On the palate, there is caramel and brown sugar, along with vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and charred oak. Flavor Profile: Sweet If you love cinnamon notes, youll love this, Minnick says. On the nose, there are faint notes of vanilla, and cooked corn, along with some caramel and oak notes. [CDATA[ A rich leather note, along with some pepper, emerges at the end and lingers. Unfortunately, the surging popularity of bourbon has made most any wheater over 6 years old nearly impossible to find. One of the best new whiskeys of recent memory, Stellum is a more affordable Barrell Bourbon. But this blind tasting was not its day. Gear Patrol participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Old Grand-Dad Bonded Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 50% ABV, was the nickname of a distiller named Basil Hayden. It has a suggested MSRP of $150, and Reserve Bar is your best bet for snagging a bottle.Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon: Every year for the past eight years, Texas-based distillery Garrison Brothers has released their fan-favorite Cowboy Bourbon: an uncut and unfiltered straight bourbon thats produced in limited numbers. On the flip side, expensive bourbon isnt always as refined as it seems. This bourbon won Whisky Advocates whiskey of the year, and Minnick was on the tasting panel. For being the same brand as the Small Batch, they taste very different. Flavor Profile: Sweet & Rich I presume you could ask em how much their CEO makes and theyd tell you, Minnick says. Average Price: $20. Theres certainly less refinement at play. Plum, pear, cocoa and vanilla are among the tasting notes here. The sip leans more into the caramel apples on the end and skips the citrus yet stays warm and mellow. Old Forester released the "Whiskey Row" line in late 2014 to celebrate the distillery's history. Flavor Profile: Spicy & Smoky Kentuckys population is 4.3 million people. On the nose, there is a distinctive sweetness, along with ripe apple, caramel and a little vanilla. Old Forester does a slightly better job filling it in comparison. The toffee and oak mingle in the end as it slowly dissipates. This spirit seems to drink higher than 104 proof due to overwhelming spice. Thats only three fewer years than the Old Fitz above, and its a tenth the price. It is aged longer than Jim Beam Original, also known as Jim Beam White Label. I assessed all nominations, validated them and tasted them live on YouTube to select my 2019 favorite for Best Everyday Bourbon. This is all about the sweetness.. After 20 years, they, too, begin to deteriorate- and they do it quickly. Old Forester 86 Proof Bourbon Review . For the uninitiated, wheat used as a secondary grain was really pioneered at the old Stitzel-Weller distillery in Louisville, birthplace of the Weller lineup, the Van Winkle lineup, and the Old Fitzgerald Lineup. Youd think that would make it a shoe-in to win my blind tasting. If you can get your hands on the bottle like the Dutton clan did in season 5 of Yellowstone youll be treated to notes of creamed corn, toasted vanilla and a heavy dose of wheat. Press Esc to cancel. The 1910 was release in 2018, and though it shares the . It has none of the harshness youd expect from a 133.2 proof bourbon, and doesnt undergo chill filtering instead just using light filtration to remove barrel char flakes. But Evan Williams is a value brand. Bourbon novice, here; have only sampled a dozen, or so, bourbons. I dont collect, so secondary value is so worthless a determination to me that I couldnt even tell you a ballpark value of most bottles. About 10 to 12 years ago, Total Wine opened a store in Clearwater Florida. It is a wheated whiskey, that shares a common DNA with Old Fitzgerald and the Pappy wheated bourbons. Sure. Proof: The percentage of alcohol, displayed as double that of the alcohol percentage. Distiller Score: 80. Im not ranking single barrel releases, or one-time releases. This is another nutmeg-forward bourbon I thought could standout in blind competition. The history of Old Forester bourbon is as rich and colourful as the company and family that have been producing it for almost 150 years. Here's the rub. On the palate, the Old Forester 86 has a decent body showing a medium texture. But I worried its subtleties could get lost in a deep field, which this was. Larceny and Makers Mark can be viewed as offshoot descendants of that distillery due to the connections the labels have with those original three or connections the distillers had with the principal players in that distillery. Old Forester 1920 celebrates the Distillery history since 1920 was the year . The 6 year age statement is now gone and replaced with just the number 6 on the handle, but they bourbon is indeed at least 4 years old. Nose: Honey, caramel, wintergreen, almond. Bourbon always has to be aged in new charred oak barrels at no more than 125 proof (or 62.5 percent alcohol), and it's not allowed to include any additives or colorings. It's not lacking in sweetness, with tasting notes of nougat, figs, dates and caramel corn. High Rye: A bourbon with a higher than normal percentage of mash bill made up of rye (as opposed to using more corn, wheat, or barley, the other main grains used in bourbon mash). And THAT I can provide some help on. Old Forester is richer, so it's less prevalent in this comparison, but it's definitely still there on its own without Jack Daniel's to cover it up. As it turns out, it came in my top 10. In addition, Minnick is the editor-in-chief of Bourbon+ Magazine and host on the Spirits Network. Regular Four Roses (formerly called Yellow Label), Old Forester 100 Proof (formerly called Signature), Wild Turkey 101, Jim Beam Black Label, Larceny Bourbon, Maker's Mark, and Buffalo Trace. Ive had/have 5 of the 8 limited/hard to find editions and they are not worth the effort, schmoozing, and gouging required to obtain. These bargain bourbon brands can all be had for $25 or less, so make sure keep your home bar stocked! The latter is a blend of a 16-year-old bourbon and a 15-year-old high-rye bourbon that pays tribute to the family's first distiller, Jacob Beam, and it's said to be some of the best bourbon being produced at the busy distillery. They deserve to be on every Best Everyday Bourbon list for their massive fan base alone. Look, I know Jack says Tennessee whiskey on the label, but theres an argument made for it being bourbon. This is what you drink when you need a break from barrel-proof juice. Instead, it was allowed to rest until it hit a point the distillers wanted to hit and then bottled as is. As Bourbon Heritage Month rolls on, were taking a look at some expensive bottles of bourbon to see if we can find some cheaper bourbon counterparts from the exact same mash bill, barrel char, and barrel proof. Going in, I didnt give this much of a chance for my palate. Ninety-five percent of all of the bourbon distilled in the US is made in Kentucky. It is based on a mash bill of 77% corn, 10% rye and 13% malted barley. But again, two for the price of one is a bargain. There can be no doubt that a certain 3-word labelhas greatly influenced bourbon and bourbon demand over the past decade. So funky, so rich with cornbread and a honey butter, the only reason it did not win this tasting was it lacked the finish of the winner. W L Weller, Special Reserve Bourbon, NAS, 45% ABV, is produced at the Buffalo Trace Distillery by Sazerac. At $20 per bottle, this is a fantastic bourbon and an excellent introduction to wheated bourbons. Theres a light, floral fruitiness upfront with a wisp of tobacco, flourishes of mint, and plenty of vanilla. Don't drink and drive. You may opt-out by. Tasting notes include monkey bread aroma and Texas-style Dublin Dr. Pepper, making for one interesting palate. Finish: Medium length and warm. The mash bill is undisclosed, but is believed to be the same, or very close, to that of Old Fitzgerald and the Pappy expressions. Here we go.. The bourbon is distilled under contract by various Kentucky distillers. It can claim to be extremely full flavored thanks to its 115 proof, and its taste profile is like a synthesis of. Admittedly, the barrel seasoning makes all the difference between . Limited edition and long-aged bourbons go as quickly as they hit the shelves. The brand was resurrected by Diageo in 2015 as both a NAS and a 15 YO version. It was thick, and the coating of the glass left a thin crown that dropped tiny, slow-moving tears. All the Makers versions, and Larceny should sate your wheater crave. The bourbon is made by Jim Beam, and retails for around $20 per bottle. Dread River Master Series by Eboni Major: Eboni Major is one of the rising stars of the bourbon world. It didnt make the cut for the finals. The palate carries that spice into peppery territory with hints of oak, vanilla, tart apples, and honey. My favorite by far of the standard production you mentioned is Larceny. Nice article Bill. I admit I have gotten extremely lucky obtaining a few of these bottles. So, I switched it to Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond, a very widely distributed bourbon from Heaven Hill. Either way, I W Harper is a brand in transition and one well worth watching. This mash bill leans more heavily into the rye, creating a solid base for two very closely related bourbons. Ive had or have everything on the easy list. But its so much cheaper that who cares? Neither is particularly better than the other. Its mellow balance helped by the prominent caramel notes of its wheated mash bill doesnt overpower meaty flavors. The finish is medium length, sweet and spicy, with notes of dried stone fruit, vanilla and caramel, along with spice notes of nutmeg, clove and allspice. There are a variety of Very Old Barton bourbons on the market including an 80 proof, an 86 proof and a 90 proof. Straight Bourbon Whiskey: Bourbon that is stored in charred new oak for at least two years. Roughly 1,000 are currently active. First released in 2021, Dickel 8-Year Bourbon is the company's first official foray into bourbon whiskey, and it's a value-driven powerhouse. There is no shortage of good bourbon available today, although prices keep rising and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future. The Old Forester is one of the bourbons that's helped make Kentucky the capital of bourbon. It bears no age statement and is bottled at 92 proof. I got that message twice this week from readers, and thats not a rarity. Additionally, it was aged at least 4 years under government supervision, and it is bottled at 50% ABV. Because its not a hype whiskey, doesnt have a famous name and isnt a limited release, it doesnt get talked about but I challenge you to find a bourbon with this much firepower at the price point. The finish is medium length, smooth, showing caramel sweetness and pralines, along with spice and some oak notes. No, this isnt a single barrel expression. Luxcos Old Ezra line could be one of the best-kept secrets in whiskey. The whiskey is produced by Brown-Forman. Bourbon, the Great American Spirit, is not as simple as one might think. Larceny and Maker's Mark can be viewed as offshoot descendants of that distillery due to the connections the labels have with those original three or connections the distillers had with the principal players in that distillery. I realize you wrote this article a few years back, however it is still relevant. I do not covet, nor feel compelled to obtain something that is nearly unobtainable for the challenge. Unfortunately, for Old Fo, I was not. #3 barrel char. Had a $45 shot of PVW 23 a few years back in Louisville and wasnt blown away for the price. Entry proof is 125 proof/62.5 percent. Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY (Sazerac Company) (Photo by Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post via Getty Images), Celebrate Bottled In Bond Bourbon, The Spirit That Saved American Whiskey, March Is B Corp Month, Here Are 8 Alcohol Brands You Might Not Realize Are Certified, Top Burgundy Wine Producer Talks About Amazing Value Wines That Often Get Overlooked, Whiskey Of The Week: Michters Celebration Sour Mash Is The Ultimate Event Pour, Whisky Review: 50 Year Old Glenfarclas, Bowmore, Cardrona, And More, Hendricks Gin Debuts Flora Adora As New Limited Release, Thinking About Black Wine Business Beyond Black History Month, Whisky Review: Compass Box, Benriach, Tobermory, And More. Id certainly make a few changes here and there. Theres a sense of sweet yet slightly bitter tea next to rye spice and a flutter of fresh mint. Larceny is 45% alcohol by volume, whereas Maker's Mark has 45%. Along with Old Overholt Rye, Old Grand-Dad falls under The Olds family of whiskeys released by Jim Beam. Like plain Rebel Yell for the polical incorrectness of it. It's probably a mixture of under-valued and underrated but Larceny is excellent bourbon for close to $25. I recently did a blind taste test comparing some Wheaters and surprisingly rated Makers 46 as my top pick among Makers Mark, Larceny, Old Weller Antique, and Bernheim (a pure wheat whiskey). Medley Brothers bourbon is made by the father and son team of Charles and Sam Medley. Hes pictured on the bottle. The bourbon is believed to be approximately 6 YO. So its whiskey, at a great proof point of 86 and an age that Minnick says is roughly five-and-a-half years old, goes for less than $20. Whats really frustrating is that living in KY just an hour or so from all these distillers you can hardly find some of these choices, and theyre ridiculously expensive if you do. But those whiskeys are cut from the exact same distillation. Corn on the nose and lots of classic notes of vanilla, toffee, and caramel up top. It bears no age statement and is bottled at 92 proof. That lower entry proof lends to more flavor from the mash bill (corn, rye and malted barley). The marrying of the corn with the Christmas-y spices helps usher in a long, warming, and satisfying end that embraces you in a classic Kentucky hug.. The other is recipe E and is 75% corn, 20% rye, and 5% malted barley. With all the easily available wheaters around, it really makes little sense to go through the Herculean effort and expense to obtain the limited editions. You may or may not see these bottles show up in a more official form in a future version of this guide once we've tried them ourselves. Its also the recipe Pappy Van Winkle bought during prohibition. 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Unfortunately, both also have that unpleasant metallic vodka-y alcohol taste, which I don't find in other bourbons. Proof: 100. It is available everywhere and thus resistant to the price gouging associated with brands like Buffalo Trace. If you're making drinks, we prefer the light and spicy Four Roses bourbon. Our tester found that the 12-year is a little rough around the edges neat it is meant to be an affordable bourbon, after all but dropping in an ice cube really opens up its sweet wheat side. The bourbon category has never been more popular than it is right now. The oak peeks in with more vanilla, notes of toffee, and a bit of berry tartness. The finish is medium length, sweet, with caramel, vanilla and spice notes and a persistent pepperiness. And its a bartenders dream for its mixability. Wheaters are my favorites, but I like ryes too. Regular Old Forester goes into those burnt barrels for another six to nine months. Case in point is the original wheated bourbon, Wellers signature 12-year bourbon. Let me share a funny story. Sour Mash: A fermentation technique used by almost all bourbon distillers that employs pre-fermented mash from a previous distilling in a new mash. I had always found an over-oaked note here. But that list has a problem: Almost half of them are so limited in production or so high in demand that most readers will never see them a retail. The result is that both the W L Weller Special Reserve and the Old Weller Antique Original 107 brand straight wheated bourbon whiskey often sell at three times or more of their list price. For instance, in New York, property valued at over $1,000 is considered grand larceny. There is some alcohol burn, especially on the 114-proof version, along with sweet honey notes, candied citrus zest, brown sugar and that cooked tropical fruits. Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Weller Antique 107 Blanton's Henry McKenna 10 Year Noah's Mill 1. #4 barrel char. You can get two of these for the price of one Woodford. Four Roses Small Batch, a household favorite, did not perform well in this blind tasting for Best [+] Everyday Bourbon. Flavor Profile: Vanilla & Sweet This is Buffalo Traces higher-rye bourbon mash bill even though its not that high comparatively. New Riff Distilling was founded in 2014. Its estimated that there are over 3,500 historic brands of bourbon in the United States. Hence, I find the 20 year Van Winkle offering to be a truly fine bourbon, while the 23 year is a mess in the bottle. After being somewhat underwhelmed by Blantons and Basil Hayden, Ibe come to the conclusion that my tastes lean towards the Wheated bourbons. Cheap bourbon isnt always as bottom-shelf as it seems. The look of it was like that of a reddened maple syrup. Its so fucking amazing., Have Apple's AirPods Max? This year, as I did last year, I solicited nominations from Bourbon Pursuit listeners, who are an engaged bourbon consumer base that understand what everyday truly means. Theyre also all made in the same distillery (Jim Beam). Everything you ever wanted to know about Americas favorite brown spirit, including, of course, the best bottles you can actually buy. In the past decade, good brands went from available to allocated and from $15 to $40. Been there, done that, feel silly never again. Theres a bit more of a pine woodiness on the palate of this one next to the toffee, spice, orange, and vanilla thats more pushed into the background. The Bourbon After a pour I found my glass had a dark, rusty amber liquid. That said, I felt strongly Jack Daniels puts out worthy whiskey and deserved to be in this Best Everyday tasting. For instance, Jim Beam, Bakers, Knob Creek, Old Crow, and Old Taylor all have the exact same mash bill (75/13/12 corn/rye/barley), barrel char (level #4), and barreling proof (125 proof). Will be looking to sample some others on your list particularly the Makers Cask Strength. Distillery: Brown Forman Distillery in Shively, KY (Brown-Forman) and all are worth seeking out. Distiller Score: 84. There is also a 57% ABV (114 proof) version that is priced under $30. So lets divide them into two categories: Standard Production and Limited Release. Pappy Van Winkles impossible-to-find wheated bourbon has become such a hype monster that other wheated bourbons from Buffalo Traces portfolio have seen their own popularity skyrocket due to their proximity. So the second way to look at it is really what this site is focused on- how it tastes. This is not a new phenomenon and it plays a large role in blended bourbons. You can have five different notes hitting at once. Old Forester is one of the oldest whisky houses in America (yes, they spell whisky without the "e"). Wheated: A bourbon with a higher than normal percentage of mash bill made up of wheat (the main grain remains corn). And the little factors between bottles do matter. The finish is long, caramel-sweet, with a lingering cinnamon and a cooked cereal note. On the nose, the whiskey offers sweet caramel and candied cherries, along with a persistent oak note in the background. Wheres the thirsty modern man, farmer or otherwise, to begin? Its essentially a barrel finished bourbon, and that extra spice is a nice kick to an otherwise soft, wheated profile. That bottling is aged at least four years in new, charred American oak. Larceny, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS. On the palate, the whiskey has a cooked corn sweetness, with notes of honey, dried peach, tropical fruit, vanilla, caramel and burnt sugar, along with some faint strawberry notes. Retail - $250; . Best I ever had was a couple weeks ago in a Chicago speakeasy the Office. You may opt-out by. Medley Brothers Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 51% ABV. George Dickel 15 Year Single Barrel . Recently have gotten into bourbons. Average Price: $12. That includes retailer specific brands. Bottled in Bond: Under the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, a bottled-in-bond spirit must be produced by one distillery in the same distilling season, then aged under federal supervision and cut and bottled at 100 proof. Futile efforts to obtain any of the 2nd list has been a waste of time. Simply, this is Heaven Hills famous wheated bourbon thats aged for nine years and bottled-in-bond. Retail - $80; Secondary - $250; Old Forester 117 Series High Angel's Share or Warehouse K (375ml) - T3. Both are somewhat fruity, but express it differently. Theres no way around it, Wild Turkey 101 is great for the money. This Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey bears no age statement and is bottled at 90 proof. His bourbon incorporated a large percentage of rye, giving the whiskey a spicy and powerful flavor. The price stops most people from ever getting to drink it and thats a shame. Sour mash and bottled-in-bond, non-distiller-producers and high-ryes. Now, thanks to rising whiskey prices and a consistently strong product, the brand shortened to OGD by fans has a cult following. This one is more of a sipper. Its bottled at 115 proof for this distillery, thats the perfect proof, Minnick says. You can follow him on Facebook and Twitter @BillStraub and email him at [emailprotected]. But I spent last season working the phones and visiting many stores, and I will not do that again. Theyll tell you everything there is to know about their whiskey they dont hide the mash bill, the distillation proof. A pioneering brand, it was originally released as an exclusively bottled 90 proof bourbon whisky. On the palate, you have caramel, brown sugar, candied nuts, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cooked corn sweetness, some mint and a lingering pepperiness. ABV: 45.2% Theyve also led the way in transparency. Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond won the taste for Best Everyday Bourbon. Indeed, some bourbon historians believe that Pappy began as barrel selections of Old Fitzgerald, and was later chosen from hand-picked barrels of W L Weller. Old Fitzgerald is a bottled-in-bond wheated bourbon released twice a year by Kentucky's . If you get a chance to visit Loretto, pick up a bottle of the Makers 46 Cask Strength sometime. Our inclusions in this guide are based on real-world testing and firsthand expert feedback, but there are a few new and upcoming bourbons we haven't had a chance to try yet that still warranted a mention. Whether it's the softer flavor imparted by the sweet mash (the vast majority of modern bourbon is sour mashed) or the distiller's proprietary "infusion mashing" process or something else entirely, the result is a wicked, wicked pour. I like some of the new Makers Private Select picks even more, but theyre single barrel private picks, so I didnt include them on the list. Each of its releases makes clear what went into it distillery location, whiskey age, proof, etc. But, I seem to head back to the Makers 46 as my go-to bourbon. The bourbon business is dominated at retail by a handful of national brands. From your daily sipper to the best bottle to bring to a party, here are the best bourbons to drink in 2023. The brand was withdrawn from the US market in 1997, but continued to be exported. George T Stagg (Some days I prefer it to just about anything) 5. He is married with two daughters, and lives in east Louisville. I like it. This whiskey is much better known then the expressions cited above. On the palate, there is a distinctive honey sweetness accompanied by cinnamon and nutmeg. ABV: 50% He has contributed frequently to our bourbon coverage over the years and is someone we regard as a friend. It is aged at least 4 years in a bonded warehouse and is bottled at 100 proof in a trademark square, white label bottle.
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