Rilo Kilo isn’t the only acclaimed indie band getting the gang back together. Alabama Shakes — the Grammy-winning rock group led by powerhouse singer and guitarist Brittany Howard — have shared the dates for a reunion tour that will have them on the road for much of the summer.
“Last year, [guitarist Heath Fogg], [bassist Zac Cockrell], and I started chatting about how much fun it would be to make music together and tour again as Alabama Shakes,” Howard said in a statement. “This band and these songs have been such a source of joy for all of us. It is crazy that it has been 10 years since we released Sound And Color and eight years since we played a show.”
She continued, “But we didn’t want this to entirely be a look back. We wanted it to be as much about the future as the past. So we have a bunch of new music that will be released soon.”
Pre-sale tickets for Citi cardmembers go on sale on February 11 at 10 a.m. local time. The general on-sale begins February 14 at 10 a.m. local time. You can find more information here, and check out the dates below.
Alabama Shakes’ 2025 Tour Dates
07/16 — Chicago, IL @ The Salt Shed-Fairgrounds #
07/18 — Minneapolis, MN @ Minnesota Yacht Club Festival
07/19 — La Vista, NE @ The Astro Amphitheater #
07/20 — Morrison, CO @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre #
07/22 — Bentonville, AR @ The Momentary •†
07/25 — Nashville, TN @ Ascend Amphitheater •†
07/26 — Birmingham, AL @ Coca-Cola Amphitheater •†
08/08 — Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Amphitheater +
08/09 — Las Vegas NV @ BleauLive Theater +
08/10 — San Diego, CA @ Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre +
08/14 — Berkeley, CA @ Greek Theatre
08/16 — Seattle, WA @ Climate Pledge Arena +
08/17 — Bend, OR @ Hayden Homes Amphitheater +
08/20 — Bonner, MT @ KettleHouse Amphitheater *
08/22 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre *
08/24 — Kansas City, MO @ Starlight Theatre *
09/04 — Milwaukee, WI @ Miller High Life Theatre ^
09/05 — Rochester Hills, MI @ Meadow Brook Amphitheatre ^
09/06 — Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage o
09/08 — Cleveland, OH @ Jacob’s Pavillion ^
09/09 — Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE (Outdoors) ^
09/11 — Louisville, KY @ Bourbon And Beyond Festival
09/14 — Boston, MA @ MGM Music Hall At Fenway <
09/17 — Forest Hills, NY @ Forest Hills Stadium ?
09/18 — Philadelphia, PA @ TD Pavilion At The Mann <
09/19 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem <
09/23 — New Orleans, LA @ Saenger Theatre
09/25 — Austin, TX @ Moody Center ‡
09/26 — Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall ‡
09/27 — Irving, TX @ The Pavilion At Toyota Music Factory ‡
# with Lee Fields
• with Caleb Elliott
† with Alanna Royale
+ with Shannon & The Clams
* with Y La Bamba
^ with Sam Evian
o with Bahamas
< with The Budos Band
? with El Michels Affair
‡ with Greyhounds
Nearly two weeks have passed since the last time there was an NFL game and, after Sunday, months will pass before there will be another NFL game. That means, of course, that the Super Bowl is here, and Super Bowl LIX brings an intriguing matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles. There is also an angle that the matchup is at least somewhat disappointing for fans outside of Kansas City and Philadelphia, though, as the Buffalo Bills (or even the Baltimore Ravens, Washington Commanders, etc.) would have brought new blood to the game itself. On the flip side, much of the country seems to be galvanized against the big, bad Chiefs as they aim for a third straight title, and that can bring some juice to the festivities.
In this space, we hand out selections each week and, simply put, the 2024-25 season was our worst since the column debuted nearly a decade ago. Things have steadied a bit down the stretch and into the playoffs, but you would’ve been better off fading us beginning in Week 1, which isn’t a tremendous reality. Still, we’ve enjoyed success lately, and Super Bowl LIX brings a new slate of opportunities.
In fact, we’re going with more than the usual five selections this week, simply because the prop board is overflowing. Alas, the winners will be coming soon, but first, a check-in.
Championship Sunday: 2-3
2024-25 Season: 45-58-2
Come get these winners.
Noah Gray UNDER 1.5 receptions — DraftKings
The Chiefs have just stopped throwing the ball to Gray. He has six targets total in the last five games, including four games with one target or fewer. It seems to coincide with Kansas City’s receiving corps, namely Hollywood Brown, getting healthier, but it would be a mild surprise if Gray got more than one target, much less caught more than one pass.
AJ Brown OVER 69.5 receiving yards — FanDuel
Kansas City’s defense is stingy, but the Chiefs tend to play more man-to-man in the playoffs, including this season. Brown absolutely dominates man-to-man looks, and he also hit this number in 8 of 13 regular season games this year. He’ll be a heavy focus and, as you will see more below, I think the Eagles will be throwing more often than some people believe.
Isiah Pacheco OVER 20.5 rushing yards — BetRivers
Simply put, I’m betting that the split of carries is a lot more even for the Chiefs between Pachecho and Kareem Hunt than it was last week. And, even if it isn’t, Pacheco is at least capable of breaking one for double-digit yards to help us get there. The extra week to prepare should give him a little more time to get healthy as well.
Kansas City Chiefs shortest punt OVER 40.5 yards– DraftKings
55 of Matt Araiza’s 61 punts were at least 40 yards this season. Obviously, we would lose on exactly 40, but three of those six punts were actually in the same game amid bad weather that will not be a factor in New Orleans. Also, the Chiefs are unlikely to be punting from across midfield very often, helping us avoid some of the “pooch punt” scenarios that could make this lose. If the Chiefs never punt (which is possible), this would be a push, but I like it a lot.
Jalen Hurts OVER 27.5 pass attempts — Widely Available
One of my overarching reads on this game is that Philadelphia’s passing props are too low. The Eagles played with the lead so often this season that the numbers are out of whack, and I think they will need to throw it early and often.
Kansas City Chiefs OVER 2.5 sacks– DraftKings
Jalen Hurts is not afraid to take a sack, and the Chiefs are effective in creating them. Spags is a maniac who will bring pressure from anywhere, and what pushes this over the top is that Hurts is still not 100 percent from a health standpoint. That likely leads to more attempts to create from the pocket and, by proxy, more sack opportunities.
Travis Kelce OVER 60.5 receiving yards — FanDuel, BetRivers
I’m not going to tell you that this is the most sophisticated handicap, but Travis Kelce has been over this number in 14 of his last 15 playoff games. Granted, the one that he missed was quite literally the last game the Chiefs played, but I’m going back to the well.
Saquon Barkley UNDER 112.5 rushing yards — Widely Available
Barkley has been amazing this season, but this number is just too high. The Chiefs have an active streak of 18 straight games without allowing an individual 100-yard rusher, and Kansas City has never allowed a player to rush for 100 yards in a playoff game under Spags. Barkley is an alien, which I fully understand, but this is a principle play on the under.
Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles UNDER 24 points in the first half — Caesars
I don’t love the total here at all, but I like the first half more than the full game. Super Bowls tend to get off to slow starts historically, and that has been the case when they’ve involved the Chiefs. There might be a feeling-out process. I trust both defenses. And the fireworks are more likely to come after the break, if they do arrive.
Kansas City Chiefs (-1) over Philadelphia Eagles — Caesars, BetRivers, ESPNBet
Everything logical points to the Eagles, and I understand that. They have the better roster from No. 2 through No. 53. They’re loaded. The metrics like Philadelphia more, too. But I will not be betting against Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid in the Super Bowl. No thank you.
For as long as Cardi B has been at the top of the hip-hop totem pole, Pardison Fontaine has been somewhere nearby, helping to support her in her rise. Of course, during Cardi’s unofficial semi-hiatus, the two haven’t been as productive as they were at the height of their collaborative years, but tonight, they’ve reunited for the first time in two years with Pardi’s hedonistic new single, “Toot It Up.” While the music video is due later today, we couldn’t let the release go by without showing it some love.
Pardi and Cardi’s musical collaboration goes back to Cardi’s earliest hits like “Wash Poppin’” and “Bodak Yellow,” on which Pardi is credited as a writer. He’s been given a writing credit on practically every Cardi smash since, including “I Like It,” “WAP,” and “Bongos,” while they last appeared on a record together on Pardi’s 2018 single “Backin’ It Up.”
Of course, Cardi has been promising her follow-up to the Grammy-winning Invasion Of Privacy for a while, so the sight of the two stars collaborating once again could be a good sign for the future, as it means they’ve almost certainly been in the studio — and if Cardi’s feeling confident, anything is possible.
Listen to Pardison Fontaine’s “Toot It Up” featuring Cardi B.
Last year, the Wu-Tang Clan reconnected onstage. But, sadly it seemed like their Wu-Tang Clan: The Saga Continues… The Las Vegas Residency was solely for nostalgic purposes. Today (February 7), fans of the “Protect Ya Neck” musicians are happy to learn their time spent together was not in vain.
Wu-Tang Clan has announced their first album in nearly decade is on the way. In a sit-down with Variety, Mathematics confirmed he Bastard Swordsman: From the Wu-Tang, the Saga Continues Collection will be released on Record Store Day (April 12).
The forthcoming 12-track studio project is produced entirely by Mathematics. So, you should not expect to hear any instrumental contributions from RZA.
While discussing the inspiration behind the upcoming body of work, Mathematics said: “The album has a certain feel to it. It’s an homage to Blaxploitation movies. You have movies like Black Samson, Black Caesar and Super Fly. Those are the type of movies that I was raised on in the 1970s.”
He continued: “The Bastard Swordsman part of [the title] is an ode to the old karate flicks because that’s what I grew up on as well. With me, as well as all of Wu-Tang, that’s something we had in common. We all loved the old karate flicks. Bastard Swordsman is one of my favorites.”
Record Store Day 2025 is schedule for April 12, 2025. Find more information here.
A planned documentary about the life and music of iconoclastic pop pioneer Prince has been canceled. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix reached a mutual agreement with the singer’s estate not to release the series after the estate raised concerns about allegations of emotional and physical abuse against Prince by a former paramour.
In a joint statement shared on social media, Netflix and the Prince estate wrote, “The Prince Estate and Netflix have come to a mutual agreement that will allow the estate to develop and produce a new documentary featuring exclusive content from Prince’s archive.”
The documentary, which had been in development for six years, was reported “dead in the water” last July after O.J.: Made In America director Ezra Edelman took over for Ava DuVernay following her departure over “creative differences” in 2019 — just a year after the project was first announced. The estate called the documentary “inaccurate” and said it “sensationalized” negative aspects of the artist’s life and career. Furthermore, its initial nine-hour runtime violated prearranged agreements, prompting Netflix to request it to be cut down to six hours.
Last September, the points of contention were illuminated by a New York Times report that Edelman had included multiple interviews from Prince’s ex lovers, former business partners, and other associates which either hinted at or outright accused the star of abuse. Jill Jones, who worked with and dated Prince in the late ’80s and early ’90s, claimed he’d slapped and punched her in the face. Susannah Melvoin, another ex, characterized him as a controlling lover who monitored her phone calls. While Netflix spun the complicated nature of the project by comparing it with the complex aspects of the subject himself, its contractual agreements with the estate meant no progress could be made without approval.
It’s a shame, because the last thing the world needs is another sanitized puff piece that elides the rough edges of a subject. The sort of universal approval those closest to these cultural icons seek is impossible to attain, but providing the full picture might lead to a more complete appreciation of who they were and all that they accomplished.
Today (February 7), Kendrick Lamar was able to bridge that love with his Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show promotional obligations. In Lamar’s latest clip (viewable here), he took “fan” Timothée Chalamet on an intimate car ride.
During the ride, Lamar and Chalamet discussed their approach to delivering a great performance in their respective fields. Chalamet talked about how he prepares for an on-screen role, saying: “The thing about acting is, if you don’t have an audience, it’s just a form of insanity. And you’re just, what are you doing? So I definitely try to warm up and then, you know, lose that self-consciousness when you finally get back out there. But that takes time.”
Chalamet also mentioned the importance of embracing failure. “I always try to embrace failure — you were talking about that the other day — the most important part of a bad day is the way you leave it,” he said. “If you can leave a bad take or a bad day with a positive attitude, then you’ve got nothing to fear.”
Lamar opened up about the importance of pushing himself as a rapper. “Always locked in and always trying new things,” he said. “Even if they don’t end up going anywhere. I have to keep the pen moving. It’s my form of sanity. And it also has given me the opportunity to learn myself, you know, find out who I am.”
Chalamet closed by congratulating Lamar on his massive year and upcoming performance. “Just being a fan of your music forever and knowing like, look where you’re at now, man,” he said. “It’s just crazy, Super Bowl Halftime Show. And you just keep climbing, bro. It’s, like, amazing.”
Super Bowl LIX is set to go down this Sunday, February 9.
The NFL Honors awards were handed out on Thursday night in New Orleans, home of Super Bowl LIX, including MVP (Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen) and coach of the year (Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell). The event was hosted by Snoop Dogg, who used his opening monologue to tell an MVP-worthy joke about 72-year-old Bill Belichick’s 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson.
“I’ve been a football fan for a long, long time. I mean, I remember back when the Cowboys was good. I remember back when the Chiefs was bad. And I remember…” the “Drop It Like It’s Hot” rapper said, pausing for a few beats. “What was it — Bill Belichick’s girlfriend wasn’t even born yet?”
Previously, Snoop explained to Peyton and Eli Manning on ESPN’s ManningCast how, even though he’s from California, he roots for the Pittsburgh Steelers. “Well in the ’70s, you know, watching your dad [Archie] and watching the Steelers and the Raiders and the Cowboys and the teams from the ’70s, I fell in love with they great defense, the way they moved the ball, just the way they played football,” he said. “It was fun to watch as a kid and as I got older, I fell more in love with them because I got a chance to meet the players, I got to meet coach [Bill] Cowher and Ben Roethlisberger, you know, Jerome Bettis and the rest of the guys and you know, I became a part of Steeler Nation.”
It’s not the world’s most common problem, but when you’ve got money burning a hole in your pocket and an itch for premium bourbon to scratch, it is one of the world’s greatest problems to have. We all know that bourbon, as a category, is a world-beater for affordable booze, but when you head north of the $100 price range, you can truly experience some magic.
Most brands tend to reserve their rarest casks, wildest experiments, and most undeniably delicious bourbon for limited edition releases, and those offerings tend to cost the most money. Luckily, here at UPROXX, we’ve been able to try the vast majority of those hard-to-find and prohibitively priced bourbons for review. That means that we’ve got the bottles on hand and an experienced palate (this is your Head Whiskey Writer speaking) to taste through the past year’s best bourbons for this ranking.
No cost above $100 is too great for this list, but keep in mind that the bourbon market is a fickle beast, and sometimes the most prized bottles can fluctuate in price. Or, to put it as Fat Joe once put it, “yesterday’s price is not today’s price.”
Now that we’re set let’s dive into our ranking of the best bourbons over $100 for 2025!
A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Bourbon is the premier annual release from the A. Smith Bowman Distillery out of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Bottled at an eye-watering 135.1 proof, this expression is always highly sought-after, and previous editions have been known to top “best bourbon of the year” lists.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this bourbon is a bit disjointed, but it plays all the hits from gooey caramel to cigar ash, milk chocolate, apple pie, and bruised bananas. It’s a rich bouquet that is indicative of its proof but draws you deeper into the glass for deep inhalations anyway.
Palate: Once on the palate, the liquid’s lean texture underscores the sense of disjointedness indicated on the nose. It’s not thin, per se, but it almost feels like the high heat keeps the flavors from coalescing on the tongue as well-developed caramel, tobacco leaf, and deep oak tones struggle to coexist despite their relative richness.
Finish: The lingering finish does tie things together a bit more as black pepper spice and barrel char join vanilla extract and bananas foster before the ethanol overtakes those tasty sweet notes, leaving you with the spices.
Bottom Line:
A. Smith Bowman’s Cask Strength series has been marred by inconsistency. The first release was a stellar expression that kicked in the door and marked the arrival of a new heralded annual release on the scene before the 2nd expression showed signs of slipping. Now, in its third iteration, the series has yet to return to the heights of Batch One, but that doesn’t mean this isn’t impressive liquid. However, it does mean that you should seek it out at its SRP of $99 and not its secondary market average of $800+.
Old Forester 1924 is the first expansion of the brand’s “Whiskey Row” series in several years, and it’s the first iteration to feature an age statement. Using the same mash bill as Brown-Forman’s budget bourbon, Early Times, this more mature whiskey was first released earlier this year.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The rich nose, resplendent with ripe plums, honey, and buttery pie crust aroma, makes you immediately take notice. After a few swirls in the glass, you’ll find black cherry, leather, and polished oak emerging from this whiskey as well. It’s definitely a delightful melange.
Palate: On the palate, it’s those notes of black cherry that really take the reins, along with a touch of oiled leather. It’s hard to deny how perfectly proofed this whiskey is, as the viscousness coats your palate, and the flavors you get from 10+ years in a barrel are on full display without ever becoming overaked.
Finish: On the finish, there are slight signs of hyper-aging as it becomes a bit drg, and the length is disappointingly short, considering how rich the flavors are.
Bottom Line:
The primary knock against Old Forester 1924 (aside from the price) is the fact that it gets progressively weaker as you go from the aroma to the flavor and, finally, the finish. That said, it starts off strong and still finishes well above average, as repeat sips will allow you to unlock deeper layers of flavor. Despite the short finish, this is a delicious, balanced whiskey. You just have to have several sips to fully appreciate it, and we aren’t complaining about that.
Woodford Reserve’s Double Double Oaked isn’t named by mistake. Launched initially as a member of the Distillery Series in 2015, the longtime distillery-exclusive fan-favorite features Woodford bourbon that rested for 5-7 years before being finished in a second, heavily toasted, lightly charred, new oak barrel.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this bourbon opens with cedar, rich brown sugar, cinnamon, and nougat. It’s an alluring medley that draws you deeper into the glass and reveals subtler hints of dark chocolate chunks, black pepper, and sticky toffee.
Palate: Once on the palate, this bourbon detonates with a richness the nose only hinted at. The flavors of milk chocolate, cedar, sage, cinnamon, vanilla pods, and brown sugar cascade over the tongue and cling to the palate convincingly. This is a bourbon that spites its proof by being relentless from start to finish, and that’s worthy of extended appreciation.
Finish: The finish ties a tight bow on those many layers of flavor with a sage smudge ribbon accented by cinnamon flecks, sunflower butter, and semi-sweet dark chocolate.
Bottom Line:
While the price point and relatively low proof might give you pause, make no mistake — this is delicious whiskey. Woodford Reserve is famed for its 90.4 proof point, and this is the best bourbon they’ve ever released that fits those specs.
Maker’s Mark’s sole age-stated product, Cellar Aged, is now in its second year of production. This year’s release features 15% 12-year-old bourbon and 85% 13-year-old bourbon, making it their oldest release to date.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark chocolate truffle dusting, orange blossom, and floral aromas kick off this aromatically impressive bourbon. Further notes of brown sugar, lavender honey, faint umami, wet soil, and coconut soon follow.
Palate: Citrus and red berries with vanilla and black pepper hit the palate at first, with heavy dark chocolate notes following thereafter. The texture is very creamy up front, with a tasty pop of cinnamon on the back end. Luscious caramel and toasted coconut notes develop at midpalate.
Finish: The finish is silky and lengthy, with dried strawberries, black pepper, gentle oak, and vanilla making the final impression.
Bottom Line:
The question you may have is whether or not this year’s Cellar Aged is better than 2023’s edition. The answer: it depends. While last year’s version is full of caramel tones that are very true to Maker’s Mark’s standard product, this year has much more chocolate and an atypical coconut note that will bring newcomers into the fold. This year’s Cellar Aged is definitely the best yet in our opinion, and not only that, it’s the most unique Maker’s Mark bourbon ever.
Nose: Honey roasted peanuts, cayenne pepper, and orange rind with some nougat underneath make up the nosing notes, which are impressively rich and harmoniously blended for a sum greater than its parts.
Palate: It starts off a bit hot, but it quickly cools, allowing the flavors of nougat, golden raisins, allspice, and almonds to shine. Brown sugar and orange rind come rushing in soon after to pick up the slack. The balance of flavors is a delight, and the sweet notes’ restraint allows them all to blend together well.
Finish: The finish has a lot of cayenne, black pepper, and clove. It’s where both the spice and the ethanol are most evident, which is a departure from the mellow sweetness found earlier in each sip.
Bottom Line:
This is yet another bourbon that shocked me, not just because it was damned good, but because I couldn’t believe there were nearly thirty releases that managed to outpace it this year alone. For their second edition of Baker’s 13-Year Bourbon, Jim Beam succeeded in delivering a totally well-rounded expression that represents their distillery’s stellar baseline output while elevating the Baker’s brand to new heights. If you can find it, this one is an immediate must-buy.
Booker’s The Reserves is a new, annual limited-release series from Jim Beam by Freddie Noe to commemorate his grandfather and Beam’s 6th Generation Master Distiller, Booker Noe. This elevated take on classic Booker’s bourbon features a more limited blend of 8 to 14-year-old barrels drawn from the same center cut of the warehouse that Booker himself always favored.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey really socks it to you at first with a surprising initial richness. It leaps out of the glass with enchanting floral notes, French vanilla, stewed plums, and ripe grapes. After a few waves of the hand, it turns a tad more savory with clove and dates.
Palate: Dense oak tones crash against the sumptuous flavors of dark chocolate, French vanilla, and dates when you first sip this bourbon. Some black cherries appear at midpalate, along with polished leather and a slightly dusty quality that adds depth. As for the mouthfeel, it’s full-bodied and anxiously coats your palate for the duration of each sip, remaining slow to recede through the finish.
Finish: The finish on this bourbon is medium to long, and that affords it plenty of runway space to allow the French vanilla and date flavors to stick around while a slight uptick in black pepper can be found before it fully dissipates.
Bottom Line:
Booker’s The Reserves is just one of a plethora of new releases from Jim Beam this year, many of which have made this list, and I’m pleased to report that it’s the best of the bunch. With plenty of heat to please the proof hounds and a full-bodied mouthfeel to satiate those looking for the incredible depth of flavor cask strength bourbon is known for, this release checks all the boxes and succeeds in elevating standard Booker’s while remaining true to its creator’s vision.
14. Bardstown Bourbon Company Collaborative Series: Silver Oak
Silver Oak has been creating elegant wines in California’s Napa Valley for over fifty years, making them the perfect collaborative partner for Bardstown Bourbon Company, founded in 2014, which envisions itself as the bourbon world’s answer to the posh wine region. For this creative marriage, the brands worked together to blend bourbon between the ages of nine and fourteen from various sources before maturing them in Silver Oak wine barrels for 17 months.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The warm aroma of freshly baked fruitcake, vanilla frosting, burnt sugar, nutmeg, and salted caramel fills the air above the glass once you pour this multi-layered bourbon. The aroma notes are rich, bordering on decadent, and they’re each distinct enough to appreciate on their own without becoming muddled and obfuscating any of the others.
Palate: The flavor of Brazil nuts, vanilla frosting, rich stewed plum, and brandied cherries greet the palate for an almost syrupy first impression. This whiskey is so meaty and has a richness that extends beneath the surface without listlessly sitting there. Cola nut and chocolate truffle flavors take root at midpalate, and the cherries come back in force as the bourbon transitions to the finish.
Finish: Clove, oak, and jammy red berries sit on the back end of each sip, where the Silver Oak cabernet wine continues its influence but deftly blends with the base bourbon for a medium-length conclusion.
Bottom Line:
This is a full-throated pour with remarkable balance and mind-bending richness that achieves its ends subtly yet effectively, which is indicative of Bardstown Bourbon Co.’s ascending adroitness in the field of finishing. In short, this is an artful execution of secondary maturation in American whiskey — something BBCo. has a burgeoning reputation for achieving in atypical ways with its Collaborative Series.
Premier Drams is a new brand that was launched early this summer by the same man behind Washington D.C.’s legendary whiskey bar, Jack Rose, Bill Thomas. 8 years ago, Thomas began procuring contract-distilled whiskey from an elusive producer in Bardstown, Kentucky, and aging it at the site of the historic Old Taylor Distillery, which today is the home of Castle & Key. Due to Castle & Key’s uniquely cool maturation facilities, many of the barrels that went into these Premier Drams single barrels saw a significant drop in ABV, with the majority hovering right around the 100-proof mark at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Strawberry saltwater taffy escapes the grasp of the glass to greet the nose at first before evolving into a cherry Luden’s note and partnering up with truffle honey, white pepper, and peanut brittle for a mellow and intriguing medley.
Palate: On the palate, it’s a delight to discover that the Luden’s cherry note has evolved into a full-blown Rainier cherry, carrying white pepper, allspice, nutmeg, and honey in tow. The flavors here are markedly rich, defying its moderate proof and delivering a depth and richness that will have you sucking your molars, frantically trying to prevent even a single drop from slipping through the cracks.
Finish: Vanilla pods, salted butter, fatty Brazil nuts, and white pepper prevail on the finish with a dollop of honey and Rainier cherries, adding a sweet closing kiss as it succinctly slides off your palate.
Bottom Line:
Premier Drams is quietly revolutionizing the modern bourbon landscape by delivering cask-strength bourbon at a moderate proof point. Take note of that. In the fashion of any groundbreaking innovator, I’m not entirely sure the public is ready for it yet, but that’s what makes discovering excellent single-barrel offerings like this so awesome. I suspect that, in due time, these stellar new releases will be even more coveted than they already are.
The very first expression from Old Commonwealth Distillery is this Old Commonwealth 10-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Cask Strength Bourbon, which launched to much fanfare only a few weeks ago. History lesson: Old Commonwealth is an iconic brand created in the 1970s by Julian Van Winkle II, the son of “Pappy” Van Winkle, and in those days, it utilized liquid from the legendary Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Fast-forward to 1997-2002, Julian Van Winkle III was selling a version of Old Commonwealth that was proofed to 107 and utilized a wheated mash bill just like his father did decades before. This contemporary recreation has been five years in the making, and though it uses a mash bill sans any wheat, its founders felt that this whiskey was exceptional enough to carry the banner and continue the legacy.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: When you first pour Old Commonwealth into your glass, it opens with the aroma of blueberries and rosewater before deferring to some sweet tobacco, earthy oak, and a fat scoop of vanilla ice cream. It picks up some cherry cordial and leather as it sits in the glass. This is well-layered, lovely stuff.
Palate: Cherry and caramel notes come barreling down the middle of the palate with some faint coconut flakes and well-defined oak undergirding the entire affair. A second sip welcomes clove, hazelnut, and honeyed green tea as the dense liquid begins coating your palate, making you salivate for more.
Finish: The finish is lengthy with white pepper, sweet tobacco, dark chocolate chunks, and sticky toffee all making an impression.
Bottom Line:
This is delicious stuff that belies the 5-year journey Old Commonwealth underwent from ideation to creation. In speaking with the founders, they indicated just how thorough the process was to land on the ideal liquid for this project. The results are as follows: their efforts have been rewarded with this robust, rich whiskey that deserves high praise on its own merits, as well as for the beautiful green-tinted bottle that houses it — a nod to its legacy from decades ago.
Julian Van Winkle III himself has cited Pappy Van Winkle 15 as his favorite among his family’s range of vaunted bourbons. Aged for 15 years, this wheated bourbon is cherry-picked from among the best barrels in Buffalo Trace’s inventory and given the final okay by the Van Winkle family.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Pappy Van Winkle 15 is marked by honeysuckle, vanilla ice cream, and Rainier cherries — not an uncommon bouquet of aromas for a Buffalo Trace wheated bourbon. However, the richness and definition of those notes are simply remarkable, with each of them penetrating the senses and seemingly sitting on your palate before you’ve even taken your first sip.
Palate: A gentle backbone of oak tannins offers structure to the sweet honeysuckle, stewed apples, Rainier cherries, and mellow allspice that hits your palate after the first sip of Pappy Van Winkle 15-Year. What you may immediately perceive as complexity is instead depth, as you’ll discover nuance in each of those entrancing flavor notes. With regards to the texture, it’s impressively viscous, rolling over the tongue with the ease of rainwater over an oil slick.
Finish: The finish finds a touch of allspice and oily vanilla pod as the oak tones get ratcheted up a bit, and the honey provides a gentle landing spot for those baking spices. It’s medium to long in the finish, and that’s the perfect amount of time for the depth of those flavors to fully unfurl.
Bottom Line:
Yup, this is damn fine whiskey. While I’m partial to the Old Rip Van Winkle 10-year bourbon (with the rest of the lineup vacillating between being high-quality and quotidian), this version of Pappy achieves a greater depth of flavor and delivers a truly luxurious experience at every level compared to the rest. Grizzled whiskey veterans will grumble that this expression isn’t what it used to be, but there’s no denying that Pappy Van Winkle 15 continues to be an excellent wheated bourbon whose unicorn status is well-earned.
Widow Jane’s brand-new Black Opal expression is the new pinnacle of the Red Hook, New York distillery’s range. By painstakingly marrying bourbons that were aged for at least 20 years (it’s likely that some of those barrels came from parent company Heaven Hill), Head Blender Sienna Jevremov came up with the final blend, which was then subjected to further maturation in expensive Mizunara oak casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma of Tahitian Vanilla, Frankincense smoke, dried apricot, and rose hip stand out from the brand’s nosing notes, but I’d add toasted coconut, the burnt sugar of crème brulée, and dense oak tones to that medley.
Palate: Again, the brand notes are spot on with walnut, black strap molasses, crème brulée, and poached plum flavors combined with fainter flavors like sage and brown butter. There’s a creamy nuttiness along with sweet oak providing a base layer for those more far-flung flavors to blossom, and the texture is smooth and viscous, coating the palate and clinging to the back of the teeth.
Finish: The honey introduces some honey and chocolate ganache as well as some cooked apple notes for a medium-length send-off that will leave you marveling at the proof point as the flavors maintain great structure down to the last drop along with ample richness that you’ll want to savor long after every sip.
Bottom Line:
With only 5,000 bottles available globally, this rare expression will disappear quickly. What makes it worth finding before it’s all gone is the fact that it features exceptionally aged bourbon blended by one of the industry’s most underrated teams utilizing well-vetted stock. Unlike some hyper-aged expressions, which are slapped together with whatever barrels a brand can scrounge up, Widow Jane has been fielding some of the best-sourced bourbons since its inception. With their highest age-stated release ever, they’ve also made their biggest splash, producing their best whiskey to date.
Michter’s 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon is one of the more rigorously refined bourbons on the market. That’s not just lip service. Master Distiller Dan McKee and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson painstakingly comb through Michter’s voluminous, well-aged barrel inventory for this release annually and subject it to their own proprietary custom filtration process to dial in the flavor. Sure, there’s a big fat 10-year age statement on it, but as the two of them are fond of saying, “We don’t just age it for 10 years and a day.”
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Incredibly refined and dense oak notes combine with mature leather on the nose. It’s rewarding that this immediately comes across as a hyper-aged bourbon. My notes say, “satisfyingly sexy oak,” and while I’m not entirely sure what that means, I hope you know what I meant.
Palate: Buttery viscosity leads the charge as this pour sets out to conquer four of your five senses (it looks dark and inviting in the glass, as well). There’s a decadent vanilla cream note that sits atop the mature leather and dense oak tones that are impossible to turn away from. The taste of black cherry enters before the transition to the finish and pools at the middle of the tongue before branching out along the roof of the mouth.
Finish: Tasted blind, I was impressed at how lengthy the finish on this whiskey was, but upon learning it’s only 94.4 proof, I became doubly so. There are gentle baking spices on the back end to go along with those oak tones, but the earthy, mature bourbon notes really carry it through.
Bottom Line:
Yes, Michter’s 10-year bourbon is typically excellent, but it deserves extra credit for being such a lush, flavorful bourbon, all at a modest 94.4 proof, which is atypically low for bourbon releases of this caliber. Nevertheless, quality always wins out, and this expression proved it repeatedly throughout 2024 in blind tastings. Michter’s 10-year Single Barrel Bourbon was easily one of the best bourbons to come out in 2024.
8. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Special Release Coy Hill Barrelhouse 8
Jack Daniel’s new Coy Hill Barrelhouse 8 expression is intended to showcase their famed Coy Hill location again but with a refined look, specifically at Barrelhouse 8. Utilizing Jack Daniel’s traditional mash bill of 80% corn, 12% malted barley, and 8% rye, the barrels for this release were aged at some of Jack Daniel’s highest elevations. Still, in contrast to previous releases, which featured barrels plucked from the very peak of those warehouses, this release was drawn from barrels that sat on the middle floors (primarily the 6th).
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is one complex nose, so stick with me here. Cherry leather, clove, cola nut, and wet leaves make the initial impression on the nose, which draws you in to explore under the hood. From there, you pick up notes like rickhouse funk in the best way possible, dark chocolate, and gooey caramel. We aren’t done yet. White pepper, Mesquite spiciness, and molasses kick in once some of the top notes blow away, and despite its proof, this whiskey isn’t very hot on the nose. Lastly, there’s a big, dense oak backbone to cap off all that complexity with brown sugar, vanilla, and blueberries. Unpack that.
Palate: Yup, the palate lives up to all that promise. Unlike some previous Coy Hill single-barrel releases, which can go big on the boldness at the expense of nuance and depth of flavor, this year’s expression delivers a robust tasting experience commensurate with its proof point. The most prominent flavors to prevail on the palate are, well…how much time do you have? Because they’re all there and sticky toffee, cayenne powder, cinnamon bark, and blueberry parfait are some of the standouts.
Finish: There’s a blast of chocolate ganache and leather on the finish, along with some nutmeg and molasses. It’s predictably lengthy as all hell, and it ends with smoked caramel.
Bottom Line:
Jack Daniel’s latest Coy Hill release is a mellower take on a series that has featured, to date, some of the boldest and brashest whiskeys on the market. That’s a great thing because this release is still jam-packed with flavor but is far more accessible to a wider swath of consumers thanks to its measured restraint. By remaining true to the DNA of previous releases, maintaining their remarkable depth of richness, with greater approachability and considerable nuance among its well-developed flavors, this is arguably the best Coy Hill release to date.
George T. Stagg Bourbon, first launched in 2002, has since taken the whiskey world by storm, introducing consumers to a brand of full-throated, high-intensity bourbon that has slowly become the most coveted expression of the category by enthusiasts. The 2024 George T. Stagg was matured for 15 years and 2 months.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma of cinnamon rolls, with their beautifully sweet blend of baking spice, vanilla frosting, and baked pastry dough, comes tumbling out of the glass at first. Soon to follow are some impressive Rainier cherry notes, which is an unexpected zag given the proof and Stagg’s prototypical dark cherry vibes. Finally, there are some blood orange and nutmeg notes, which add nuance, along with some dark chocolate, tobacco leaf, and mature oak tones.
Palate: This bourbon entrances your palate with a sensuous, multi-layered experience right off the bat. We’re talking about cooked apples and Rainier cherries, joined by cinnamon rolls and allspice, honey, and peanut brittle, with freshly cracked black pepper and barrel spice showing up late to the party. The mouthfeel is dense, bordering on decadent, and the liquid subsumes your senses, forcing you to contend with each layer of full-bodied flavor.
Finish: The lingering finish continues the complexity found at midpalate as red apples, oak, cinnamon bark, and black pepper all have equal footing as this bourbon takes its time leaving your palate.
Bottom Line:
Simply put, George T. Stagg was the king of 2024’s BTAC releases. Not only does it have the most lengthy finish and a formidable nose, but it delivers an incredible amount of densely-packed flavor on the palate, checking every box for sublime bourbon you could ask for. In a generally loaded lineup, this year’s George T. Stagg is the power hitter that makes the vaunted Buffalo Trace Antique Collection lineup an overwhelming success.
6. Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon 2024
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:
If you want evidence that 2024 was the best year for bourbon releases in recent memory, look no further than this bottle here. 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. In another year, this could’ve easily been the best or, at worst, second-best bourbon of the year, which goes to show how thin the margin was between each of the expressions on 2024’s “Best Bourbons Of The Year” list.
Brook Hill is the top-of-the-line series from the wildly successful Rare Character brand. By cherry-picking some of the best liquid in its inventory, Rare Character offers these premium bourbons (and ryes) in a single-barrel format, undiluted at cask strength in limited quantities. This particular single barrel was selected by Emerson K. Shotwell and named “Pablo Honey” as a tongue-in-cheek reference to Rare Character co-founder Pablo Moix and doubling as an homage to Radiohead’s debut album.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose entices with marshmallow creme, dark chocolate, and burnt honey, which goes a way toward explaining the name, as well. What’s most impressive about the aromas of this bourbon is how rich and well-defined they are without being obnoxiously bold. In fact, this bourbon takes the opposite track and burrows deep into your olfactory system with subtle ease, making it feel like the aromas are enveloping your senses with even the most modest inhalation.
Palate: The palate of this whiskey is immediately remarkable for being velvety, dense, and rich. What I constantly come back to is the flavor of Luxardo cherries on the front palate, which then graduates into a sticky toffee with a whisper of clove on the back of the palate. It’s slick, to be sure, but it also has some grip — hugging the edges of your tongue and imbuing your palate with a light dusting of dark chocolate truffle flavor and vanilla between the beautiful cherry notes which bob up and down like a buoy at sea.
Finish: There’s an intimate kiss of sweet, rich oak that coats the palate with an oily texture before you’re allowed to say goodbye to this sip. It closes out like a much older bourbon, minus any hints of dry oak, hugging your palate for a satisfyingly long time.
Bottom Line:
If indecorous lip-smacking isn’t your thing, you’ll want to stay far away from Rare Character’s stunning Brook Hill Bourbons. This single-barrel series showcases some of the best bourbon available today and highlights how vital barrel curation is for any brand built on sourced whiskey. What Pablo Moix and Pete Nevenglosky are doing across their Rare Character portfolio is impressive enough, but they’ve raised the bar to dizzying heights for their premium Brook Hill lineup.
Rare Character’s ascent in the bourbon world has been a white-knuckle ride. For one of the greatest thrills yet, you’ll want to seek out a bottle of Brook Hill immediately.
Willett Family Estate Bourbon is well-known as some of the most exclusive, exorbitantly priced, and, yes, excellent bourbon on the market. Drawing barrels from a number of sources (including their own self-distilled whiskey, which is now in the ten-year age range) and maturing them at the distillery’s property in Bardstown, Kentucky, is part of the magic, making every single barrel akin to a snowflake: unique, and never to be seen again. This particular barrel produced just 124 bottles and was selected by Bill Thomas for the Jack Rose Dining Saloon in D.C. who was famously among the first three people to select a single barrel from Willett.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma is immediately evocative of this single barrel’s nickname, as the scents of dunder, maple candy, cinnamon sugar, lime rind, and mocha waft upward to greet the nose.
Palate: The palate welcomes more of the same, with some mocha, brown sugar, toasted coconut, torched orange wheels, and crème brûlée flavors washing over the tongue and pooling at midpalate with some serious staying power. Cinnamon, clove, and pops of barrel char give this whiskey an earthy grounding that allows those earlier sweet notes a base from which to tease the edges of the tongue.
Finish: The finish on this whiskey is prominently lengthy with the torched orange wheel flavor extending a trunk that allows brown sugar, toasted coconut, vanilla extract, and cinnamon to branch off.
Bottom Line:
Willett Family Estate Bourbon enjoys a venerated space near the top of bourbon’s ever-changing Mount Olympus — and for good reason. This has been both one of the hardest to find, and most high-quality bourbon lineups on the market for the past ten years.
3. King Of Kentucky 2024 16-Year Single Barrel Bourbon
King of Kentucky is the Brown-Forman brand’s most regal annual release. For 2024, it features a fleet of single-barrel bourbons, all aged for at least 16 years. With 5,100 bottles produced from just 63 barrels distilled between July 19, 2007, and November 15, 2007, this expression’s popularity and relative rarity make it difficult to find.
Bottom Line:
King of Kentucky’s superlative quality makes it a perennial contender for bourbon of the year, and after a ho-hum 2023 release, the brand is back with a vengeance. Hell, King of Kentucky hasn’t been this good in two or three years, and so that makes 2024’s expression that much more impressive, showcasing the quality of Brown Forman’s formidable whiskey stock.
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 and the legend of the liquid in the bottle has only grown legs since then. This bourbon is non-chill filtered, and given their track record, one can safely assume there’s whiskey aged for even longer than 15 years in this blend.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Syrupy fig, mature oak tones, and rich leather fill the room once you pour this whimedicinal cherry notes and milk chocolate join them 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 history.
Heralded as one of the most exceptional bourbons of the modern era, Michter’s 20-year bourbon is a rare treat that hasn’t been released since 2022. For the production of this expression, Michter’s — which was recently named the World’s Most Admired Distillery — utilizes bourbon of the highest quality, which has rested for a minimum of 20 long years in new American white oak barrels before it’s approved for bottling by the distillery’s tasting panel which includes Master Distiller Dan McKee and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this bourbon immediately announces itself as a mature expression with hot cocoa and seasoned oak emanating from the glass, riding a cinnamon bark raft with a leather sail over waves of brown sugar, coffee beans, vanilla ice cream, and savory dates — the sort you would cook in a Moroccan tajine alongside a succulent chicken dish. I’m already salivating.
Palate: The tasting experience with Michter’s 20-year bourbon seals the deal in a single sip. This is decadent whiskey. The velvety texture brushes your palate with thick layers of flavor, coating your tongue with a primary base of chocolate truffle dust, brown sugar, and roasted coffee beans. From there, an intermediate layer is laid, resplendent with cooked dates, ripe plums, and juicy black cherries. At last, the topcoat of vanilla bean ice cream, wildflower honey, and a caramelized orange wheel begins to set, seeping into your tongue and sneaking between your teeth, allowing you to enjoy each distinct flavor at length.
Finish: The lengthy, lingering finish is the perfect reward for such an enveloping blanket of flavor, as the palate’s greatest hits float to the surface as you savor the end of each sip. Expect vanilla bean, dark chocolate chunks, mature oak, Maduro cigar leaf, blood orange juice, and ripe black cherries to be among those indulgent closing notes with polished leather bounding them all together.
Bottom Line:
Rather than engaging in the rat race of trying to have the best annual limited edition for Michter’s 20-Year Bourbon, the distillery opts instead to chart its own course, holding back the liquid that goes into this bottle until Master Distiller Dan McKee and Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson deem it to be ready. It’s not the first time that patience has paid off for Michter’s, which has been known to forego even their more moderately priced expressions with an eye on sending their very best bourbon into the market every time.
With that level of thoughtful consideration fueling Michter’s 20’s release schedule, it’s no wonder each release is eagerly anticipated ahead of being lavishly praised. When this whiskey was last released in 2022, it landed at the number one spot on UPROXX’s best bourbon of the year list and 2024 brought more of the same. Few will be able to claim they own one of the limited number of bottles that make up this release, but should you have the opportunity to try it, you’ll learn as I did that no superlative is wasted on Michter’s 20-Year Bourbon. Every sip is sublime.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
Jack Daniel’s
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.
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
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)
“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.
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.
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.
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
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?
Name a better alcohol for taking shots than tequila?
Even if you don’t particularly like tequila (what’s wrong with you?), you probably make an exception when it comes to taking shots. There is just something magical about the way its bright and biting flavor hits your palate that makes it the ideal liquid for toasting to moments big or small. Vodka is too neutral, whiskey too premium and complex (and harsh when it’s cheap), gin too herbal, rum too sweet. Tequila hits the proper middle ground between nuanced, complex, and drinkable.
It’s safe to assume that you’ve probably had a lot of awful shots of tequila, and if you say you don’t like tequila, that’s probably why! We’re here to let you know that it doesn’t have to be that way, and to hopefully convince you to join the tequila drinking club.
Taking shots of tequila doesn’t have to be like taking shots of jet fuel, it doesn’t have to make you wince, and it doesn’t have to burn your esophagus, there are a lot of really great bottles out there that offer a more premium experience without breaking the bank.
So we’re here to shout out the twenty best bottles of tequila for taking shots and toasting with your friends. Let’s drink!
A tequila made from hand-harvested agave, autoclave cooked, roller mill extracted, and made with deep well water for a palpable minerality and an agave forward flavor all for under $20? It almost sounds too good to be true!
Lunazul is a great option for shots because it’s incredibly cheap. But unlike most tequilas sub $20, it doesn’t taste like pure chemicals.
Tasting Notes: Nose: Soft vanilla tones and roasted agave hover over a heavy alcohol base.
Palate: A nice balance of vegetal notes, green bell pepper, and sour apple skins, with vanilla, earth, and a bit of white pepper.
Finish: Very dry and peppery with a minty finish.
The Bottom Line:
Yes, there is a bit of harshness here, but there is also a whole lot of flavor, and you rarely get this much nuance from a tequila this cheap.
Even if you’re merely a casual tequila drinker, you probably know about Espolòn. It’s a solid choice for the budget-minded, and if you’re looking for the brand’s best expression, let us point you in the direction of the reposado. Especially if you’re aiming for shots with a sort of mellow warm vibe.
For this bottle, the agave is harvested at peak maturity, autoclave cooked, roller mill extracted, and twice distilled in a stainless pot with copper coil before being rested in American oak barrels for three months.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Mellow and warm with a rich caramelized agave character.
Palate: Juicy pineapple and crushed black pepper. The more natural notes are backed by a rich caramel character.
Finish: Butter and oak, with a very pleasing finish.
The Bottom Line:
Zesty, tropical, and fruit-forward. Ideal for people who want their shots to take them on a bit of a journey.
A Double Gold winner at the famed San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Nosotros is a grassy and citrusy tequila for those who like their shots light and bright.
The brand is produced at NOM 1438, Destiladora del Valle de Tequila, using a mix of lowland and highland agave, which gives the liquid a mix of fruity, earthy, and herbaceous flavors.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bright green grass on the nose. There is a warm quality to this tequila that singes the nostrils a bit.
Palate: Celery and asparagus dominate with a hint of cool mint and herbs.
Finish: Surprisingly floral cut with a bit of citrus.
The Bottom Line:
Green tasting and herbaceous. If you like your tequila grassy and bright, Nosotros is for you.
Complex, fruity, with just a hint of spice! Corazón’s Single Estate might not have the deep complexity of a more high-end bottle from the same brand, but it does pack a surprising amount of nuance, which is always appreciated when it comes to knocking back shots.
For that stats nerds: this bottle is produced at NOM 1103, Tequila San Matias de Jalisco, using agave cooked low and slow in stone ovens.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There is a distinct fruity character here, I’m getting juicy pineapple and a mix of citrus.
Palate: That tropical fruit quality translates nicely to the palate with a hint of fresh green pepper, chilies, and a light hint of jasmine.
Finish: A mild spice that mingles nicely with roasted agave and orange zest.
Casamigos is everywhere, and while tequila snobs are quick to turn their noses up at this one because it used to be owned by George Clooney, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t taste great. This stuff is simply too easy to drink, that’s why it’s so damn popular.
It’s important to know that this tequila is geared towards an American palate, so what you’re going to get is a lot of vanilla-forward tasting notes. If you come to tequila looking for that bright and biting agave character, you’re not going to find it here. What you will find though is something that goes down incredibly smooth.
Tasting Notes: Nose: Very vanilla forward with some hints of caramel, and a light oak quality.
Palate: Roasted agave, cake batter, and warm baking spices.
Finish: Surprisingly peppery at the finish.
Bottom Line:
Wonderfully vanilla-forward and easy to drink. A great option for beginners to the tequila scene.
Kendall Jenner’s tequila is a real people-pleaser. It tastes sweet and dessert-like, but it’s very important to keep in mind that that is by design. This tequila is meant to go down easily, and while that isn’t for everyone, you’d be surprised at how many people want that out of their tequila. People want smoothness, and this tequila delivers that better than a brand like Casamigos.
It’s produced at NOM 1607, Grupo Solave, and features agave that is slow-cooked in brick ovens, tahona extracted, and mixed with deep well water. Feel however you want about celebrity tequila, but one thing can’t be denied: this tequila is made the right way. Even the snobs have to give it up!
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Very rich honey notes hovering over caramelized agave.
Palate: Vanilla, fresh jasmine flower, asparagus, and bright citrus with just a hint of hibiscus.
Finish: Supremely smooth with a baked caramel quality. Almost no oak whatsoever, which admittedly is a bit strange.
Cimarron is the ideal choice if you’re trying to make one bottle last for an entire night of partying. I’ve never seen a 750ml bottle of this stuff, it usually comes in 1 Liter for just $30. That’s an absolute steal, and the price might lead you to believe that this tequila must be awful, but that’s not the case.
Instead what you get is something nuanced, complex, and shifting in flavor with a nice smooth people-pleasing finish.
It’s also additive-free, which is a rarity for a deal this good.
Tasting Notes: Nose: Spicy cinnamon, roasted agave, and just a bit of oak. There is a very mellow and pleasing quality to this inviting tequila.
Palate: The smell translates directly to the palate. Agave and cinnamon dominate with some caramel notes, a bit of brown sugar molasses, and some of that barrel.
Finish: Floral with a mix of vanilla and dry oak.
The Bottom Line:
Spicy and cinnamon forward. Ideal for people who want their shots to slap their tastebuds to attention.
Olmeca Altos Plata is a great workhorse bottle. It’s flavorful and natural tasting, making it an ideal foundation for cocktails, but cheap enough that shooting it or mixing it into a big batch margarita won’t feel like flushing money down the drain.
It’s also classically made, which is always appreciated at this price point. The tequila is produced at NOM 1111, Pernod Richard Mexico, and is slow-coked in brick ovens tahona crushed, finished with well water, and distilled in copper pots.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is almost entirely dominated by roasted agave.
Palate: Heavy on the citrus zest, both orange and lime, mixed with fresh green peppers with a slight lactic quality.
Finish: Initially herbal and smooth but after a while the heat starts to build.
The Bottom Line:
A versatile zesty tequila that performs well in any role you put it into.
A low and slow-made tequila, Mi Campo leans a bit more on the sweet end, so if you’re about dessert tones, this is the bottle you’re going to want to reach for.
The tequila comes out of the famed La Cofradia distillery using traditional cooking methods and is finished in oak wine casks, which give the liquid a sort of fruity character to it.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Very sweet, dominated by floral vanilla and rich deep cocoa notes.
Palate: Oak forward, there are some earthy pepper notes, but without bright citrus tones to balance it out, it comes across as a bit harsh. But there is a nice spicy kick to it that piques the curiosity and inspires repeat sips.
Finish: Oily on the finish with a nice vanilla kiss.
The Bottom Line:
A crowd-pleasing tequila that leans heavily on dessert tones. If you’ve been burned by harsh tequila in the past, this will remedy that experience for you.
Patrón is interesting because it went from being an overhyped and over-priced brand to being something that is now completely underrated. It’s too popular for the tequila snobs, and enjoys such a big reputation that it leads casual drinkers to believe that it’s prohibitively expensive, but it’s not! Right now I think this tequila is sitting in a unique sweet spot.
It has a natural sweetness and easy-to-love drinkability that most tequilas lack, while still boasting old-fashioned brick oven cooking methods.
Tasting Notes: Nose: Roasted agave, white sugar, and a hint of honey.
Palate: A mix of tart pineapple and zesty orange with a hint of bitter lettuce to balance it out.
Finish: A crack of black pepper with a lime-influenced tartness.
The Bottom Line:
Sweet and easy to drink, with a honey and sugar vibe and a tart lime finish.
We’ve already sung the praises of Arette once this year, and it doesn’t feel like enough. Look, it’s just not easy to find a tequila that’s this cheap, tastes this good, and is additive-free, but Arette can give you all of that for just $21. So who wouldn’t want to sing the praises of this bottle?
I like this bottle for shots mainly because of the price, but outside of that it has this great vegetal, spicy, and earthy flavor that you can get lost in.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A wet earthy quality leads the way before blooming into warm and comforting agave notes.
Palate: A bit salty with a mix of citrus and vegetal flavors. There is a very natural quality to this tequila with a nice green grass and wet soil flavor.
Finish: Spicy, earthy and dry.
The Bottom Line:
Agave forward, very natural, and just a bit spicy. An additive-free steal!
If you like the sweet, people-pleasing flavors of celebrity tequilas like Casamigos and 818, then Don Julio covers a lot of that same ground but levels things up a bit with a more complex and natural flavor profile.
This tequila is made from agave cooked in brick ovens, roller mill extracted, and fermented in stainless steel tanks at NOM 1449. It offers a shots experience that is smooth and pleasing to the palate, with deep flavors for those who want to explore them.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Warm and inviting roasted agave and vanilla. A deep breath will reveal notes of cinnamon.
Palate: Lush chocolate with a bit of spice, soft green tea bitterness, and crisp green pepper.
Finish: A lot of pepper on the finish, a mix of celery and citrus. There is a juicy quality to this that brings you in for more.
The Bottom Line:
Easy drinkability with a slightly complex flavor that is a joy to get lost in.
Suerte leans on those same sweet dessert tones that a lot of the celebrity brands love to utilize but has a more natural character and a mellow finish.
The tequila is produced at NOM 1530, Tequilera Simbolo, using agave cooked in stone ovens, tahona extracted, fermented in open-air stainless steel tanks, and aged for seven months in American ex-bourbon barrels, offering a nice oaky finish.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The oak character wafts from the glass backed with caramelized agave and butterscotch candies.
Palate: A strong emphasis on the caramel here backed with agave, some citrus, cinnamon, and a hint of earthy cracked black pepper.
Finish: Agave and oak, it echoes the nose surprisingly well with a slightly syrupy mouthfeel.
The Bottom Line:
Sweet and spicy, yet still agave forward with a supple oak-influenced finish.
If you like your tequila with a bit of sizzle, Tepozan offers a heavy dose of pepper and chili heat, while still highlighting those vegetal notes. This small batch tequila is made at NOM 1584, Tequila El Tepozan, from estate-grown blue agave that is hand-harvested and cooked in a pressurized brick oven.
The juice is then extracted via a roller mill and fermented in open-air steel tanks before being twice distilled. This tequila is made using volcanic rock water, which gives it a nice earthy minerality.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Roasted agave gives way to clay and wet earth and a bit of cinnamon. You can almost taste it before it hits the palate, serving as a nice teaser of what is to come.
Palate: An initial spicy hit kicks the palate awake with cooked agave notes, a hint of cracked black pepper, cinnamon, and vegetal brightness.
Finish: That vegetal quality dominates the finish with some minerality and a buttery aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
Earthy, mineral-rich, and spicy with a supple buttery finish.
Another sub $30 bottle that is additive-free? Sign us up. Tres Agaves is produced at NOM 1614, the famed Tequilera Tap, using agave cooked in a high-pressure autoclave, roller mill extracted, and is bottled right after distillation.
The flavor here leans on the pepper side, with some sweet pear vibes.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A two-note hit of zesty orange peel and roasted agave.
Palate: Bright citrus with juicy pear flavors and a twist of sweet carmelized agave.
Finish: A nice subtle peppery burn. Not enough to be considered harsh but strong enough to feel.
The Bottom Line:
Additive-free and heavy on the agave forward characteristics.
LALO is clear, focused, no-nonsense blanco tequila. It is 100% additive-free, made from slow-steamed agave, and features a bright agave-forward flavor. It’s also cheap as hell and available at just about every liquor store.
If you like your tequila juicy a nd bright, its hard to find a better bottle than this.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bright and zesty citrus on the nose.
Palate: Buttery with hints of cooked agave and caramel.
Finish: Fruity, bright, vegetal, there is a very pure quality to this tequila.
The Bottom Line:
As pure as it gets. It’s bright, vegetal, and agave-forward.
If you feel like splurging a bit, you can’t go wrong with this multi-award-winning bottle from El Tequileño. The Gran Reserva Reposado is our favorite expression from the brand thanks to its mellow flavor, and notes of fruit and cinnamon.
It’s clear and focused flavor is a result of its additive-free production. Produced at NOM 1108, Jorge Salles Cuervo y Sucesores, this tequila is aged for 8 months in American oak barrels and blended with just a touch of the brand’s Añejo tequila.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Incredibly fruity, tropical notes on the nose that brings to mind banana and mango with some sweet caramel hovering over it.
Palate: Vanilla and oak with a silky smooth buttery mouthfeel, it leaves your palate feeling wet. Truly savory.
Finish: A quick finish that dissipates quickly. The faintest hint of cinnamon dominates the after taste but it fades fast. If you like to savor the flavor, this one doesn’t stick around long enough, but nothing is stopping you from reaching for another sip. Maybe that’s its magic!
The Bottom Line:
So good you might want to sip this one more than shoot it just so you can savor the flavors a bit more.
Just know that anywhere you land in the top five here, it’s going to be good. Part of me wanted to give this tequila the number one spot because I love it, but ultimately I’m going to go another way and that’s due to the licorice note I taste in this liquid.
I don’t have a particular problem with licorice, but I know others will, so I feel like it’s worth highlighting when talking about this tequila.
Tapatio is produced at NOM 1129, La Alteña, using agave slow-cooked in masonry ovens, roller mill extracted, and open-air fermented for 72-96 hours. Like all our very top picks, this tequila is 100% additive-free.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The usual suspects are here: roasted agave and a hint of citrus, but those aromas are joined by a bit of wet grass and a twist of juicy key lime.
Palate: A bouquet of citrus notes, tang from tangerine, a bit of bitterness from grapefruit, and a juicy quality ala orange joined with the slightest hint of licorice.
Finish: Black pepper that lives on the palate long after you’ve swallowed. If you like a flavor that sticks around, Tapatio is going to give that to you.
The Bottom Line:
Complex and flavorful, offering a bouquet of sensations that you can taste even when shooting.
Tequila Ocho is one of the most versatile tequilas on the market; it offers complex and deep flavors, a fair price point that won’t break the bank, and works as a great foundation for cocktails, a candidate worthy of slow sipping, and of course, one of the best tequilas to knock back.
The liquid is made from agave harvested at peak maturity, cooked in brick ovens for 48 hours, rested for 24 more, and than crushed by a roller mill.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A perfect mix between zesty orange peel character and warm roasted agave.
Palate: More zest on the palate coupled with earthy slightly floral black pepper and fresh herbs. There is a cilantro-like quality here, so if that’s not your thing, you might be better served by our number two pick.
Finish: More pepper on the aftertaste with a light hint of mint and a pleasing burning aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
Zesty and agave forward with a nice peppery bite. The perfect shooter.
G4 makes a perfect blanco tequila, so putting anything else at number 1 would just feel wrong. This tequila goes above and beyond expectation, offering a lush flavor with lots of green notes, pepper, and zest, with a silky luxurious finish.
The tequila is produced at NOM 1579, Destileria el Pandillo, using agave slow-cooked in stone ovens, tahona extracted, and made with natural spring and rainwater, which gives it a lactic minerality, and a natural flavor throughout.
It’s our pick for the best tequila for shots, though it would work in so many other categories as well. It’s one of our all-time favorite blanco tequilas.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A warm and inviting agave aroma swirls above this pour with some sinus-tickling black pepper and citrus notes.
Palate: That smell perfectly translates to the palate, I’m getting a lot of black pepper and citrus, with lush green grass notes to balance it out.
Finish: Warm and slightly nutty with a silky luxurious mouthfeel.
The Bottom Line:
Warm and agave rich with a luxurious finish. It’s peppery, citrusy, vegetal — simply one of the finest blanco tequilas you can buy in any price range.
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