Meanwhile, SLB Drinks says that the flavor profile "tastes like someone mixed bourbon and maple syrup and then added some artificial sweetener for the hell of it." In any case, Widow Jane is finished with fresh water from somewhere. There have been some new additions to Wild Turkey's rye lineup in recent years, including the high-end Master's Keep Cornerstone Rye, a blend of nine- to 11-year-old whiskey bottled at 109 proof . You can purchase a bottle for as little as $40 (or upwards of $4,000). The problem is that, as one taster states, this bourbon is excessively sweet, without much complexity (via Distiller). It must be encoded somewhere in our DNA who doesn't like owning attractive and expensive items? A1A Ale Works Restaurant & Taproom. Faint lemon candies and honey lead to an old vanilla wafer on the nose but not much else. Hudson Bright Lights, Big Bourbon Whiskey FAQs Final Thoughts Top 13 Worst Cheap Bourbons 13. While one of the most familiar bourbon brands, Jim Beam is not known for its depth or subtlety. Micher's 10-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon The 10 years in the barrel were more than enough for Micher's to mature and develop a rich flavor profile. A beguiling blend of straight bourbon whiskeys (5, 6, 7 and 10-year-old barrels) distilled and aged in TN, KY and IN, and bottled at cask strength (115.34 proof). Given Bulleits dismal history with the LGBTQ and BIPOC communities, Im not going to recommend any other expression from the brand. "There's some vanilla and brown sugar in the beginning, but it's immediately replaced by an overwhelming flavor of oak. The distillery closed in 1992 but was resurrected in 2014 by Diageo, a company based out of London that specializes in a broad range of spirits. Malt likewise found pleasantly fruity notes in its Old Forester 1910. Naming your bourbon "Two Stars" doesn't seem like that great of a move. In this case, this is a standard straight bourbon thats sort of like a base-level Eagle Rare, in theory, but from barrels that didnt make the cut and were then proofed all the way down for bottling. I think my wife's comments sum it up perfectly: "You can't make me put more in my mouth.". Per American Whiskey Trail, early American whiskey was mostly made by amateurs and sold while it was still young and fiery, so it probably didn't taste all that great. Judging by how utterly unpalatable the Kentucky Straight Bourbon is on its own, maybe the company should stick to beer. This 80 proof, light-bodied bourbon is produced by Beam Suntory, the daughter company of Jim Beam and Suntory Holdings (and third-largest producer of distilled beverages worldwide in 2020, per Statista). Reviews on Flaviar say it's "Too rough and not very enjoyable," andDistiller comments won't give you much more confidence: "Flat, thin and weak. Best $50 to $100 bourbon: Henry McKenna Single Barrel Bourbon - See at Drizly Human beings like to think that an inflated price and a striking bottle means it must be good, right? Someone thought it was a good idea to hook up withTabasco brand hot sauce and bottle and sell the offspring for around $25. Old Foresters 86 Proof is a very straightforward whisky. It is a 10-year-old Bottled-in-Bond named after the Irish immigrant who worked with the grains found in Kentucky and adapted his family recipe to them. Old Fitzgerald Prime Bourbon 4. Price: ~$10. On each bottle of Blade and Bow is a collector's key, and if you collect all five keys, you'll become a member of the executive club. Beyond that, its cut down to 80 proof with plenty of Kentucky limestone water and bottled in plastic. Like a stranger in the night, it's best to just stay away from this one. Founded in 2012, the brand is so young the bourbons it produces in its own distillery in upstate New York are not yet sufficiently aged for consumption, according to31 Whiskey. Spoiler alert: The name ended up being a self-fulfilling prophecy. There's also a sizeable ethanol burn, which ended up leaving some bourbon aficionados in gastric distress. However, taste is subjective andRedditreviewscomparethe flavor to "bitter rubber," while a consumer on Distiller reports "hints of Redman chew spit and unsweet tea fermented in a styrofoam cup in mid July.". To get here, it is a gorgeous drive through horse farms and rolling, bluegrass Kentucky hills. And this is where brands like Evan Williams come in handy. 10. Until recently, this bourbon was known as Rebel Yell, but it recently dropped the "Yell," perhaps because the old name was associated with the Confederacy (via Reddit). Still, if you do come across this, it is a great mixer I cant deny that. It's like a story without any real plotline it may be entertaining, but you're bound to get confused and left wondering what just happened. Baby Bourbon (version 1.0) was groundbreaking in that it was the first legal whiskey made in New York since prohibition (via DrinkUpNY). This 95% New York-grown corn bourbon holds the distinction of being the first (legal) whiskey produced in the state since Prohibition . Knob Creek offers all of these, making it a model for what well-balanced bourbon is supposed to taste like. This is light but also simple. First online real money wager only. George Dickel is actually the flagship spirit from Cascade Hollow Distillery. Woodford Reserve is a modern bourbon brand with deep roots per Breaking Bourbon, it's produced and bottled in a distillery dating back to 1780. And the family resemblance is clear, although Basil Hayden's is smoother, with flavors of oak and nutmeg balancing out the peppery notes from the rye. Clyde May's Straight Bourbon Whiskey. His friends loved it and kept begging him for more "wild turkey bourbon" and the rest is history. It's all good when you're drinking the best bourbon under $100: 6. On the palate, its candied notes are balanced by oak, char, and spice. The artificial and chemical taste was also a source of disgust on Distiller, with samplers commenting that it was heavy on the ethanol. This system was intended to make things fairer for consumers, but in some areas, there was the opposite effect, with fans crossing state lines in search of a bottle, according to The Bourbon Bard. This has a very classic and spicy bourbon nose with clear hints of vanilla, oak, spice, and wood. Well, think again this venerable bottom-shelf brand deserves a lot more respect than it's been getting. It was intended from the start to be a premium brand a radical idea at the time when bourbon was seen as a working person's drink. Light is what comes to mind on the nose with a soft cream soda, a touch of caramel, and a little bit of corn husk. You would think this spirit would be big, bold, and, live up to the hype. The Whiskey Jug reviewed Angel's Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon, and the tasting notes seem to be echoed across the web. Its flagship product, Wild Turkey 101, is a classic bourbon expression, with a typical mash bill of corn, rye, and malted barley. Its just so watery. Don't fall prey to the fancy packaging. While the plastic fades away, the wateriness imparts flavors of muted vanilla, banana chip, and maybe a hint of caramel soda. George T. Stagg comes in dense and robust-bodied texture. This mixture of grains is known as the mash bill. The whiskey spends around four to five years mellowing before its blended, proofed down, and bottled. greasy meal the next morning to help you with that hangover, Knob Creek's Kentucky Straight Smoked Maple. While a bottle won't make you break the bank (they start at $40 to $50), the woody, funky taste seems to be a running flavor in this distillery's production line. . Get $150 in bonus bets no matter what! That's what the folks at Jim Beam call it when you take a big gulp of bourbon and move it around your mouth to get all the flavor nuances (via The Bourbon Room). Tasting Notes: Spice, sweet tobacco, orange, mint. Redditors don't recommend it. Still, any bourbon worth a day's drive is worth noticing and worth the top honor on our list. Literally tastes like dirt." It absolutely nails the classic Wild Turkey flavor profile and perhaps more importantly, finds the perfect balance between its fruity and sweet notes against its aged oak flavors. That's so smooth, it's criminal. So if you've ever enjoyed bourbon from Maker's Mark or Jim Beam, know that you've experienced a taste of early American history. As Malt Review shared, it's "mouth-puckeringly tart at first" with an "iron-like stiffness from the beginning to the end of the mouth" and "the spiciness of Big Red chewing gum." This expression is the bottom rung in bottle form. As The Bourbon Bard noted, "It's versatile with the fruit notes lending themselves to summer drinking and the spice coming through for colder winter nights." Aged for four years and bottled at 46 percent ABV without chill filtration, Clyde May's opens with rich caramel aromas and follows with hints of sweet . As noted byThe Whiskey Wash, their flagship expression, Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon, offers vanilla and spice on the nose and palate without being overly sweet or cloying. But unlike most other bourbon brands, Maker's Mark does not contain any rye, instead supplementing the corn with red winter wheat, according to The Spruce Eats. Bright Lights, Big Bourbon is the second whiskey this distillery has produced, the first being Hudson Baby Bourbon, which has been since been discontinued, per Distiller. "They have an extensive selection of bourbons and Buffalo Trace is their house bourbon." more. This Heaven Hill bourbon is standard bourbon made with its iconic mash bill of 78 percent corn, 12 percent malted barley, and ten percent rye (the same as Evan Williams and Elijah Craig). Art of the Spirits Whiskey Cask Strength "Frogman" Straight Bourbon Whiskey. No liquor speaks to American history, folklore, and tradition like bourbon. The Best Bourbon Under $100 There's nothing wrong with cheaper bourbons, but you definitely get what you pay for if you expand your budget a bit. The end is long and leaves you with that boozy burn and a touch more of that sweet corn and butter. You're better than that. In fact, it's just the opposite. Hudson Bright Lights, Big Bourbon. But if all you care about is the results, scroll down to see which of the 21 bourbon brands we tried worked the best in an Old-Fashioned cocktail -- and which . So what makes Old Grand-Dad distinctive? Unless youre looking for a run-of-mill bourbon. Well, at least the price tag under $20 makes it a good gag gift. This 92 proof straight bourbon whiskey hails from Tuthilltown Spirits Distillery, located in a little town in Hudson Valley, New York. Apparently not, because it's also pretty thin. "I had the grilled chicken with bourbon bbq sauce and garlic mashed potatoes with rice pilaf." more. Per Saucey, back in the 1920s, physicians could legally prescribe it for conditions like high blood pressure and pneumonia, and this bourbon tastes about as good as medicine. "My new favorite sipper, and one of the best bourbons I have ever tasted, hands down," says Anthony Vitacca, an award-winning bartender based in California. The distillery's website states that this bourbon is aged a minimum of three years and has a mash bill consisting of 95% corn (100% from New York) and 5% malted barley. 90. 9. This Lawrenceburg, KY-based distillery utilizes two mash bills and five proprietary yeast strains to create 10 total bourbon recipes, each one providing a unique flavor experience. The distillery's website describes aromas of subtle vanilla, raisins, maple syrup, and toasted nuts. Others point out that it's bitter, astringent, and reminiscent of cherry NyQuil. Old Forester 1910 memorializes a fortuitous accident: In 1910, a fire on a bottling line forced the distillery to store the bourbon it had planned to bottle in a barrel. $38.49. Hirsch The Horizon Bourbon. Blade and Bow is a 91 proof, $50 blended bourbon that has no age statement on the bottle. And just because a bottom shelf bottle is made by, say, Willett or Heaven Hill or even Buffalo Trace does not mean its worth your time or money. The barrels are a minimum of five years old when theyre plucked from the warehouses, blended, brought down to 80 proof, and bottled. The oak, dark spice, brown sugars, and whisper of corn linger on your senses through the medium finish. Ezra Brooks Bourbon Old Ezra 7 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Aged not less than 15 years, George T. Stagg is a rare bottle found only in high-end whiskey bars. It's just sitting there, complacent, without much fight in it at all. Distilled in Tennessee and aged in Kentucky, it's a 112-proof flavor bomb, offering everything from tropical fruit to thick clotted cream. So you'd think that this boozy elixir would, you know, at least have some nice legs on it. Woodford Reserve. According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, larceny is defined as "the unlawful taking of personal property with intent to deprive the rightful owner of it permanently." Taste your way through the best of the best of America's native spirit. 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. 10. Do you know what happens to mediocre, boring bourbons? Reddit users say point-blank that Garrison Brothers is stupidly overpriced. Theres a bit of steeliness to the nose that mellows hints of dried florals, apple, and a touch of honey and spice. It has a light mouthfeel and is less sweet than its aroma would suggest. In bourbon's infancy (you know, its "Early Times"), it seemed to be completely permissible for whiskeys to be a little rough around the edges. 11 min read. 5) Best Single Barrel Bourbon - Henry McKenna. Now, hold onto that concept for one second. At least it's only around $15, so you're not killing your wallet. The bottle works wonders in a cocktail and is perfectly fine for an on the rocks sip of whiskey. 1. If these famous individuals had more options, would they have still picked Old Crow? Well, according to Lexington Bourbon's website, that's the case. As one commenter on The Whiskey Jug says, it "tastes like someone spilled vinegar in sweet whiskey." But don't think of these unusual expressions as mere gimmicks Whiskey Reviewer gave Old Forester's 150th Anniversary Bourbon a grade of A for its intensely fruity nose, reminiscent of cherries and bananas, as well as a lush mouthfeel. What if you were told that the inspiration for this bourbon comes from a famous racing horse? Ultimately, Fighting Cock Bourbon is just a boring, blah booze. You really don't need any cavities. As a wheater, it tastes similar to Maker's or W. L. Weller: mellow, with hints of citrus and tree fruit. Rebelwill make you want to rebel against the Kentucky bourbon distillery that makes this juice (that's Lux Row Distillers if you were wondering). This delayed batch proved to have a winning flavor, which the current distillers reproduced via a secondary six-to-nine-month maturation in heavily charred barrels. Rather, Widow Jane currently sources its bourbons from several undisclosed distilleries in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana, then barrel-ages and blends them which is how a nine-year-old company has been able to sell 10-year-old bourbon since its inception. Bourbon, that caramel-colored brown liquor, with the unmistakable nose and palate of smoke, vanilla, caramel and molasses, is a bona fide crowd pleaser. The juice in the bottle is a year younger than a typical Jim Beam bourbon so three-ish years and it is cut way down to 80 proof for bottling. The hint of oak connects and balances the flavors of fruit and spice. This expression was devised as a lower-proof bourbon thats a pure workhorse whiskey. Tech Fitness Outdoor Autos Gear of the Week Gifts. Learn More: Here. The Whiskey Reviewer further noted that it doesn't offer those drinking it "any surprises," as "there are no twists or particularly subtle nuances." Eagle Rare 10 Year Old. Buffalo Trace earned a reputation as a brand that turns casual drinkers into serious bourbon fans. And while some bourbon fans love this rough-and-ready style (Lynyrd Skynyrd gave the brand a shout-out in on of their songs, as noted byWhiskey Reviewer), it's definitely not for everyone, which is why we're putting it low on our list. It's also known for its distinctive flavor, due to its unusual mash bill. The brand is characterized by an alcoholic burn and a strong hit of spice due to its rye-heavy mash bill. Read More. Distillery Trail writes that the Tennessee whiskey rests for 30 days in barrels that previously held Tabasco hot sauce. Arguably the world's best bourbon whiskey, Buffalo Trace is serious value for money. The end is warm but not hot. Flavor is sweet at first, with a hint of old leather although it has some oak char bitterness, but nothing too severe. The theory was that the constant movement of bourbon sloshing around in wood barrels would in turn make the whiskey age faster. Remember that old adage, "First the worst, second the best?" So, that sounds like granola? So unless you're interested in dropping $35 to $40 for a pretty bottle that happens to be filled with unpleasant whiskey, don't do it. This is the first bottle of whiskey I ever considered pouring down the drain. These are rarely sold as is, but are rather aged for five to 10 years and blended in different combinations for each expression. According to The Manual, it turns out the two whiskeys are one and the same. The List: Best Bourbon, According To The Experts. Zackariah Harris Kentucky Straight Bourbon. The steeliness of this is hard to get past sometimes. Its versatile, cheap, and damn good for what it is. This bourbon is so sweet that it's been likened to a bottle of diabetes, and one reviewer on Flaviar said that the sweetness was bad enough to hurt their teeth. Today, many of Old Forester's expressions are formulated and marketed to evoke the brand's long history. The Whiskey Reviewer described its Original Bourbon as having a nose "like a thin, sweet vanilla syrup" and a finish that's "sweet, but not especially long or deep." While its not mind-blowingly better, its miles ahead of Kentucky Tavern and that watered-down nature is gone allowing the flavor profile to shine through. The palate is largely the same with a sense of watered-down apple juice, a hint more of that vanilla, some alcohol burn (almost inexplicably), and a touch of chocolate-covered cherries dipped in water. This is a distillery to put high on your list. SLB Basement Bourbon Bar goes into detail about this regrettable purchase, saying that it is very grainy, bitter, thin, and young, and the alcohol burn isn't anything to joke about. Interestingly enough, the company was also bottling and selling hand sanitizer during the pandemic. AsThirty One Whiskey writes, "Aging happens for a reason namely to give the spirit some depth and complexity that otherwise is missing. The finish is pretty much what youd expect for a bottle under $20 with a quick, watery fade, leaving you with the distant and vague idea of caramel, masa, and sweet oak those features could be a leftover from the nose more than the actual taste. ", This 80 proof has a nice, golden color and a label that looks like an old vintage medicine bottle. But Old Forester, which got its start in 1870, is unusual in that it's stayed in the hands of a single family since its founder, a pharmaceutical salesman, decided to dive into distilling, according toMalt. Sounds like some consumersfell hook, line, and sinker for a good story and mastermind publicity, ultimately ending up $50 short. Jesse James Bourbon 5. The result is a full flavored whiskey that goes down easy. Over on Ranker folks cast a whopping 54,000 votes, and a clear top ten bourbons emerged. Bourbon aficionados will tell you that when purchasing a worthwhile whiskey, you should never be swayed by appearance and you should alwaysdo your research. Still, Four Roses deserves points for not being afraid to be different. Until then, it was famed for being the drink of choice of President Grant, back in the 1870s which gave it a lot to hang its hat on as a brand. While whiskey can be made anywhere, bourbon can only be made in the United States, according to Distiller, and its mash bill (grain composition) must contain at least 51% corn, a grain native to the Americas. Woodford is the oldest and smallest distillery on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. PerBreaking Bourbon, it features the expected caramel, toffee, and vanilla notes on the nose, followed by a hit of spice, oak, and butterscotch. There are hints of vanilla, overcooked popcorn, caramel, and what feels like fresh slices of Wonder Bread. 3. But Whiskey Wash called their Yellow Label expression "the little black dress of bourbonappropriate for everything." Distillery: Wild Turkey. Winchester Extra Smooth Bourbon 2. Even serious bourbon connoisseurs know there's a time to break out the fancy stuff and a time when an affordable mass-market brand fits the bill quite nicely. 1792 Sweet Wheat - $35. Paying homage to Kentucky is a good start. The Whiskey Shelf noted that it "has some of the quintessential bourbon flavors, but overall there's not a lot going on," and Breaking Bourbon said its "straightforward and approachable flavor profile" makes it a "good base for cocktails.". As intriguing as that sounds, a whiskey thief is just a simple tool that allows master distillers to sample some of the aging liquid for quality control purposes, according toDistillery Trail.
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