The Ultimate Guide to the Best Bourbons 2024
Here’s to the best Bourbons - America’s native spirit! A golden elixir that dances with history and heritage in every sip. From the traditional distilleries of Kentucky to the innovative craft producers across the country, the best Bourbons represent an exciting journey of taste and tradition.
We’re about to embark on a thrilling exploration of this landscape, dissecting the elements that make the best bourbons so unique and cherished. From straight bourbons to wheated concoctions, and from single barrel selections to small batch craftsmanship, let’s raise a toast to the unforgettable essence of the best bourbons.
What Makes a “Good Bourbon”?
What characteristics make a bourbon “good”? Is it the aging process, its mash bill, or distillation techniques involved? The answer is a perfect combination of all these.
Ingredients and Mash Bill: A good bourbon starts with high-quality ingredients, primarily corn, along with other grains like barley and rye. The combination of grains, known as the mash bill, contributes to the flavor profile of the bourbon.
Distillation Process: The distillation process plays a crucial role in creating a smooth and well-balanced bourbon. Skillful distillation helps remove impurities and unwanted flavors, resulting in a cleaner and more refined spirit.
Maturation in Oak Barrels: Bourbon must be aged in new charred oak barrels. The length of time it spends in these barrels contributes to its flavor, color, and overall complexity. Well-aged bourbons often exhibit a balance of sweetness, spiciness, and oak influence.
Flavor Profile: A good bourbon typically offers a harmonious blend of flavors, including notes of caramel, vanilla, oak, and sometimes hints of spice or fruit. The complexity and balance of these flavors contribute to the overall enjoyment of the bourbon.
Proof: Bourbon is typically bottled at a specific alcohol by volume (ABV) percentage. The proof can impact the intensity of flavors and the overall drinking experience. Some prefer higher proof bourbons for a bolder taste, while others prefer lower proofs for a smoother sip.
Brand Reputation: The reputation of the distillery or brand can be an indicator of quality. Established and respected distilleries often have a history of producing high-quality bourbons.
Smoothness: A good bourbon should have a smooth and well-integrated taste. While some people appreciate the boldness of high-proof bourbons, a good bourbon should not be overly harsh or have a burning sensation.
Finish: The finish refers to the lingering taste after swallowing. A good bourbon will often have a satisfying and lingering finish, with the flavors evolving rather than abruptly disappearing.
Kentucky's Finest: A Spotlight on Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Kentucky, with its long-standing and defining culture of producing straight bourbon whiskey that has indelibly etched it in the history of American whiskeys since the late 1700s, proudly presents a plethora of bourbons for all enthusiasts.
Bulleit Bourbon is made with small-batch techniques inspired by those pioneered by Augustus Bulleit over 150 years ago. Only ingredients of the very highest quality are used. The subtlety and complexity of Bulleit Bourbon come from its unique blend of rye, corn, and barley malt, along with special strains of yeast and pure Kentucky limestone filtered water. Due to its especially high rye content, Bulleit Bourbon has a bold, spicy character with a finish that's distinctively clean and smooth. Medium amber in color, with gentle spiciness and sweet oak aromas. Mid-palate is smooth with tones of maple, oak, and nutmeg. Finish is long, dry, and satiny with a light toffee flavor.
The art of making fine bourbon first took place on the site of the Woodford Reserve Distillery, a National Historic Landmark, in 1812. The perfectly balanced taste of their Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey comprises more than 200 detectable flavor notes, from bold grain and wood, to sweet aromatics, spice, and fruit & floral notes.
Barrel Proof Powerhouses
The enticing world of barrel proof bourbons offers a unique gustatory experience that sets them apart with their bold flavors and high alcohol content. These spirits bring you an authentic taste, preserved from dilution or alteration. Every sip unveils a different layer of complex yet powerful flavor notes that truly capture what whiskey is all about. Barrel proof bourbon isn’t just strong. They are packed full of depth to explore!
One of the most lush and rich Whiskeys on the market. The nose is walnuts, prunes, and floral notes. The palate mimics the nose with walnuts, prunes, spices, intertwined with lavender and balanced with the perfect amount of acid, that leads you down a path of lingering caramel.
Straight from the barrel, uncut and unfiltered, this bourbon highlights the flavors of Texas ingredients. Each barrel aged in their purest form. In our Barrel Proof expression, water is not used to dilute the bourbon before bottling, and no carbon or chill filtration is used.
Single Barrel Selections
Single barrel bourbons provide an individualistic flavor profile, which can be credited to their bottling from a single cask. Every glass brings something different and exciting, making every sip of the spirit remarkable in its own way.
This bourbon was named for Henry McKenna, the Irish immigrant who adapted his family’s whiskey recipe to work the grains he found in Kentucky. Henry Mckenna is a 4 year old, 80 proof product. Aromas of oak. caramel and muted vanilla. On the palate you will find corn sweet vanilla, caramel, brown sugar and some mint.
The 94-proof single barrel rye is crafted using 70 percent rye, 18 percent corn and 12 percent malted barley grain bill. This rye also uses the same cave spring water from the Jack Daniel’s hollow and proprietary yeast that’s been used in the distillery’s 150-year-old Tennessee whiskey recipe. Rye starts off lightly sweet and the mid-palate opens up to a dried fruit and trail mix flavor, finishing slightly shorter than the other single barrels as rye is much more about grain rather than barrel character.
Small Batch Craftsmanship
Small batch bourbon is an intricate production process requiring dedicated craftsmanship and rigorous precision. Each bottle of this special kind of whiskey exemplifies the distiller’s effort, with its unmistakable flavors like maple-pecan pralines and peanut brittle - features that showcase why small batch bourbons are so complex yet memorable.
For a spirits enthusiast who wants a go-to premium bourbon, Four Roses Small Batch is a perfectly balanced everyday bourbon that elevates every moment to a special occasion.
When it comes to making Knob Creek Bourbon, there's a lot of waiting but hardly any sitting around. While each barrel patiently ages in white oak, distillers continue to raise the standards, fulfilling their commitment to full flavor. The result? An unflinching balance of deep, pre-Prohibition-style bourbon with a robust oak taste, complemented with hints of smooth vanilla and layered caramel.
Bottled in Bond: A Guarantee of Quality
When looking for the best quality bourbon, consider investing in a bottle with the “Bottled-in-Bond” label. According to rules set out in 1897 by this same act, these whiskeys have been created according to high standards and offer assurance of their authenticity and caliber. Visiting your local liquor store can help you make sure that what you are purchasing is truly worth its weight! This distinction pays tribute to time-honored traditions within whiskey production – one which deserves recognition due to its commitment to excellence.
Brother's Bond, created by Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, known as "The Salvatore Brothers" from the famed TV series, "The Vampire Diaries." The true bonds of their friendship strengthened over drinking bourbon, both on and off-screen, for over a decade. A four-grain, high rye bourbon whiskey; 68% corn, 22% rye, wheat and barley is their secret. Copper column and copper pot-doubler distillation. Aged a minimum of 4 years in virgin American oak.
Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond is crafted to honor a watershed moment in bourbon history – the U.S. Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897. This expression follows the Bottled in Bond standards that whisky must be aged in a federally bonded warehouse for at least four years, the product of one distillation season, one distiller and from one distillery and bottled at 100 Proof. The concept behind these regulations – the idea of ‘sealed in quality’ – was something Old Forester introduced in 1870, as America’s First Bottled Bourbon.
Tennessee's Take on Bourbon
In the state of Tennessee, famous for its whiskey-making techniques such as the Lincoln County Process, bourbon has a distinct flavor. This process involves filtering and mellowing, which gives it an alluring smoky taste that sets it apart from Kentucky’s version.
Many distilleries have contributed to making this unique spirit over time – one notable figure being Victoria Eady Butler who was the first African American woman to be made Master Blender at a US distillery. While Fawn Weaver founded Uncle Nearest Distilling Co., adding Diversity to Tennesse’s whisky industry.
Aged at least 9 years, a small number of barrels are selected by the distiller for their exceptional balance and delicacy and then blended together. Charcoal mellowing and their unique aging process form a smooth, premium whisky that stands in a class all by itself.
Comprised of a unique blend of three different whiskeys, the Heaven's Door double barrel finishing process utilizes hand-toasted, new American oak barrels for a secondary aging worthy of another year’s wait. Double Barrel’s higher proof balances perfectly with the complexity of its flavor and notes of caramel, oak, citrus, and spice.
A Taste of Tradition: The Role of Malted Barley
Malted barley is a key ingredient in the production of bourbon, offering enzymes that transform starches into fermentable sugars and enhancing its flavor profile. It brings smoky to nutty notes as well as an enriched texture, truly giving it a unique character.
The malting method includes hydration before allowing partial sprouting which subsequently activates the necessary enzymes for fermentation during bourbon creation. This certainly adds considerably to its particular taste.
Pairing Perfection: Food & Bourbon Combinations
The art of matching whiskey and food is a great way to increase the flavor for both your drink and meal. Delicious dishes that go well with bourbon include smoked brisket, classic country ham as well as chocolate or cheese treats. The right type of cuisine can elevate any experience you have when sipping on bourbon. Alternatively, sample out a true delicacy like whiskey sour matched up perfectly for an extra level of tastiness! With these traditional pairings combined together, it truly creates an entirely new experience which should not be missed by those who enjoy drinking this special spirit. If you like smokey flavoring, check out our take on the smoked old fashioned.
Our adventure with bourbon has taken us from the classic Kentucky distilleries to small-scale, creative manufacturers all around America. Learning about the various flavors and types of this remarkable spirit. We have seen what goes into making a great bottle: ranging from malted barley’s importance to how charred oak barrels affect its taste, there is so much intricate craftsmanship in each sip!
Whether you are familiar with whiskey or just starting your journey, never forget that there’s always something new when it comes to sipping on bourbon. So don’t hesitate and explore these complex flavors for yourself today!
