"They have an extensive selection of bourbons and Buffalo Trace is their house bourbon." more. They usually disappear into cocktails or mixed drinks. As a result, it's robust and woody, ideal for those . 22 Best Bourbon Whiskey Brands to Drink Right Now The whisky is then blended and proofed down to a very manageable 86 proof. I know that sounds flippant, but every major distillery has a few expressions that lurk on the bottom shelf in plastic bottles with screwtop caps. When you think of Wild Turkey, do you picture an unshaven guy sitting by himself in a bar, muttering at the TV and nursing a tumbler of the stuff before shuffling off to a depressing studio apartment somewhere? The bottle works wonders in a cocktail and is perfectly fine for an on the rocks sip of whiskey. This is the same mash thats used for bigger hitting brands like Eagle Rare, Stagg, and E.H. Taylor. Its palate is sweet with notes of berries and apricot with . This is one of the best skippable whiskeys on this list. Knob Creek's Kentucky Straight Smoked Maple seems to be, according to some bourbon fans, a bad execution of a good idea. The artificial and chemical taste was also a source of disgust on Distiller, with samplers commenting that it was heavy on the ethanol. To start, Jim Beam is not bad. This is getting better, all things considered. To put a finer point on it, Id be lying if I said I loved every bourbon I tasted. The flavor profile of the US1. Its Black Label Bourbon is a bit more nuanced, with "flavors of caramel, oak, and very light charcoal," according to a separate review onThe Whiskey Reviewer. The oak aging gives this Bourbon dry and spicy character. The finish is pretty watery it kind of reminds me of hose water on a hot day with the same beats for vanilla-caramel-corn-and-wood barely peaking in over the proofing water. 90. The result is a full flavored whiskey that goes down easy. And while blended whiskies are fairly common, Four Roses is unusual in that almost all of its expressions are blends: the distillery "uses five proprietary yeast strains and two separate mashbills to develop 10 whiskey recipes." The sip is almost invisible on the tip of the tongue and very watery but does have echoes of sweet cherry candy, caramel apples, and vanilla extract in there but you really have to dig around for them. On the palate, its candied notes are balanced by oak, char, and spice. Hudson Bright Lights, Big Bourbon Whiskey FAQs Final Thoughts Top 13 Worst Cheap Bourbons 13. The 14 Best Bourbons for Beginners in 2023 - Liquor.com According to The Manual, it turns out the two whiskeys are one and the same. The end is another left turn with a dusting of dark chocolate with a hint of honey as the water kicks in a fades out the stone fruit, spice, and oak pretty quickly. And according toBreaking Bourbon, the even higher-proof (120 proof) Knob Creek Single Barrel Bourbon "is really easy to love," offering a similarly well-balanced profile, smooth with a long-lasting complex finish of cinnamon, oak, and leather. Wow, this is thin on the nose. Water and plastic are what you get on the nose and on the palate. On the other hand, Malt gave low marks to their pricey ($85) Single Barrel 73-IV, noting its "awkward and unbalanced sensations." The 2022 release of Russell's Reserve 13 Year Old Bourbon is a standout product for the distillery. On the palate, the Evan Williams has a decent body as it has some texture. Bourbon makers can play this game too, producing both unpretentious mass-market bottles and more refined, smaller-batch expressions. Not necessarily, because a humdrum bottle or a bourbon at a low price point isn't always going to taste like nail polish remover. Located in Louisville, Kentucky, Angel's Envy takes pride in creating small-batch spirits that are finished in one of four different casks: port, rum, sherry, and tawny. Woodford Reserve may have done almost too good a job at making premium bourbon acceptable today, with hundreds of craft distillers creating their own premium blends, Woodford Reserve now falls near the middle of the curve in terms of price and status. Nobody wants to go see a two-star movie. Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon 2. The juice is a bourbon blend thats a minimum of four years old. What makes Elijah Craig a critical favorite is its complexity and balance. George Dickel is actually the flagship spirit from Cascade Hollow Distillery. Compared to the familiar caramel-and-vanilla bombs, Evan Williams comes off as more restrained and lean, making it a good choice for those who usually find bourbon too sweet. Nikka Whiskey from the Barrel - Never mind that all whiskey comes from a barrel, this complex Japanese blend is a delightful exploration of fruit, wood, and sweet vanilla. Like a moth to the flame, human beings are naturally drawn to loving shiny objects. 1. Double Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon 20 Year Old- $20,400. A "small-batch bourbon" is a bourbon that's an amalgamation of a number of barrels, anywhere from 10-100. Best Overall Bourbon: Knob Creek 12 Best Wheated Bourbon: Garrison Brothers Small Batch Best Barrel-Proof Bourbon: Larceny Barrel Proof Best Cask-Finished Bourbon: Bardstown Bourbon.