Take heed, though, since it somewhat controversially took home Best in Show, Whiskey at San Francisco World Spirits Competition a few years ago its been harder to come by, and more expensive than it used to be. 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. Black Label Extra-Aged is bottled at 43% ABV. Average Price: $12. 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. They were right. Let me share a funny story. From your daily sipper to the best bottle to bring to a party, here are the best bourbons to drink in 2023. He is married with two daughters, and lives in east Louisville. I want to really sit there and think about it when Im drinking it, Minnick says. I like it. There is also a 57% ABV (114 proof) version that is priced under $30. Roughly 1,000 are currently active. 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. Distiller Score: 84. Its so fucking amazing., Have Apple's AirPods Max? No need to wait for a special occasion, these are great for any day of the week. But nowhere is the impact of the Pappy Van Winkle lineup more prevalent than in the trickle down effect it has had on other bourbons made with wheat as the secondary or flavoring grain. At times our old standbys can be tough to findand when we do, they are triple the standard price. Thats really a loaded question because there are two ways of looking at it. It can claim to be extremely full flavored thanks to its 115 proof, and its taste profile is like a synthesis of. 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. The Main Differences Between Larceny Bourbon vs Maker's Mark The main differences between Larceny Bourbon vs Maker's Mark are: Larceny's distiller is Heaven Hill, whereas Maker's Mark is Beam Suntory. As with all Pappy releases, the actual price youll pay for a bottle will likely be significantly more, but in a welcome change of pace, the yields were higher in 2022 than in previous years, so more bottles were available than usual. Give the whiskey a few minutes to open up and for the alcohol burn to dissipate. 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. So, I switched it to Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond, a very widely distributed bourbon from Heaven Hill. I usually find Makers Mark to be sweet. But those whiskeys are cut from the exact same distillation. Last year, I tasted a dozen bourbons that were widely available and selected Ezra Brooks 7-year-old Cask Strength. Thanks for a great article. 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. The finish is medium length, sweet, with caramel, vanilla and spice notes and a persistent pepperiness. It is bottled at 92 proof. Hey Bill, what are the best wheated bourbons I can buy?. With intense flavors of dark fruit, cocoa, and vanilla, this Cabernet Sauvignon offers a smooth and balanced taste with a long, lingeri. Some expressions have a characteristic leather aroma, although this is not true of all of the bottlings. On the nose, there is caramel, cooked corn sweetness and pralines (think almond roca candy), along with plenty of cinnamon and clove spice. Entry proof is 125 proof/62.5 percent. Theres a clear taste of the honey, vanilla, and toffee carrying the sip towards a very subdued spice and oak. On the palate, you have caramel, brown sugar, candied nuts, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, cooked corn sweetness, some mint and a lingering pepperiness. He has contributed frequently to our bourbon coverage over the years and is someone we regard as a friend. Press Esc to cancel. (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. After a reasonable period, however, that flips for me. Larceny is a bourbon produced by the Heaven Hill distillery made from a mash bill that is 20 percent wheat. This is an easy drinking whiskey with a classic bourbon nose and taste and a smooth mouthfeel. and all are worth seeking out. Maker's Mark Cask Strength vs Weller Full Proof . That extra time is why the Single Barrel costs three times more than a regular old bottle of Wild Turkey. The bourbon business is dominated at retail by a handful of national brands. This 100 proof bottling is also bottled-in-bond. But again, two for the price of one is a bargain. It can be a blend of multiple straight bourbon whiskeys as long as they're all produced in the same state. Still, theyre a lot closer to being the same thing than any amount of advertising would lead you to believe. Don't drink and drive. Note: the portfolio for Rebel Yell all received a makeover with updated labels in April 2019. The current distiller is rumored to be Heaven Hill. ABV: 43% Youd think that would make it a shoe-in to win my blind tasting. Look, this is a damn nice dram. Wheaters are my favorites, but I like ryes too. 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). Distiller Score: 80. 1870 Original Batch is also blended by Marianne Barnes, the protg of Brown-Forman's master If you can get your hands on the bottle like the Dutton clan did in season 5 of Yellowstone youll be treated to notes of creamed corn, toasted vanilla and a heavy dose of wheat. Pappy Van Winkles impossible-to-find wheated bourbon has become such a hype monster that other wheated bourbons from Buffalo Traces portfolio have seen their own popularity skyrocket due to their proximity. Founded in 1783 as the first commercial distillery in Kentucky, Evan Williams built his distillery along the banks of the Ohio River. The finish is rich and powerful, with classic bourbon notes of sweet caramel, dried fruit, vanilla, cinnamon and pepper, with a slight but persistent bitter note on the end. Weller CYPB, Weller Full Proof, Redemption Wheated, Wilderness Trail Wheated Mash Bill etc, would all be added. Okay, this isnt exactly a huge price tag for a quality spirit. Average Price: $20. 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. Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY (Sazerac Company) Evan William's Black Label is hard to beat for the money. Its mellow balance helped by the prominent caramel notes of its wheated mash bill doesnt overpower meaty flavors. This one is more of a sipper. At the end of 2018, Kentucky had over 7.5 million barrels of bourbon being matured, along with 600,000 barrels of other spirits. Bourbon, the Great American Spirit, is not as simple as one might think. On the palate, there is sweetness, candied orange zest, semisweet chocolate, along with cinnamon and cloves. If you're looking for the best value in bourbon, just get this. Regular Four Roses (formerly called Yellow Label), Old Forester 100 Proof (formerly called Signature), Wild Turkey 101, Jim Beam Black Label, Larceny Bourbon, Maker's Mark, and Buffalo Trace. The brand was resurrected by Diageo in 2015 as both a NAS and a 15 YO version. It is aged at least 4 years in a bonded warehouse and is bottled at 100 proof in a trademark square, white label bottle. Theres no way around it, Wild Turkey 101 is great for the money. If you love cinnamon notes, youll love this, Minnick says. This is typically a cornbread-laden favorite of mine. Honey and fruit mix with a clear peppery rye note next to a slight hint of oak, apple, and more vanilla. Its estimated that there are over 3,500 historic brands of bourbon in the United States. Old Forester packs a banana note that I thought could dominate the competition if I happened to be in a banana mood. A $125 1oz shot of Old Fitz bonded 1965-a real treat! The name Old Forester was allegedly chosen in honor of a doctor named Forrester, who regularly prescribed the bourbon to his patients at a time when it was still sold in pharmacies for medicinal purposes. However, the signature for which this bourbon gets its name and which is displayed on each bottle, is the founder of the brand, George Garvin Brown. On the palate, the whiskey is smooth and sweet, with vanilla and caramel and a little dried fruit. 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. [CDATA[ amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit0"; amzn_assoc_enable_interest_ads = "true"; amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "modernthirstc-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "auto"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "a605ff51e1453cfa02de68c264fd03bc"; amzn_assoc_emphasize_categories = "284507"; amzn_assoc_fallback_mode = {"type":"search","value":"Whiskey"}; amzn_assoc_default_category = "All"; // ]]> Bill is the Co-Founder, Editor-in Chief, and official Bourbon-o-Phile for ModernThirst.com, and Founder and Chief Blending Officer for Four Gate Whiskey Company. Overpowering taste and smell of alcohol. Whether thats worth the money is up to you and your palate. While Eagle Rare made it through the nomination stage, when it come to buy at the retailer, Westport Whiskey & Wine did not have it. There is also a Russel Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon that is bottled at 55% ABV, and is matured in barrels that have been toasted to a #4 alligator char. The 10 YO sells for around $35 per bottle, while the single barrel expression sells for around $55. He has also been published on Liquor.com. It doesn't sport a fancy age statement, but neither do most Old Forester brands. // < ! Nice, easy-drinking proof? ABV: 40% Old Forester was launched in 1870 by George Garvin Brown and named for Dr. William Forrester, who prescribed bourbon to his patients. It bears no age statement and is bottled at 92 proof. The bourbons range from the $70, 107-proof Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10-Year-Old to the top-shelf, 95.6-proof Pappy Van Winkles Family Reserve Bourbon 23-Year-Old, which has a suggested retail price of $300. 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. In 2017, Jim Beams Old Grand-Dad line of whiskeys was nearly axed. But that doesnt mean the core ingredients dont start off the same. Weller, and to a lesser extent Old Fitzgerald, has been caught up in the cult frenzy that now surrounds Pappy Van Winkle. (Photo by Dixie D. Vereen/For The Washington Post via Getty Images). I have always found a peanut butter note in this bourbon, and that can be incredibly enticing during a blind tasting. This juice is hand-selected to be small batched to match a six-year-old age profile. At the end of the day, it's a blue-collar spirit, made by thirsty farmers, for thirsty farmers. Really looking forward to the release of the RY 10 Single Barrel. The sip leans more into the caramel apples on the end and skips the citrus yet stays warm and mellow. Evan Williams White Label Bottled in Bond Bourbon is produced with a mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye and 12% malt. The spirit is one of those rare drinks that is loved by both bourbon enthusiasts and amateurs. Thats only three fewer years than the Old Fitz above, and its a tenth the price. It did not make my Top 6. ABV: 46.5% Wheat as the secondary grain provides a bit of a subtle, yet noticeable contrast to the traditional rye component of standard bourbons. 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. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Larceny and Maker's 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. Once again, this wonderful bourbon was in the running to win it all. This was so complex, with a 20-second finish and layered in vanilla that it was easily the winner. Flavor Profile: Rich & Full Bodied Nose: Honey, caramel, wintergreen, almond. Larceny becomes grand larceny when the property taken exceeds a certain value as defined by each state. Average Price: $300. On the nose, the whiskey offers sweet caramel and candied cherries, along with a persistent oak note in the background. Theres certainly less refinement at play. Additionally, Four Roses uses up to five different yeast strains for its bourbons, and all are used here. Really enjoyed reading it and appreciated your message. One of the best new whiskeys of recent memory, Stellum is a more affordable Barrell Bourbon. It is 115 proof and reminiscent of the style of bourbon distilled by the brand during the prohibition era. Type above and press Enter to search. Unfortunately, both also have that unpleasant metallic vodka-y alcohol taste, which I don't find in other bourbons. Next time you have a blind tasting throw Larceny in to the mix and see the results. 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. Thats nuts in todays whiskey world. 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. This is Buffalo Traces higher-rye bourbon mash bill even though its not that high comparatively. Lingering caramel, apple, cinnamon and oak. And its a bartenders dream for its mixability. ModernThirst's Comparison Reviews of Wheated Bourbons: 2020 ModernThirst. This is an excellent mixing bourbon to have on hand. Im going through a bottle a month. Old Grand-Dad Bonded Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 50% ABV, was the nickname of a distiller named Basil Hayden. 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. With Distiller, youll always know whats in the bottle before you spend a cent. The brand has been on the shelves for over 150 consecutive years. Flavor is smooth and a bit musty, with hints of vanilla, banana, cinnamon and a dash of charred oak spice providing a bitter note. Ive been drinking bourbon for 50 years and liked your article on wheated bourbons. On the nose, there are faint notes of vanilla, and cooked corn, along with some caramel and oak notes. 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. It made my Top 5. Makes it easy to see why some newbies often cant tell the difference between some of these bourbons, right? Its excellent. Average Price: $45. Thanks in advance. While I think the standard version is fine, Ive had two private barrel selections that were great. Theres more of sweetness at play with toffee and vanilla up top. A beautiful marzipan note came to life in the blind tasting. Subscribe to his YouTube Channel to watch his Best American Whiskey taste off December 20. Retail - $250; . Old Forester is one of the oldest whisky houses in America (yes, they spell whisky without the "e"). Simply, this is Heaven Hills famous wheated bourbon thats aged for nine years and bottled-in-bond. Knob Creek 12 Year Price: ~$75 Proof: 100 Tasting Notes: Oak, vanilla, marshmallow Distillery: Jim Beam The mash bill consists of 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley. Distillery: Jim Beam, Clermont, KY (Beam Suntory) And in Division Two we have Old Forester Signature 100 proof up against Wild Turkey 101. So, I added it. Makers 46 is a good pick. Corn on the nose and lots of classic notes of vanilla, toffee, and caramel up top. Retail - $80; Secondary - $250; Old Forester 117 Series High Angel's Share or Warehouse K (375ml) - T3. You may opt-out by. Very Old Barton, owned by the Sazerac Company, is produced in Bardstown, Kentucky. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Egg nog spices kick this sip off. Jimmy Russell is the worlds longest tenured master distiller. Although it is more expensive at $88 per bottle, it is a far better value than the $30 NAS version. Larceny is a small batch bourbon (100 barrels or less) of barrels from the middle three floors of the aging warehouse. Tasting notes include Heath Bar and leather on the nose, with cinnamon candies, roasted vanilla and rye coming through in the palate. George Dickel 15 Year Single Barrel . 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. Wild Turkey Bourbon 101 is pulled from the barrel at 109 proof before being proofed down only a touch. No, this isnt a single barrel expression. Whats really frustrating is that living in KY just an hour or so from all these distillers you can hardly find some of these choices, and theyre ridiculously expensive if you do. 2020 ModernThirst. The whiskey is produced by Brown-Forman. For my qualifications, I limited them to products under $40, available in the majority of the states and it could not be a limited edition.