this if you’re looking for a great workhorse whiskey for mixing, shooting, or everyday sipping.

95. Fern Creek Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $55

The Whiskey:

This new bottler is sourcing some serious Kentucky bourbon barrels. This small batch is made from a mash of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. That whiskey is left to age for five years and 10 months before batching, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Buttery berry crumble with a scoop of vanilla ice cream dominates the nose with a hint of cinnamon toast and freshly cracked black pepper.

Palate: That creamy vanilla dries the palate toward spiced oak with cinnamon bark, clove, and allspice next to woody berries and a hint of tobacco warmth.

Finish: That spiced oak drives the finish with a hint of blackberry and vanilla tobacco packed into an old cedar box.

Bottom Line:

This is a dark fruit-forward bourbon-y bourbon. It’s easygoing and easy to drink.

94. Castle & Key Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 2023 Batch 1

ABV: 49%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

Castle & Key Distillery is the renovated Old Taylor Distillery outside of Frankfort, Kentucky. This distillery has spent years contract distilling for other brands, until this year when they released their first batch of this expression in April. The juice is a mash of 73% white corn, 17% malted barley, and a scant 10% rye. After four years, 80 or so barrels are chosen for this small-batch expression and proofed down with local water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with a sense of unbaked sourdough cinnamon rolls next to Graham Crackers dipped in vanilla-creamed honey served with a warm can of peach soda.

Palate: The palate leans into the fruitiness with a pink taffy vibe that’s countered by slight pepperiness, a touch of “woody,” and more of that creamy honey laced with vanilla.

Finish: The fruity take on a savory essence — think cantaloupe — on the mid-palate before circling back to the pepperiness with a bit of woody spice on the short end.

Bottom Line:

This is really good, standard bourbon. If you’re looking for a great cocktail base for spring cocktails, get this. It plays well with citrus, Campari, and mint.

93. Bradshaw Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 51.9%

Average Price: $52

The Whiskey:

Bradshaw Bourbon is made by Green River Distilling Company in Owensboro, Kentucky. The bourbon is a collab between former Super Bowl champ Terry Bradshaw and Silver Screen Bottling Company, which acts as a sort of bottling fixer between a celebrity and a distiller or barrel house. The whiskey is a two-year-old bourbon made with 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley, proofed to a hefty 103.8.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with Werther’s Originals and old library books, with a whiff of aftershave on the nose that’s oddly comforting.

Palate: A soft spice drives the palate as dry reeds lead towards cherry toffee and apple candies.

Finish: The spice warms slightly on the finish as the tobacco dries out and those reeds make a return.

Bottom Line:

Yes, Terry Bradshaw’s bourbon is really good. While I prefer his rye expression, this is classic bourbon through and through. Grab a bottle if you’re looking for an old-school feeling bourbon-y bourbon.

92. Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $89

The Whiskey:

This new expression from the brand uses the classic Elijah Craig Small Batch and gives it a finishing maturation. The whiskey is transferred to toasted oak barrels for a spell so that the whiskey can capture more of that oakiness.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Naturally, you get a woodiness on the nose that teeters between soft cedar and sweet, almost fruity hardwoods, with a hint of caramel sweetness as a counterpoint.

Palate: That caramel has a somewhat orange-chocolate edge with hints of clove, cinnamon, and white pepper lurking in the background.

Finish: The spices dry out (think cinnamon sticks or spice barks), the sweetness subsides, and you’re left with a touch of that soft cedar and some well-warmed senses.

Bottom Line:

This is a nice step up from classic Elijah Craig. The woodiness is a bit dialed back on this expression but provides a deeper-than-usual edge compared to the much sweeter EC Small Batch.

91. Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $35

The Whiskey:

This is the whiskey that heralded a new era of bourbon in 1999. Famed Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee came out of retirement to create this bourbon to celebrate the renaming of the George T. Stagg distillery to Buffalo Trace when Sazerac bought the joint. The rest, as they say, is history — especially since this has become a touchstone bourbon for the brand.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Classic notes of vanilla come through next to a dark maple syrup sweetness, a flourish of fresh mint, and a leatheriness that’s just punctuated by dark burnt orange.

Palate: The palate cuts through the sweeter notes with plenty of spices — like clove, star anise, cardamom, and cinnamon — next to a hint of tart berries, a whisper of dark chocolate, and a dash of sweetly spiced oak.

Finish: The end is long and lush and slowly fades back through the dark citrus and berries with a lively spiced finish.

Bottom Line:

This is another classic. It’s also a bottle from Buffalo Trace that you can generally actually get for a good price (depending on your region). That all said, I primarily use this for mixing up old fashioneds, Manhattans, and boulevardiers.

90. Barton 1792 Distillery Thomas S. Moore Cabernet Sauvignon Finished Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 47.65%

Average Price: $81

The Whiskey:

This release from Sazerac’s other distillery, Barton 1792 Distillery, has become a yearly standard release. The whiskey in the bottle is generally kept under wraps. We do know that the bourbon is finished in Cabernet Sauvignon casks for a spell before blending, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Stone fruit and vanilla lead on the nose with hints of sugar cookies, bright peach, and old-yet-soft oak.

Palate: The palate leans into cherry bark with plum, mulled wine, vanilla, and sharp sassafras.

Finish: The spice on the mid-palate leads to some old leather, more of that soft oak, and a hint of sweet potting soil with a plummy finish.

Bottom Line:

This is a great food-pairing whiskey thanks to that deep red-wine vibe. It also works as a nice cocktail base or slow sipper after dinner.

89. Heaven Hill Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottled-In-Bond

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $56

The Whiskey:

This expression has been a touchstone “bottled-in-bond” since 1939 and remains a go-to for many bourbon lovers. The whiskey is the classic Heaven Hill bourbon mash bill that’s left to age for an extra three years compared to Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond (also from Heaven Hill and the same base spirit).

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose draws you in with this rich and creamy vanilla ice cream (you know the kind that’s likely labeled “Tahitian”) that’s drizzled with a buttery and salty caramel sauce next to soft leather and dried apple blossoms with a hint of old cedar bark braids.

Palate: A floral honey vibe melds with Graham Crackers on the palate as creamy toffee covered in crushed almonds mingles with vanilla-laced pipe tobacco and old leather-bound books.

Finish: There’s a bit of freshly ground nutmeg near the end that leads to a light cherry tobacco note with whispers of old cellar beams and winter spices on the finish.

Bottom Line:

I’d reach for this as a great cocktail base. It’s a classic bourbon from top to bottom.

88. Johnny Drum Private Stock 101 Kentucky Bourbon

ABV: 50.5%

Average Price: $44

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is hewn from Kentucky Bourbon Distillery barrels (also known as Willett). The barrels are batched and proofed down with local Bardstown water for bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This starts out with apple pie filling overstuffed with a lot of cinnamon, butter, brown sugar, and vanilla that all leads toward salted caramel.

Palate: The taste has this mild orange feel with a note of dark chocolate, cinnamon cream soda, and apple fritters with a hint of sourdough funk to them.

Finish: The end has a lightness that feels like Dr. Pepper with a hint of cherry syrup next to woody winter spices and a touch of alcohol warmth (or a “Kentucky Hug” if you will).

Bottom Line:

This is perfectly suited for mixing cocktails thanks to that higher ABV and pretty classic bourbon aura. It’ll stand up nicely in a heavy mix like a whiskey sour or Sazerac.

87. Basil Hayden Red Wine Cask Finish Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $62

The Whiskey:

Freddie Noe — Beam’s eighth-generation Master Distiller — created this expression by blending classic Basil Hayden with bourbon partially aged in California red wine casks. The resulting batch is then proofed down to Basil Hayden’s historically low 80-proof and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a hint of orange zest on the nose with sour mulled wine spices — star anise, cardamom, cinnamon — next to Cherry Coke and vanilla cake with white frosting.

Palate: The palate is soft yet creamy with a nutty spiced cake vibe next to zucchini bread with a dollop of butter next to tart, dried berries dipped in brandy with a hint of dark cacao in the background.

Finish: The end is pretty short (low-proofed) and finishes with a sense of old oak staves soaked in sour red wine with a dash of burnt orange and dried winter spice rounding things out.

Bottom Line:

This is one of my favorite Basil Hayden expressions. It’s deep and fresh. It also works really well as a food pairing whiskey thanks to the soft red wine vibes throughout the profile. If you’re a bourbon and red wine lover, then this is a must-buy.

86. Jeptha Creed Bloody Butcher Corn Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 49%

Average Price: $49

The Whiskey:

This four-grain bourbon is all about the farm-to-glass experience. The juice is made from a mash with Bloody Butcher corn — a sweeter red corn used by Indigenous Americans throughout the Midwest and South for millennia — grown right outside the still house on an expansive Kentucky farm. The red corn is mixed with malted rye, wheat, and barley in the mash and aged for an undisclosed amount of time before proofing and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is like your grandmother’s garden on a berry-picking day on the nose with huge notes of rhododendrons and wisteria next to blackberry jam, blueberry pie, and mason jars of apricot jam with plenty of dark spices layered in.

Palate: The palate holds onto the jammy notes but adds in the rich vanilla pudding, candied walnuts, nutmeg-dusted eggnog, and a tiny echo of cherry sasparilla.

Finish: The dry spices circle back around on the finish with a touch more of that vanilla and a whisper of fresh mint from the garden with a little dirt still on it.

Bottom Line:

This is another solid cocktail bourbon that also has some charm as a sipper over plenty of ice.

85. Green River Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Sour Mash Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $37

The Whiskey:

This new release from Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Green River distillery is a wheated classic. The whiskey in the bottle is made from a mash bill (recipe) of 70% Kentucky-grown corn, 21% wheat, and 9% malted 6-Row barley. That whiskey then spends four to six years mellowing before batching, proofing, and bottling as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This pops on the nose with rich caramel next to soft roasted peach and apricot next to a rush of cinnamon bark and nutmeg with a creamy vibe.

Palate: Toffee drives the palate toward Nutella and honey over buttermilk biscuits with an apple/pear tobacco aura that leads to a soft orange.

Finish: The end is rich and full of stewed fruits — peach, pear, orange, raisins — and a mild sense of oaky spice and a mild graininess.

Bottom Line:

This is another no-brainer if you’re looking for a cocktail base. I’d also argue that this makes a good table whiskey for everyday sipping over a lot of ice too.

84. Daviess County Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Cabernet Sauvignon Finished

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $54

The Whiskey:

This whiskey combines two mash bill programs. Rye-heavy and wheat-heavy bourbon barrels are aged for five years before they’re vatted and then re-filled into Cab casks from Napa. That whiskey then rests for a final spell before batching, proofing, and bottling as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is spritely on the nose with sour red wine mingling with tart apples, fresh honeycomb, vanilla pods, and a hint of fresh cinnamon stick.

Palate: The palate largely sticks to the nose and builds some more sour berries with a nice layer of smooth vanilla and tannic oak char.

Finish: The end is short and sweet with a sour edge that leads back to the oak and sour red wine.

Bottom Line:

This is pretty nice overall. The red wine vibes do come through and with a little sweet vermouth lean into mulled wine territory. Overall, this is still a cocktail bourbon more than a sipper. Though it’d be fine over some ice — don’t get me wrong.

83. Hidden Barn Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Small Batch

ABV: 53%

Average Price: $75

The Whiskey:

Former Master Taster for Old Forester, Jackie Zykan, just left her post at Brown-Forman and her new whiskey is already on my desk. Zykan’s first release at her own shingle is a sourced whiskey from Neeley Family Distillery in rural Kentucky. The bourbon is made from a sweet mash (a brand new mash with every cook instead of reusing mash for a sour mash) with a high-ish rye content over pot stills (a true rarity in bourbon these days). Those barrels aged for four to five years before Zykan picked a handful for this inaugural release at batch proof.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is full of digestive biscuits and whole wheat pancakes cut with vanilla and pecan next to hints of anise, caramel candy, and cinnamon-toast tobacco.

Palate: The palate holds onto the massive graininess with a clear sense of rye bread crumb next to thick oatmeal cookies with more of those pecans and plenty of raisins and spice.

Finish: A hint of white pepper arrives and leads the finish to soft espresso cream with a dash of nutmeg and creamy toffee.

Bottom Line:

This grain-forward bourbon is one of the best examples of pure craftiness on the market and a great example of what’s to come from Zykan and the team in 2023.

82. Jefferson’s Reserve Very Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Very Small Batch

ABV: 45.1%

Average Price: $42

The Whiskey:

Jefferson’s really hits it out of the park with their sourced whiskey. The “very old” element of this small-batched blend means that eight to 12 barrels of four unique bourbons were selected to be married, with the oldest clocking in at 20 years old. That whiskey is then proofed with soft Kentucky limestone water to bring it down to a very approachable 90.2 proof.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Notes of vanilla meet spicy tobacco, leather, oak, and very buttery toffee with a hint of popped corn and apple pie mingle on the nose.

Palate: The palate holds true to those notes while adding a mellow cherry with an almost cedar-infused cream soda.

Finish: The finish is short but full of all those woody, spicy, and apple pie notes again, with plenty of buttery mouthfeel and a cedar box full of rich tobacco leaves.

Bottom Line:

This is a classic and very easy-drinking bourbon. The lower ABV/proof means that you don’t need any ice to calm it down. Just pour one and enjoy.

81. Bulleit Bourbon 10 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45.6%

Average Price: $45

The Whiskey:

This is classic (sourced) Bulleit Bourbon that’s aged up to 10 years before it’s blended and bottled. The barrels are hand-selected to really amplify those classic “Bulleit” flavors that make this brand so damn accessible (and beloved) in the first place.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a lot going on with butter and spicy stewed apples, maple syrup, Christmas cakes full of nuts and dried fruit, and a hint of savory herbs all pinging through your nose.

Palate: The palate brings about smooth and creamy vanilla with plenty of butter toffee, sourdough crust, more X-mas spice, cedar bark, and a hint of dried roses.

Finish: The finish is long, warming, and really embraces the toffee and spice.

Bottom Line:

This is just good. I like it as an easy, everyday sipper over some rocks or a go-to Manhattan base.

80. Heaven Hill Distillery Henry Mckenna 10-Year-Old Single Barrel Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

This classic offering from Heaven Hill is actually getting easier to find again (after years of being nearly impossible to find thanks to hype). The juice utilizes a touch of rye in the mash bill and is then aged for 10 long years in a bonded rickhouse. The best barrels are chosen by hand and the whiskey is bottled with just a touch of water to bring it down to bottled-in-bond proof.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens slightly tannic with rich orange zest and vanilla cream next to woody winter spice, fresh mint, and wet cedar with a hint of gingerbread and burnt cherry.

Palate: The palate hits on soft vanilla white cake with a salted caramel drizzle and burnt orange zest vibe next to apple/pear tobacco leaves dipped in toffee and almond.

Finish: The end has a sour cherry sensation that leads to wintery woody spices, cedar bark, and old cellar beams with a lush vanilla pod and cherry stem finish.

Bottom Line:

This award-circuit-darling is a solid and very classic Kentucky bourbon. I tend to use this for simple bourbon-forward cocktails but it 100% works on the rocks as a sipper too.

79. Pinhook 2022 Vintage High Proof “Bourbondini” Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 58%

Average Price: $56

The Whiskey:

This contract-distilled whiskey from Pinhook celebrates the young racehorse “Bourbondini.” The whiskey in the bottle is made from a mash of 75% corn, 15% rye, and 10% malted barley from Castle & Key. After a long rest, the whiskey is just touched with water and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with a big nose full of hot apple cider spiked with clove, raisins, and molasses next to a soft bar of high-quality marzipan all with a whisper of figgy jam in the background.

Palate: The palate leans toward that savory fruit with a hint of dry tropical fruit before a chili-infused dark espresso takes over with a dash of powdered dark chocolate.

Finish: The finish sweetens with a rich toffee and brown butter vibe as the charred barrel makes an appearance at the very end.

Bottom Line:

Pinhook continues to crush it with these releases.

78. Baker’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel Aged 8 Years 1 Month

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $59

The Whiskey:

Baker’s is pulled from single barrels in specific warehouses and ricks across the Beam facility in Clermont, Kentucky. The bourbon is always at least seven years old. In this case, it was aged eight years and one month before bottling as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Sourdough rye crusts and star anise with a fleeting hint of caraway counter cellar funk and cherry/vanilla tobacco on the nose.

Palate: The palate lets that vanilla get super lush with a sense of cinnamon bark and allspice berries next to hints of dill and fennel.

Finish: The end has an eggnog softness with a bit of Red Hot and chili-laced tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This is a very rye-heavy bourbon with a great funkiness to it. This is the bourbon you get when you want more herbal and floral depth on top of a classic sweet and fruity Kentucky bourbon. Thanks to that, it’s a great and fun sipper that just keeps delivering new nuance and flavors. If you’re an Old Grand-Dad fan, this is really going to be your jam.

77. Legent Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Partially Finished in Wine & Sherry Casks

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $39

The Whiskey:

This bottle from Beam Suntory marries Kentucky bourbon, California wine, and Japanese whisky blending in one bottle. Legent is classic Kentucky bourbon made by bourbon legend Fred Noe at Beam that’s finished in both French oak that held red wine and Spanish sherry casks. The whiskey is then blended by whisky-blending legend Shinji Fukuyo at Suntory.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Plummy puddings with hints of nuts mingle with vinous berries, oaky spice, and a good dose of vanilla and toffee on the nose.

Palate: The palate expands on the spice with more barky cinnamon and dusting of nutmeg while the oak becomes sweeter and the fruit becomes dried and sweet.

Finish: The finish is jammy yet light with plenty of fruit, spice, and oak lingering on the senses.

Bottom Line:

This sherry-finished bourbon is spot on. The whiskey has a great texture and depth, making it a great sipper or cocktail base. If you want to make a great Manhattan or just have an everyday easy sipper around, get this bottle.

76. Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series Botted-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

This brand-new release from Bardstown Bourbon Company is 100% their own whiskey. The juice is made from a wheated bourbon mash bill — 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley — down in Bardstown, Kentucky. The whiskey spends about six years mellowing before it’s just kissed with local water and bottled at 100 proof.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose draws you in with a sense of orange Jolly Ranchers, powdered cacao, and stewed peaches with classic bourbon vanilla and an oaky vibe.

Palate: The palate is a mix of apricot jam, pear cores, and red berries with a mix of spiced orange candy tobacco wrapped around dry wicker and cedar bark.

Finish: The end leans into the sweet and spiced orange while the tobacco slowly fades through sweet caramel and vanilla buttercream toward a silky finish.

Bottom Line:

This is where we start getting into the good stuff. This has a classic backbone that goes deeper than the average bourbon. I’d argue that you can sip this slowly on a slow day or use it for mixing your favorite bourbon cocktails. It’s a winner either way.

75. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45.2%

Average Price: $49

The Whiskey:

This expression takes standard Woodford Bourbon and gives it a finishing touch. The bourbon is blended and moved into new barrels that have been double-toasted but only lightly charred. The juice spends a final nine months resting in those barrels before proofing and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a welcoming aroma of marzipan, blackberry, toffee, and fresh honey next to a real sense of pitchy, dry firewood.

Palate: The taste drills down on those notes as the sweet marzipan becomes more choco-hazelnut, the berries become increasingly dried and apple-y, the toffee becomes almost burnt, and the wood softens to a cedar bark.

Finish: A rich spicy and chewy tobacco arrives late as the vanilla gets super creamy and the fruit and honey combine on the slow fade.

Bottom Line:

This is another bourbon that’s just good. Pour it over some rocks or mix it into your favorite cocktail. Either way, you’ll be all set.

74. Four Roses Small Batch Select Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 52%

Average Price: $49

The Whiskey:

This expression uses six of Four Rose’s 10 whiskeys in their small-batching process. The idea is to blend both high and low-rye bourbons with yeast strains that highlight “delicate fruit,” “slight spice,” and “herbal notes.” The whiskeys tend to spend at least six years in the barrel before blending and proofing with just a touch of Kentucky’s soft limestone water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Raspberry and cloves mix with old oak and draw you in on the nose.

Palate: The palate amps up the dark berry sweetness with a bit of tartness as a stone fruit vibe comes into play. The spice heightens and leans into winter spice with a focus on nutmeg.

Finish: Finally, a wisp of fresh mint arrives to counterpoint the whole sip as the oak, vanilla, berries, and spice all slowly fade out.

Bottom Line:

This is where we get into the very good bourbon. This stuff rules neat, on the rocks, or in a simple cocktail.

73. Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $149

The Whiskey:

Buffalo Trace’s Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch is an entry point to the other 12 expressions released under the E.H. Taylor, Jr. label. The whiskey is made from Buffalo Trace’s iconic Mash Bill No. 1 (which is a low rye recipe). The final whiskey in the bottle is a blend of barrels that meet the exact right flavor profiles Buffalo Trace’s blenders are looking for in a classic bottled-in-bond bourbon for Taylor.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a sense of soft corn mush with a hint of fresh green chili, Saigon cinnamon (a little sweet), orchard tree bark, and the black mildew that grows on all the whiskey warehouses in Kentucky.

Palate: The palate leans into buttery toffee with a twinge of black licorice next to cinnamon-spiced dark chocolate tobacco and a hint of huckleberry pie with vanilla ice cream.

Finish: The end has a salted caramel sweetness that leads back to a hint of sweet cinnamon and dark tobacco with a light sense of the fermentation room with a hint of sweet gruel.

Bottom Line:

This is another favorite of mine. I love this one over a few rocks at the end of the day. It’s super easy to drink while offering some serious depth. Though, it will be a little harder to source.

72. American Highway Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from country music legend Brad Paisley actually crisscrossed the country with the star. The whiskey in the bottles is largely from Bardstown Bourbon Company, with four whiskeys aged three to 15 years with both low and high rye bourbons in the mix. The team at Bardstown worked closely with Paisley — a whiskey nerd himself — to select, blend, and finish the bourbon according to Paisley’s palate. After a 7,314-mile trip across America, the barrels were vatted, proofed, and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a lightness at first whiff that gives way to a soft apricot jam on a buttered Southern biscuit next to a hint of cinnamon-spiked caramel and apple cider-soaked oak staves.

Palate: The palate really does burst forth with firework pops of old leather, toffee candies, Red Hots, peanut brittle, nougat, milk chocolate, and vanilla pipe tobacco.

Finish: The mid-palate sweetness fades as the pipe tobacco takes on a little warmth and spice while brioche, black pepper, and braided dry cedar bark round out the finish.

Bottom Line:

This whiskey feels like it’s heavy with gimmicks. But once you taste it, all that goes away. This whiskey delivers. You can feel the care and love that went into the blend. If you’re a fan of Paisley or the great work coming out of Bardstown Bourbon Company right now, then this is a must-buy. If you’re just a fan of damn good whiskey, then this is a must-buy too.

71. I.W. Harper Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 15 Years

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $109

The Whiskey:

I.W. Harper has a long history with a new feel. The booze is made at Heaven Hill’s New Bernheim Distillery but aged at Diageo’s Stitzel-Weller Distillery — a classic contract distilling partnership. The juice spends 15 years mellowing before it’s married and proofed down to a very approachable 86 proof.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a clear sense of almost fresh off-the-stalk sweet corn and bright berries on the nose with hints of orange zest, oily vanilla, and cedar.

Palate: The palate leads with the cedar towards tobacco spiciness, more of that concentrated vanilla, and a very mild whisper of minty dark chocolate nibs.

Finish: The finish takes its time and starts with the dry cedar, passes through that spicy tobacco buzz, and ends up with a sweet vanilla/caramel softness.

Bottom Line:

This is the most straightforward whiskey on the list. There are no bells or whistles. This is just good bourbon with a clear and concise profile. Sometimes that’s all you need.

70. Lucky Seven “The Hold Up” 12-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

This whiskey was founded by cinephiles who also happen to be bourbon lovers — the “Lucky Seven” moniker is a nod to Warner Bros.’s iconic Sound Stage 7. The bourbon in this bottle is a blend of sourced 12-year-old barrels from Kentucky. Those barrels are hand-selected by the Lucky Seven team to create their perfect bourbon.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Dried apricots and prunes lead to a date-rich cake with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg next to an echo of caramel corn with a flake of salt.

Palate: The taste starts off sweet with a cotton candy depth that then turns toward old cedar planks, worn leather, and a hint of savory herbs like thyme and sage.

Finish: The mid-palate pops with Red Hots as the caramel corn makes a comeback before the finish dives into a plummy tobacco chewiness and buzz.

Bottom Line:

There’s a lovely deep fruitiness with a dry herbal vibe that gives way to more classic bourbon tones. It’s a nice balance of bold and unique with familiar and ideal. If you’re attending a movie night with friends, this is the bottle to bring along.

69. Larceny Barrel Proof Batch No. A123 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 62.9%

Average Price: $69

The Whiskey:

This year’s first Larceny Barrel Proof is made with Heaven Hill’s standard wheated bourbon mash bill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. The batch is made from a combination of six to eight-year-old barrels from Heaven Hill’s rickhouses. The final blend is bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Chili pepper spice and almost damp masa come through on the nose with a hint of mustiness next to nut loaf cut with a twinge of apple cider juice and some orchard tree branches with a hint of apple caramel candy lurking underneath.

Palate: Sweet vanilla cake leads to a hint of cinnamon bark and creamy eggnog with plenty of nutmeg before a light ABV heat rises and leads to apple cores and soft leather.

Finish: A sharp winter spice dominates the end with a sense of old apple bushels, broken-down used bourbon barrels, and a hint of caramel vanilla creaminess.

Bottom Line:

This is another great candidate for making whiskey-forward cocktails. The flavor profile is deep and engaging and stands up to mixing or just a little ice as a slow sipper.

68. Chicken Cock Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $63

The Whiskey:

Chicken Cock has some serious bourbon history going back to 1856. It was also the bourbon of the infamous Cotton Club in Harlem during Prohibition. Fun fact, the hooch was smuggled into the club in tin cans that they cracked open tableside. The whiskey in this bottle was sourced from Kentucky. Today, the whiskey is being contract distilled at Bardstown Bourbon Company.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Granny Smith apples and Red Hots jump out on the nose with a hint of black Necco Wafer, a touch of soft and wet oak, and hints of caramel.

Palate: The palate leans into the buttery ends of toffee with burnt sugars leading toward dried fruits, fatty nuts, and holiday cake spices.

Finish: The vanilla arrives late and is tied to the sweeter edges as a lightly dried tobacco leaf note leaves a little heat on the back end.

Bottom Line:

This is another solid bourbon-y bourbon with a nice sweet depth, sharp spice, and clear POV. Overall, I’d lean toward using this in cocktails, but it’s totally suitable for sipping over some ice.

67. Rabbit Hole Heigold Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 47.5%

Average Price: $59

The Whiskey:

This Louisville whiskey is made with a “double malted” mash bill. The recipe calls for 70% corn, 25% malted German rye, and 5% malted barley. The hot juice goes into the barrels at a lower entry proof and rests for just over three years in toasted and charred Kelvin barrels. Only 15 of those barrels go into the final batch.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This nose is classic bourbon with deep and dark cherry, burnt orange, old vanilla pods, and a hint of licorice layered into cream soda with a sprig of fresh mint.

Palate: There’s a sense of fancy Almond Joy next to clove-studded oranges candies, vanilla cake with caramel frosting, and a light mint tobacco in a cedar humidor with a twinge of leather.

Finish: The cedar, dark cherry, singe orange, and bold woody spice all pop in the finish and fade slowly away, leaving you with a well-rounded “bourbon” experience.

Bottom Line:

This is a killer whiskey that works wonders as a slow sipper. You’ll want to go back in for more and you’ll always find something new in the pour. If you’re looking for something new yet top-rate, this is it.

66. Wilderness Trail 6 Years Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottled In Bond

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $75

The Whiskey:

The team over at Wilderness Trail continues to wow with their six-year-old Wheated Bourbon release. The whiskey is a mash bill of 64% corn, 24% wheat, and 12% malted barley and uses co-founder Dr. Pat’s (yes, he’s a real doctor) proprietary yeast. The juice is then aged in their main warehouse where it’s moved to a new floor every one of those six years, allowing a little extra magic to happen in the barrel.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose draws you in with a cinnamon-heavy pecan pie with a lard-hewn crust next to hints of wet pine.

Palate: The palate leans into the corn syrup of the pecan pie while the cinnamon draws you towards an apple tobacco chew with a touch of caramel and vanilla lurking in the background.

Finish: The finish doesn’t overstay its welcome and holds onto the cinnamon and pie vibes, ending on a fruity tobacco buzz.

Bottom Line:

This is a great get for a true whiskey nerd. The brand is also getting some wider distribution, which means you’ll see more of it on shelves (finally). All of that aside, this is an easy sipper that also makes a mean old fashioned thanks to a serious acuity wherein you feel the ingenuity of the layers in every sip.

65. Elijah Craig Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Barrel Proof A123

ABV: 62.8%

Average Price: $87

The Whiskey:

This year’s first Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is hewn from Heaven Hill’s classic bourbon mash bill of 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye. That hot juice is loaded into charred American oak barrels and left to rest for 12 long years before batching and bottling as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This has a classic nose that leans towards toasted chocolate beans, dried chili pepper flakes (and maybe even some fresh green chili), burnt vanilla pods, singed cherry bark, and old leather dipped in caramel.

Palate: Bold! The palate opens with a sense of sweet stick toffee pudding (dates, cinnamon, nutmeg, salted caramel sauce) before hitting a high note on the ABVs with a spicy heat that’s immediately countered by a rich cherry syrup and caramel sauce.

Finish: Another wave of heat arrives late and ushers in a light sense of old oak staves and cinnamon bark with a mild sense of apple tobacco and maybe some cedar kindling with a fleeting sense of leather and cherry stems.

Bottom Line:

This has really grown on me as a beautiful bourbon sipper this year. This is deep, bold, and nuanced Kentucky bourbon at its best (at this price point) and worth adding to any bar cart. Give it a shot to see what all the fuss is about. It’ll be worth every penny.

64. Russell’s Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $56

The Whiskey:

Jimmy and Eddie Russell — Wild Turkey’s Master Distillers — hand-select these barrels from their vast warehouses for just the right bourbon flavor. The bourbon is bottled with a touch of water added.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: You’re met with creamy depths of vanilla next to pound cake, spicy tobacco, sweet oak, and a clear hit of orange oil.

Palate: That vanilla really amps up as hints of rose water-forward marzipan lead towards cedar, more vanilla, and a dash of Christmas spices.

Finish: On the finish, a really deep dark chocolate smoothness arrives with a more nutty almond that’s reminiscent of an Almond Joy straight from a special candy shop.

Bottom Line:

This was better than fine. Still, it was a tad dry and feels like it’s better suited for Manhattans than neat sipping.

63. Monk’s Road Fifth District Series Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 6 Years

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $76

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from Log Still Distillery in Kentucky is run by direct descendants of the famed Dant family (true foundational legends in Kentucky bourbon). The whiskey in the bottle is a single-barrel bourbon that aged for six years before proofing and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with a hint of woody vanilla next to a hint of sour cherry, a dash of toasted coconut, a light note of leather, and some butter toffee underbelly.

Palate: The palate leans into cola notes with plenty of clove and nutmeg next to a whisper of oatmeal cookie with sweet spices and plenty of vanilla.

Finish: The end is lush and sweetens towards a Caro syrup with a bit of stewed apple that’s kind of woody and mildly spicy.

Bottom Line:

This is another one that’s simply classic bourbon. The spice and sweet balance is on point and feels like a trip down memory lane to the best Christmases of your childhood.

62. Yellowstone Hand-Picked Collection Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel

ABV: 57.5%

Average Price: $71

The Whiskey:

These bottles are part of an exclusive run of bourbon barrels that are “hand-picked” by Steve Beam out at Limestone Branch Distillery (from sourced barrels). Beam pulls these exceptional barrels in and releases them for special retailers, bar accounts, and collections. Each release is around 200 bottles and they tend to be rare finds.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Stewed pears and spicy dark chocolate open up the nose toward hints of cedar and vanilla oils.

Palate: The palate is kind of like a vanilla candle next to almonds toffees with minor notes of orchard bark and old moss.

Finish: The fruit comes back around on the mid-palate and finishes with leather apricot and pear tobacco layering into the nutty toffee and moss.

Bottom Line:

This is a great fruity/sweet bourbon with an edge. You really feel the pear orchards next to a wonderful sense of moss, bark, and dirt. It feels a little offbeat but in all the right ways, especially with a little water or ice to let it open up.

61. Town Branch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $34

The Whiskey:

Town Branch is Lexington’s destination distillery/brewery right in the city. Their flagship bourbon is a high-malt mash bill, adding more smooth sweetness to the mix. The whiskey ages for four to five years before it’s blended and proofed with water from the “town branch” of Elkhorn Creek, which runs through Lexington.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is as soft as it is classic on the nose with hints of rich caramel mingling with dark cherry, soft nutmeg, and a hint of leathery oak.

Palate: The palate follows that path while layering in a hint of orange blossom next to cherry leather with cinnamon and clove hints and a bit of pipe tobacco in a wooden box.

Finish: The finish is subtle and short and marries the cedar with the orange blossom with the cherry lingering the longest on the backend.

Bottom Line:

This is supple and inviting. It’s another one that’s simply a good whiskey, folks. Drink it however you like, you won’t be disappointed.

60. Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel Barrel Strength

ABV: 65%

Average Price: $99

The Whisky:

This is classic Old Forester from a single barrel that’s not cut with any water. When you find these, they’ll generally be a pick from a retailer or bar program. That means they’ll vary slightly, depending on what the person picking the barrel was looking for. Still, there’s a consistency of “Old Forester” running through them all.

Tasting Note:

Nose: There’s a clear sense of dark fruit, especially cherry, that becomes stewed with dark winter spices on the nose with a good dose of dry tobacco in an old cedar box that’s wrapped up in old leather.

Palate: A hint of old dry roses sneaks in on the palate as those spices and syrupy cherry and berries intensify and attach to the chewy tobacco.

Finish: The mid-palate sweetens with an almost rose-water marzipan vibe as the cherry tobacco dried out pretty significantly, leaving you with a sense of pitchy pine sap and your grandparent’s old tobacco pipe that’s still hot to touch.

Bottom Line:

This is the one and only Old Forester to buy (outside of their limited edition releases that you can’t ever find).

59. Evan Williams Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 43.3%

Average Price: $38

The Whiskey:

This is Heaven Hill’s hand-selected single barrel Evan Williams expression. The whiskey is from a single barrel, labeled with its distillation year, proofed just above 86, and bottled as is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This has a really nice nose full of woody cherry, salted caramel with a tart apple edge, and a soft leatheriness.

Palate: The palate feels and tastes “classic” with notes of wintry spices (eggnog especially) with a lush creaminess supported by soft vanilla, a hint of orange zest, and plenty of spicy cherry tobacco.

Finish: The end is supple with a hint of tart apple tobacco with a light caramel candy finish.

Bottom Line:

There are still a few bottles of this out there. But since this became a Kentucky-only release in 2022, it’s going to get rarer and more expensive outside of the Bluegrass State. That said, if you’re in Kentucky or traveling there, buy a case of this. It’s still cheap, delicious, and a great everyday sipper with real depth.

58. Jim Beam Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

Each of these Jim Beam bottlings is pulled from single barrels that hit just the right spot of taste, texture, and drinkability, according to the master distillers at Beam. That means this whiskey is pulled from less than 1% of all barrels in Beam’s warehouses, making this a very special bottle at a bafflingly affordable price.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Vanilla pound cake and salted caramel are countered by spicy cherry tobacco, mulled wine vibes, and dark chocolate cut with orange zest and a hint of corn husk.

Palate: The palate brings in some floral honey sweetness and more orange oils with a sticky toffee pudding feel next to more spicy cherry tobacco and a hint of coconut cream pie.

Finish: The end amps up the cherry with a little more sweetness than spice before salted dark chocolate tobacco folds into dry sweetgrass and cedar bark.

Bottom Line:

It’s wild how good this bourbon is for this price. Look, I love some Jim Beam Rye and Jim Beam Black Label from this brand. But their Single Barrel 108 Proof is just too good in general not to be the one Jim Beam bottle to have on your shelf.

57. Four Roses Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $37

The Whiskey:

Four Rose’s standard single-barrel expression is an interesting one. This is their “number one” recipe, meaning it’s the high-rye mash bill that’s fermented with a yeast that highlights “delicate fruit.” The whiskey is then bottled at 100 proof, meaning you’re getting a good sense of that single barrel in every bottle.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Woody maple syrup and cinnamon sticks lead to a hint of pear candy, rich vanilla, and a leathery dark fruit with this faint whisper of floral herbs on the nose.

Palate: The palate lets the pear shine as the spices lean into woody barks and tart berries next to leathery dates and plums with a butteriness tying everything together.

Finish: A spicy tobacco chewiness leads the mid-palate toward a soft fruitiness and a hint of plum pudding at the end with a slight nuttiness and green herbal vibe.

Bottom Line:

This is another amazing deal in the bourbon whiskey market. These single-barrel expressions from Four Roses are the bottle to buy from the brand every time.

56. Noah’s Mill Small Batch Genuine Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 57.15%

Average Price: $67

The Whiskey:

This is the bigger and bolder sibling of Willett’s Rowan’s Creek Bourbon. It’s the same whiskey — a no-age-statement bourbon that’s made from four to 15-year-old barrels — that’s barely proofed down with local Kentucky water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Maple syrup-covered walnuts greet you with a sense of dark dried cherries and a hint of rose water next to old leather books and holiday spices.

Palate: The taste holds onto those notes while adding in a stewed plum depth with a whisper of caramel apple and orange oils.

Finish: The vanilla and sweet oak kick in late with a rich depth and well-rounded lightness to the sip fade towards lush cherry tobacco, soft leather, and winter spice matrix tied to prunes and dates.

Bottom Line:

This is a great, classic bourbon. It’s accessible (you can generally find it outside of Kentucky) and it’s very drinkable. If you’re looking for an essential bourbon drinking experience (neat, on the rocks, or in a cocktail), this is the bourbon you’re looking for.

55. Frank August Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $66

The Whiskey:

The first whiskey from Frank August is a sourced bourbon. The whiskey is made in Kentucky, where it’s also aged. The team at Frank August then takes roughly 10 to 15 barrels per batch and builds this bourbon painstakingly to fit their desired flavor profile. The whiskey is then lightly proofed down to 100 proof before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is pure classic bourbon with hints of salted caramel with a twinge of soft grains next to spicy cherry syrup, a whisper of sour apple, and a touch of aged oak staves soaked in mulled wine.

Palate: The palate moves on from the soft grains towards rum-soaked raisins with a warm winter spice matrix — cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice — before a brown sugar/rock candy sweetness takes over on the mid-palate.

Finish: The finish is long and sweet with a nice dose of sharp cinnamon and soft nutmeg that leads to a supple vanilla cream with a thin line of dry cedar and tobacco spice just touched with dark cherry on the very end.

Bottom Line:

I tend to use this to make a mean Sazerac, but it’s 100% delicious on its own in a nice glass (or with a nice piece of ice).

54. Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof Bourbon

ABV: 58.4%

Average Price: $54

The Whiskey:

This is the mountaintop of what the main line of Wild Turkey can achieve (this is easily found on liquor store shelves for the most part). This is a blend of the prime barrels that are married and bottled untouched. That means no filtering and no cutting with water. This is a classic Turkey bourbon with nowhere to hide.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens like a dessert table during the holidays with crème brûlée next to a big sticky toffee pudding with orange zest sprinkled over the top next to a bushel of fresh mint.

Palate: The palate hits an early note of pine resin as the orange kicks up towards a bold wintry spice, soft vanilla cream, and a hint of honeyed cherry tobacco.

Finish: The end keeps the winter spices front and center as a lush pound cake feeling leads to soft notes of cherry-spiced tobacco leaves folded into an old cedar box with a whisper of old vanilla pods lurking in the background.

Bottom Line:

This is a bottle that has no business being this good at this price point, making it truly one of the great value-per-dollar whiskeys on the shelf today. While it’s a very easy sipper, it also makes a killer cocktail.

53. Blue Run Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Reflection

ABV: 47.5%

Average Price: $88

The Whiskey:

This whiskey was distilled at Castle & Key back in 2018. 200 of those barrels were hand-picked for this release to take a look back at the past two years of Blue Run and “reflect” upon the trials they brought and the successes they’ve had in making tasty whiskey.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with a distinct note of tart yet slightly sweet cherry on the nose with a supporting cast of butterscotch candies, mild firewood, and a hint of pancake batter.

Palate: That batter becomes a stack of pancakes with vanilla-laced butter, maple syrup, and a few nuts thrown in that lead to a herb garden full of rosemary bushes.

Finish: That savory note mellows out through the mid-palate as a dusting of nutmeg rounds out the finish with hints of woody maple syrup and a final echo of that tart cherry.

Bottom Line:

This is a new bourbon with a fresh vibe and profile. This is the bottle you get when you want to be on the cutting edge of bourbon’s future but also want to drink really good whiskey.

52. Michter’s US*1 Limited Release Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 55.3%

Average Price: $100

The Whiskey:

Michter’s fills their barrels with 103-proof hot juice off the stills. After a handful of years spent aging, that proof inches upwards as the angels take their share. Usually, the whiskey is cut with that soft Kentucky limestone water before bottling but not in this case. This is pulled from single honey barrels that were just too good to cut and bottled at the Fort Nelson Distillery right on Louisville’s Whiskey Row.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose draws you deep into the classic bourbon ecosystem of rich buttery toffees next to salted dark chocolate-covered cherries, a touch of smoked stone fruits, and a minor note of spicy tobacco leaf.

Palate: The palate delivers on those notes as the tobacco spice amps up before being smoothed out by rich and creamy vanilla, salted caramel, and apricot stone dryness.

Finish: That dryness drives the mid-palate towards the finish with a pecan shell vibe next to slightly bitter singed cedar bark.

Bottom Line:

This is a great bourbon for mixing up cocktails. The deeply classic bourbon vibes really shine through in a Manhattan, boulevardier, or old fashioned.

51. Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 10 Years

ABV: 45%

Buy Here: $51

The Whiskey:

This might be one of the most beloved (and still accessible) bottles from Buffalo Trace. This whiskey is made from their very low rye mash bill. The hot juice is then matured for at least 10 years in various parts of the warehouse. The final mix comes down to barrels that hit just the right notes to make them “Eagle Rare.” Finally, this one is proofed down to a fairly low 90 proof.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Old leather boots, burnt orange rinds, oily sage, old oak staves, and buttery toffee round out the nose.

Palate: Marzipan covered in dark chocolate opens the palate as floral honey and ripe cherry lead to a winter cake vibe full of raisins, dark spices, and toffee sauce.

Finish: The end has a balance of all things winter treats as the marzipan returns and the winter spice amp up alongside a hint of spicy cherry tobacco and old cedar.

Bottom Line:

It’s amazing that you can still find these (sort of). If you can, buy a case. This is a great house pour that’ll always deliver. I tend to drink it over a single large ice cube. It rules.

PART II — ELITE & RARE KENTUCKY BOURBONS (50-1)

50. New Riff Single Barrel Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 55.8%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

These releases from New Riff will vary from location to location as they’re largely reserved for retailers. The whiskey in the bottle is New Riff’s standard bourbon mash of 65% corn, 30% rye, and 5% malted barley. The spirit is aged for at least four years before they’re bottled individually without cutting or filtration.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on these tends to be soft, kind of like freshly baked rye bread, with notes of eggnog spices, slick vanilla flan, thin caramel sauce, and hints of spicy orange zest.

Palate: The palate amps everything up as the orange peel becomes candied and attaches to a moist holiday cake, dried cranberry and cherry, more dark spice, a touch of nuttiness, and plenty of that vanilla.

Finish: The end takes its time as the whole thing comes together like a rich and boozy fruit cake as little notes of leather and tobacco spice keep things interesting on the slow fade.

Bottom Line:

These rule. I like these pours over a single large ice cube. That said, this makes one hell of a Manhattan.

49. BLACKENED x Wes Henderson Master of Whiskey Series Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 58.1%

Average Price: $129

The Whiskey:

This new collaboration from Metallica’s whiskey finds Master Distillers Rob Dietrich of BLACKENED working with Wes Henderson, Co-Founder of Angel’s Envy, to create a new expression. The whiskey is a classic Kentucky bourbon aged for six years. Those barrels are vatted and then refilled into white port wine casks for a final rest. Finally, the port barrels are batched and the whiskey is bottled at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a good bit of fruit on the nose with pear skins, rum-raisin, and burnt orange next to dried-up old cinnamon sticks and tobacco leaves.

Palate: The palate stews the pear with honey and wintry spices while a hint of dried chili flake leads to walnut cake and a very mild echo of old wet straw.

Finish: The end is lush and full of oranges studded with cloves and allspice next to pear tobacco and old cedar humidors.

Bottom Line:

This is great, party-hard-yet-classic bourbon with a truly well-built flavor profile.

48. Brown-Forman’s King Of Kentucky Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel Aged 15 Years

ABV: 65.3%

Average Price: $2,814

The Whiskey:

This year’s King of Kentucky is a 15-year-old bourbon made from a mash of 79% corn, 11% rye, and 10% malted barley. The spirit — made at the Brown-Forman Distillery in West Louisville (Shively) — went into the barrel on December 18, 2009, at 125% entry-proof. After 15 long years, only about 35% of the whiskey was left in the barrel. 43 single barrels were then chosen for this release and individually bottled as-is, yielding about 3,500 bottles of King of Kentucky.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens very tannic-y (and old) with a mix of pitchy firewood, old honey barrels, dried cranberry, nutmeg, old vanilla husks, cornmeal pancake batter, and a hint of chili-laced tobacco.

Palate: The taste is bold with a fire-hot spice mix of cinnamon and dried anchos that’s eventually tempered by lush vanilla and creamy dark chocolate with a hint of sweet cherry and old wicker rounding things out.

Finish: The end is woody and full of potting soil with a hint of old chewing tobacco next to orchard wood.

Bottom Line:

This was just too hot. The proof completely blew out the palate, which is a shame since there’s a lot going on here once you get past that heat.

47. Cooper’s Craft Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 100 Proof

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $31

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is from Brown-Forman (which also makes Jack Daniels, Old Forester, King of Kentucky, and Woodford Reserve in the U.S.). The Kentucky-distilled juice is aged in special oak barrels that are chiseled before charring to create more surface space for carbon filtering and aging in the barrel. The best barrels and then batched, slightly proofed with that Kentucky limestone water, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a sense of old oak and almost smoldering cinnamon bark on the nose with a hint of apple/pear cider cut with orange oils and a whisper of vanilla-nougat wafers.

Palate: That apple/pear cider vibe dominated the start of the palate with a Martinelli’s cider sweetness next to clove buds and more cinnamon bark, a light sense of vanilla cake, and burnt orange.

Finish: The cinnamon really attaches to the apple/pear cider on the finish with a fleeting sense of sweet oak and old evergreen pitch and an echo of orange tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This hit those classic bourbon notes so well that it jolted it to the top of the tasting. This is just good goddamn bourbon from top to bottom.

46. Nashtucky Special Release Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 8 Years

ABV: 59.8%

Average Price: $129

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is part of the new line from the famed Nashville Barrel Company. In this case, barrels were filled in Kentucky and then sent down to Nashville to age for eight years, colliding the worlds of Kentucky bourbon with the Tennessee climate. The results are bottled as-is one barrel at a time.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Old lawn furniture with a hint of dry grass mixes on the nose with salted caramels, figs, dates, and prunes, a mix of wintry spices, a dash of white pepper, and some light stone fruit (think fresh apricot and plum).

Palate: The palate leans into spiced fig jam with a sense of spiced Christmas cake, burnt sugar, and candied citrus countered by dry sweetgrass braided with cedar bark next to singed wild sage and a hint of strawberry tobacco.

Finish: The end has a mild sense of warmth next to pear fruit leather and apricot jam with a hint of dark chocolate and dried strawberry tobacco in an old leather pouch.

Bottom Line:

These are deep and fascinatingly delicious whiskeys. Each one will be a little different, but the throughline is that they’ll always be good. That makes this whiskey kind of exciting.

45. Bomberger’s Declaration Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 2022 Edition

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $119

The Whiskey:

This whiskey heralds back to Michter’s historical roots in the 19th century before the brand was even called “Michter’s.” The whiskey in the bottle is rendered from a very small batch of bourbons that were aged in Chinquapin oak which was air-dried for three years before charring and filling. The Kentucky bourbon was then bottled in an extremely small batch that only yielded 2005 bottles this year.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Sweet mashed grains — thinks a bowl of Cream of Wheat — mix with sticky toffee pudding, old leather, old cellar beams, and sweet cinnamon with a hint of burnt orange and dark chocolate next to eggnog with a flake of salt.

Palate: The palate is super creamy with a crème brûlée feel that leads to soft winter spices, dry cedar, and orange chocolates with a hint of marzipan in the background.

Finish: The end has a creamed honey vibe next to figs and prunes with fresh chewing tobacco and salted dark chocolate.

Bottom Line:

This is often called “secret Michter’s” and that’s apt. Semantics aside, this is a killer bottle of whiskey. It’s going to be harder to find, but it’s worth it just to add to your whiskey journey. Once you try it, this might end up being your new go-to.

44. Fortuna Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 51%

Average Price: $85

The Whiskey:

This whiskey — a revival of a centuries-old dead brand — is from the new company founded by Heaven Hill’s Andrew Shapira with partners Pablo Moix and Peter Nevenglosky, based around the Rare Character Whiskey shingle. The whiskey in the bottle is rendered from six barrels of six-year-old whiskey that’s expertly batched and bottled with just a touch of local Kentucky water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a beautiful sense of fresh orange blossom and nasturtiums on the nose with a lush honeycomb vibe next to stewed plums with hints of clove and allspice.

Palate: The palate is luxurious with a sense of salted caramel, cherry Dr. Pepper, and sticky toffee pudding with plenty of winter spice, salted toffee, orange zest, brandy butter, and black-tea-soaked dates.

Finish: The end has a sense of plum pudding with burnt sugars and orange tobacco kissed with anise and clove and rolled up with wild sage and cedar bark and wrapped in old leather pouches.

Bottom Line:

This is pretty much an ideal classic bourbon whiskey. The depth is astounding and the vibe is so on point that you start to wonder where this brand has been your whole life. It’s just that little bit deeper than the previous whiskey (I’m splitting microscopic hairs to say that), making it damn near the best whiskey on the list.

43. Old Ezra Aged 7 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 58.5%

Average Price: $97

The Whiskey:

This brand from Luxco still sources some whiskey though they did start distilling their own in 2018. This bottle is a seven-year-old blend of barrels with a bourbon mash bill of 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye, which just so happens to be Heaven Hill’s bourbon mash bill. These barrels are blended down and left as-is at cask strength for bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is a pretty classic bourbon from nose to finish with a strong sense of rich caramel, pancakes with plenty of vanilla, sweet oak, wet brown sugar, and a whiff of cherry tobacco.

Palate: The palate leans into the woody brown spices as a dark cherry vibe sweetens the mid-palate.

Finish: The end circles back to that sweet oak and spicy cherry tobacco on a lingering finish.

Bottom Line:

I really dig this as a bourbon-y bourbon with extra depth that helps it transcend.

42. Angel’s Envy Cellar Collection Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Tawny Port Casks

ABV: 55.8%

Average Price: $224

The Whiskey:

This new limited edition whiskey has a small 5,400-bottle run and that’s it. Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson built this whiskey from 10-year-old bourbon barrels. Once batched, that whiskey was filled in old tawny port barrels for a final 10-month rest. Finally, those barrels were batched and bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Leathery dates and prunes mingle with a hint of black tea and cinnamon bark next to cranberry compote cut with orange rinds and clove with a hint of salinity lurking underneath.

Palate: Toasted almond mixes with a sense of clove-studded oranges and black peppercorns soaked in prune juice with a hint of apricot jam over warm and buttery buttermilk biscuits with a hint of raisin.

Finish: That raisin takes on a hint of rum as sweet cedar layers with rich and chewy cherry tobacco next to a dash more of that woody winter spice and dark dried fruit.

Bottom Line:

Angel’s Envy really shines brightest with their cask strength releases. Look, I dig their standard port-finished stuff for mixing cocktails, but it’s these special, longer-aged whiskeys that shine a spotlight on how great the team over at Angel’s Envy really is. This is a great sipper that just keeps going with classic, wintry bourbon flavor notes. Over ice, it takes on a buttercream creaminess with a marzipan vibe that’s luscious.

41. Stagg Jr. Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 65.5%

Average Price: $349

The Whiskey:

This entry point to the much older and much higher-priced, George T. Stagg, is killing the bourbon game right now. The whiskey is generally eight to nine-year-old bourbons, made at Buffalo Trace, and batched and bottled with no fussing, cutting, or filtering. The results are an award-winning bourbon that’s getting harder and harder to find for its MSRP.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There is distinct and rich molasses next to hints of pecan, dark and bold holiday spices, and vanilla oils on the nose.

Palate: The palate holds onto those notes and adds a cherry sweetness with a hint of woody apple in the background and a touch of toffee.

Finish: The end is long and very hot, leaving you with a spicy tobacco buzz on your tongue and senses.

Bottom Line:

This is another crowd-pleasing favorite. Stagg stans go deep with their fandom. These get a little too hot for me, so I recommend a rock or two. That said, if you’re looking for an ABV/proof explosion, this is the bottle for you.

40. 15 Stars Triple Cask Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 52.5%

Average Price: $179

The Whiskey:

This new release from 15 STARS is a blend of two bourbons with a big finishing run. The whiskey is made from an eight and 16-year-old blend that was finished in Kentucky in port, cognac, and rum casks for eight additional months before batching and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Woody huckleberry jam over raisin scones mingle with eggnog spices and brown sugar cookies, spiced cherry fruit leather, and a twinge of sweet yet old oakiness.

Palate: That dark fruit leather leans into brandy-soaked dates and prunes with a sense of old oak cellars next to rich vanilla, soft apples, and sticky toffee pudding.

Finish: There’s a dark cherry spiced vibe to the finish that leans into fresh chewy tobacco packed into an old oak box and then wrapped in leather with a burnt orange rind and winter spice bouquet on top.

Bottom Line:

This is delicious whiskey. It’s a great sipper that really benefits from a drop of water to let it bloom in the glass. You’ll get a creamy, nutty, almost fatty lusciousness that just vibes wonderfully with everything going on in the flavor profile already.

39. Cream of Kentucky 11.5-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 51%

Average Price: $139

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is part of the bespoke sourced from bourbon legend Jim Rutledge. Rutledge spent 21 years as the head distiller at Four Roses, building the worldwide renown that the brand is now known for today. Rutledge is currently sourcing the best barrels he can find to create this throwback brand of whiskey — its labels used to be painted by Norman Rockwell back in the day.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: You feel the deep bourbon heritage from the nose through the finish as classic notes of oily vanilla husks, soft cedar, and rich toffee draw you in.

Palate: The taste holds onto the toffee and vanilla but also veers into sweet cherry with a rush of spice, almost like a Cherry Dr. Pepper in the best possible way.

Finish: A note of bitterness comes in late via a dark chocolate vibe (especially with a drop or two of water) while the silken sip fades, leaving you with warm and woody spices.

Bottom Line:

This is classic bourbon from top to bottom. It’s the sort of bottle you bring home with you after a trip to Kentucky to show off to your local bourbon crew.

38. Chicken Cock Chanticleer Cognac Barrel Finish Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 56%

Average Price: $499

The Whisky:

This is the second major holiday release from Chicken Cock. This year’s super rare whiskey is made from a classic mash of 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley. That whiskey was aged for an undisclosed amount of years before it was re-barreled into 32 French cognac barrels. Those 32 barrels were then batched, proofed, and bottled as-is for this release.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is supple and full of creamed honey, moist marzipan, peaches and cream ice cream with a hint of waffle cone, and fresh plums dashed with clove and star anise.

Palate: The palate leans into the plums with a spiced cake vibe next to rich Black Forest Cake, candied dates, rum-raisin, and banana bread with plenty of butter, cinnamon, and walnut with a twist of fresh orange zest.

Finish: The end embraces the orange and adds in salted dark chocolate tobacco with a hint of brown butter, pecan shells, and cedar boughs.

Bottom Line:

Yes, it’s expensive but it’s also delicious.

37. Weller The Original Wheated Bourbon Aged 12 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $422

The Whiskey:

This is the expression that’s theoretically the closest to Pappy. The whiskey rests in the warehouse for 12 long years, in the same barrels and warehouses as Pappy. The difference between this and Pappy 12 — good ol’ “Lot B” — is pretty simple actually. If the barrel doesn’t hit the exact flavor profile needed for a Pappy, it’s sent to the blending house to become a Weller (as long as it hits Weller’s flavor profile, of course). So yes, this could have been a Pappy 12 had the flavor profile been slightly different in the barrel.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose hits softly with bruised peaches and old pears next to fresh wool sweaters, vanilla pancake batter, and moist marzipan next to orange oils, worn-out wicker deck furniture, and old Buffalo Trace leather with a faint hint of dried roses.

Palate: The palate kicks around cherry bark and apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks with spiced cranberry sauce over buttermilk biscuits and gingerbread.

Finish: The end leans into the sharp brown spices with a mild sense of vanilla cake with apple cider and cinnamon frosting, a touch of burnt orange, and more of that moist marzipan covered in salted dark chocolate.

Bottom Line:

2022’s Weller 12 had a little extra somethin’, somethin’ to it that helped it stand out as a great sipper.

36. Hardin’s Creek Jacob’s Well Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $189

The Whisky:

This new expression from Jim Beam is about highlighting the beautiful high-end barrels from Beam’s vast rickhouses. The whiskey in the bottle is a classic low-rye Beam that rested for 16 years and a 15-year-old high-rye bourbon. Once batched, that whiskey goes into the bottle as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose draws you in with a rich spice mix of woody cinnamon, soft nutmeg, almost bitter cloves, and dusty allspice with a hint of black licorice leading to a buttery caramel sauce with a flake of salt, twinge of vanilla oil, and whisper of cherry tobacco in an old cedar humidor.

Palate: The palate builds on that classic foundation with layers of old boot leather, hard sultanas, meaty dates, stewed plums, and rum-soaked Christmas cake with candied orange rinds and cherries.

Finish: The end soaks the raisins and candied fruit in maple syrup with a hint of sour cherry laced with ancho chili peppers and woody spices.

Bottom Line:

This yearly limited edition is a masterclass in long aging and excellent blending from the Fred and Freddie Noe. Moreover, this is just delicious whiskey that speaks to the beauty of cherry/spicy classic Kentucky bourbon whiskey. This whiskey goes deep and is essential for any true bourbon fan.

35. 1792 Aged 12 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 48.3%

Average Price: $169

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from Sazerac’s other Kentucky distillery, Barton 1792, is a low-key masterpiece. The whiskey is rendered from a high-rye bourbon mash bill that’s left to rest for 12 years. Finally, the barrels are batched and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Black Forest cake with the moistest chocolate sponge, creamiest vanilla cream, and almost tart-sweet cherry compote drive the nose with a hint of pepperiness and dark chili.

Palate: The taste leans into the dark fruits — prune, fig, date, rum raisin, dried cranberry — hard as burnt orange, fatty nuts, and more vanilla cream dip in and out of the palate.

Finish: The end has a soft dark chocolate creaminess with a flake of salt, more dark fruits, and a lush vanilla.

Bottom Line:

This is just delicious. It’s very allocated and, thereby, hard to get a hold of but worth the hunt.

34. Boondocks Eighteen-Year-Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey Cask Strength

ABV: 52.7%

Average Price: $279

The Whiskey:

This limited edition release is all about who’s making the whiskey. Legendary Master Distiller David Scheurich is behind this blend. For those not in the know, he came up the ranks working at Seagram (now MGP), Wild Turkey, and Brown-Forman before starting his own shingle. Scheurich selected very rare barrels that were at least 18 years old for this release and ended up with a mere 1,620 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Salted toffee dipped in ground winter spice opens the nose toward pecans rolled in maple syrup, dark cherry bark, and a sense of dry spice barks and buds next to this faint flutter of dried mimosa blooms.

Palate: Rich vanilla pods mingle with that salted toffee on the front of the palate as dark chocolate-covered coffee beans lead to a dark and sweet cherry syrup, old oak staves, and a rush of orchard fruit and bark.

Finish: The end is lush and full of soft vanilla and cherry notes that fold into a spiced tobacco leaf and old cedar box.

Bottom Line:

This is another rare whiskey that you simply may never see again. The price is steep, but the whiskey is delicious. It’s a good combination. If you’re looking for something special to add to your collection this spring, this is a very good option.

33. Bardstown Bourbon Company Chateau de Laubade Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskies Finished in Armagnac Casks

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $159

The Whiskey:

This bourbon is a blend of 12-year-old, low-rye bourbon from Kentucky and 10-year-old, very-low-rye bourbon from Tennessee. The whiskeys were re-barreled into Armagnac casks from the famed Chateau de Laubade. One set spent two years mellowing on the bottom floor of the rickhouse while another set spent 16 months mellowing on the top floor. After that, the barrels were vatted and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This hits on complex notes on the nose from old leather, dried sage, cellared oak, roasted almonds rolled in toffee, sultanas, and then deep winter spice: freshly ground nutmeg, mace, cardamom, sharp cinnamon.

Palate: The palate has a silky vanilla foundation with more sultanas over top, fresh and meaty dates, ginger snaps, and prunes mingle.

Finish: The end has a gingerbread vibe next to cherry bark and grape must with more of those spices pouring into an old cedar humidor that used to hold tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This is the best brandy-driven bourbon you can buy in 2023. The balance of the armagnac barrels on the bourbon is pretty much as lush as you can get. In short, this is the brandy-finished bourbon profile that all the other brands are chasing.

32. Peerless Double Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 53.55%

Average Price: $114

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from Kentucky Peerless is around five to six years old and comes from one barrel that lets the grains shine through before it goes into another new oak barrel for a final maturation to let the oak shine through. That final barrel is bottled at cask strength, as-is, allowing all that beautiful bourbon and oak aging to shine brightly.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with a nose full of salted butter next to hints of very soft leather, light notes of vanilla bean, a touch of toffee sweetness, and freshly cracked walnuts with a dry edge.

Palate: The taste leans into that oak barrel with dashes of woody spices (think allspice berries, star anise, and cinnamon sticks), dry cherry tobacco leaves, salted caramel, and more of that super soft leather.

Finish: That leads towards a mid-palate of dark red fruits stewed in mulled wine spices and cut with a dollop of fresh honey before the (long) finish dries out towards an old wicker chair, a very distinct hint of a cellar funk, and a touch of dried mint.

Bottom Line:

This has a great balance of fresh and classic. If you’re looking for a great craft whiskey that still feels nostalgic, this is the bottle to get right now.

31. Woodford Reserve Historic Barrel Entry Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45.2%

Average Price: $129

The Whiskey:

This 2022 Master’s Collection (that was just released in February 2023) experiments with entry proof. Master Distillers Chris Morris and Elizabeth McCall loaded this whiskey into barrels at a low 100-proof and let it do its thing (125 proof is the industry standard though that varies wildly these days). Once the whiskey in those barrels hit the best flavor profile, it was bottled completely as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose draws you in with real vanilla pods layers into apple-cinnamon coffee cake, spice-rich eggnog, hazelnut cream, black cherry pie filling, and a flutter of fresh and sharp spearmint dipped in creamy dark chocolate and then hit with a flake of smoked salt.

Palate: The coffee cake leans toward banana bread with walnuts on the palate as huckleberry jam leans into an almost sour creamy espresso with a shot of mint chocolate syrup.

Finish: Burnt orange arrives late to cut through the sweetness and adds some more bitterness as old oak and dry tobacco round things out.

Bottom Line:

Woodford Master Collection releases are always worth adding to your home collection. This one rises above with a truly amazingly nuanced profile that starts on the deep nose and finishes so luxuriously that you’ll want to go back and buy a case of this stuff.

30. Calumet Farm Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 14 Years Old

ABV: 48.1%

Average Price: $114

The Whiskey:

This bourbon is kind of like Kentucky in a bottle — it’s all about Derby horses and the state’s own spirit. The whiskey is sourced from a set of 19 barrels from the center of an unnamed warehouse. Those barrels are small batched after 14 long years of resting and the whiskey is proofed with soft Kentucky limestone water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This sip draws you in with a silken balance of cherry and vanilla cream that’s shockingly light.

Palate: The taste builds on that foundation by adding soft notes of cedar and cinnamon sticks next to a hint of dark chocolate with a whisper of pancake syrup sweetness.

Finish: The end marries the cherry and vanilla into cherry-bespeckled ice cream with hints of those woody cinnamon sticks and dark chocolate peeking in on the velvet finish.

Bottom Line:

This is a classic “behind-the-glass” bourbon buy from Kentucky. It’s very bespoke and always delivers. Having this on your bar cart really amps up that whiskey nerd status.

29. Old Rip Van Winkle Aged 10 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $1,799

The Whiskey:

This is basically Pappy at 10 years old. It’s not “technically” Pappy since it is a “Van Winkle” expression, but it’s a Pappy. Semantics aside, this is the same wheated whiskey that hits its prime at 10 years instead of 12, 15, 20, or 23. The main difference here — besides the younger age — is the proof. This goes into the bottle with only a touch of water, keeping it far closer to barrel-proof at 107 proof.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a sense of rum-raisin folded into a honey-nut creamy fudge cluster with pecans and walnuts and dusted with powdered sugar, sweet cinnamon, and orange zest.

Palate: The palate leans into salted caramel with vanilla cream next to stewed apples with maple doughnut frosting and a twinge of old dates soaked in black tea.

Finish: The end has a moment of black pepperiness before heading toward woody winter spices, old piles of orchard wood with a hint of black mold, and soft leaves of chewy tobacco laced with dark chocolate, salted caramel, and marzipan.

Bottom Line:

I really like this one. It punches way above its 10-year-old vibes and just hits so goddamn delicious from top to bottom. When you sip this, you get it — immediately. You understand why there’s so much hype.

If this was still 70 bucks a bottle, it’d be the best value in bourbon of all time — which I guess is why we are where we are with the price these days.

28. Rabbit Hole Raceking Cask Strength Double Chocolate Malt Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 54.9%

Average Price: $395

The Whiskey:

This rare release from Rabbit Hole is a five-grain bourbon that’s made with some unique grains. The standouts are chocolate malted wheat from Germany (4%) and chocolate malted barley (3%) from the U.K. combined with 70% corn, 13% rye, and 10% malted rye. That juice rests in Kentucky until it’s just right for batching and bottling completely as-is in only 1,365 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is brimming with dark chocolate cut with hazelnut, chili pepper, and orange with a molasses sweetness over cinnamon toast with a hint of sharp spearmint and maple.

Palate: The palate has a sense of that hazelnut tied to cinnamon bark and black cherry tobacco with a sense of firewood bark resting in rich black dirt next to dry dark chocolate just flaked with salt.

Finish: The end has a sense of old boot leather and cedar chocolate boxes just emptied and refilled with spiced cherry tobacco and eggnog-infused espresso beans.

Bottom Line:

If you can get this as MSRP, get two — one to save and one to drink. Honestly, that’s true of every bottle on this list. Still, this is the best Rabbit Hole has to offer in my opinion. It’s that good.

27. Frank August Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Barrel No. 0002

ABV: 62.05%

Average Price: $159

The Whiskey:

This brand-new release from awards-favorite Frank August dials things into a single barrel of whiskey. The whiskey in the bottle is a 5.1-year-old Kentucky bourbon from an undisclosed source. That barrel is bottled 100% as-is with no cutting, filtering, or fussing.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is a very classic Kentucky bourbon nose with big winter spice notes tied to barks and buds with a hint of nutmeg before leaning into oily vanilla pods and salted caramel chews with a nice hint of apple cider and black cherry cola.

Palate: Clove buds, cinnamon bark, and allspice berries lead on the palate with a hint of chili pepper spiciness before a lush sense of vanilla white cake with toffee frosting and burnt orange creates a luxurious mouthfeel with a hint of alcohol warmth.

Finish: The end arrives with a deeply classic vibe that’s slightly tied to old oak cellars next to cherry bark, old bottles of vanilla, and easy-going salted caramel sweetness next to a hint of apple cider tobacco rolled with cinnamon bark and cedar.

Bottom Line:

This is just flat-out delicious. It has a nice balance of single-barrel warmth with a deep and delightful bourbon profile. It’s an instant classic through and through.

26. Booker’s 2022-03 “Kentucky Tea Batch” Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 63.25%

Average Price: $229

The Whiskey:

This Booker’s is a nod to “Kentucky Tea” which isn’t tea at all. It’s when you add a little whiskey to a glass of water and then that looks like tea. The whiskey in this case is a blend of bourbon barrels from seven locations across six different warehouses. The final product was bottled without any fussing at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a clear sense of sour cherry and vanilla cookies on the nose with a supporting cast of dark tobacco packed into old cedar boxes with a rough and worn leatheriness tying everything together.

Palate: The palate opens with a vanilla white cake frosted with cherry and chocolate — a bit like a Black Forest cake — that leads to orange oils, clove, and old pine boards with a touch of sap.

Finish: The end has a fruitiness that leans towards a spicy star fruit with a fresh vibe next to light pear tobacco with a pine humidor edge.

Bottom Line:

Father and son team Fred and Freddie Noe out at Beam really have been killing these Booker’s blends lately (they’ve always been good really). This pushes the classic Kentucky bourbon vibes to 11 while staying as approachable as possible. Delicious is the only thing you need to know. So if you want a classic and wonderfully warm Kentucky hug via a soft vanilla/chocolate/cherry softness, this is it.

25. Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 65.15%

Average Price: $249

The Whiskey:

Blanton’s is “The Original Single Barrel” bourbon, and this expression is the purest form of that whiskey. The whiskey in this case is from the barrels that need no cutting with water and are excellent as-is, straight from the barrel. All the barrels will come from Warehouse H (where Elmer T. Lee stored his private stash of barrels back in the day) and arrive with varying proofs. The through-line is the excellent taste of that single, unadulterated barrel in each sip.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is full of very bespoke dark chocolate-covered salted hard caramel toffees encrusted with almonds and pecans — the kind you get from a chocolate shop that imports their goodies from somewhere like Belgium.

Palate: The nutty toffee carries through into the taste as oily vanilla pods mingle with cedar boxes of dried tobacco leaves and a touch of floral honey.

Finish: The end is very long and lingers in your senses, with a hot buzzing that subtly fades through all that sweetness.

Bottom Line:

Standard Blanton’s is a delicious whiskey that is proofed way down (93-proof to be exact). The whiskey simply shines more brightly at cask strength. If you’re even remotely attracted to standard Blanton’s, then it’s time to graduate to this.

24. Old Carter Straight Bourbon Whiskey Very Small Batch 3-KY

ABV: 58%

Average Price: $180

The Whiskey:

Old Carter is a hidden-away bottler right off Whiskey Row in Louisville. It’s still very insider. Their process is all about finding great barrels of whiskey, blending them, and bottling them for whiskey lovers in the know. In this case, that was a very small batch blend that yielded only 1,116 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: A thickness comes through on the nose with creamy vanilla and maple syrup vibe with a buttery underbelly accented by old corn husks, woody cinnamon, allspice, and lush nutmeg with a hint of hazelnut.

Palate: Thick salted caramel sauce vibes with a black-tea-soaked date feel as cinnamon syrup and smoldering orchard wood leads to a big mid-palate Kentucky hug.

Finish: That warmth fades quickly as hints of dried cranberry tobacco and cedar braids filled with wicker and sweetgrass end the sip on a dry note with a touch of floral honey lurking underneath it all.

Bottom Line:

Old Carter’s team just cannot miss. Their sourced barrels are kind of magical and these releases always deliver. This will be harder to find outside of Kentucky, but worth the hunt, especially if you want to have a real in-the-know bourbon on your shelf.

23. Kentucky Owl Batch #12 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 57.9%

Average Price: $375

The Whiskey:

Kentucky Owl’s batch releases are always adored when they drop. The latest batch — just dropped in late December 2022 — is a blend of seven to 14-year-old bourbons blended with four-year-old bourbon to create a deep and engaging flavor profile at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose feels quintessential from the jump with sweet and creamy toffee, woody winter spices, and orchards full of dry and ripe winter fruits (think pears, tangerines, and maybe even some pomegranate) with a hint of nasturtium.

Palate: The taste is soft and lush with a sharp winter spiciness — think cinnamon bark, star anise, and clove buds — next to burnt orange and salted caramel candies over a hint of figs and plums next to creamy vanilla just kissed with mint.

Finish: That creaminess drives the finish toward an orange marmalade tobacco end that’s full of subtle notes of spice, vanilla, and apple/pear/cherry cream soda and cedar bark.

Bottom Line:

This is another winner from Kentucky Owl, and worth drinking throughout 2023.

22. The Prideful Goat 15 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Cask Strength

ABV: 57.1%

Average Price: $194

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is a sourced masterpiece of Kentucky bourbon that’s bottled down in Texas. The mash bill is corn heavy with 78.5% corn next to 13% rye and 8.5% malted barley. That hot juice is left in barrels in Kentucky for 15 long years before they’re shipped to Texas, blended, and bottled as-is at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is classic bourbon with a deep sense of buttery toffee next to dark cherries with a sour edge, slightly tannic oak, a hint of worn boot leather, and a spicy tobacco leaf.

Palate: The palate hits on a soft ginger snap with sharp cinnamon and freshly ground nutmeg leading to a handful of allspice berries before wet brown sugar and maple candy kick in and mellow the mid-palate toward dark cherry tobacco wrapped up with old wicker canes and pine needles.

Finish: The end subtly drops toward old oak staves, the cellar floor, and caramel/cinnamon syrup with a dash more of that tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This is a spicy and woody bourbon with a nice creaminess, especially when you add a little water. If you’re looking for something more oak and spice-forward, then this is the bourbon for you.

21. Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50.5%

Average Price: $79

The Whiskey:

Jimmy Russell hand selects eight to nine-year-old barrels from his warehouses for their individual taste and quality. Those barrels are then cut down ever-so-slightly to 101 proof and bottled one at a time with their barrel number and warehouse location right on the bottle.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose draws you in with classic vibes from top to bottom thanks to rich vanilla smoothness, wintry spices, a hint of cedar, and a mix of sour cherry and tart apple with a slight lawn furniture earthiness.

Palate: The palate stays very classic with old boot leather next to dry cedar bark, a layer of rich marzipan cut with orange oils and covered in dark chocolate, and a distant hint of nasturtiums suspended in fresh honey.

Finish: The end finishes with a good hint of spiced cherry tobacco and old leather next to mild nuttiness, bitter chocolate, and soft vanilla cake frosted with cinnamon and cherry.

Bottom Line:

This is an unbeatable single-barrel expression of whiskey (bourbon or not).

20. Michter’s Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 10 Years Old

ABV: 47.2%

Average Price: $185

The Whiskey:

The whiskey barrels sourced for these single-barrel expressions tend to be at least 10 years old with some rumored to be closer to 15 years old (depending on the barrel’s quality, naturally). Either way, the whiskey goes through Michter’s bespoke filtration process before a touch of Kentucky’s iconic soft limestone water is added, bringing the bourbon down to a very crushable 94.4 proof.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a peppery sense of cedar bark and burnt orange next to salted caramel and tart red berries with a moist and spicy sticky toffee pudding with some brandy butter dancing on the nose.

Palate: The palate blends vanilla tobacco with salted dark chocolate-covered marzipan while espresso cream leads to new porch wicker and black peppercorns.

Finish: The end has a pecan waffle vibe with chocolate chips, maple syrup, blackberry jam, and minced meat pies next to old tobacco and cedar with a sweet yet toasted marshmallow on the very end.

Bottom Line:

This is quintessential and bold Kentucky bourbon from top to bottom and felt like a warm hug from an old friend. Plus, it’s hitting shelves right now, which means you might be able to snag a bottle if you’re savvy.

19. Kentucky Senator Bourbon 15 Years Release #1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $199

The Whiskey:

This sourced whiskey celebrates both Kentucky’s bourbon heritage and U.S. Senators from the Bluegrass state. The juice is made with a mash of 78.5% corn, 13% rye, and 8.5% malted barley. The whiskey is left alone for 15 years before the team at Kentucky Senator Spirits blends and bottles this one, without filtering or proofing.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This whiskey opens with a medley of dry cedar, black cherries, burnt toffee, buttered sourdough pancake, old leather, cinnamon bark, and spiced chewy tobacco.

Palate: The palate leans into the woody spices with cloves and anise taking center stage as soft maple syrup and pecan-cinnamon-butter create a spiced/sweet/creamy vibe on the palate.

Finish: In the end, more woodsy spices mingle with rich cherry tobacco as old oak, salted caramel, and vanilla cream pie round everything out.

Bottom Line:

This is a great, nutty Kentucky bourbon that feels like a warm hug on a cold day. It’s sweet, perfectly balanced, and a bourbon lover’s bourbon.

18. Knob Creek Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 18 Years

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $183

The Whiskey:

This limited-edition release celebrates the 30th Anniversary of Knob Creek, which started back in 1992 during the darkest days of bourbon. The whiskey is Beam’s standard mash bill that’s distilled at a slightly different temperature and treated with a little more care during aging by placing barrels in very specific locations throughout their vast warehouses. After 18 long years, the best of the best barrels are small batched, and just proofed before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Dark molasses and pecan clusters with salted dark chocolate lead to brown butter, old figs, and salted caramel with a woody sense of cherry and apple bark next to cinnamon-laced cedar sticks with burnt orange.

Palate: The palate is full of lush vanilla notes next to singed cherry bark and apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks, star anise, salted black licorice, and dark chocolate-covered espresso beans with a hint of dried red chili spice turning up the heat on the mid-palate.

Finish: The end has a floral honey sweetness that balances everything toward orange blossoms and bruised peaches, cherry tobacco, and clove tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This is the best Knob Creek after the 12-year expression. I dig their Rye Single Barrel Select as well. Really though, this is the high watermark for the brand. It’s delectable, deep, and a delight to sip. It too makes a mean Manhattan.

17. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky

ABV: 56.25%

Average Price: $42

The Whisky:

This special release from Maker’s Mark is their classic wheated bourbon turned up a few notches. The batch is made from no more than 19 barrels of whiskey. Once batched, that whiskey goes into the barrel at cask strength with no filtering, just pure whiskey-from-the-barrel vibes.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Burnt caramel candies and lush vanilla lead the way on the nose with hints of dry straw, sour cherry pie, and spiced apple cider with a touch of eggnog lushness.

Palate: The palate has a sense of spicy caramel with a vanilla base that leads to apricot jam, southern biscuits, and a flake of salt with a soft mocha creaminess.

Finish: The end is all about the buzzy tobacco spiciness with a soft vanilla underbelly and a hint of cherry syrup.

Bottom Line:

This is delicious whiskey. It’s so clearly a good and lush bourbon, even the newcomer can taste the excellence (and the flavors are dialed, which makes analyzing it a little more clear-cut). Get some!

16. Russell’s Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 13 Years Old

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $173

The Whiskey:

This whiskey was made by Eddie Russell to celebrate his 40th year of distilling whiskey with his dad, Jimmy Russell. The blend is a collection of a minimum of 13-year-old barrels that Eddie Russell hand-picked. Those barrels were married and then bottled as-is with no proofing or filtration.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Sweet and dried fruits invite you on the nose as a touch of fresh, creamy, and dark Black Forest cake mingles with mild holiday spices, dried almonds, and a sense of rich pipe tobacco just kissed with sultanas.

Palate: That dark chocolate and cherry fruit drive the palate as a hint of charred cedar lead towards vanilla tobacco with more of that dark chocolate and a small touch of honey, orange blossom, and a whisper of dried chili flake.

Finish: That honey leads back to the warmth and spice with a thin line of cherry bark smoke lurking on the very backend with more bitter chocolate, buttery vanilla, and dark cherry all combining into chewy tobacco packed into an old pine box and wrapped up with worn leather thread.

Bottom Line:

This is one of the best Wild Turkey releases of all time. It’s on shelves now and still (kind of) gettable. Basically, if you’re a fan of Wild Turkey in any way, this is a no-brainer addition to your bar cart.

15. Jim Beam Lineage Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey A Father And Son Collaboration

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $250

The Whiskey:

This whiskey was released for the struggling travel retail market late last year. The whiskey in the bespoke bottle is a 15-year-old classic Beam bourbon that was aged on specific ricks in Warehouse K (the most famed warehouse on the Clermont, Kentucky campus). Father and son Fred and Freddie Noe both selected the barrels to make this blend and released it almost completely as-is with just a drop of that soft Kentucky limestone water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is classic from the jump with a soft caramel candy with vanilla buttercream frosting over spiced choco-cherry cake, a touch of clove-studded burnt orange rind, and soft marzipan with a hint of old oak cellars.

Palate: The palate is lush with a sense of Black Forest cake — stewed cherries, vanilla cream, moist chocolate cake, dry dark chocolate shavings — next to a bunch of woody and barky winter spices with a hint of hazelnut and burnt orange.

Finish: The end leans ever-so-slightly into old cedar bark and rich spiced cherry tobacco layered with dark chocolate-covered espresso beans and a hint of sharp mint and maybe some more of that clove.

Bottom Line:

This is one of the best Beam products there is. You can even get it at the distillery (and travel retail) right now. If you’re in any way a fan of Knob Creek, Booker’s, or Basil Hayden, then this is a no-brainer buy.

14. William Heavenhill 9th Edition 15-Year-Old Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 54.5%

Average Price: $1,295

The Whiskey:

The latest edition of Heaven Hill’s super exclusive William Heavenhill release was made from just 34 barrels. Those barrels were from a specific floor of a specific warehouse where they rested for 15 long years before batching and bottling as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: That oak comes through like a dank old cigar box with a sense of cinnamon bark, whole nutmeg bulbs, and stewed cherry syrup with a whisper of sassafras and marzipan.

Palate: The palate is lush with a sense of old rye bread crusts next to huckleberry cobbler, more marzipan, orange oils, vanilla oils, and a touch of singed cedar kindling.

Finish: Salted caramel peanut clusters and thick cherry tobacco chewiness mingle with old oak cellars with dirt floors and a fleeting sense of falling fall leaves.

Bottom Line:

This is delicious, hard to get, and very rare. That said, I walked into the Heaven Hill bottle shop and it was right there behind the cash registers. So it’s not impossible. Otherwise, expect very high, unicorn whiskey prices.

13. Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 12 Years Old

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $69

The Whiskey:

This is the classic Beam whiskey. The juice is left alone in the Beam warehouses in Clermont, Kentucky, for 12 long years. The barrels are chosen according to a specific taste and mingled to create this aged expression with a drop or two of that soft Kentucky limestone water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This opens with clear notes of dark rum-soaked cherry, bitter yet creamy dark chocolate, winter spices, a twinge of a sourdough sugar doughnut, and a hint of menthol.

Palate: The palate leans into a red berry crumble — brown sugar, butter, and spice — with a hint of dried chili flake, salted caramels covered in dark chocolate, and a spicy/sweet note that leads toward a wet cattail stem and soft brandied cherries dipped in silky dark chocolate sauce.

Finish: The very end holds onto that sweetness and layers in a final note of pecan shells and maple candy.

Bottom Line:

This has a great balance of taste, warmth, and depth. It’s amazingly easy-to-drink neat while also really blooming with a little water or a single rock — expect a deeper level of creaminess and dark, almost waxy chocolate with a medley of dried tart berries with a soft whisper of hickory smoke.

All of that said, make a Manhattan with this and you’ll fall in love with that cocktail all over again.

12. Old Fitzgerald Bottled-In-Bond Fall 2022 Edition Aged 19 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $999

The Whiskey:

The latest decanter release from Heaven Hill’s Old Fitzgerald Bottled-In-Bond series was made back in September 2003. Those barrels rested on three floors of rickhouse F and one floor of rickhouse X on the main Heaven Hill campus until October of 2023. They were then batched and proofed down to 100-proof for bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This has a classic bourbon nose with deep leather, oily vanilla pods, dark chocolate-covered cherries dusted with salt and nutmeg, and a mild sense of really fancy Almond Joy with this faintest whisper of singed marshmallow and smoldering apple wood.

Palate: The palate leans into woody spices with black licorice and spearmint candy blending into mint chocolate chip ice cream and root beer spiked with cherry syrup topped with creamy vanilla and dusted with cinnamon, clove, and dark cacao powder.

Finish: The end has a long and supple sense of those woody spices before delivering into soft Black Forest cake with a brandied cherry vibe and a hint of star anise-infused apple-berry cider.

Bottom Line:

This is another one that a lot of people hide away in safes and cellars. That’s a shame since this is one of the best bourbons you’ll taste.

11. Four Roses 2022 Limited Edition Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 54.5%

Average Price: $799

The Whiskey:

This year’s LE Small Batch is made from a blend of 20-year-old Bourbon from the OBSV recipe (high rye, delicate fruit yeast), a 15-year-old OESK (lower rye, slight spice yeast), a 14-year-old OESF (lower rye, herbal notes years), and a 14-year-old OESV (lower rye, delicate fruit yeast). The blend is non-chill filtered and bottled at 109 proof. There are only 14,100 bottles this year.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is soft and feels aged yet fresh with mild notes of old cellar beams that lead to a sour cherry next to sourdough pancakes smothered in butter and maple syrup with a thin line of spiced-cherry jam next to a bit of crumpled-up old leather gloves.

Palate: The palate opens creamy with a vanilla underbelly that’s countered by a whisper of barnyard funk and old barn floorboards before a chewy spiced cherry tobacco leaf kicks in with layers of nutmeg, clove, and allspice with a creamy eggnog vibe and a hint of Kentucky-hug warmth.

Finish: The mid-palate gets a little warmed before diving back toward the spicy cherry tobacco and a finish that’s full of creamy brown sugar butter and hazelnut shells.

The Bottom Line:

Four Roses always delivers excellent whiskey with these releases.

10. E.H. Taylor, Jr. Warehouse C Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottled In Bond

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $1,999

The Whiskey:

This 10-year-old bourbon was aged exclusively in Warehouse C (are you catching a pattern here?) from whiskey made with Mash Bill No. 1. The nuance here is that the barrels were aged on floors 2 and 5 only. That makes this blend a mix of lower-floor and higher-floor barrels. It’s cooler on those lower floors so the whiskey ages more slowly. Likewise, it’s warmer on the higher floors, and the whiskey ages a tad more rapidly. That means the final blend on this one is from whiskeys that feel and taste like they’re at different eras of the life cycle.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Cherry Coke dominates the nose with a big scoop of blackberry cobbler and Tahitian vanilla ice cream next to mild sweet oak with a whisper of warehouse whiskey mold.

Palate: That Cherry Coke drives the opening of the palate as well with a nice vanilla buttercream foundation below dark chocolate-covered espresso beans, rum raisin, star anise/black licorice, and sharp fresh spearmint.

Finish: That mint adheres to cherry tobacco on the finish with a woody winter spice matrix and a dollop more of that vanilla buttercream.

Bottom Line:

This is lush AF. It also builds and takes you on a journey through berry-forward bourbon toward older and spicier barrels with deep cherry and vanilla. Goddamn, this is a good whiskey. It’s instantly recognizable from the first nose why this whiskey is so sought after. It really does live up to the hype.

9. Willett Estate Bottled Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 9-Year

ABV: 64.9%

Average Price: $2,450

The Whiskey:

I forgot to write down the barrel number on this one but it was in the low 3100s. That means this is a high rye bourbon mash bill (52% corn, 38% rye, and 10% malted barley) that’s aged for just north of nine years. The barrel pick (from The Ballard Cut) has a slightly lower proof than the bottle above.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Singed vanilla pods and candied cherry stems lead to a hint of burnt sugars on the nose next to chewed cigar stubs and a dash of sticky toffee pudding spices (a lot of sharp cinnamon and soft nutmeg next to black tea bitterness).

Palate: The palate leans into the tart cherries with a good dusting of smoked sea salt with a hint of stewed plums with a whisper of dill underneath and plenty of wintry spices adding to the heat of the mid-palate.

Finish: The heat falls off dramatically as a sense of old porch wicker with a hint of black mold melds with worn saddle leather with a hint of wax next to dry bunches of cedar and pine kindling with an echo of maple syrup and pecan waffle underneath it all.

Bottom Line:

Willett hits a sweet spot at nine years old that’s damn near magical.

8. William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Barrel Proof BTAC 2022

ABV: 62.35%

Average Price: $1,999

The Whiskey:

Distilled back in the spring of 2010, this whiskey was made with a mix of Kentucky corn and wheat and barley from North Dakota with that Kentucky limestone water. The distillate was filled into new white oak from Independent Stave from Missouri with a #4 char level (55 seconds) and stored in warehouses C, K, and N on floors 2, 3, and 4 for 12 long years. During that time, 64% of the whiskey was lost to hungry angels. Those barrels were then batched and this whiskey was bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on this one is surprisingly sweet with a big slice of coconut cream pie (with a lard crust) next to your grandma’s butterscotch candies straight from an old leather handbag that’s held menthol cigarettes for decades and maybe some old Mon Cheri bonbons.

Palate: The palate opens with a lush eggnog full of nutmeg, allspice, and vanilla that leads to a white pound cake with a hint of poppy seed next to old leather tobacco pouches with a hot cinnamon spiciness on the mid-palate with light cedar woodiness.

Finish: The end layers that white cake into the tobacco while packing it all into an old leather handbag with whispers of mint chocolate chip, Halloween-sized Mounds bars, and old lawn furniture that’s been left out too many seasons.

Bottom Line:

This is up there as one of those whiskeys that not only live up to the hype but kind of part the clouds a little bit, letting the whiskey sun shine on in. It’s great neat but really shines with a little water or a single rock.

7. Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 17-Year-Old Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, First Edition

ABV: 59.1%

Average Price: $3,199

The Whiskey:

The base of the spirit is Heaven Hill’s classic bourbon mash of 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and a mere 10% rye. This particular whiskey is built from several barrels from four warehouse campuses in the Bardstown area. In this case, three different ages were pulled with 17 years being the youngest. The whiskey is made from 28% 20-year-old barrels, 44% 19-year-old barrels, and 28% 17-year-old barrels. Once those barrels are vatted, the bourbon goes into the bottle as-is, without any cutting or fussing.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The age is apparent from the first nose with old glove leather next to a soft hint of cobweb-draped cellar beams leading towards a dark and thick cherry syrup that’s laced with cinnamon, clove, and allspice.

Palate: The nose then grows with an almost cherry-maple syrup with a buttery base pushing it toward a toffee creaminess. The palate leans into those spices with a winter-spice-laced chewy (almost wet) fistful of tobacco leaves jammed into an old cedar box.

Finish: The mid-palate bursts with spiced cherry crumble with baked brown sugar and nutmeg-dusted nuts, creating a velvety texture. The finish carries the spice from that mid-palate towards a sweet finish that feels like a marrying of toffee syrup and cherrywood tobacco with that dry cedar tobacco box echoing on the far backend.

Bottom Line:

Heaven Hill further threw its hat in the ring of elite whiskeys with an absolutely iconic bottle of bourbon in 2022.

6. Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Bottled In Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $899

The Whiskey:

This is the same whiskey as Master’s Keep 17-Year. In this case, after vatting of minimum 17-year-old barrels, the whiskey was only proofed down to 50% or 100-proof for bottling as per bottled in bond laws. The resulting whiskey is then bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a bold nose of spicy Christmas cakes spiked with orange oils, candied cherries, and dried apples next to vanilla pods and worn saddle leather that leads to this subtle hint of fresh cinnamon rolls with a cream cheese frosting cut with lemon and vanilla.

Palate: The palate is the epitome of smoothness with a subtle warmth derived from woody winter spices — star anise, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon — that then branches toward this whisper of burnt sugars and fats from an old brisket smoker with a hint of salted red taffy and singed marshmallow next to vanilla pound cake with a hint of poppy seeds.

Finish: The end has a sweet cinnamon candy flourish before smoldering wild sage and old boots arrive with a dark chocolate espresso cherry tobacco layers into an old cedar box with a hint of black dirt lurking in the distant background.

Bottom Line:

There’s all the nuance and depth at play here that makes Turkey great while still offering a familiar and convivial — even homey — vibe. This pour is both welcoming and challenging while still feeling fresh, funky, and full of grace. Make sure to add a few drops of water to get a deep creaminess and coconut cream pie and marzipan vibe amped up toward a cherry cream soda and Martinelli’s Sparkling cider depth.

5. Very Olde St. Nick The O.G. Aged 17 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 54.1%

Average Price: $785

The Whiskey:

This is a rare find but a monumental one — it’s vintage bourbon in a new release. The whiskey was distilled back in 1981 at the famed and now shuttered Stitzel-Weller distillery in Shively, Kentucky (West Louisville). The bourbon was taken out of the barrel in 1998 and stored in stainless steel vats to stop the aging process. And then it was left alone until 2022 when it was bottled completely as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Blackberries — think black cherry, berry, and currant — dominate the nose with a fantastical freshness that leads to marmalade with orange blossoms mixed in next to sweet yams with singed marshmallows dusted with shaved dark chocolate and kosher salt flakes.

Palate: The black cherry amps up 1000% — kind of like swigging from a Luxardo cherry jar — before more of that dark chocolate kicks in with a sharp peppery spice that’s mildly chili-esque next to Almond Joy, woody maple syrup, and pear compote.

Finish: There’s a light Honeynut Cheerios note on the back end that leads to more nuttiness before the cherry attaches to a winter-spiced tobacco leaf with a sense of old pine tar and leather boots leading to dry cellar dirt and broken-up old oak staves with a sweet plum jam vibe.

Bottom Line:

Preservation is releasing some of the greatest barrels left in Kentucky that you truly will never see again. This is one of those once-in-a-lifetime bottles that’s worth every cent of hype it gets.

4. Parker’s Heritage 16th Edition Double Barreled Blend 13 & 15-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 66.1%

Average Price: $1,899

The Whiskey:

This year’s Parker’s Heritage starts off with Heaven Hill’s classic bourbon mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. From there, it’s all about where and how that whiskey aged. The lion’s share, 67% of the blend, comes from a 13-year-old double-barreled bourbon from the 5th-7th floors of Rickhouse Q. 33% of the blend comes from a 15-year-old bourbon that was aged on the 2nd and 5th floors of Rickhouse II. Those barrels were batched and then bottled 100% as-is without any filtering or proofing.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Salted toffee rolled in almonds and dark chocolate is packed into an old oak stave chocolate box and wrapped with old leather and caramel tobacco with a fleeting sense of dried ancho chilis and sour cherry juice next to singed hickory.

Palate: The palate has a deep woody winter spiciness — cinnamon bark, whole nutmeg, star anise, allspice berries — next to sweet oak and dry sweetgrass with a mild sense of cherry cream soda and salted black licorice over woody tobacco.

Finish: The end leans towards sweet and salted dark chocolate with a rummy plum pudding full of dark spice and dried fruits with a fleeting sense of that dried chili on the very back end with some very old oak and leather.

Bottom Line:

I get these to have open and share with my hardcore whiskey crew because it tastes wonderful. But I know a lot of people who squirrel these away in vaults too, making these fleeting finds.

3. Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 15 Years Old

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $2,899

The Whiskey:

This is where the “Pappy Van Winkle” line really gets kicking. The whiskey in this expression is pulled from barrels that are at least 15 years old. Once batched, the whiskey is just touched with water to bring it down to a sturdy 107-proof.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with freshly fried sourdough fritters dusted with ground almonds, sharp cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, burnt sugars, and maple frosting with a hint of old vanilla pods next to soft figs.

Palate: The palate leans into rich toffee with a sense of minced meat pies covered in powdered sugar frosting right next to sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel, orange zest, and tons of brown wintry spice countered by a moment of sour mulled red wine cut with dark maple syrup.

Finish: The end has a soft cedar vibe that leads to vanilla and dark cherry tobacco leaves and a hint of pine next to old white moss.

Bottom Line:

This was the best expression from the 2022 Pappy lineup, and it just keeps getting better. I’d argue that this might be the best Pappy in the last 5-ish years (though the 2020 Rye is a big contender for that title). All of that aside, this is the #1 Pappy to buy and drink right now. It’s amazingly delicious bourbon.

2. Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 17 Years Old BTAC 2022

ABV: 50.5%

Average Price: $2,862

The Whiskey:

Back in the spring of 2005, a humble bourbon was made with Kentucky distiller’s corn, Minnesota rye, and North Dakota barley. That hot juice was then filled into new white oak from Independent Stave from Missouri with a #4 char level (55 seconds) and stacked in Buffalo Trace’s warehouses H, K, and L on floors one and four. It was left alone for 17 years, which allowed 70% of the whiskey to be lost to the angels.

In 2022, the barrels were batched and the bourbon was proofed down to 101 proof and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose subtly draws you in with soft pipe tobacco that feels fresh and vibrant next to dried sour cherries dipped in salted dark chocolate and rolled in vanilla seeds and vanilla-laced streusel with a good dose of woody maple syrup with this fleeting hint of red brick, moldy cellar beams, and soft and sandy cellar dirt floor.

Palate: Old maple trees dripping with sap lead to a rich salted caramel candy vibe next to rich vanilla pound cake topped with a creamy dark chocolate frosting and bespeckled with orange zest, dried cranberries bits, and crushed espresso beans.

Finish: The mid-palate takes on a woody spiciness with a whisper of apple bark that informs a spiced Christmas cake full of soft cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, mace, and maybe some anise and dried dark fruits with creamy eggnog baseline next to old Whether’s Originals wrapped up in dry tobacco leaves and stacked in a musty pine box for safekeeping.

Bottom Line:

I try not to throw “perfect” around all that much. This is a perfect bourbon.

1. Michter’s US*1 Limited Release Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 20 Years Old

ABV: 57.1%

Average Price: $7,026

The Whiskey:

Master Distiller Dan McKee personally selects these (at least) 20-year-old barrels from the Michter’s rickhouses based on… I guess just “pure excellence” would be the right phrase. The bourbon is bottled as-is — no cutting with water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: A sense of dark cherry with deep rummy molasses, dried rose petals, old almond shells, and cedar bark mingle with a fresh pipe tobacco leaf just kissed with apple and pear essence with a hint of vanilla oils and old wintry wine spices.

Palate: The taste leans into smoldering vanilla pods with a sense of old oak staves from a dusty old cellar next to sweet cinnamon and cherry over dried sage and sharp spearmint with a clove syrup base and a dash of toasted marshmallow sweetness.

Finish: The end is full of dark cherry and woody spice with moist marzipan, burnt orange oils, and chewy fresh tobacco wrapped up in old leather and cedar bark with a hint more of that old cellar sneaking in.

Bottom Line:

This was my favorite bourbon of 2022. It’s unequivocally a classic from top to bottom and one of the best bourbons that money (ANY amount of money) can buy.