Nothing is as big as the Super Bowl.
This Sunday’s big game is expected to send over 120 million viewers to their friend’s houses, local bars, or the living room this Sunday for what promises to be an epic clash between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. All across the country, Swifties will be tuned in to see if Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes can lead Kansas City to a threepeat, while fans of the Eagles will be watching to see if Saquon Barkley can surpass Terrell Davis’ 27-year single-season rushing record and if Jalen Hurts can right the wrongs of Philly’s narrow 2022 Super Bowl LVII loss to the Chiefs.
Even if you aren’t on the edge of your seat for the clash or the commercials, you’ll still be tuned in. Absolutely no one wants to miss this matchup. That said, there’s no better way to enjoy the biggest game of the year than with some great whiskey.
We rounded up some of the whiskey bottles most representative of the two teams chasing glory — watch closely for color schemes, plays on names, and other Easter eggs — and ranked them. That way, you can represent either team, assured by the fact that you’ve got the best fan fuel money can buy.
This one is for all the glory, and these pours are guaranteed to lead you from the liquor aisle to the victory parade.
These are the best whiskies to enjoy while watching the Super Bowl LIX.
The Top 10 Whiskies For Chiefs Fans
10. LeGrand Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 44%
Average Price: $42
The Whiskey:
The brand, started by Rutgers Football star Eric LeGrand, is one that pays homage to perseverance and highlights how no setback, big or small, should keep us from enjoying the finest things in life. This whiskey, aged for no less than two years, is bottled at 88 proof with single barrels from the brand clocking in at 52% ABV in honor of LeGrand’s college number.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with some honeysuckle, youthful oak, and lemon zest before deferring to sprinkles of nutmeg, cinnamon, and black pepper spice.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey begins with a surprisingly viscous splash of lemon zest and Manuka honey before quickly receding to reveal a lean structure that hinges on oak and vanilla extract with baking spices taking a back seat to the sweetness.
Finish: The succinct finish reiterates the honey and lemon sweetness with some grain-forward notes of corn before oak and allspice close things out.
Bottom Line:
This is a whiskey tailor-made for easy sipping, and that’s precisely the kind of bottle you’ll want to keep close for the big game. At only two years old, this is a bourbon that can go the distance if drinking all night is in your plans.
9. Jim Beam Black Label 7-Year Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $40
The Whiskey:
The new and improved Jim Beam Black Label is the result of tireless tinkering from Master Distillers Fred and Freddie Noe. New for 2024, the long-standing Jim Beam expression now has an age statement and a slightly altered flavor profile designed to optimize the distillery’s 7-year-old bourbon profile.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Peanut brittle, bubble gum, and caramel are all featured prominently on the nose of Jim Beam’s 7-Year Black Label on the first pass. A second sniff introduces accenting notes of orange rind and leather.
Palate: The dense, substantial texture hits at first before a clash of peanut brittle, butter, and hazelnuts dances across the palate. There are notes of lemon zest and honey that take root on the roof of the mouth before the flavor of barrel char and black pepper usher in the transition to the finish.
Finish: Nutmeg and honey roasted peanuts show force on the finish along with some chocolate truffle dust as it warms the entire mouth and hangs around for an impressively long time.
Bottom Line:
Jim Beam Black Label has the sweetness, spice, flavor, and wallet-friendly price to be a game-changer for your Super Bowl Sunday. The recent reemergence of an age statement on this bottle is enough of a reason to welcome this bottle into your collection, but that number on the front came with a lot of fine-tuning on the back end by Fred and Freddie Noe, a task they’ve capably tackled.
8. 2XO Oak Series: French Oak
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $50
The Whiskey:
2XO’s Master Blender Dixon Dedman is no stranger to innovation, and he does so with this budget-friendly offering. To achieve its unique flavor profile, Dedman inserts chains of charred French oak into traditional bourbon barrels. While the full mash bill is undisclosed, the brand notes that the bourbon in this blend contains 18% rye.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes open with rosewater, vanilla, and bright red cherries, along with some faint cinnamon bark and youthful oak tones. Overall, it’s a delightful medley that makes you want to dive in for your first sip.
Palate: Once on the palate, you get an interesting blend of French vanilla and white chocolate to go with muddled cherry and cinnamon notes. These all work well together, and the texture of the whiskey enters the mouth smoothly with a velvety introduction that soon recedes as the baking spices, like black pepper, start to tease the edges of your tongue and lead the transition to the finish.
Finish: The finish on this whiskey features a sizzle reminiscent of Pop Rocks as the black pepper detonates and leaves a puff of vanilla extract and dried cranberries behind. It’s worth saying that the finish might be the best part of the entire experience.
Bottom Line:
2XO is so-named because the brand opted to embrace “double oaking” all of its expressions, but its innovative ways are turning heads. The robust flavors their French oak chains produce are matched by the way the liquid develops on your palate, making this a fun pour to sit back and enjoy from start to finish.
We hope 2XO keeps “moving the chains” with these releases because they’ve all been touchdowns.
7. Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $80
The Whiskey:
E.H. Taylor Jr. Single Barrel bourbon is fairly unique in the Buffalo Trace lineup because it is an ongoing single barrel, bottled in bond expression. While it’s more coveted by consumers than its small-batch counterpart, it should be noted that they’re both bottled in bond expressions and thus bottled at the same 50% ABV.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Caramel and oak each appear on the nose of E.H Taylor Single Barrel, with the caramel coming across as gooey and freshly made and the oak indicating maturity. From there, further aromas of honeyed toast, toasted almonds, and a faint black cherry note can be found hanging in the air.
Palate: On the palate, the faint black cherry note from the nose presents itself with more gusto, and it’s joined by welcome guardrails of oak and fresh hazelnuts. After a few waves of the hand and a second sip, it becomes easier to detect accenting flavors like raisins, walnuts, rye spice, and toffee.
Finish: The finish has some mature oak notes and black pepper to go with even more toffee and candied walnuts. It’s not impressively long, but it lasts enough time to savor the evolution of each of those flavors.
Bottom Line:
E.H. Taylor Jr. Single Barrel Bourbon is tough to pin down as Pat Mahomes, capable of taking off down the field or threading the needle and hitting your taste buds in the bread basket. This bourbon has become more elusive even than Blanton’s, making it one of the harder-to-find single-barrel bourbons in Buffalo Trace’s portfolio, but that’s not merely a coincidence. People keep buying them up because they tend to be worth every penny.
6. Wilderness Trail Wheated Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $62
The Whiskey:
Wilderness Trail is the brand from Shane Baker and Dr. Pat Heist, the bourbon world’s most highly-regarded “yeast guys,” who started Ferm Solutions, a technical support company for distillers and brewers worldwide. With all the knowledge they accrued troubleshooting other brand’s problems, they decided to set out on their own, founding Wilderness Trail in 2013 and growing into one of the most scientifically advanced distilleries in America.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dried raspberries and black pepper kick things off on the nose, with oak and leather encroaching as you inhale more deeply. There are also intriguing additional layers of cream cheese, allspice, and lemon zest uncovered after swirling the glass with some bubblegum lurking underneath.
Palate: Black pepper and bubblegum hit the palate at first before rich oak tones make their presence known, along with a tasty semi-tart dose of the dried raspberries from the nose. The liquid itself has some elbows, pricking various parts of your tongue with a punctuation of flavor and a grainy, honeycomb-like texture.
Finish: On the finish, this whiskey introduces butterscotch and vanilla custard before the black pepper notes seize control and coast into the sunset after a moderate length.
Bottom Line:
Wilderness Trail is gaining acclaim for its flavorful sweet mash whiskey, which is free from chill filtration, and its wheated mash bill is the best among its bourbon lineup. With such an approachable proof and an impressive depth of flavor in every bottle, you’ll agree that this is an incredible, smooth bourbon for game-day sipping.
5. Michter’s US*1 Bourbon
ABV: 45.7%
Average Price: $35
The Whiskey:
Michter’s was recently voted the World’s Most Admired Whiskey Distillery and its flagship bourbon is the most readily available example of why. For this expression and the rest of its whiskey lineup, Michter’s uses a proprietary filtration process to optimize the flavor coming from its barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Michter’s US*1 Bourbon has a dense aroma bouquet that immediately appears well-refined. Notes like honeysuckle, brown sugar, raisins, and youthful oak fill the air, with each well-developed layer greeting the olfactory senses warmly.
Palate: On the palate, what’s immediately remarkable about this bourbon is the texture, as it gently coats your tongue with moderate warmth, and before you know it, the taste of brown sugar, raisins, and walnuts is suddenly everywhere on your tongue. That deceptively viscous texture works well here and is a credit to Michter’s proprietary filtration process and their atypical proof-point.
Finish: The finish here is brief, with brown sugar and cinnamon coexisting harmoniously alongside new oak and clove, making for a gentle send-off after every sip.
Bottom Line:
Michter’s US*1 Bourbon perfectly threads the needle of being delicious and affordable. Free from any harsher elements, your palate will take to this whiskey like a fish in the water as those enchanting mellow notes wash over your tongue and coat your mouth with a remarkable range of flavors that make this one of the smoothest bottles of bourbon that money can buy.
4. Russell’s Reserve 10-Year Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $45
The Whiskey:
Yes, unlike nearly every bottle on this list, Russell’s Reserve 10-Year Small Batch is a longstanding expression that has been released without incident for years and is almost always readily available. What warrants its inclusion on this list is the fact that, though we tend to overlook this fact, small-batch bourbon does have a slight degree of variance from batch to batch. 2024’s LLE/ME20 laser-coded Russell’s 10 received enough hype online and from noted Wild Turkey historians that we decided to investigate the newest batch as though it were a totally new release.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of baked apples, Luden’s cherry cough drops, honey, clove, and oak. Certainly, this has the aroma of classic Wild Turkey, but the richness of each note is more pronounced and impressively distinct, allowing you to appreciate each individual aroma at your leisure.
Palate: The palate is immediately rewarding, with a velvety texture that coats your tongue with the flavor of butterscotch chews, vanilla pod, baked apples, caramel, and an undergirding of cocktail cherry syrup. Sage smudge, black pepper, and mature oak are also evident in the background.
Finish: The medium-length finish continues the velvety textural experience, with torched orange wheel flavors joining the party and carrying more clove in tow.
Bottom Line:
If this were a totally brand-new expression, folks would be breaking their wrists and patting Wild Turkey on the back for rolling out incredibly high-quality, affordable bottles like this. Wild Turkey, however, is never a brand to take a bow for such a thing. They’ve been delivering incredibly high-quality, affordable bottles since Joe Montana was donning the number 19 jersey at Arrowhead, and now they’re better than ever.
3. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Bourbon
ABV: 54.5%
Average Price: $45
The Whiskey:
Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Bourbon is the fully amplified, small-batch version of one of the best-selling whiskeys in the world. Released in small batches throughout the year, with their identifying codes found on the front label, this expression showcases Maker’s Mark in its purest form.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, this whiskey begins with plenty of honeysuckle and toffee before the sweeter notes break rank and allow oak, red berries (think bright cherries and ripe raspberries), and a combination of oak and leather to rise out of the glass.
Palate: The first sip of Maker’s Mark Cask Strength is a revelation, resplendent with more pronounced red berry and caramel flavors than the nose at first indicated. Those flavors are far-reaching, with a refinement that rewards chewing the whiskey and allowing the viscous liquid to seep deep and then deeper still into your palate.
Finish: For the lengthy finish, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength offers a fresh cavalcade of accenting notes, ranging from vanilla and mellow oak to clove, orange blossom, and truffle honey. It’s a complex and captivating way to close this robust, elegant bourbon.
Bottom Line:
Maker’s Mark Cask Strength is the king of bourbons under $50; frankly, not enough people know it. While standard Maker’s Mark enjoys ubiquity at bars and liquor stores, this slightly harder-to-find offering tends to fly under the radar despite its incredible quality. You’re going to want to clip that reputation’s wings and pick this one up.
2. Old Grand Dad 16-Year Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $500
The Whiskey:
New for 2024, Old Grand-Dad’s first age-stated expression is a hefty 16-year-old bourbon proofed down to 50% ABV. This expression joins Old Grand-Dad, Old Grand-Dad Bonded, and Old Grand-Dad 114 in the lineup.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cornbread and caramel fill the air at first, with notes of brown sugar, peanuts, and wheat toast closely following behind for a classic Jim Beam-esque profile with added depth and nuance.
Palate: Well-aged oak, cinnamon, brown sugar, tobacco leaf, and Chex Mix make for the most striking flavors on the palate, which is even-keeled and even a bit restrained, which is typical of bourbon in this age range. The texture is admittedly quotidian, given this whiskey’s moderate proof point. Still, there’s no denying the depth of flavor, as the mature oak tones provide plenty of runway for the rest of the tasting notes to develop to their fullest potential.
Finish: Old Grand-Dad 16 concludes with a medium finish that’s slightly drying with heavy spice and peanut shell vibes punctuating the end of every sip.
Bottom Line:
The newest Old Grand-Dad in Jim Beam’s portfolio, this stellar 16-year-old bourbon pushes the OGD flavor wheel to new heights with increased richness and beautiful depth of flavor previously out of reach for the lineup. While one is left wondering whether or not the expression would benefit from added proof (16-year OGD 114, anyone?), there’s no denying that this well-constructed and balanced bourbon is another excellent addition to Jim Beam’s world-class whiskey portfolio.
Oh, and that color combination on the label? Looks like a winner to me.
1. Four Roses Small Batch Select
ABV: 52%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
Four Roses Small Batch Select uses six of the brand’s ten recipes (OBSV, OBSK, OBSF, OESV, OESK, and OESF) for a unique blend concocted by Master Distiller Brent Elliott and ages the liquid for six to seven years before batching, lightly proofing, and bottling it all up.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, Four Roses Small Batch Select offers cola nut, bright red cherries, black pepper, nutmeg, and clove with some oak and caramel tones following behind those initial top notes. It’s robust and inviting, with a lovely baking spice presence that displays a ton of balance.
Palate: Four Roses Small Batch Select hits the palate with a full-bodied richness that coats your tongue and sends you mining your taste buds to discover the flavor of jammy cherries, nutmeg, black pepper, and honeyed black tea. The texture would count as its defining quality if it weren’t for the impressive balance of the flavors ever-so-slightly outperforming the viscous mouthfeel.
Finish: The lingering finish is where you’ll find vanilla extract, raspberries, brown sugar, and a light mint note — which reminds you that this is a robust Four Roses bourbon.
Bottom Line:
Look, we don’t want to presume the future, but if Patrick Mahomes is able to secure ring number four, then this is definitely the pour you’ll want to celebrate with, Chiefs fans.
Four Roses Small Batch Select is a great option to buy under $100, it’s readily available at most stores, and it’s so damn good that it can beat out bourbons more than twice its price in a side-by-side tasting. If a Super Bowl victory allows you to stop and smell the roses, you might as well make it four of them.
*Bonus* For Chiefs Fans, A Hometown Favorite: Holladay Rickhouse Proof Bourbon
ABV: 61.35%
Average Price: $75
The Whiskey:
Holladay Distillery in Weston, MO, is a beautiful destination where a new generation of bourbon makers are casting the dye for an incredible future. With Master Distiller Kyle Merklein steering the ship, Holladay is putting out two excellent 6-year bourbons from a rye-based and a wheat-based mash bill. For this Rickhouse Proof expression, they’ve chosen to showcase the latter at full octane, without dilution.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Smoked caramel, dark chocolate, and stewed red apples give this one a really autumnal vibe, with clove and some great barrel char and oak tones tying it all together.
Palate: Smoked caramel makes it to the palate along with a lot of vanilla and nougat, while dark chocolate plays a supporting role from the wings. The dense oak and barrel char notes are really the skeleton that holds this all together, though, and enables the sweeter notes to stand tall with a few shakes of clove thrown in for good measure.
Finish: The finish gives a sweet impression of cooked apples and caramel, which helps to curtail the heat and heighten one’s enjoyment. One other thing that helps is it sticks around for a long time, affording you the opportunity to savor it until the last drop.
Bottom Line:
Ben Holladay’s Bourbon is enjoying a ton of critical acclaim as one of the best young craft distilleries on the market today, and that reputation is well-earned. Suppose you aren’t already adding bottles of Ben Holladay Bourbon to your liquor cabinet. In that case, there’s no better time than Super Bowl weekend to start exploring Missouri’s best bourbon.
The Top 10 Whiskies For Eagles Fans
10. Stoll & Wolfe Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $32
The Whiskey:
This Pennsylvania rye whiskey, distilled by Dick Stoll, should give Philly fans another reason to cheer. This sweet mash whiskey was matured for just shy of two years, is made from 65% rye, 25% corn, and 10% barley, and is bottled at 90 proof without chill filtration.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens up with some gentle rye spice tones before evolving to include orange zest over vanilla frosting, clove cigarettes, young oak, black pepper, and maple candy. It’s a fun blend that belies its youth while also indicating that it has more to say on the palate.
Palate: The tasting notes on the palate fall in line with the nosing notes, as rye spice sizzles the tip of the tongue before ushering in black pepper, maple candy, clove, and vanilla. At midpalate is where the juicy orange notes begin to bubble beneath the surface before demurring to vanilla extract and young oak tones.
Finish: The finish is brief and concludes with white pepper, young oak, and a touch of dilute honey before it’s all washed away.
Bottom Line:
Having a bottle of whiskey that hails from Pennsylvania seems like a must for any Eagles fan this weekend. Stoll & Wolfe Rye is not only a delicious sipper that you’ll be glad to have during the game, but it’s also a whiskey you’ll be glad you scored at the store all off-season, too.
9. Sentinel Of The Desert Straight Rye Whiskey Finished In Del Bac Mesquited Casks (Batch 3)
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $40
The Whiskey:
Aged for no less than two years, this lively expression from Whiskey Del Bac leans directly into the beauty of youthful rye whiskey flavor. Distilled and aged in Indiana, what makes this one unique is the fact it’s finished in Del Bac “Mesquited” casks, matured for an additional summer in the Sonoran desert heat, and then filtered across mesquite charcoal from the brand’s “mesquited” malted process — a southwest twist on the Lincoln County Process.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aromas of honey, cornbread, and mint all accent the air above the glass once this whiskey is poured, along with a slight dill note and confectioner sugar.
Palate: Some faint mesquite notes with cayenne and honey hit the tip of the tongue before the flavor of corn pudding comes crashing in. The mouthfeel is held together well, maintaining a spry feel across the palate without ever giving the impression of thinness. This rye has some surprisingly persistent staying power, given the proof, and a solid mouthfeel with well-balanced flavors that favor the sweet while giving plenty of space for the barbecue baking spices.
Finish: The finish features white pepper and sugar with slight grassiness and clove flavors that pop up before the liquid gently recedes off the tongue.
Bottom Line:
Scotch snobs have taught the world that big age statements are indicative of quality, but American whiskey aficionados are leading the charge on unlearning that bit of fluff. Rye whiskey can take on a ton of spritely, stupendous flavors at just two years of age, and Sentinel Straight Rye is an excellent example of that fact. Owls and eagles aren’t in the same family, but no matter, this is still a whiskey that soars.
8. Wolves American Single Malt Whiskey
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
Wolves Whiskey has been producing some stellar and incredibly unique premium blends over the past few years, but this expression is the brand’s very first crack at creating an evergreen product. Aged for five years in California wine barrels before being finished in Cognac casks, this brand-new American Single Malt debuted in September this year.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with mocha, deep honey tones, and roasted Brazil nuts. After a few waves of the hand, cinnamon and doughy notes emerge from the glass, along with dried strawberries.
Palate: This whiskey is immediately supple and expansive on the palate, defying its modest proof to flood your tastebuds with the flavor of Manuka honey, crème brulée, clove, and fresh figs. There are additional layers of nutmeg, cinnamon, and half-baked pastries, complete with a slight doughiness and well-developed sweetness.
Finish: The finish is medium-length and just as silky as the liquid itself, causing it to gently recede, leaving a touch of black pepper and clove with cinnamon bark at the end.
Bottom Line:
Wolves Whiskey’s brand-new American Single Malt is definitely off to an auspicious start, launching just last year, but already turning heads as the brand’s very first evergreen product (go green). This whiskey showcases an impressive blend of finishing casks for a smooth, easy-sipping result.
While the Wolves brand has a ton of intriguing higher-end offerings, this entry-level whiskey is poised to capture a new audience thanks to its more affordable price point and approachable flavor profile.
7. Westward Whiskey Rum Cask
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
Westward Whiskey’s Rum Cask expression was created to honor its founder’s roots in Guatemala while showcasing the world-class whiskey-making that the brand helped pioneer in the Pacific Northwest. Finished in casks that previously held an all-natural, cane-to-glass Guatemalan Magdalena rum created on-site by the Westward Whiskey team, this whiskey is anything but ordinary.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with herbal notes, clover honey, homemade butterscotch, white sugar, and expressive oak. Malted chocolate and bruised berries also feature prominently on the nose.
Palate: For the palate, this whiskey is impressively rich texturally and opens with a blooming bouquet of white peaches, coconut shavings, sweet malt, clover honey, and brown butter roux. After a few more sips, the rum’s characteristics become more prominent at the periphery while foregrounding the sweet malt notes along with some candied almond and nondescript red berry flavors.
Finish: The moderate finish on this whiskey is where you pick up some strawberry saltwater taffy notes (did this whiskey spend summers at the Jersey shore?) along with more baking spices, sweet malt, and oak before it curtly fades away.
Bottom Line:
We’re simply crazy about Westward’s American Single Malts here at UPROXX, kind of like how Philly fans are crazy for their Eagles. With expressive, sweet flavors that dance on your palate like the diamonds in Jalen Hurts’ jewelry, it’s easy to see why we recommend this one.
6. Old Forester 100-Proof Rye
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $28
The Whiskey:
Originally launched in 2019, Old Forester Rye quickly became a fan favorite and a bar staple. Utilizing a historic mash bill acquired by Owsley Brown in 1940, Old Forester Rye consists of 65% Rye, 20% Malted Barley, and 15% Corn.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Interestingly, on this blind tasting, there is a lot of mint, rye spice, and lemon meringue on the nose of this whiskey for me. The sweet, lemon meringue notes come with a bit of milk chocolate, and once the sweetness subsides, there’s a bit of black pepper and even cinnamon bark hiding underneath.
Palate: The palate is heavier than expected, and a rush of mint, milk chocolate, honey, and rye spice cascades over the tongue on the first sip. The first takeaway is that this multi-layered sipping experience can reward extended consideration. Chewing reveals a bit of youthful oak and a touch of leather.
Finish: The medium-length finish on this whiskey is where the spices return in full force with black pepper and a touch of cinnamon fusing with rye spice, mint, and honey for a balanced and appropriately timely send-off.
Bottom Line:
It’s easy to see why this rye quickly became a bartender’s favorite. With an impressive, well-defined set of flavors that up the ante on the rye content while retaining a base sweetness that appeals to bourbon fans, Old Forester Rye is one of the most versatile whiskeys on the planet, regardless of category. Whether you’re a neat sipper or a regular cocktail consumer, this is the whiskey you should ask for on game day.
5. Heaven Hill Grain To Glass Rye Whiskey
ABV: 61.6%
Average Price: $115
The Whiskey:
Heaven Hill’s brand-new Grain To Glass lineup features three whiskeys intended to highlight the carefully grown grains (Beck’s 6158 corn) they sourced from hand-selected local farming partners. For the lineup’s lone rye offering, they bottled a whiskey that utilizes a different grain source and mash bill from their other standout expressions like Parker’s Heritage 10-Year Rye and Pikesville Rye.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Tobacco leaf, almond, mint sprigs, and oak all take turns rising and falling on the nose for a dense, impressive melange that makes you want to sit with your glass for extended consideration.
Palate: The heavy mouthfeel brings milk chocolate, tobacco leaf, oak, and smoked mint across the palate on the first sip. The layers of flavor go deeper on the second sip, with cayenne, caramel, and cinnamon dancing on the center of the palate, while the influence of ethanol causes the periphery of the tongue to pulsate with delight.
Finish: The finish is long-lasting, drying the palate out a bit while black tea, oak, freshly cracked black pepper, and mint linger at the back of the tongue.
Bottom Line:
Heaven Hill’s Grain To Glass series hit the mark across the entire lineup, but the rye is easily the star of the show. They’ve delivered a bottle of rye that can go toe-to-toe with the best of them by switching up their grain source and tinkering with the mash bill to optimize it.
4. Bulleit 12-Year Rye
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $48
The Whiskey:
Bulleit 12-Year Rye is back again after being originally released in 2019. The 2024 edition actually contains whiskey from the first release, which, if you do the math, means there’s much older whiskey in this blend.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Green caramel apple aromas fill the glass and waft over the rim with a touch of honeyed mint tea, allspice, buttercream, and sweet oak. There’s also a distinctive floral aspect that draws you in.
Palate: Oak and allspice take the lead, but those notes are soon supplanted by a dollop of caramel, a mint milk chocolate shake, and the crisp green apple found on the nose.
Finish: Sweet oak and white pepper are abundant on the finish, which has a medium length that gently recedes, leaving you craving the next sip.
Bottom Line:
Look, Bulleit’s 95% rye and 5% malted barley grain recipe is famous for a reason — it’s a crowd-pleaser with a tight spiral of flavors that helped redefine the category. With some added age, the whiskey takes on a richer tone and delivers an incredible value that’s well worth taking advantage of before its season comes to a close.
3. Pikesville Rye
ABV: 55%
Average Price: $57
The Whiskey:
Pikesville Rye used to be a pillar of America’s twin whiskey capitols, Maryland and Pennsylvania, calling the former home. Now, this whiskey is made in Kentucky by Heaven Hill but still honors its past with its throwback label.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Pikesville Rye is incredibly expressive with dense molasses, rye spice, raw mint, potting soil, and dark chocolate. It’s a tightly wound and incredibly enjoyable nosing experience that rewards your patience as those notes slowly uncoil.
Palate: The tip of the tongue is briefly greeted with the citrus splash of tangerines before dark chocolate and raw mint sink their hooks into your palate. The toffee aroma from the nose then makes its way to the palate along with a splash of sorghum, red pepper flakes, and, finally, a turn towards milk chocolate that sweetens it up a bit.
Finish: The lengthy finish is full of hazelnut spread, rye spice, mint, and overtures of freshly cracked black pepper. It continues the bold streak that this whiskey kicked off from the moment I opened the bottle.
Bottom Line:
Very few bottles of whiskey will have you running back to the liquor store like Saquon Barkley in search of a backup, but rest assured, this bottle is readily available and will be waiting for you on almost every store’s shelf. It’s an incredibly rich and bold whiskey, befitting Pennsylvania’s spirit.
2. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye
ABV: 65.7%
Average Price:
The Whiskey:
For this juiced-up expression, Jack Daniel’s takes its standard rye mash bill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley and subjects it to all of its standard production methods with one key twist: it’s bottled at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of nougat, overripe banana peels, caramel, cedar, and spearmint. There are subtler notes along the periphery of the glass, such as black pepper, lemon zest, and apple leather, but those core notes take up a significant amount of space as each of them is impressively distinct and well-developed.
Palate: Vibrant mint blends well with the taste of bananas fosters, and freshly cracked black pepper flavors, which all further fuse with caramel, dense oak, and black tea notes to make up the base of this meaty, delicious whiskey. The mouthfeel is robust and burly with its few “rough edges” tucked neatly behind spices like cinnamon and nutmeg, while maple candy and cedar do additional work sanding down those spiky spots.
Finish: The lengthy finish is full of caramel, subtler banana flavors, and sweet mint accented by black pepper. One of the things this whiskey does most impressively is balance its bold core notes with elegant and purpose-driven accenting flavors, and the finish effectively reestablishes this display.
Bottom Line:
If you only measure by cases sold, Jack Daniel’s is easily one of the most successful whiskey brands on the planet, and yet, despite that, their greatest expressions continue to go underrated by hardcore whiskey enthusiasts. Let this put any question to rest: Jack Daniel’s is also easily one of the best whiskey brands on the planet, producing high-quality spirits that can comfortably challenge any brand’s output across nearly any category. This single-barrel barrel-proof rye is already a champion in the whiskey world.
1. Eagle Rare Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
Eagle Rare is one of Buffalo Trace’s many sought-after mid-shelf offerings. Aged for at least ten years, this bourbon is essentially a single-barrel version of Buffalo Trace Bourbon, with the primary difference being that the two brands are hand-selected to cater to slightly different tastes despite the fact they have the same mash bill.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The distinct aroma of a caramelized orange wheel joins mature oak, faint cherry notes, and vanilla frosting as the marquee players here. Because Eagle Rare is essentially a single-barrel product, your mileage may vary, but you can almost invariably expect that prototypical cherry aroma to be present with this expression.
Palate: Flavors like cherry syrup, mellow oak, and some vanilla extract are burrowed in this bourbon and reticent to greet your taste buds. After chewing the whiskey, however, those initially coy flavors begin to perk up, making a second-half comeback for the ages. The richness of the cherry syrup begins to bloom, and some gooey caramel begins to round out the affair.
Finish: The finish here is brief, with more cherry syrup notes and vanilla pudding joining some black pepper spice, oak, and caramel, bringing a close to the show.
Bottom Line:
Eagle Rare Bourbon is one that I generally love despite having both fantastic and exceedingly forgettable experiences with it. Let’s keep it 100: if you really want to toast to the Birds, then no whiskey’s better suited to celebrate with than Eagle Rare Bourbon. One sip will have you flying high.
*Bonus* For Eagles Fans, A Hometown Favorite: Liberty Pole Rye
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $47
The Whiskey:
Liberty Pole Spirits, based in Washington, PA, is a precocious brand that’s pot-distilling, aging, and bottling its own work right in the Keystone State. The mash bill is an atypical one, comprised of 61% rye, 13% wheat, 13% rye malt, and 13% barley malt.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes open with pine and clementines before those more abrasive characteristics diffuse and welcome vanilla, marzipan, and applesauce in their company. After a few waves of the hand, you begin to pick up a touch of grassiness and mint, but they remain in the background throughout.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey defies expectations, with black tea, white pepper, and tart citrus joining a bit of sourdough rye and star anise. As it transitions into the midpalate and towards the finish, those “bready” qualities gain steam, and hints of allspice and bay leaves join them.
Finish: The brief finish is entirely devoid of sweetness as the note of black tea astringency builds and it closes with hints of almonds and white pepper.
Bottom Line:
It’s typically easy for upstart distilleries to fumble their first product, lose the interest of local fans, and go the way of the Frankford Yellow Jackets (that’s a PA. deep-cut reference), but Liberty Pole Spirits manages to evade such foibles with this whiskey. By delivering a delightfully flavorful experience that carries some intriguing pot-still funk to the goal line, where generous rye spice is able to punch it in, it’s clear that creating this unique whiskey was a winning play call.
The Best Bottles Of Whiskey That Anyone Can Enjoy For Super Bowl LIX
5. St. George Baller American Single Malt Whiskey (“ball out” + Kendrick LA ties)
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $58
The Whiskey:
“American made. Japanese (whiskey) inspired. Wholly original.” So goes the tagline for St. George’s Baller expression, though it could almost double as a description for Super Bowl LIX halftime performer Kendrick Lamar’s Kung Fu Kenny alter ego, which borrows Chinese themes vis-a-vis Blaxploitation era adaptions reminiscent of The Last Dragon’s Sho’nuff. The whiskey itself is produced from 100% American barley, aged for at least three years in used bourbon and French oak wine casks then filtered through maple charcoal. Finally, the whiskey is finished in house-made umeshu casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma of apricots, figs, and candied lemon peels comes wafting out of the glass with St. George’s Baller whiskey poured. There’s a slight salinity and green notes reminiscent of cucumbers, with roasted malt gently washing it all away and resetting your senses before the first sip.
Palate: On the palate, the melange of flavors on the nose increases twofold, with honeydew, fried pickles, and honeysuckle joining the already loaded bunch. Despite the range of layers in this whiskey, it somehow all comes together and keeps you guessing as you suck your teeth and anticipate what the slot machine of flavors will kick out next.
Finish: The finish lingers with medium length and narrows the assortment of flavors down to fried pickles, dried apricots, seaweed, and white sugar before it slowly dissipates.
Bottom Line:
For what is, perhaps, the most unique whiskey on this entire list, St. George delivers a bevy of bold flavors that pair perfectly with the gridiron action ahead. With the added bonus of hailing from halftime performer Kendrick Lamar’s, home state, this is a delicious whiskey that fans of both teams (or fans of teams at home) can celebrate.
4. SirDavis Sherry Finished Rye Whiskey
ABV: 44%
Average Price: $90
The Whiskey:
Beyoncé’s much-talked-about entry into the whisky world comes in the form of a bespoke blend of American whisky made with a grain recipe that’s 51% rye and 49% malted barley, meaning this is officially a rye whisky. Once the whisky, hand-selected by Dr. Bill Lumsden, reached maturity, it underwent a secondary aging process in Texas. It was dumped into Pedro Ximénez sherry casks for that aging process, imparting it with a ruby hue, a creamier texture on the tongue, and a more berry-forward flavor profile.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cherries and rye spice delight the nose at first, and with a twist of orange rind in the mix, it actually smells a lot like an Old Fashioned cocktail. Swirl SirDavis in your glass, and you’ll also begin to pick up notes of honeyed wheat toast, oregano, and black tea.
Palate: The flavor of fresh mint sprigs, vanilla pod, and nutmeg greet the tongue while notes of honey and ripe cherries begin to spring up once you get past that initial wave of baking spices. The notes of nutmeg and black pepper kick up again at the end of each sip, as does some sherry flavor, which leaves a whisper of Brazil nuts with a gentle kiss of dessert wine sweetness.
Finish: On the finish, as the whisky trickles off your palate, the taste of sherry is again prominent. Fresh hazelnuts, oak from the barrels it was aged in, and black pepper are also evident. The flavors dissipate fairly quickly, giving the whisky a smooth impression overall. For its final act, you’ll notice that your mouth begins drying out, encouraging repeat sips so you can return to the flavor found early on.
Bottom Line:
This whisky lends itself well to mixed drinks and features luscious, balanced flavors, making it an attractive, moderately proofed option for drinking neat during Sunday’s showdown. Its unconventional production method, from the grain recipe to its secondary maturation under the Texas sun, offers enough intrigue to entertain hardcore whisky enthusiasts, and the sweet, sherry-enhanced approachability helps corral newcomers.
3. Whistlepig Snout to Tail
ABV: 44%
Average Price: $90
The Whiskey:
Whistlepig’s brand-new Snout To Tail expression is a 10-year straight bourbon whiskey sourced from Kentucky but rested in barrels in Vermont that incorporate VT oak and smoked maple wood with two toasted heads. The unique twist gives the resultant bourbon a mellower profile, and that time spent aging in Vermont brings in more in line flavor-wise with Whistlepig’s award-winning ryes.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes open with splashes of honey and nougat, corn pudding, Rainier cherries, and pie crust. Overall, it’s a predictably mellow but satisfyingly alluring blend of soft, sweet aromas.
Palate: This bourbon begins grain-forward on the palate with youthful oak, black pepper, and dilute honey satisfyingly spreading over the tongue. Honey-roasted peanuts and a big pop of vanilla stand out as it transitions to the finish.
Finish: The medium-length finish here is marked by vanilla, honey, and raw almonds. It concludes the overall mellow affair in a way that will leave you with a smile as you reach for yet another glass.
Bottom Line:
When you’re watching some pigskin, go with Whislepig. Snout To Tail, the brand’s new bourbon, is eying the endzone, and after the success of their Piggyback Bourbon, they’ve got plenty of open receivers. This fun, exceedingly easy-to-drink bottle will definitely earn a few new converts, but it’s even more sure to satisfy Whistlepig’s existing fans.
2. J.T. Meleck Louisiana Handcrafted Rice Whiskey
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $45
The Whiskey:
When it debuted back in 2022, many people (including this reviewer) didn’t quite know what to make of this rice whiskey. While one might enter this pour with preconceived notions, I assure you that it will defy expectations. Aged in new American oak barrels for nearly 5 years, this stuff is just as flavorful as any N’awlins gumbo or, say, bourbon of a similar age.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose, almost predictably, opens with the aroma of rice pudding and cinnamon before evolving to include butterscotch, Rainier cherries, sage, and Brazil nuts. It’s an at-first confounding blend that quickly wins you over due to the fact it’s so well-developed and synergetic.
Palate: Once on the palate, the mouthfeel strikes you first. It begins quite austere before building texturally as waves of flavor come cascading over your tongue. French vanilla and Rainier cherries feature prominently in addition to butterscotch, buttered croissants, white chocolate, and raw mint. It’s a lot to pick up in such a modestly proofed whiskey, but being patient and sipping slowly is a rewarding experience.
Finish: The medium-length finish continues the trend of mellow, sweet notes with white chocolate, faint cherries, and butterscotch, leaving the final impression.
Bottom Line:
When you’re in New Orleans, as the big game is this year, it only makes sense to honor the rich history of that city by enjoying some of its local products. While seafood and jazz music might be at the top of most lists, J.T. Meleck’s rice whiskey deserves a place just below those two, as this is fantastic stuff.
1. Knob Creek Single Barrel Select Bourbon: Eli Manning’s 2025 Bold Pick
ABV: 60%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
Okay, we admit that fans of the Eagles may not be inclined to enjoy a single barrel selection straight from a former member of their NFC rivals, the Giants, but who could boo Jim Beam bourbon? This pick, made by Manning in partnership with Eighth Generation Master Distiller Freddie Noe, was matured for nine years in Kentucky.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Impressive notes of vanilla and butterscotch come wafting out of the glass at first, with subtle Chelan cherry and worn leather notes that soon follow. Rifts on the above notes can also be found: sticky caramel, nougat, and sweet oak chief among them.
Palate: On the palate, Manning’s Bold Pick is full of toffee and molasses upfront, layered with ripe apples, dark chocolate, and hints of mocha. Prototypical of Knob Creek Bourbon, this whiskey has a ton of layers of flavor, but it all tends to revolve around hazelnuts and butterscotch, which have a slick texture that coats your palate effectively.
Finish: The finish on this bourbon lingers for days, with nougat, caramel, and milk chocolate leading the pack. It has a decidedly “hungry, why wait?” feel and closes with black pepper spice and barrel char.
Bottom Line:
No matter which team you’re rooting for, it couldn’t hurt to have some good cheer from a 2x Super Bowl winner in your glass, right? I know the Eagles fans out there might be a little hesitant to agree, but if you can cheer for one former Giant to break the single-season rushing record, why not give a cheer with another’s whiskey?
