As a whiskey critic, one of the most common questions I hear is, “What’s your favorite bourbon?”
Yes, it’s an impossible question, and yes, I preface my answer with all sorts of caveats, hemming and hawing. That’s part of the game! Your favorite bourbon can change based on mood, time of day, what you ate beforehand, or simply due to tasting new bourbons that recalibrate your palate. To that end, one of the best ways to level the playing field, cut through the fluff, and truly crown a “favorite” is through blind tasting.
Even with a palate honed to identify flavors, it’s astonishing how often your preference in a moment can be swayed by the factors above. For instance, I’ve observed that warmer days tend to enhance my palate’s inclination towards citrus and fruit-forward notes, a revelation that took me by surprise. It’s a subtle shift, but after numerous tastings, I’ve realized this, and perhaps only subconsciously, I find myself reaching for bourbons that cater to this preference when the mercury rises.
One also can’t ignore the implicit biases we develop just from seeing the label on a bottle before tasting. You’ll hear chefs often hammer home the idea that “we eat with our eyes first,” and that same sentiment rings true regarding bourbon tasting. If you have positive memories associated with a certain label or brand, then you’re more likely to enter the tasting with a positive disposition. Basically, your brain feeds you positive reinforcement and trains your conscious mind to associate that brand with good whiskey before you even have a chance to drink it and make that decision with your tastebuds.
That’s precisely why blind tasting is such a revelatory and, for professional whiskey tasters, indispensable exercise. By shedding your biases, bringing plenty of water and water crackers, and creating a blank slate in your mind, you’re often left amazed at how your “favorite” bourbon at that moment might not be any better than the $30 bourbon you always overlook at your local liquor store. It’s a practice I recommend to every bourbon enthusiast out there; the results are sure to enlighten you.
In this blind tasting, we’ll try the best bourbon from Buffalo Trace, Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey, Heaven Hill, Old Forester, and others to effectively determine the best premium bourbon available today.
Here are the 24 contenders:
• Buffalo Trace: William Larue Weller
• Maker’s Mark: Wood Finishing Series, The Heart Release
• Wild Turkey: Russell’s Reserve 15-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Heaven Hill: Old Fitzgerald 13-Year Decanter Series VVS Bottled in Bond Bourbon
• Old Forester: President’s Choice Single Barrel Bourbon
• Brown-Forman: King of Kentucky
• Jim Beam: Hardin’s Creek Boston
• Jack Daniel’s: Jack Daniel’s 12-Year-Old
• Four Roses: Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 135th Anniversary
• Ben Holladay: Bourbon Lore 18-Barrel Blend
• Kings County Blender’s Reserve Barrel Strength Bourbon
• Rare Character: Obliteration
• Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon
• 2XO: Gem of Kentucky
• Old Carter Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch 14
• Nashville Barrel Company: 10-Year-Old Single Barrel Bourbon
• Widow Jane: The Vaults 15-Year Bourbon
• Binder’s Stash Bourbon
• 13th Colony Distillery: Cask Strength Double Oaked Bourbon
• Garrison Bros. Distillery: Cowboy Bourbon
• Lux Row: Double Barrel 12-Year Bourbon
• Barrell Craft Spirits: Cask Strength Bourbon Batch 36
• Bardstown Bourbon Company: Discovery Series 11
24. Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series, The Heart Release
ABV: 55.85%
Average Price: $74
The Whiskey:
For 2024’s Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series, the brand is pivoting away from the confusing alphabet soup names of the past and embracing a new chapter. For this release, the brand inserted two different French Oak staves in their standard bourbon barrels, letting one set marinate for 5 weeks while the other sat in the barrel for 9 weeks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rosewater and sandalwood greet the nose at first, joined by celery root, black pepper, orange pith, and cantaloupe.
Palate: Cantaloupe comes through on the palate, with black pepper and heavy oak tones following closely behind. There’s a slight citrus tartness and semi-bitter dark chocolate at midpalate just before the transition into the finish.
Finish: The finish is brief, and the texture is peculiarly chalky, with oak and citrus tartness punching through until the last pop.
Bottom Line:
Maker’s Mark’s Wood Finishing Series was formerly used as a place to highlight their unique stave combinations, but while they continue to experiment with those here, this “second chapter” in the series is all about shining a light on the people behind the whiskey. While this inaugural entry in the Wood Finishing Series’ second chapter won’t capture the hearts of everyone, it has many of the mellow, approachable characteristics that make Maker’s Mark so beloved in the first place.
23. Widow Jane: The Vaults 15-Year Bourbon 2023
ABV: 49.5%
Average Price: $250
The Whiskey:
Widow Jane Distillery is based in Red Hook, Brooklyn, and is one of New York’s biggest whiskey brands. Their premium expression, The Vaults, is more under the radar than it should be. Made with a blend of bourbon from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, the latest edition of this annual expression is aged for a minimum of 15 years.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Citrus, the aroma of bright red cherry, and chocolate are most evident at first here. The aroma of vanilla pods and toasted coconut comes through with an ample dose of charred green pepper and almonds. This nose is balanced and lovely.
Palate: Once in the mouth, this whiskey is immediately evocative of Mexican hot chocolate with red grape skin, cinnamon, charred green peppers, and almond milk leading the charge just before the finish. The mouthfeel isn’t remarkable but it’s substantial enough to carry all of those layered flavors.
Finish: The finish here is medium-length but notable for its evolution of flavors from the palate, with almond milk, dark chocolate, and grape skin featuring prominently alongside barrel char and black pepper.
Bottom Line:
Widow Jane’s The Vaults is an exemplary case of the art of blending. While pretty much every brand has an expression that utilizes blended whiskey, to do so with liquid from different sources and states is less common, and in the case of The Vaults, it’s even rarer for such blends to be this damn good.
22. Lux Row Distillers 12-Year-Old Double Barrel Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 59.2%
Average Price: $525
The Whiskey:
Interestingly, Lux Row’s most premium expression isn’t cask strength. Instead, they combine two 12-year-old single barrels and proof it at 118.5%, which is a subtle nod to the date the distillery opened its doors in April 2018.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens up with a litany of expected aromas like cherry cola, hazelnut, and dilute caramel. The oak presence is pretty strong and there’s a healthy helping of vanilla extract as well.
Palate: On the palate, the whiskey comes across as full-bodied, with the cherry cola notes leading the way before the flavor of chocolate-covered espresso beans kicks in. The heavy oak presence curbs that sweetness and keeps it in check, adding a layer of depth that’s welcome here.
Finish: The medium-length finish returns to the syrupy cherry note before taking an austere turn with clove, oak, and black pepper blending with a touch of balsamic vinegar — the lone unharmonious note in the bunch.
Bottom Line:
This delicious double barrel carries all of the hallmarks of well-aged bourbon, with great layers of mature flavor and rich color that entices the eyes before you take the first sip. You have to travel all the way to Kentucky to score this bottle but you definitely won’t be disappointed if you leave with it.
21. 2XO: Gem of Kentucky Barrel #34
ABV: 54%
Average Price: $230
The Whiskey:
2XO is the brand founded by rockstar blender Dixon Dedman just two short years ago, but he waited until 2023 to release the brand’s best work to date: The Gem Of Kentucky. Billed as “the only double-barreled single barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey on the market,” the brand released roughly 70 of those unique single barrels to market.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This bottle begins expressly fruity with red berries and orange zest leading the way to polished leather, an abundance of vanilla, and some surprising sandalwood.
Palate: Once on the palate, this pour opens with more fruit as the flavor of cherries and clementines burrow deep into your tongue while mature oak and leather notes find the edges of the tongue and the cheek. There’s a gently pulsing influence of baking spice throughout, with black pepper, allspice, and sage becoming most expressive as this pour transitions to the finish.
Finish: The finish welcomes more allspice and sage, and it’s surprisingly lengthy, allowing the fruit-forward notes to reemerge as well as the satisfying taste of vanilla ice cream.
Bottom Line:
Dixon Dedman is no stranger to mingling delicious barrels of sourced whiskey, and the experience he’s accrued from blending previous projects has him in peak form here. 2XO’s more affordable options are well worth your attention as an entry point into the nascent brand. Still, once you try their premium offering, you’ll fully appreciate just how stellar this new category of double-barreled single barrels can be.
20. Garrison Bros. Distillery: Cowboy Bourbon 2023
ABV: 70.45%
Average Price: $280
The Whiskey:
Garrison Brothers’ premium Cowboy Bourbon is one of the whiskeys that put Texas Bourbon on the map. Uncut and unfiltered, Cowboy Bourbon features the best barrels from Garrison Brother’s stock, hand-picked by Master Distiller Donnis Todd.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with cinnamon bark, strong barrel char with oak undertones, and smoked honey. After a few swirls, the honey is joined in the sweetness department by some sticky toffee and candied walnuts with caraway and nutmeg, closing things out.
Palate: On the palate, the heat that was indicated on the nose comes through as ethanol lights up the tip of your tongue and careens down the middle of it like a lit fuse. On the periphery of that heat, you’ll find more of the smoked honey and caramel notes, along with a touch of tobacco leaf, black pepper, and chocolate fudge, which does well to keep the overwhelming oak presence in check.
Finish: The lengthy finish features more heat, but again, black pepper, rich oak tones, and molasses are there to keep the ethanol burn from becoming distracting.
Bottom Line:
Cowboy Bourbon lives up to its billing as a bold, rugged representation of a Hye, Texas-style bourbon whiskey. This is truly a whiskey with broad shoulders, and thanks to its full-bodied flavor profile, this bourbon is capable of going toe-to-toe with some of the best in the country.
19. Bardstown Bourbon Company: Discovery Series 11
ABV: 57.12%
Average Price: $145
The Whiskey:
For their Discovery Series, Bardstown Bourbon Company pairs outstanding whiskey that they’ve sourced — this time a 10-year-old and 13-year-old Kentucky bourbon — with some of their self-distilled whiskey at 6 years old.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cherries, pears, and Manuka honey are most evident on the nose at first. Soon, there’s more brown sugar and brioche, which turns the bouquet of aromas a bit darker, a welcome development.
Palate: Once on the palate, this whiskey contains Rainier cherries, organic honey, toffee, nutmeg, and cinnamon. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied, and that restraint works well, allowing the well-defined cherry note to spread its wings unencumbered, leading to an overall refreshing effect.
Finish: The medium-length finish is where this whiskey again takes a turn to the dark side, as brown sugar, barrel char, and brioche bun notes close out each sip along with a gentle sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper.
Bottom Line:
Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Discovery Series has been housing some of the best whiskey they’ve ever released for a few years now (with the exception of the occasional excellent Collaborative Series release), but without a doubt, Discovery Series #11 is the highwater mark for the lineup.
18. Barrell Craft Spirits: Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch 36
ABV: 57.22%
Average Price: $85
The Whiskey:
Barrell Bourbon has been hitting home runs with its barrel-proof bourbon series, and with this fresh label redesign gracing its latest release, it’s looking to use that fresh look to usher in an even more impressive new chapter. This cask-strength blend of straight bourbon whiskey features 9-year bourbon from Kentucky, 7.5, 8, and 10-year bourbon from Indiana, plus some 8 and 15-year bourbon from Tennessee.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Red apples, salted caramel, and an intriguing radicchio note come through on the nose. Given some time to rest, this bourbon also develops some juicy plum with a touch of leather and clove. This is remarkably well balanced with the aroma of orange rind coming through as well.
Palate: The juicy orange flavor comes through on the palate along with some chocolate truffle dust and a steely midpalate, reminiscent of touching your tongue on silver glassware. A bit of bright cherry also bursts at midpalate with some sweet doughiness similar to the sweet gooeyness of a kouign-amann pastry.
Finish: The finish is flush with orange citrus notes that come across as sweet without the slight tartness that can, at times, be off-putting. Throughout the lengthy send-off, there’s plenty of caramel with a touch of thyme, and it all comes across as rather defined, rewarding, extended savoring.
Bottom Line:
Barrell’s Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch 36 recently placed in the top three of our “best new bourbons to buy this summer” list and after facing off against some of these other heavy hitters it’s easy to see why. This is one of the best batches of barrel-proof bourbon that the brand has ever released. Take advantage of the fact that it’s sitting on shelves at a reasonable price right now.
17. Very Olde St. Nick Believe 19-Year-Old Bourbon
ABV: 61%
Average Price: $900
The Whiskey:
Preservation Distillery has been a champion among non-distilling producers for decades now, releasing more legendary liquid to the export market than most distilleries release domestically. This new 19-year-old whiskey under their Very Olde St. Nick brand, named “Believe”, contains sourced Kentucky straight bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this bourbon is full of sticky salted caramel with nougat and molasses. Suddenly, cinnamon bark and vanilla extract can be found with a few swirls of the glass.
Palate: The sweet confectionary taste of glacé raspberries greets the tip of the tongue with that flavor of cinnamon bark and pie crust, easing each sip further down your palate. There’s a ton of white pepper and dense oak at midpalate, which offers balance as it transitions to the finish. The mouthfeel is quotidian, but the rest of the experience is rather impressive.
Finish: The finish is medium-length with some almond, orange pith, oak, and Rainier cherries, bringing added nuance to every sip.
Bottom Line:
Preservation Distillery is well-known in hardcore enthusiast circles, but the small outfit is quickly catching on with a wider audience as well, thanks to general releases like Old Man Winter and their well-received Rare Perfection series. Of course, they’re still releasing some absolutely stellar sourced bourbon under the Very Olde St. Nick banner, and for our money, that stuff is the best of the bunch.
16. Ben Holladay: Bourbon Lore 18-Barrel Blend
ABV: 59.3%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
Ben Holladay Distillery has existed since 1856, but it has only been since its major renovations in 2016 that it has been laying the foundation for the newest chapter in its storied history. For the first major collaboration in the brand’s modern era, they teamed up with the Bourbon Lore team to create this unique, first-of-its-kind, 18-barrel bourbon blend, which sold out in mere minutes both online and during the distillery’s release event.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Tons of butterscotch and orange rind fill the air when this whiskey is poured, with whipped cream and some vegetal notes joining the fray, along with gentle baking spices like nutmeg and clove.
em> Palate:/em> The flavor of orange rind and buttercream is delicious; my goodness, this is easy to drink. The first word that comes to mind after the first sip is “crushable,” meaning it’s incredibly crowd-pleasing and has a creamy, approachable mouthfeel that makes the simple act of drinking fun.
Finish: The medium-length finish turns over some black cherry and rich oak flavors, along with more clove and some candied walnuts.
Bottom Line:
We’ve previously ranked Ben Holladay’s Bourbon Lore blend among the 10 best non-Kentucky bourbons, and its placement on this list further proves its deliciousness. The future is bright for Ben Holladay and this Bourbon Lore collaboration is surely only a sign of things to come.
15. Old Carter Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch 14
ABV: 58.5%
Average Price: $225
The Whiskey:
Old Carter is a bespoke whiskey brand out of Louisville that utilizes sourced liquid, artful blending, and a double-oak technique to create some of the best bourbon, rye, and American whiskey on the market. For Batch 14 of their well-regarded bourbon lineup, only 3,046 bottles were produced.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma of raspberries, sage, and mint accent the air at first. With further exploration, there are further notes of Honey Nut Cheerios, chocolate, and thyme.
Palate: The palate on this one is oozing with salted caramel and white pepper up front, providing a spicy/sweet balance that calls for extended consideration. Once this reaches the midpalate there are flavors like dried raspberries and powdered sugar waiting to greet you. The back end is almost syrupy in terms of texture, and there’s a heavy dose of dark chocolate flavor there as well.
Finish: The finish on Old Carter Bourbon Batch 14 is lengthy, with some mellow spice and full of sweetness.
Bottom Line:
Wow! Old Carter has developed a reputation for full-bodied, sumptuous bourbons, and Batch 14 carries that mantle incredibly well. With lush layers of fruit and brown sugar bubbling over a sturdy foundation of mature oak, this is a bottle capable of converting any casual into a full-fledged cask-strength bourbon fanatic.
14. Jim Beam: Hardin’s Creek Boston
ABV: 55%
Average Price: $250
The Whiskey:
When you think of Jim Beam’s premium offerings, Booker’s most immediately comes to mind. However, in 2022, the brand launched the Hardin’s Creek lineup, which is slowly but surely gaining steam. 2023 saw the lineup introduce the “Kentucky Series” with three 17-year-old bourbons from the same mash bill, aged in different locations and released throughout the year. Of the three, the Boston Edition, so-named because it was aged at Beam’s Boston, KY location, was the standout.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma notes are highlighted by rich leather tones and the sweetness of brown butter pastries with a little bit of oregano and black pepper thrown in the mix.
Palate: The palate on this bourbon is darkly sweet with vanilla ice cream, rich leather, and some tepid tobacco notes tumbling forth. Those well-developed flavors hang on through the finish, with dark chocolate and oak ushering in the transition to the end.
Finish: The finish brings more dense oak and caramel-topped vanilla ice cream as this pour slowly sizzles out of existence.
Bottom Line:
Hardin’s Creek Boston proves that the distillery can produce excellent hyper-aged bourbon. The brand stretched that reality even further by releasing a super-limited 20-year-old expression earlier this year as part of the Bardstown Collection, but when it comes to brands under their own banner, Hardin’s Creek Boston outpaces the rest of Jim Beam’s stellar portfolio.
13. Buffalo Trace: William Larue Weller 2023
ABV: 66.8%
Average Price: $1,600
The Whiskey:
Buffalo Trace’s vaunted Antique Collection features some of the most coveted bourbons in the world, and with all due respect to the more limited Eagle Rare 17 and the fan-favorite George T. Stagg, William Larue Weller comes second to none of them. This 12-and-a-half-year-old wheated bourbon was the crown jewel in the Weller lineup until 2023 when Daniel Weller was released, and 2024’s Weller Millennium subsequently trumped them both. Even with those high-priced alternatives now out in the wild, make no mistake, William Larue Weller is still the lineup’s ne plus ultra.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cherries, leather, and vanilla ice cream flood the air BIG time, with some milk chocolate, sage, and a faint touch of allspice to be found as well.
Palate: Vanilla ice cream and sage hit the palate at first, with white pepper, cedar wood, and Rainier cherries joining the party at midpalate. It’s surprisingly full-bodied, though the proof causes it to become leaner as it transitions toward the finish, and the heat dries out some of those initially rich flavors.
Finish: The moderate finish leans a bit more heavily into the baking spices as cedar, allspice, and sage pair with vanilla extract and gentle oak.
Bottom Line:
Like most of the other annual LTO expressions on this list, William Larue Weller ranges from great to “get me a case of this so I can drink it until my dying day” from year to year. The 2023 version is in the former camp, but in previous years, in all likelihood, it would have placed much higher on this list. Indeed, the 2024 William Larue Weller is a preemptive threat to top this list once it’s released this upcoming October.
12. Brown-Forman: King of Kentucky
ABV: 62.9%
Average Price: $2,500
The Whiskey:
Brown-Forman’s King of Kentucky is a brand with a noble name and humble beginnings. What was once a lowly blended whiskey in the 1940s and discontinued in 1968 was recently revived in 2018 as a premium, single-barrel bourbon. The 2023 version of this expression is 16 years old.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma immediately floods the room with the scent of cinnamon bark and fresh, crisp apples, joined by accents of almond extract, caramel, white pepper, and leather. Over time, there’s a bit of dark chocolate, port wine, clove, fresh coconut, and Aleppo pepper as well.
Palate: On the palate, the flavors of Aleppo pepper and coconut gently roll over the tongue before the liquid fans out to the edges of the tongue, introducing further notes of leather, Sugar Daddy milk caramel, and toasted almond. Cinnamon dashes up the mid-palate to the roof of the mouth, and before the transition to the finish begins, there are notes of nutmeg and clove as well.
Finish: The lengthy finish has a resemblance to rice pudding, with almond milk, dark chocolate, and washed-out caramel notes putting a cap on the affair.
Bottom Line:
The 2023 King of Kentucky was admittedly not my favorite bourbon of 2023, falling outside of my personal top 10 for the year. That said, its placement on this blind taste test reveals that even in a less-than-exemplary year, the King of Kentucky deserves a place among bourbon royalty.
11. Nashville Barrel Company 10-Year Barrel Proof Bourbon
ABV: 62.22%
Average Price: $190
The Whiskey:
Nashville Barrel Company, founded in 2018 by buddies Mike Hinds and James Davenport, got in early on the trend of buying up incredible whiskey and turning it into a killer non-distilling brand. But branding isn’t what these guys do best; that would be finding, blending, and releasing some of the best bourbon in the country. The brand recently won a Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, but this 10-year-old bourbon, nicknamed “Nashville Nights”, fits in the wheelhouse of what they’re most known for — great single-barrel offerings.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This whiskey has a rich cherry cordial nose with faint orange rind and sweet mint accents. The proof isn’t initially evident, allowing you to really get your nose in the class where there’s some peanut brittle as well.
Palate: Each of those well-developed nosing notes comes through the palate with a buttery mouthfeel, sending them to the back of your molars and coating your teeth. There is a bit of rising heat, which sends additional flavors like clove and hazelnut across the tongue. Overall, it’s incredibly dense and delicious.
Finish: The finish on this bourbon is long, and it hugs your chest with chocolate and hazelnut, along with a faint bit of barrel char and fresh dates.
Bottom Line:
Nashville Barrel Company has been flying under the radar for far too long. Now that 2024 has seen the brand starting to pile up some award-show victories, the secret is trickling out that these folks are sitting on some outstanding whiskey. This 10-year bourbon should put to rest any doubts. They fully belong on this list, and the fact they beat out several better-established brands is all the proof you need.
11. Old Forester: President’s Choice Single Barrel Bourbon
ABV: 60%
Average Price: $1,600
The Whiskey:
Unbeknownst to many, Old Forester President’s Choice was America’s first single-barrel bourbon. The expression, which can be traced back to 1962, originally got its name because the barrels that went into it were hand-selected by Old Forester’s President. Today, Old Forester President’s Choice single barrels are always bottled at full cask strength, although when it was introduced, there was also a 90.3-proof small batch version.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey is chock-full of layers with maple candy, deep caramel, and milk chocolate brownies representing the sweeter contingent as a fruity black cherry aroma pairs with sandalwood, clove, and vanilla on the other end of the spectrum.
Palate: Brownie and black cherry are most evident initially, enveloping your palate in a dark, rich sweetness. Initially, it has some heat on it, but it’s just enough to prod you and let you know it’s there. The liquid is full-bodied and silky, hanging out on the back palate with a touch of leather and mesquite barbeque sauce flavor.
Finish: The finish contains a bit of smoked black cherry to go along with the familiar taste of corner brownies and lovely oak tones.
Bottom Line:
Old Forester President’s Choice recently claimed the top spot in our “best of Old Forester” ranking, so it’s unsurprising to see it faring well here. This single-barrel expression is reliably delicious and difficult though it may be to find, he who seeks them out will be met with quite the bounty.
9. Jack Daniel’s 12-Year Tennessee Whiskey
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $280
The Whiskey:
Jack Daniel’s is one of the most well-known whiskeys the world over, but many people don’t know that it’s been roughly 100 years since they last released a whiskey at 10-years-old or better. That all changed in 2022 with the introduction of their 10-Year Jack Daniel’s, and they followed that up in 2023 with their inaugural release of Jack Daniel’s 12-Year. This whiskey uses a mashbill of 80% Corn, 12% Malted Barley, and 8% Rye.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Boozy banana bread emerges straight out of the glass with this one, complete with walnuts, maple syrup, and some rich oak tones.
Palate: Once this whiskey passes the lips, the boozy banana bread is notable for being well-refined, as accenting notes of chocolate chunks, walnuts, and maple candies add to the pleasure. At midpalate, the whiskey picks up a bit of black pepper and barrel char, and its slick texture more fully reveals itself. What a treat.
Finish: Jack Daniel’s 12 has a velvety, creamy finish, aided by the presence of almond extract and some chewy butterscotch.
Bottom Line:
While it’s technically labeled as a Tennessee Whiskey, it also technically meets the requirements to be called bourbon, and there’s no denying that this 12-year-old version of Jack Daniel’s is one of the best bourbons on the planet. Thanks to its remarkably nuanced flavor profile that strikes a fine balance of maple candy sweetness and earthy nuttiness, Jack Daniel’s 12-Year-Old deserves every bourbon enthusiast’s respect.
8. Kings County Blender’s Reserve Bourbon
ABV: 64.8%
Average Price: $500
The Whiskey:
Kings County Blender’s Reserve Bourbon is the brand’s most sought-after cask-strength offering. Released intermittently and featuring the most premium barrels in Kings County’s barrel warehouse, this expression is meant to showcase the prowess of their blenders and the quality of the self-distilled juice.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Pralines, caramel, dense oak, cinnamon, honey, figs. It’s really nuanced and rich, and it skews on the sweet side despite its ample proof. This is a delicious nose.
Palate: Dark chocolate and leather surprisingly lead the way before fig newtons and pralines make their way into the mix. There’s a slight alcohol punch that enhances the experience, and it has a heavy mouthfeel that veers on being syrupy.
Finish: Walnuts and powdered chocolate with nutmeg and barrel char on the lengthy finish
Bottom Line:
Kings County Bourbon has been getting a lot of love from us this year, and rightfully so. New York City’s oldest distillery is slowly leaving behind its reputation as a giant slayer, and thanks to an extended streak of producing superb whiskey, it might be time to start considering them a giant in their own right. From here on out, pretty much every bourbon on this list is a 10/10.
7. Binder’s Stash Bourbon Inaugural Release
ABV: 70.75%
Average Price: $750
The Whiskey:
Binder’s Stash isn’t sitting at your local big box chain store yet, but if the hype around the brand continues to grow, that may not be far off. Binder’s Stash is currently built on the idea that people want excellent, curated single-barrel whiskey, and time and again, they’ve answered the call. This 15-year-old single-barrel bourbon sourced from Indiana nicknamed “Maiden Voyage” was part of their inaugural release and yielded less than 70 bottles.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Toasted coconut, melted dark chocolate, and gooey caramel comes rushing out of the glass at first pass, followed by dense oak, leather, a touch of mint, and sugar cane.
Palate: Binder’s Stash bourbon is full-bodied with bitter dark chocolate and rich, chewy caramel hitting the palate at first before barrel char, tobacco leaf, and roasted plantain kick in. The toasted coconut fuses with some maple syrup and hazelnut at midpalate and stays there for quite a while before a touch of black pepper leads the transition toward the finish.
Finish: The finish becomes increasingly chocolatey, with some walnuts and nutmeg appearing through its lengthy conclusion.
Bottom Line:
As part of the original batch of Binder’s Stash single-barrel bourbons to hit the market, the folks behind this brand must’ve known they had to come out swinging. This early release is an absolute home run and should quiet any of the naysayers who think non-distilling producers can’t hang with the big boys of the bourbon world. This stuff is fantastic.
6. Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon
ABV: 47.2%
Average Price: $350
The Whiskey:
Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon is one of the more highly anticipated annual releases, and that’s because of its reliably high-quality flavor profile and alluring age statement. Sure, there are other 10-year single-barrel bourbons out there, but this one consistently takes the cake thanks, in part, to Michter’s proprietary filtration process and the fact that they regularly include much older bourbon in these blends.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Deep, delicious leather notes fuse with fresh black cherries on the nose of this rich bourbon on the nose. This is a classic, well-aged bourbon profile, and one that I could sit with and nose all night long. There’s also sage, vanilla extract, dried cranberries, and dark chocolate hiding underneath the surface.
Palate: On the palate, there’s a surprising pop of cedar and cinnamon at first before the black cherries and leather seize the reigns. From there, it transitions into dense oak and dark chocolate toward the midpalate, with vanilla ice cream fanning out from the center of the tongue and climbing the roof of the mouth. The mouthfeel here is medium-bodied, which is surprising given the proof but welcome considering the depth of the flavors here.
Finish: The finish has a medium length, with caramel, almonds, milk chocolate, and black cherries standing out most prominently.
Bottom Line:
With its low proof, Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon perfectly encapsulates the dog in the fight/fight in the dog paradox. This is one whiskey that doesn’t need a heavy dose of ethanol to tightly layer a ton of flavor and stand toe-to-toe with the best bourbon on the planet. Michter’s puts its high-quality craftsmanship on display with every bottle in its portfolio, but when it comes to accessible bourbon released at regular intervals, this is the one you need to put a premium on finding.
5. 13th Colony Cask Strength Double Oaked Bourbon
ABV: 68.4%
Average Price: $200
The Whiskey:
13th Colony Distillery, out of Americus, GA, was quietly producing high-quality bourbon when — seemingly out of nowhere, this Cask Strength Double Oaked expression put them on the map. Finished in toasted maple wood, the resultant whiskey is bottled at full cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Applewood bacon notes inform the nose at first before fudge brownies and dense oak fills the air. This is a decadent, brooding nose that contains a healthy helping of ethanol and plenty of sweetness to keep you intrigued.
Palate: The flavor of remarkably rich caramel, barrel char, and Fuji apples splash across the palate on the first sip — I cannot believe how sweet this whiskey is. From there, you’ll pick up a light touch of smoke, which picks up steam at midpalate. This bourbon has an oily mouthfeel and significant heat at midpalate that refuses to quit and continues on through the transition to the finish.
Finish: For this cask-strength bourbon’s finish, it’s packed a ton of leather, butterscotch, and red apples which continue on for an incredibly long time.
Bottom Line:
13th Colony’s Cask Strength Double Oaked Bourbon is easily the best whiskey the brand is producing, and, going a step further, it might be the best whiskey coming out of the state of Georgia. While the rest of their lineup is worth your attention, this remarkably dark, flavorful bourbon is undoubtedly the main attraction.
4. Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2024
ABV: 54.1%
Average Price: $220
The Whiskey:
Four Roses’ highly anticipated Limited Edition Small Batch for 2024 has finally been announced, and we were able to get a first taste of it. For this year’s release, Master Distiller Brent Elliott opted to blend three of Four Roses’ ten bourbon recipes with a 12-year-old OBSV, 15-year-old OESK, 16-year-old OESF, and more OBSV, this time at 20 years old, to create the final product.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is initially floral with ripe apples, butterscotch, and butter pecan ice cream. Faint bits of dark chocolate, star anise, and tobacco leaf help to round out the beautiful bouquet of aromas.
Palate: The butterscotch and apple note really pops on the palate off the bat. The whiskey is well-rounded with a mellow black pepper baking spice tone to go with a more pronounced helping of cinnamon bark, pecans, and brown sugar. The range of flavors reminds me a lot of fried apple pie with a splash of citrus zest. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied and enhances the depth of the flavors without becoming an attraction unto itself.
Finish: The finish has a mature oak backbone with the additional flavor of caramel chews and Fuji apple skin. It’s medium-length, but that brevity really works, urging your focus on the next sip rather than your last.
Bottom Line:
Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch is annually considered one of the stars of the fall-release schedule and its consistently high quality is indicative of why. While last year’s release soared to incredible heights, this year’s expression seems equally eager to touch the sky, claiming the number 4 spot on our list.
3. Old Fitzgerald 13-Year Bottled In Bond VVS
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $1,400
The Whiskey:
Heaven Hill’s Old Fitzgerald Decanter Series comes in one of the most beautiful bottles in the bourbon world, but don’t sleep on the liquid inside. These expressions, which are typically released twice a year, also occasionally feature distillery-exclusive versions sporting a red label. One such expression is this year’s 13-Year VVS edition, which is comprised of bourbon that was distilled in 1999, tanked in 2012, and then held until bottling earlier this year.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma of milk chocolate, bright red cherries, and melted vanilla ice cream exit the bottle and hit the glass in full force. Juicy orange notes, sweet oak, and cinnamon bark emerge after a few waves of the hand, and yet the aromas still aren’t done revealing themselves. Sit back and marvel as this is a multilayered and incredibly rich nosing experience to be appreciated at length.
Palate: A whisper of ripe orange, bright red cherries, and vanilla ice cream welcome your palate to the party. Courtesy of this whiskey’s impressive depth of flavor and silky texture, it quickly finds every crevice in the mouth to coat. Milk chocolate and well-aged oak pool at the roof of the mouth, allowing the more expressive notes of honey and red berries to claim the tongue and live long, healthy lives.
Finish: The finish is medium to long and remarkably rich, with the heaviness of the whiskey gently relieving itself from your palate while a touch of leather and black pepper adds one final layer to this whiskey’s impressive depth.
Bottom Line:
It wasn’t that long ago that we crowned Old Fitzgerald 13-Year VVS the best bourbon in Heaven Hill’s entire portfolio, so it comes as no surprise that it places this highly in our best-of-the-best list. Sure, it checks every box, and it truly does have an exceptional flavor profile, but what’s most impressive about Old Fitzgerald 13-Year is how well-rounded it is. No matter what your favorite aspect of bourbon is, this is one that forces you to tip your hat.
2. Rare Character Obliteration
ABV: 71.90%
Average Price: $600
The Whiskey:
While Rare Character has made a name for itself for bottling some of the preeminent single-barrel bourbons on the market today, none of them stand on par with their singularly elusive Obliteration. For what was at the time the brand’s oldest and highest-proof whiskey, this 14-year-old hazmat unicorn was released via an online lottery from a barrel that only yielded 36 bottles.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Get ready for the proofiest Proustian moment ever, as cherry fruit leather smacks you in the face before the aroma of dates, brown sugar, and orange rind rip you back into the present. There’s well-aged leather accenting the air as well, and surprisingly, the heat isn’t readily evident from the nose. That probably has something to do with the lush caramel, mature oak, and restrained black pepper spice, keeping flavor at the fore and the ethanol at bay.
Palate: Vanilla ice cream coats the tongue before cherry fruit leather, mature leather, and caramel tones come marching with gusto across the palate. The flavors of black pepper and savory pie crust take root toward the back of the tongue as the heat begins to creep up the roof of the mouth. There’s a gently pulsing heat left behind after the first sip that’s eminently enjoyable. This bourbon is unbelievably full of flavor, and the ethanol flash-burn serves to deepen the richness.
Finish: The flavor of charred green pepper and grilled pineapple begins the transition into the finish, which is incredibly long-lasting, with black cherry, barrel char, peanut brittle, and gooey caramel closing the show.
Bottom Line:
Rare Character Obliteration was immediately heralded among the few who have tried it as an exceptional bourbon, and after tasting it in this lineup alongside some of the best bourbons in the world, I’m pleased to report that it definitely lives up to that billing.
1. Russell’s Reserve 15-Year-Old Bourbon
ABV: 58.6%
Average Price: $250
Russell’s Reserve 15 is Wild Turkey’s latest age-stated release, and boy, has it been met with enthusiasm. The brand’s digital launch caused its website to crash both days it made the expression available online. This expression is non-chill filtered, and given their track record, one can safely assume there’s bourbon even older than 15 years in this blend.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Syrupy fig, mature oak tones, and rich leather fill the room once you pour this whiskey, and they’re joined by medicinal cherry notes and milk chocolate. There’s no mistaking the fact that this is a bourbon of a certain age. With further investigation, your nose will bump up against clove and cinnamon as the aroma of vanilla pod takes root. Finally, a faintly floral note reminiscent of rosewater can be found.
Palate: Black cherries covered in chocolate truffle dust hit the palate at first; this is distinctly different than, say, cherry cordials as there’s a ripeness to the fruit and an almost chalky textural component to the chocolate. On the second sip, observe nougat, caramel, vanilla, and rich oak. While the nose gave the impression that this would be over-oaked, the palate greatly alleviates those concerns as each of the hallmarks of hyper-aging has its say without muddling any of the others.
Finish: Lengthy, balanced, and delicious, the finish is marked by black cherries, clove, and cacao nibs as it grips your palate for dear life, refusing to dissipate until minutes after the last sip.
Bottom Line:
Russell’s 15-Year Bourbon is truly a world beater. When it was initially released, expectations for this bottle were sky-high, and our impression of it has remained there throughout the year. Sure, Russell’s Reserve 15-Year is one of the best bourbons available today, but taking the superlatives a step higher, this might go down in the pantheon as one of the best bourbons in the Wild Turkey brand’s 81entire history.