Old Forester was launched in 1870 by George Garvin Brown and named for Dr. William Forrester, who prescribed bourbon to his patients. Made using a single recipe and barrel per bottle, its between seven and eight years old and has more complexity than the Small Batch. 46% ABV, is a small batch bourbon assembled from 200 barrels or less, handpicked by Heaven Hills master distiller. 63 percent corn, 27 percent rye, ten percent malted barley. He attended the University of Kentucky in the mid to late 1990s. Ive been drinking bourbon for 50 years and liked your article on wheated bourbons. I buy this product more than anything else on this list. Bottled and sealed, his signature guaranteed quality. W L Weller, Special Reserve Bourbon, NAS, 45% ABV, is produced at the Buffalo Trace Distillery by Sazerac. For instance, in New York, property valued at over $1,000 is considered grand larceny. Jeffersons has released a few wheaters in their Presidential Select lineupthat were great, as did Parkers Heritage. Barrell is a blender, not a distiller, and the flavor mastery of founder Joe Beatrice and master distiller Tripp Stimson have won the old bourbon guard over. The whiskey is produced by. Once everyday, easy-to-find [+] brands are now allocated and outside of the consumer's reach. But thats not to say that all of those bourbons taste exactly the same. Larceny Bourbon is a decent sipping bourbon. Let me share a funny story. 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. There can be no doubt that a certain 3-word labelhas greatly influenced bourbon and bourbon demand over the past decade. Hi Dave! He is married with two daughters, and lives in east Louisville. Its also killer if you want to make a $20 Manhattan. Drink it in a highball or mix up old fashioneds for a few months. Nose: Honey, caramel, wintergreen, almond. Its price, proof and age suggest it could be your next home bar staple. Sign up for his free drinks newsletter. With time, the spirit may seem more balanced. I want to really sit there and think about it when Im drinking it, Minnick says. One of the best new whiskeys of recent memory, Stellum is a more affordable Barrell Bourbon. Old Forester Signature 100 Proof Purchase Info: $24.99 for a 750 mL bottle, Total Wine, Burnsville, MN Details: 50% ABV. But underneath its fundamentals swims a deep sea of factors additional rules and regulations, hype machines and deceptive marketing, false myths and a boom that began in 2008 and is still going strong today that make bourbon more complex than it seems. The Bourbon After a pour I found my glass had a dark, rusty amber liquid. Limited edition and long-aged bourbons go as quickly as they hit the shelves. 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. The holy grail of bourbon brands announced its annual slate of whiskeys in October 2022, and the release includes a total of five bourbons along with a rye. // < ! Thats because Barrell is, at this moment, the best blender of American whiskey there is (they have the trophy case to prove it). Wheat as the secondary grain provides a bit of a subtle, yet noticeable contrast to the traditional rye component of standard bourbons. It made my Top 5. Once again, this wonderful bourbon was in the running to win it all. The toffee and oak mingle in the end as it slowly dissipates. Weve highlighted that time and again. Old Elk Single Barrel Wheated Bourbon . It's a robust whiskey that pulls off the wheated softness without becoming weak and spineless. 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. This is typically a cornbread-laden favorite of mine. Makers 46 is a good pick. The result is bottled at 93 proof. George T Stagg (Some days I prefer it to just about anything) 5. You can get a lot of satisfaction out of that. It's a classic tasting bourbon with notes of oak, caramel and brown sugar. The finish has a velvet texture that helps it fade fairly slowly while staying warm. Just bought a bottle of Larceny and the more I get into the bottle the more Iike it. Fortunately, we can still fall back on some tried and true value bourbons. The other is recipe E and is 75% corn, 20% rye, and 5% malted barley. This tends to produce spicier flavors in the bourbon. Theyll tell you everything there is to know about their whiskey they dont hide the mash bill, the distillation proof. Its based on a mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malted barley. Non-Distiller Producers (NDP): Companies that purchase their whiskey from someone else rather than making it themselves. 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. Still, theyre a lot closer to being the same thing than any amount of advertising would lead you to believe. Its more complex than regular FR, but still drinks easy. Tasting notes include monkey bread aroma and Texas-style Dublin Dr. Pepper, making for one interesting palate. On the nose, there are faint notes of vanilla, and cooked corn, along with some caramel and oak notes. Flavor Profile: Sweet This has an incredible sweetness to it, Minnick says. Average Price: $45. And the little factors between bottles do matter. These bargain bourbon brands can all be had for $25 or less, so make sure keep your home bar stocked! This is a smooth, almost delicate whiskey, and makes an excellent sipper. 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). Bourbon, the Great American Spirit, is not as simple as one might think. 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. The original nomination was Weller Antique, which is widely available in some markets and sparse in others. Distillery: Jim Beam, Clermont, KY (Beam Suntory) 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. Maybe I should have bought two cases. ABV: 50% [CDATA[ A leather note emerges and lingers at the end. Russells Reserve Bourbon, 10 YO, 45% ABV, is produced by Wild Turkey. One is labeled recipe B and is 60% corn, 35% rye, and 5% malted barley. I was more akin to the standard Makers than 46. It has a suggested MSRP of $150, and Reserve Bar is your best bet for snagging a bottle. After being somewhat underwhelmed by Blantons and Basil Hayden, Ibe come to the conclusion that my tastes lean towards the Wheated bourbons. Old Grand-Dad was a contender for Best Everyday Bourbon. Honey and fruit mix with a clear peppery rye note next to a slight hint of oak, apple, and more vanilla. This is the exact same juice thats just aged a little less. 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. Had a $45 shot of PVW 23 a few years back in Louisville and wasnt blown away for the price. ABV: 46.5% 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. Distillery: Brown Forman Distillery in Shively, KY (Brown-Forman) Yes. No one cared about Early Times until Sazerac (Buffalo Trace Distillery) bought it from Brown-Forman (Jack Daniel's, Old Forester, Woodford Reserve). Though it shares DNA with other Heaven Hill bourbons like Evan Williams and Henry McKenna, Elijah Craig Small Batch is balanced, with extra maltiness. 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 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. Case in point is the original wheated bourbon, Wellers signature 12-year bourbon. 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. 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. Sometimes even exactly the same. The biggest surprise of the blind tasting since I had previously disliked it. All of this isnt to say that drinking a Wild Turkey 81 is the same as drinking a Russells Reserve Single Barrel. It's a whisky I could drink any time and not get bored with and the 92 proof makes it a prime candidate for cocktails. Flavor Profile: Sweet & Vanilla Small Batch: A subjective term signaling a bourbon made using a select number of barrels or recipes in a blended bottling. ABV: 46% Jimmy Russell is the worlds longest tenured master distiller. Fourth - Larceny With wheated bourbons riding a tidal wave named Pappy, Larceny flies under the radar. 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. The finish is long, honey sweet, with cinnamon and maple syrup notes. Flavor Profile: Sweet & Rich 4. Old Forester packs a banana note that I thought could dominate the competition if I happened to be in a banana mood.. That bottling is aged at least four years in new, charred American oak. This is such a dynamic whiskey, Minnick says. Don't take Woodford Reserve's Double Oaked's ubiquity for mediocrity. 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. 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. . There is no shortage of good bourbon available today, although prices keep rising and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future. You may opt-out by. The mash bill consists of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley. Will be looking to sample some others on your list particularly the Makers Cask Strength. Its bottled at 115 proof for this distillery, thats the perfect proof, Minnick says. But what are the best wheated bourbons out there? Entry proof is 125 proof/62.5 percent. 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. Been there, done that, feel silly never again. 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. 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. Along with Old Overholt Rye, Old Grand-Dad falls under The Olds family of whiskeys released by Jim Beam. Distillery: Heaven Hill Distillery, Louisville, KY The price stops most people from ever getting to drink it and thats a shame. 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. I drink bourbon. Looking for something on the cheap? The whiskey inside Early Times' wicked affordable Bottled-in-Bond expression is Brown-Forman-made, though, and it has that sweet-and-smooth Basil Hayden's thing going on, just more a more solid boozy backbone with a recurring note of caramel corn throughout. I'd say this is a bit of a draw on the nose. It is aged longer than Jim Beam Original, also known as Jim Beam White Label. Rebel Yell has been a registered brand since 1936, although the recipe for the bourbon dates back to 1849. 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. Admittedly, the barrel seasoning makes all the difference between . This is a departure from the classic Jim Beam mash we mentioned in the lede. Entry proof unknown. The whiskey carries no age statement but is believed to be a blend of whiskeys between four and 20 years old. Thats only three fewer years than the Old Fitz above, and its a tenth the price. 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 whiskey is based on a mash bill of 62% corn, 28% rye and 10% malted barley. The Old Forester is one of the bourbons that's helped make Kentucky the capital of bourbon. Henry McKenna Single Barrel, 10 YO, 50% ABV, is bottled by the Heaven Hill distillery. These are two of my favorite daily drinkers both coming in at roughly the same proof, roughly the same price, and both readily available from respected distilleries. In fact, ones named after a bourbon legend while the other has that legends visage on its label. I got that message twice this week from readers, and thats not a rarity. Great mouth flavors. Redwood Empire Bottled in Bond Rye . Ive tasted vw 10 @$45 for a dbl in savannah. 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. They deserve to be on every Best Everyday Bourbon list for their massive fan base alone. But Evan Williams is a value brand. The taste is sweet and spicy with a hint of herbaceousness. Both are somewhat fruity, but express it differently. [CDATA[ With no effort and normal market prices, I can have Makers, Larceny, and OWA. It's our best overall bourbon not by way of life-altering tasting notes which include marmalade, honey and maple but by stuffing the stat sheet in a way no other bourbon can. It's not lacking in sweetness, with tasting notes of nougat, figs, dates and caramel corn. He has contributed frequently to our bourbon coverage over the years and is someone we regard as a friend. I usually find Makers Mark to be sweet. Im not ranking single barrel releases, or one-time releases. For our money, the best do-it-all bourbon is Knob Creek's 9-year-old Small Batch offering. The finish is long, creamy smooth and sweet, with a persistent caramel and brown sugar note and a lingering note of bitterness at the end. At a retail price of under $50, however, it is an outstanding value, although very difficult to find. Average Price: $26. (Read the recap.). I am looking forward to trying Old Fitzgerald. Larceny, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS. This treasure from Buffalo Traces Antique collection does its namesake a service, representing some of the worlds best wheated bourbon, a style Weller himself pioneered. Its a fantastic bourbon, especially for the money, he says. Quite the contrary, I didnt care for the whiskey in the blind tasting. This 100 proof bottling is also bottled-in-bond. This is a classic bourbon thats been around for a long time. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Very Old Barton, owned by the Sazerac Company, is produced in Bardstown, Kentucky. Last year, I tasted a dozen bourbons that were widely available and selected Ezra Brooks 7-year-old Cask Strength. In fact, a lot of bourbons are cut from the exact same mash bills (grain recipes), barrels, and even proofs when they start aging. On the nose, Larceny is sweet, offering fruit notes of peach and apricot along with candied citrus zest, and cinnamon. 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. It is aged at least 4 years in a bonded warehouse and is bottled at 100 proof in a trademark square, white label bottle. ABV: 46% Whether thats worth the money is up to you and your palate. Plum, pear, cocoa and vanilla are among the tasting notes here. On the nose, there is caramel, cooked corn sweetness and pralines (think almond roca candy), along with plenty of cinnamon and clove spice. Buffalo Trace vs Old Forester 86 Comparison . The whiskey is NAS, but is believed to be four to eight years old. That includes retailer specific brands. Its relatively low-corn mashbill (only 63 percent) is also unique, utilizing a staggering amount of rye and malted barley, creating a spicy bourbon ideal for drinking on the rocks or in a cocktail. Russells Reserve has been hitting my sweet spot of late, and many, including myself, thought this would definitely be in the running. 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. It's full of flavor and has a bit of an oaky kick to it that pairs well with the sweetness. I have not had the VW 23, VW 20, and VSOF12. According to their story, back in the day, John E. Fitzgerald used his privilege of holding the keys to Pappy Van Winkles bonded warehouse, where the Old Fitzgerald bourbons were kept, to steal the best casks for himself. Really young wheat whiskey(4-5 years and younger)can be harsh and almost astringent, while rye-based bourbons tend to have a spicy characteristic that offsets that at a younger age. Flavor is smooth and a bit musty, with hints of vanilla, banana, cinnamon and a dash of charred oak spice providing a bitter note. Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Weller Antique 107 Blanton's Henry McKenna 10 Year Noah's Mill 1. This makes a wonderful sipper or gift to a friend, and since Woodford Reserve is the official bourbon of the Kentucky Derby, you best believe this makes an excellent base to a mint julep with its myriad notes of fruit and spice. Id certainly make a few changes here and there. For 2022, the rugged western whiskey is a blend of 8- and 9-year-old barrels from the distillery and clocks in at a whopping 134.8 proof. Maker's Mark Cask . The notes kind of just linger. Evan Williams Bottled in Bond No, this isnt a single barrel expression. Theres a clear taste of the honey, vanilla, and toffee carrying the sip towards a very subdued spice and oak. On the palate, there are pralines (candied pecans), orange zest, along with caramel, maple syrup, some mint and spice notes of cinnamon and clove. The latter is a blend of a 16-year-old bourbon and a 15-year-old high-rye bourbon that pays tribute to the familys first distiller, Jacob Beam, and its said to be some of the best bourbon being produced at the busy distillery. My favorite by far of the standard production you mentioned is Larceny. 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. I disagree about 46. brands are now allocated and outside of the consumer's reach. Note: the portfolio for Rebel Yell all received a makeover with updated labels in April 2019. [CDATA[ We're breaking down the varieties of rum, from sugarcane to bottle. No need to wait for a special occasion, these are great for any day of the week. Old Forester does a slightly better job filling it in comparison. Medley also makes a 12 YO expression bottled at 43.4% ABV, which is outstanding. This is Buffalo Traces higher-rye bourbon mash bill even though its not that high comparatively. Flavor Profile: Sweet & Rich The sip leans into the toffee with a subtle dose of cinnamon spice lingering in the background with more of that honeyed corn. It's dynamic and well worth the $55 sticker price. This is similar to the various Pappy expressions. This tends to produce a softer, less spicy whiskey. On the nose, there is a distinctive sweetness, along with ripe apple, caramel and a little vanilla. About 10 to 12 years ago, Total Wine opened a store in Clearwater Florida. 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. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. 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. Old Forester released the "Whiskey Row" line in late 2014 to celebrate the distillery's history. For something around $30, you get an expertly blended whiskey aged a minimum of 8 years with notes of cherry, orange, almond toffee and oak and bottled at a casual 90 proof. The whiskey is produced by Brown-Forman. You can often find this for $9.99 on sale. 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. Please be responsible. Hes pictured on the bottle. I bought this bottle for $23 at a local big box store. 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. I cover spirits, the drinks culture and business. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Cheap bourbon isnt always as bottom-shelf as it seems. Evan William's Black Label is hard to beat for the money. Flavor Profile: Vanilla & Sweet Relative to Kentucky, theyve been around for a few days. The barrels that go into each batch are aged anywhere from 6 to 10 years. Beginning in spring 2018, the name for this product is simply Four Roses Bourbon., ABV: 40% The sip leans more into the caramel apples on the end and skips the citrus yet stays warm and mellow. Old Forester 1920 celebrates the Distillery history since 1920 was the year . Old Fitzgerald is a bottled-in-bond wheated bourbon released twice a year by Kentucky's . Its mash bill consists of corn, rye, and malted barley. Weller CYPB, Weller Full Proof, Redemption Wheated, Wilderness Trail Wheated Mash Bill etc, would all be added. And the 2014 Parkers Heritage Original Batch Wheat Whiskey really showed what that mash bill is capable of with age and proof. It doesn't sport a fancy age statement, but neither do most Old Forester brands. The bourbon is bottled-in-bond (BIB), which means it is the product of a single distillation by a single distiller at a single distillery, and has been aged for at least four years under US government supervision. Perhaps thats why it was in the running to win it all. It can be a blend of multiple straight bourbon whiskeys as long as they're all produced in the same state. Distiller.com uses cookies that are essential for us to operate the website and that are helpful for us to improve the services. 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. (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. Theyve also led the way in transparency. 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. Medley Brothers Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 51% ABV. I like it. If you are interested in exploring the lesser known brands however, and in the process learning a little more about the lore and history of classic bourbon brands, then this list is a good place to start. Head on over to Distiller, or download the app for iOS and Android today! Its 100 proof retains a full body and mixes bonafides without lighting your mouth on fire. Price Range: $20 to $30. Its not complex, but the sweetness is really nice the way it hits the palate. His bourbon incorporated a large percentage of rye, giving the whiskey a spicy and powerful flavor. ABV: 40% You can get two of these for the price of one Woodford. In 2017, Jim Beams Old Grand-Dad line of whiskeys was nearly axed. On the nose, the whiskey offers sweet caramel and candied cherries, along with a persistent oak note in the background. Wilderness Trail does not make subpar whiskey. Hardins Creek Jacobs Well: In summer 2022, bourbon legend Jim Beam launched a new high-end label called Hardins Creek. Old Forester is one of the oldest whisky houses in America (yes, they spell whisky without the "e"). 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). Sounds like a pretty good reason the move to Kentucky. Could this be its year? Futile efforts to obtain any of the 2nd list has been a waste of time.