One of the best new whiskeys of recent memory, Stellum is a more affordable Barrell Bourbon. You may opt-out by. Last year, I tasted a dozen bourbons that were widely available and selected Ezra Brooks 7-year-old Cask Strength. Weve highlighted that time and again. Its also killer if you want to make a $20 Manhattan. Its essentially a barrel finished bourbon, and that extra spice is a nice kick to an otherwise soft, wheated profile. Distillery: Old Forester (Brown-Forman) City: Louisville, KY Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey ABV: 46.5% (93 proof) Availability: Limited, 375 ml bottles, $50 MSRP Jim Vorel is a. It's also the first brand. Its more complex than regular FR, but still drinks easy. Bonanza Cabernet Sauvignon 750ml is a rich and bold red wine sourced from the best vineyards across California. I didnt find this note, however, and it failed to impress in the field. That leaves lots of expressions of excellent bourbon, many made by those same national producers, which are available only on a regional basis or have limited distribution. Average Price: $26. Flavor Profile: Sweet In this blind tasting, I picked up a cornbread note and thought it to be too young to make my Top 5. Hope I can find some of them here in the Pac-NW. Now, thanks to rising whiskey prices and a consistently strong product, the brand shortened to OGD by fans has a cult following. I W Harper Kentucky Trail Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 41% ABV, is based on a mash bill of 73% corn, 18% rye and 9% malted barley. On the palate, there is sweetness, candied orange zest, semisweet chocolate, along with cinnamon and cloves. Non-Distiller Producers (NDP): Companies that purchase their whiskey from someone else rather than making it themselves. A store near me does private barrel selections of OWA and they are outstanding. Small Batch: A subjective term signaling a bourbon made using a select number of barrels or recipes in a blended bottling. Once again, this wonderful bourbon was in the running to win it all. Henry McKenna Single Barrel, 10 YO, 50% ABV, is bottled by the Heaven Hill distillery. The juice is really crafted as an entry point to Woodfords wider line that showcases their aging and blending prowess. While I think the standard version is fine, Ive had two private barrel selections that were great. This bourbon won Whisky Advocates whiskey of the year, and Minnick was on the tasting panel. In fact, ones named after a bourbon legend while the other has that legends visage on its label. Booker's 25th (Probably gets some subconscious points from knowing it was a one-time release) Now, Top 5 that are fairly available (or sufficiently bunkered): 1. Maybe even one day I will get to try some Pappy!! This is the exact same juice thats just aged a little less. McKenna has a classic bourbon nose of caramel, vanilla and charred oak. ABV: 46% Flavor Profile: Sweet & Rich Distiller Score: 88 Very Old Barton 100 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Very Old Barton, owned by the Sazerac Company, is produced in Bardstown, Kentucky. Try These Whiskeys, The Complete Buying Guide to Buffalo Trace Whiskey, The Most Exciting New Bourbon and Whiskeys of 2022, Another Female Whiskey Blender Has Gone Solo, Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon, Barrell Craft Spirits 15 Year Old Bourbon. One is labeled recipe B and is 60% corn, 35% rye, and 5% malted barley. Yes. Really looking forward to the release of the RY 10 Single Barrel. Its got so much flavor to it, so much complexity its just brilliant whiskey., Are we including bottles that are impossible to find? Minnick asks. For instance, in New York, property valued at over $1,000 is considered grand larceny. One of the few universally praised non-macro whiskey makers in the U.S., its 6-year-old offering is Bottled-in-Bond, sweet mash bourbon with flavor that suggests the "6" on the label is a typo this bourbon tastes significantly older. The sip leans more into the caramel apples on the end and skips the citrus yet stays warm and mellow. So, I added it. George T Stagg (Some days I prefer it to just about anything) 5. It is a wheated whiskey, that shares a common DNA with Old Fitzgerald and the Pappy wheated bourbons. 2020 ModernThirst. ABV: 40% The brand was resurrected by Diageo in 2015 as both a NAS and a 15 YO version. The titular old grand-dad here is the one and only Basil Hayden. Old Forester Signature Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 50% ABV, is the oldest bourbon brand in the US and the first bourbon to be sold in bottle. Distiller Score: 88. At times our old standbys can be tough to findand when we do, they are triple the standard price. Futile efforts to obtain any of the 2nd list has been a waste of time. Hi Dave! A $125 1oz shot of Old Fitz bonded 1965-a real treat! If you come across its charged, barrel-proof older sibling, be sure to pick up a bottle, too.. But it was not in the cards. Rate, Review and Discover spirits! 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. Slightly peppery wheat next to a light fruit, vanilla, and fresh maple syrup greet you. This is a NAS Straight bourbon, so it is at least four years old. Maybe I should have bought two cases. Larceny is a wheated bourbon made from a blend of selected barrels made in honor of this legend. Give the whiskey a few minutes to open up and for the alcohol burn to dissipate. Quite the contrary, I didnt care for the whiskey in the blind tasting. It is an heir to the Old Fitzgerald franchise; one of the first wheated bourbons. This spirit seems to drink higher than 104 proof due to overwhelming spice. I have a couple of them in my bunker. A rich leather note, along with some pepper, emerges at the end and lingers. There is no shortage of good bourbon available today, although prices keep rising and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future. They can range from okay to excellent.. Still, theyre a lot closer to being the same thing than any amount of advertising would lead you to believe. One of the comparisons I did was a side-by-side review of two Bottled-in-Bond bottlings: Old Forester's 1897 BiB versus Old Grand Dad BiB. Its really a question we get very often: What are the Best Wheated Bourbons? That brand was owned for a while by Julian P Pappy Van Winkle, and is considered the inspiration for the Pappy Van Winkle bourbon. The label launched with just two bourbons in its portfolio: the two-year Colonel James B. Beam and the more premium Jacobs Well. Theres a light, floral fruitiness upfront with a wisp of tobacco, flourishes of mint, and plenty of vanilla. But that is why I taste blind: I dont want to be influenced by brand name. This is a nice mixing bourbon that works just as well on the rocks. Sign up for his free drinks newsletter. Distiller Score: 82. The sip edges into orange zest territory with dark spices accentuated by nice toffee sweetness and a dusting of dark cacao powder when water is added. I write about wines and spirits and the hidden corners of the world, 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, Vibrant Whites, Distinctive RedsAppreciating The Wines Of Friuli, Appreciating Some Of Italys Lesser Known Varietals And Grapes, Wine Cocktails That Take The Chill Off Winter, Bacardis Latest Cask Finished Rum Expressions Are Exceptional. This whiskey is also BIB and is bottled at 50% ABV. Please be responsible. It's not lacking in sweetness, with tasting notes of nougat, figs, dates and caramel corn. On the palate, the whiskey is smooth and sweet, with vanilla and caramel and a little dried fruit. Im going through a bottle a month. The spirit is one of those rare drinks that is loved by both bourbon enthusiasts and amateurs. Flavor Profile: Sweet It is a top selling bourbon in Japan. Production started on Ezra Brooks around the 1950s by the Medley Distillery. No, this isnt a single barrel expression. The look of it was like that of a reddened maple syrup. And its a bartenders dream for its mixability. Were just sayin. Charles is a 50-year veteran of the Kentucky distilling industry and his familys history is closely intertwined with Kentucky bourbon. I realize you wrote this article a few years back, however it is still relevant. His son, Eddie Russell, took over as Wild Turkeys Master Distiller in 2015, after 35 years with the company. Larceny Bourbon is a decent sipping bourbon. To learn more about responsible consumption, please visit, Sign up for the Distiller Newsletter for new bottle & feature updates, Ezra Brooks Kentucky Straight Bourbon 90 Proof, Very Old Barton 100 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Evan Williams White Label Bottled in Bond Bourbon. The end is rich with a note of toffee and a whisper of salted caramel. Hey Bill, what are the best wheated bourbons I can buy?. Retail - $55; Secondary - $90+ Evan Williams 23 Year Old Bourbon - T2. Vanilla and toffee are present with a sense of the wheat. Nice article Bill. Its mash bill consists of corn, rye, and malted barley. Larceny is a small batch bourbon (100 barrels or less) of barrels from the middle three floors of the aging warehouse. 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). Its bottled at 115 proof for this distillery, thats the perfect proof, Minnick says. The mash bill consists of 72% corn, 18% rye and 10% malted barley. He has conducted various bourbon and whiskey tastings in cities across the country, and consulted for multiple national labels. I am looking forward to trying Old Fitzgerald. I believe that to be the definition of nuance. Among that plethora of lingering notes, you'll find interesting tastes like maple syrup, green peppercorn, coriander, and even a s'mores-like finish of chocolate, graham cracker and toasted marshmallow. Bourbon is a type of whiskey that needs to meet a few criteria to officially be called "bourbon." Like plain Rebel Yell for the polical incorrectness of it. Today, Evan Williams Bourbon is distilled only blocks from the site of his original distillery. The brand was withdrawn from the US market in 1997, but continued to be exported. It is available everywhere and thus resistant to the price gouging associated with brands like Buffalo Trace. // < ! I drink bourbon. 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). Ninety-nine percent of Dickel products are officially Tennessee Whisky, not bourbon. 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. In 2017, Jim Beams Old Grand-Dad line of whiskeys was nearly axed. Its mellow balance helped by the prominent caramel notes of its wheated mash bill doesnt overpower meaty flavors. Flavor Profile: Sweet & Rich So lets divide them into two categories: Standard Production and Limited Release. My personal opinion is a little different. It bears no age statement and is bottled at 92 proof. Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Weller Antique 107 Blanton's Henry McKenna 10 Year Noah's Mill 1. Makes it easy to see why some newbies often cant tell the difference between some of these bourbons, right? Weller Special reserve has much in common with its more famous cousins, but sells, at least officially, at an average price of around $30a fraction of the cost of the Pappy expressions. Bourbon drinkers who enjoy spice and dark fruit will be fans of this release. They deserve to be on every Best Everyday Bourbon list for their massive fan base alone. The whiskey is produced by Brown-Forman. At $30 per bottle, this is an outstanding value for an aged, over-proof, classic bourbon. I presume you could ask em how much their CEO makes and theyd tell you, Minnick says. A beautiful marzipan note came to life in the blind tasting. Maker's Mark Cask . In addition, Minnick is the editor-in-chief of Bourbon+ Magazine and host on the Spirits Network. Don't tell your bourbon-drinking friends, but Russell's spicy-caramel-and-vanilla-tasting Reserve 10-year-old bourbon is one of the best values in the bourbon world. And its the best cocktail bourbon out there. Four Roses is a highly regarded distillery, with a high-rye mash bill that produces an extra spiciness to go along with its fruity and floral notes, and a concentration on yeast that has been eye-opening for the bourbon world. Wheaters are my favorites, but I like ryes too. Maker's Mark Cask Strength vs Weller Full Proof . Russells Reserve Bourbon, 10 YO, 45% ABV, is produced by Wild Turkey. This juice is hand-selected to be small batched to match a six-year-old age profile. 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. It's got a good amount of heat on account of being 117 proof, but you'll still be able to make out classic bourbon tasting notes like caramel, brown sugar, vanilla and oak. That includes retailer specific brands. 68 percent corn, 20 percent wheat, 12 percent malted barley. This is such a dynamic whiskey, Minnick says. Other states have much lower thresholds, however, some considering anything over $400 to be grand larceny. Id keep my eye out for the upcoming single barrel Rebel Yell as well as any private barrel selections you can find from Weller, or Makers Mark in particular. The result is bottled at 93 proof. Theres a sense of sweet yet slightly bitter tea next to rye spice and a flutter of fresh mint. If you want craft bourbon, we love New Riff's dedication to Bottled-in-Bond whiskey-making and rich flavor profiles. Average Price: $20. A touch of water brings out more sweetness. Elmer T Lee (Wish it was still as easy to find as it was a few years ago) 2. Lets Talk Fermentation and Distillation! There are, after all, aging variables in play from the length in the barrel to where in the rickhouse the barrel rested to how the master blender married different barrels to create the final product. They all use a similar mash bill, andsome reportedly even use yeast strains derived from the original Stitzel-Weller batch. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. 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. After being somewhat underwhelmed by Blantons and Basil Hayden, Ibe come to the conclusion that my tastes lean towards the Wheated bourbons. Yes. Okay, this isnt exactly a huge price tag for a quality spirit. Evan William's Black Label is hard to beat for the money. The dram leans into a honey-sweet edge with the oak, mild spice, and hint of dark chocolate popping at the end. But again, two for the price of one is a bargain. Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond won the taste for Best Everyday Bourbon. image via via modernthirst.com Wheat as the secondary grain provides a bit of a subtle, yet noticeable contrast to the traditional rye component of standard bourbons. If I tasted this flight again, theres a very good chance Id have different results. Looking for something on the cheap? Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Theres no way around it, Wild Turkey 101 is great for the money. Head on over to Distiller, or download the app for iOS and Android today! This is a classic bourbon thats been around for a long time. ABV: 46.5% While there's no age statement on the bottle, it's believed that Double Oaked is aged for at least six years. The notes kind of just linger. This is Buffalo Traces higher-rye bourbon mash bill even though its not that high comparatively. The whiskey is produced by. Flavor Profile: Sweet & Rich Old Forester is one of the oldest whisky houses in America (yes, they spell whisky without the "e"). 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. It is aged at least 4 years in a bonded warehouse and is bottled at 100 proof in a trademark square, white label bottle. That lower entry proof lends to more flavor from the mash bill (corn, rye and malted barley). So, we switched Eagle Rare to its sister brand, Buffalo Trace, which always warms up my palate in the winter. Minnick has a unique use for one of bourbons classic names. Basil Haydens is a well-crafted bourbon thats pulled from specific barrels, blended, cut down to proof, and small-batch bottled under the watchful eyes of Jim Beams masters. Flavor Profile: Rich & Spicy The taste is sweet and spicy with a hint of herbaceousness. The bourbon business is dominated at retail by a handful of national brands. [CDATA[ 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. Sure. While Eagle Rare made it through the nomination stage, when it come to buy at the retailer, Westport Whiskey & Wine did not have it. ABV: 45% Thats not to say some of those werent fantastic. I had always found an over-oaked note here. ModernThirst's Comparison Reviews of Wheated Bourbons: 2020 ModernThirst. I got that message twice this week from readers, and thats not a rarity. It's probably a mixture of under-valued and underrated but Larceny is excellent bourbon for close to $25. Dread River Master Series by Eboni Major: Eboni Major is one of the rising stars of the bourbon world. Weller Special Reserve, 12 Year Wheated Bourbon Blind Tasting: Weller 12 vs. Old Fitz 12 vs. Van Winkle 12, Four Gate Whiskey Announces Release 15.1, 15.2, & 15.3: The Bluegrass Trilogy, Old Forester 21st Release of Annual Birthday Bourbon, Press Release: Old Foresters Next Release in the 117 SeriesFeatures a Blend of Barrels Aged Solely in Warehouse K, William Larue Weller (Buffalo Trace Antique Collection), Rebel Yell Single Barrel 10 Year (added October 2016). Flavor is smooth and a bit musty, with hints of vanilla, banana, cinnamon and a dash of charred oak spice providing a bitter note. But this victory goes to the sister product of Henry McKenna 10-year-old, which won Best Whisky and Best Bourbon at San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and will compete against McKenna for my Best American Whiskey December 20. I have always found a peanut butter note in this bourbon, and that can be incredibly enticing during a blind tasting. George Dickel 15 Year Single Barrel . In a whiskey market that's become increasingly fragmented and allocated, Knob Creek's classic small batch bourbon distinguishes itself. Flavor Profile: Spicy & Smoky Wheated Bourbon Throwdown: Larceny vs. W.L. Distiller Score: 84, This Kentucky straight bourbon is the entry-level bourbon for the brand. ABV: 40% Similar to the straight version, it is smoother, with a little more citrus on the nose and palate and a little dried peach on the finish. Theres a clear sense of bourbon vanilla next to creamy corn and plenty of honey sweetness. After 20 years, they, too, begin to deteriorate- and they do it quickly. This is a BETA experience. Distiller Score: 88. Old Forester Signature Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 50% ABV, is the oldest bourbon brand in the US and the first bourbon to be sold in bottle. I almost included Bernheim Wheat Whiskey in this list, since even though its a wheat whiskey, it taste a LOT like a wheated bourbon due to its high corn content. The mash bill used contains: 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley. 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. It's made up of whiskeys from Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky, with ages ranging from 4 to 16 years old. But I worried its subtleties could get lost in a deep field, which this was. But Evan Williams is a value brand. Sour mash and bottled-in-bond, non-distiller-producers and high-ryes. It bears no age statement and is bottled at 92 proof. This is another nutmeg-forward bourbon I thought could standout in blind competition. Larceny Bourbon ABV: 46% Distillery: Heaven Hill Distillery, Louisville, KY Average Price: $26 The Whiskey: This is the exact same juice that's just aged a little less. Where we have full reviews, scores, or tasting notes, I have included links: // < ! At a retail price of under $50, however, it is an outstanding value, although very difficult to find. But that doesnt mean the core ingredients dont start off the same. Theres a clear taste of the honey, vanilla, and toffee carrying the sip towards a very subdued spice and oak. The juice is the same stuff that goes into Woodford, although this entry is blended with different barrels for an end product thats a great, basic bourbon at a great price. Next time you have a blind tasting throw Larceny in to the mix and see the results. Retail - $80; Secondary - $250; Old Forester 117 Series High Angel's Share or Warehouse K (375ml) - T3. Old Forester was launched in 1870 by George Garvin Brown and named for Dr. William Forrester, who prescribed bourbon to his patients. This is what you drink when you need a break from barrel-proof juice. You can get two of these for the price of one Woodford. Once everyday, easy-to-find [+] brands are now allocated and outside of the consumer's reach. Old Forester released the "Whiskey Row" line in late 2014 to celebrate the distillery's history. On the nose, there is a distinctive sweetness, along with ripe apple, caramel and a little vanilla. The juice is a throwback to Colonel Blanton who expanded the distillery in the 20th century and used to handpick barrels for his personal stash in warehouse H. The bottle in-and-of-itself has become a collectors item with the small horse on each cork varying slightly. Early Times had already won a blind tasting with me previously, having captured gold in theBourbon Pursuit blind BIB Showdown. It didnt make the cut for the finals. Anything wheated with evena hint of age is hard to find, and even some younger offerings have come to be so desired by the bourbon-buying public that youre better off giving up the chase if you dont follow release dates closely in some areas. Old Forester packs a banana note that I thought could dominate the competition if I happened to be in a banana mood.. This is not a new phenomenon and it plays a large role in blended bourbons. On the flip side, expensive bourbon isnt always as refined as it seems. Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond Bourbon Classification: Straight Bourbon Company: Brown-Forman Distillery: Brown-Forman Shively Distillery Released: September 2015 Proof: 100 Age: NAS Mashbill: 72% Corn, 18% Rye, 10% Malted Barley Color: Medium-dark Amber MSRP: $50 (2015) Official Website Buy Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond Bourbon at Frootbat