All that being said, you really can’t do much better than a humble bottle of 101 (don’t waste your time with the 81-proof version). Then there are smaller batch releases like the barrel-strength Rare Breed and the single barrel Kentucky Spirit to try. There are also some higher-end releases like Master’s Keep, the most recent of which was called One and was finished in toasted oak barrels (the new edition is due out this fall). 4 “alligator” char to help deepen the flavor as the whiskey ages.

Wild Turkey generally bottles liquid aged for at least six years, and the barrels are given the more intense No. The distillery’s affordable flagship expression is bottled at 101 proof (and has a new bottle design), giving this inexpensive, but always dependable bourbon a slightly hotter, spicier edge than other comparable whiskeys. Wild Turkey is a classic, unpretentious American whiskey brand that permeated the public’s consciousness well before Matthew McConaughey was named creative director back in 2016. And if flavored whiskey is your thing, don’t let anyone shame you–there’s even a Smoked Maple expression of Knob Creek for you to try. There are several single barrel releases to choose from, if you want something closer to Booker’s with a higher ABV. Whatever the age, the rich caramel and brown sugar flavor, along with that signature Jim Beam nuttiness, shines through. This 100-proof bourbon (and rye) got its 9-year-old age statement back in 2020 after it was removed for a few years, and some limited-edition 12 and15-year-old expressions came to market as well. While this last whiskey may not be the flashiest, it’s arguably the most consistently excellent. There are four Small Batch expressions available: Booker’s (barrel proof, filtered only for char), Basil Hayden (mild 80-proof, high-rye bourbon), Baker’s (relaunched as a single barrel release), and Knob Creek. There is no real meaning behind the term “small batch,” so for many brands it simply means smaller volume than other whiskies they produce. Jim Beam’s Small Batch Collection was created by former master distiller Booker Noe in 1992, at a time when bourbon was struggling for relevance (hard to imagine now). However, if you are in the market for a little guidance as to what might be a quality bourbon to try, one that you can actually find for less than $100 per bottle (and mostly much less than that), here is an updated list of twelve bourbon brands to drink now. Just don’t let the haters whiskey-shame you for your personal preferences. Or vice versa–go ahead and make a cocktail with that $500 bottle if you damn well please. If you prefer drinking Jim Beam out of a red plastic cup with a healthy pour of Coke, that’s cool too. If you like to sip Pappy Van Winkle from a Baccarat crystal tasting glass, that’s just fine. Other than that, there is no wrong or right, despite what blowhards and bourboomers online might tell you. How you feel about bourbon is entirely subjective, although there are a few objective truths: it must be made from a mash bill containing at least 51 percent corn, aged in new charred oak containers (not barrels, even though virtually all bourbon is aged in them), distilled in the U.S., and meet certain proof requirements, which you can Google if you are interested. Some of this is actually helpful in understanding what's out there, while a lot winds up being useless bourbon bloviating.īourbon, and all whiskey really, is subject to passionate obsession as much as anything else that people have strong feelings about-music, food, cars, movies, etc. And we come to bars and liquor stores armed with a ridiculous amount of knowledge about the truth behind the stories distilleries weave. We spend exorbitant amounts on rare releases, then make fun of people for doing the very same. We tell people they are wrong for liking certain brands or drinking it a particular way. We argue incessantly about it on Twitter and Reddit. These days, we take bourbon way too seriously.

Whiskey brands