In this article, we are going to discuss the 10 best Bourbons in the world. If you want to check out our detailed analysis of the Bourbon industry in Kentucky, the new Bourbon in the air, and sustainability in the Bourbon industry, head to 25 Best Bourbons in the World.
10. Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Old
Insider Monkey Score: 7
Bottled at 114.8 barrel proof, Russell’s Reserve 13 Year Old Bourbon is a distinctive sip, exhibiting sweet and woody notes that give way to rich flavors of honey, chocolate, and nougat throughout.
This expression was first released in 2021 as a limited one time product. But with a very limited bottle count and Bourbon enthusiasts yearning for more, the company announced a second release along with declaring that it would become an annual limited release.
9. Henry McKenna Single Barrel
Insider Monkey Score: 7
Henry McKenna Single Barrel is the only extra aged Bottled-in-Bond Single Barrel Bourbon, indicating it meets exacting U.S. government standards for age and proof. This is one of the longest aged Bottled-in-Bond whiskeys available today, resting in the barrel through 40 Kentucky seasons.
8. Old Grand-Dad 114
Insider Monkey Score: 7
Old Grand-Dad is one of the oldest and most storied brands, yet it receives little attention from Bourbon enthusiasts or marketing effort from the brand’s current owner, Beam Suntory. This might be simply due to the fact that it is a legacy brand offered at a head-scratching low price point that likely has little room for anything other than simply fulfilling the existing supply chain and keeping existing consumers happy, and potentially drawing them deeper into Beam’s other brands.
Unbelievably smooth for a spirit of this strength, the Old Grand-Dad 114 will put hair on your chest.
7. Wild Turkey 101
Insider Monkey Score: 8
For over 60 years, Wild Turkey has been making 101 the same way, the right way! Aged in American White Oak barrels coated in the deepest alligator char, Wild Turkey 101 has an impossible-to-miss character.
In 1980, Wild Turkey’s original owner, Austin Nichols & Co., was sold to the French spirits conglomerate Pernod Ricard for a reported $100 million. In 2009, the distillery changed hands again, when Italy’s Gruppo Campari acquired it for a staggering $575 million.
6. Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight
Insider Monkey Score: 8
Never bitter or sharp, Maker’s Mark is made with soft red winter wheat instead of the usual rye for a one-of-a-kind, full-flavored Bourbon. To ensure consistency, every barrel is rotated by hand and the Bourbon is aged to taste, not time.
Owned by Beam Suntory, the Maker’s Mark Distillery is the sixth-largest Bourbon distillery in the world. Located in Loretto, KY, the distillery produces 16 brands, labels, and variations of Bourbon.
Maker’s Mark sits among the Most Popular Bourbons in the World.
5. Booker’s Rye 13 Year Old
Insider Monkey Score: 9
This award-winning rye is a fitting tribute to Booker Noe, legendary longtime master distiller for the Beam brands and founder of their Small Batch Bourbon Collection. Distilled in early 2003, Booker’s Rye is among the last barrels laid down by Noe in the final years of his life. The 136 uncut proof rye whiskey features heady oak and vanilla aromas with a nice finish of wintergreen and chocolate.
4. Four Roses Small Batch Select
Insider Monkey Score: 9
For someone looking for an expertly-crafted Bourbon, Four Roses Small Batch Select is a 104-proof, non-chill-filtered whiskey that provides a rich depth of flavors and a closer-to-the-barrel experience.
In 2002, Four Roses was acquired by the Japanese Kirin Holdings Company for an estimated $155 million.
3. Stagg Jr. Barrel Proof
Insider Monkey Score: 10
Hailing from the Buffalo Trace Distillery, Stagg Jr. Barrel Proof is renowned for its intense flavor profile, stemming from a careful selection of the finest ingredients and a meticulous aging process. Every bottle is a testament to the distillery’s commitment to producing an unparalleled Bourbon experience.
This expression releases twice a year and, because it’s typically aged for 8 to 9 years and bottled at barrel-proof, maintains a somewhat consistent proof point of around 130.
2. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
Insider Monkey Score: 11
To sip Barrel Proof is to experience Bourbon in its purest form – uncut, straight from the barrel, and without chill filtering. Aged for 12 years, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a bold and honest expression of what charred oak barrel aging can do for Bourbon, from the man who originated the process.
Elijah Craig is credited as the first distiller to age his whiskey in charred oak barrels, earning his place in history as the ‘Father of Bourbon’. The charred barrel transformed the clear liquid inside into an intense amber whiskey made rich with the flavors of the wood, which we now recognize as Bourbon.
1. George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight
Insider Monkey Score: 12
George T. Stagg built the most dominant American distillery of the 19th century, during a time known as the Gilded Age of Bourbon. This is a limited-production Bourbon whiskey distributed by Buffalo Trace Distillery, as part of the distillery’s ‘Antique Collection’ series. Aged in new charred oak barrels for no less than 15 years, this robust, uncut, and unfiltered Bourbon whiskey boasts the bold character that is reminiscent of the man himself.
The George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon is considered the Very Best Bourbon Whiskey in our list.
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