Distillery: Brown Forman Distillery in Shively, KY (Brown-Forman) Additionally, BIB whiskey must be bottled at 50% ABV (100 proof). 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. I admit I have gotten extremely lucky obtaining a few of these bottles. Its more complex than regular FR, but still drinks easy. The finish is medium length, sweet, with caramel, vanilla and spice notes and a persistent pepperiness. Whether thats worth the money is up to you and your palate. A touch of water brings out more sweetness. They deserve to be on every Best Everyday Bourbon list for their massive fan base alone. Hes pictured on the bottle. Proof: The percentage of alcohol, displayed as double that of the alcohol percentage. Larceny Barrel Proof (A121, B521, C921) - T3. This is an excellent mixing bourbon to have on hand. My personal opinion is a little different. Fortunately, we can still fall back on some tried and true value bourbons. You may or may not see these bottles show up in a more official form in a future version of this guide once we've tried them ourselves. The mash bill is undisclosed, but is believed to be the same, or very close, to that of Old Fitzgerald and the Pappy expressions. It is a top selling bourbon in Japan. The juice starts its time in a new charred oak barrel (as it should) before its dumped into a second charred oak barrel that's been more deeply toasted. For this reason, I started selecting a Best Everyday Bourbon. Entry proof is 125 proof/62.5 percent. Where we have full reviews, scores, or tasting notes, I have included links: // < ! Wild Turkey is known to barrel its whiskey at a lower entry-proof, meaning the product is a lower proof as it comes off the still prior to maturing. #4 barrel char. The 1920 is a crowd favorite on r/bourbon and for a good reason. In my past blind tastings, Old Grand-Dad did not fare well. Entry proof unknown. If Evan Williams were to sell this whiskey to someone else, that brand would mark it up to $40, and people would be happy buying it, Minnick says. Proof: 100. Hi Dave! He has conducted various bourbon and whiskey tastings in cities across the country, and consulted for multiple national labels. Makers Mark could double their price and people would still buy it by the case. 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 got so much flavor to it, so much complexity its just brilliant whiskey., Are we including bottles that are impossible to find? Minnick asks. 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. Im not ranking single barrel releases, or one-time releases. 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. ABV: 50% Yes. The marrying of the corn with the Christmas-y spices helps usher in a long, warming, and satisfying end that embraces you in a classic Kentucky hug.. Let me share a funny story. Really looking forward to the release of the RY 10 Single Barrel. It did not make my Top 6. The mash bill here, made entirely of non-GMO grains, is 65 percent corn, 30 percent rye and 5 percent malted barley. Distiller Score: 88. Early Times Bottled-in-Bond was a contender for Best Everyday Bourbon. 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. His son, Eddie Russell, took over as Wild Turkeys Master Distiller in 2015, after 35 years with the company. And in Division Two we have Old Forester Signature 100 proof up against Wild Turkey 101. The whiskey carries no age statement but is believed to be a blend of whiskeys between four and 20 years old. The end is rich with a note of toffee and a whisper of salted caramel. #4 barrel char. [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. 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. The brand was withdrawn from the US market in 1997, but continued to be exported. Elijah Craig Small Batch is layered in vanilla and often so soft on the palate. Its so fucking amazing., Have Apple's AirPods Max? Old Grand-Dad is based on the high-rye bourbon recipe made famous by Basil Hayden its his picture on the bottle. (Read the recap.). Russells Reserve has been hitting my sweet spot of late, and many, including myself, thought this would definitely be in the running. Learn how your comment data is processed. Its mash bill consists of corn, rye, and malted barley. This Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey bears no age statement and is bottled at 90 proof. Old Forester Signature 100 Proof Purchase Info: $24.99 for a 750 mL bottle, Total Wine, Burnsville, MN Details: 50% ABV. Rye based bourbons aged longer than 12 years, in most cases, become far too woody, and they begin to become overpowered by the barrel flavors. Entry proof is 125 proof/62.5 percent. Press Esc to cancel. The toffee and oak mingle in the end as it slowly dissipates. Some expressions have a characteristic leather aroma, although this is not true of all of the bottlings. Look, I know Jack says Tennessee whiskey on the label, but theres an argument made for it being bourbon. Old Forester with darker banana, apple, and cherry, while Buffalo Trace with brighter, vibrant, and tropical peach, cherry, and pineapple. Charles is a 50-year veteran of the Kentucky distilling industry and his familys history is closely intertwined with Kentucky bourbon. Ive tasted vw 10 @$45 for a dbl in savannah. Either way, I W Harper is a brand in transition and one well worth watching. Larceny Barrel Proof A122 Bourbon . 2) Sazerac 18 Year Straight Rye This is going to be a controversial choice, but let's talk this through. At $30 per bottle, this is another excellent value for a classic bourbon. // < ! So, I added it. Larceny is a brand extension of Heaven Hills Old Fitzgerald line. This spirit seems to drink higher than 104 proof due to overwhelming spice. In fact, ones named after a bourbon legend while the other has that legends visage on its label. We relied on one of the most-esteemed bourbon experts in America, Fred Minnick. 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. 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. ABV: 45.2% Average Price: $12. Non-Distiller Producers (NDP): Companies that purchase their whiskey from someone else rather than making it themselves. Bourbon with an age statement and available at barrel strength for a good price? At 12 years, they become really nice sips, and out towards 20 years, they can still be outstanding whiskey. At a retail price of under $50, however, it is an outstanding value, although very difficult to find. Old Forester is the more dark, banana-y, oaky, apple-y and earthy bourbon. Honey and fruit mix with a clear peppery rye note next to a slight hint of oak, apple, and more vanilla. ABV: 46.5% But its so much cheaper that who cares? The finish is short-lived, with caramel and oak to it with very little to no warmth. Lets Talk Fermentation and Distillation! 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. They find themselves waiting in line and participating in lotteries for the likes of Weller Antique, which once collected dust on the shelf. This is a simple bourbon thats cut from the same mash and pulled from the same rickhouses as everyones beloved Blantons one of the more sought after and awarded bourbons in modern times. It went up for preorder in January 2023 with a retail price of $115. The NAS version would be better with a little more age and at a higher proof. ABV: 50% This is a smooth, almost delicate whiskey, and makes an excellent sipper. Wheated: A bourbon with a higher than normal percentage of mash bill made up of wheat (the main grain remains corn). Perhaps thats why it was in the running to win it all. It doesn't sport a fancy age statement, but neither do most Old Forester brands. Knob Creek 12 Year Price: ~$75 Proof: 100 Tasting Notes: Oak, vanilla, marshmallow Distillery: Jim Beam Distiller.com uses cookies that are essential for us to operate the website and that are helpful for us to improve the services. The McKenna distillery was established in 1855, founded by the noted Irish immigrant distiller. At $20 per bottle, this is a fantastic bourbon and an excellent introduction to wheated bourbons. Flavor Profile: Spicy & Smoky Theyre also all made in the same distillery (Jim Beam). If you're looking for the best value in bourbon, just get this. The dram leans into a honey-sweet edge with the oak, mild spice, and hint of dark chocolate popping at the end. 63 percent corn, 27 percent rye, ten percent malted barley. Great mouth flavors. The rest of the nation is just kinda getting to know em, Minnick says. Roughly 1,000 are currently active. Rebel Yell has been a registered brand since 1936, although the recipe for the bourbon dates back to 1849. Had a $45 shot of PVW 23 a few years back in Louisville and wasnt blown away for the price. This is a side by side comparison review of the Old Forester 1920 and 1910, both are part of their Whiskey Row series. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. On the palate, the Old Forester 86 has a decent body showing a medium texture. A beautiful marzipan note came to life in the blind tasting. 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. No one cared about Early Times until Sazerac (Buffalo Trace Distillery) bought it from Brown-Forman (Jack Daniel's, Old Forester, Woodford Reserve). It was very, very nice bourbon, he says, wistfully. On the nose, there is a creamy sweetness, along with cinnamon, vanilla and a little bit of charred wood. Maker's Mark Cask Strength vs Weller Full Proof . We don't believe there is one "best" bourbon, but there are bottles that are best for certain moments. Old Forester packs a banana note that I thought could dominate the competition if I happened to be in a banana mood. By continuing to browse our website, you agree to first-party and third-party cookies being stored on your device. McKenna has a classic bourbon nose of caramel, vanilla and charred oak. 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. 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. Get This Headphone Stand, Complete Guide to Buying Boots This Season, You've Never Heard of 2022's Most-Awarded Whiskey, Tasting WhistlePig's New 21-Year-Old Single Malt, The Best New Whiskey Releases of 2023 (So Far), Psst, Pappy Van Winkle Is Doubling Production, How to Build Your Own Bottle of Whiskey Online, Is Fireball Whiskey? This is an easy drinking whiskey with a classic bourbon nose and taste and a smooth mouthfeel. But what are the best wheated bourbons out there? If you're making drinks, we prefer the light and spicy Four Roses bourbon. Unfortunately, the surging popularity of bourbon has made most any wheater over 6 years old nearly impossible to find. I W Harper was widely popular in the 1950s and 60s, and was exported to more than 100 countries around the world. The exact mash bill is kept a secret but word on the street is that its a fairly low-rye mash bill with 12 to 15 percent rye. Distiller Score: 84, This Kentucky straight bourbon is the entry-level bourbon for the brand. On the nose, the whiskey offers sweet caramel and candied cherries, along with a persistent oak note in the background. This is a BETA experience. This is a classic bourbon thats been around for a long time. Ive always found a bright nutmeg note, which can really stand out in blind tastings. Although it is more expensive at $88 per bottle, it is a far better value than the $30 NAS version. Its also the recipe Pappy Van Winkle bought during prohibition. Boy, was I wrong! For being the same brand as the Small Batch, they taste very different. It is an heir to the Old Fitzgerald franchise; one of the first wheated bourbons. Medley Brothers Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, NAS, 51% ABV. Try it on the rocks. 46% ABV, is a small batch bourbon assembled from 200 barrels or less, handpicked by Heaven Hills master distiller. On the palate, there is sweetness, candied orange zest, semisweet chocolate, along with cinnamon and cloves. Bourbon novice, here; have only sampled a dozen, or so, bourbons. Henry McKenna Single Barrel, 10 YO, 50% ABV, is bottled by the Heaven Hill distillery. He has contributed frequently to our bourbon coverage over the years and is someone we regard as a friend. Lingering caramel, apple, cinnamon and oak. 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). In bourbon's growth, consumers have paid the price for its popularity. George T Stagg (Some days I prefer it to just about anything) 5. Sign up for his free drinks newsletter. With all the easily available wheaters around, it really makes little sense to go through the Herculean effort and expense to obtain the limited editions. Thanks in advance. The bourbon is believed to be approximately 6 YO. After about 7 years, they start becoming nice sips. 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. Regular Old Forester goes into those burnt barrels for another six to nine months. Bourbon drinkers who enjoy spice and dark fruit will be fans of this release. It is aged longer than Jim Beam Original, also known as Jim Beam White Label. Distiller Score: 84. Its also the same juice that doesnt spend quite as long in the rickhouse and gets blended with minorly different barrels for an end product thats very similar to Basil Haydens. ABV: 43% The bourbon is distilled under contract by various Kentucky distillers. 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. In 2018, Luxco opened Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, KY so expect the bourbon to be made there in the future. On the nose, there are faint notes of vanilla, and cooked corn, along with some caramel and oak notes. Dont drink and drive. New Riff Distilling was founded in 2014. I do not covet, nor feel compelled to obtain something that is nearly unobtainable for the challenge. Old Forester packs a banana note that I thought could dominate the competition if I happened to be in a banana mood.. But I feel very firm in the Top Five, and I was pleased to see three bottled-in-bond bourbons in the running. The mash bill used contains: 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley. Jeffersons has released a few wheaters in their Presidential Select lineupthat were great, as did Parkers Heritage. This whiskey is also BIB and is bottled at 50% ABV. 72 percent corn, 18 percent rye, ten percent malted barley. Both are somewhat fruity, but express it differently. Head on over to Distiller, or download the app for iOS and Android today! It is a wheated whiskey, that shares a common DNA with Old Fitzgerald and the Pappy wheated bourbons. 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. Larceny is a small batch bourbon (100 barrels or less) of barrels from the middle three floors of the aging warehouse. So funky, so rich with cornbread and a honey butter, the only reason it did not win this tasting was it lacked the finish of the winner. This is the exact same juice thats just aged a little less. This is not a new phenomenon and it plays a large role in blended bourbons. This bespoke (and admittedly cool-looking) bottle became extremely famous and then extremely expensive in retail. Its not complex, but the sweetness is really nice the way it hits the palate. 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. Buffalo Trace vs Old Forester 86 Comparison . 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. A pioneering brand, it was originally released as an exclusively bottled 90 proof bourbon whisky. Distiller Score: 88. Admittedly, the barrel seasoning makes all the difference between . 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. I didnt find this note, however, and it failed to impress in the field. So the second way to look at it is really what this site is focused on- how it tastes. Everything you ever wanted to know about Americas favorite brown spirit, including, of course, the best bottles you can actually buy. Buffalo Trace is more bright, vibrant, tropical, fruity, and herbal. In this blind tasting, I picked up a cornbread note and thought it to be too young to make my Top 5. It has a suggested MSRP of $150, and Reserve Bar is your best bet for snagging a bottle. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The finish is long, honey sweet, with cinnamon and maple syrup notes. They all use a similar mash bill, andsome reportedly even use yeast strains derived from the original Stitzel-Weller batch. I like it. Redwood Empire Bottled in Bond Rye . The current distiller is rumored to be Heaven Hill. 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 1910 was release in 2018, and though it shares the . So, we switched Eagle Rare to its sister brand, Buffalo Trace, which always warms up my palate in the winter. The label launched with just two bourbons in its portfolio: the two-year Colonel James B. Beam and the more premium Jacobs Well. The finish is long, sweet, with maple syrup and brown sugar notes. The oak peeks in with more vanilla, notes of toffee, and a bit of berry tartness. The Russel Reserve Single Barrel has a similar aroma and flavor profile. The look of it was like that of a reddened maple syrup. 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. At retail prices between $20 and $30, it is among the best priced wheated bourbon currently available. This is a BETA experience. ABV: 50% Sazerac 18 typically demands the highest price in the Buffalo Antique Collection line. Old Forester Birthday Bourbon comes in at #3 on our list of overrated whiskeys. Fred Minnick is a longtime American whiskey writer and author of multiple bourbon books. 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. Still, its not the cheapest expression you can get from Brown-Forman. I'd say this is a bit of a draw on the nose. And the 2014 Parkers Heritage Original Batch Wheat Whiskey really showed what that mash bill is capable of with age and proof. 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. Now, she's struck out on her own, and in the tail-end of 2022 she debuted her first independent effort a tribute to her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama put out by the city's upstart distillery, Dread River. 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. Yet, it always sort of baffles me when people go on about Evan Williams (which is the same mash bill as Elijah Craig at Heaven Hill) but not this. All of this isnt to say that drinking a Wild Turkey 81 is the same as drinking a Russells Reserve Single Barrel. In the past decade, good brands went from available to allocated and from $15 to $40. Unfortunately, both also have that unpleasant metallic vodka-y alcohol taste, which I don't find in other bourbons. The finish has a velvet texture that helps it fade fairly slowly while staying warm. It's not lacking in sweetness, with tasting notes of nougat, figs, dates and caramel corn. I had always found an over-oaked note here. Its important to note that this was just one taste off, and I am one taster. This juice is. If you get a chance to visit Loretto, pick up a bottle of the Makers 46 Cask Strength sometime. Founded in 1783 as the first commercial distillery in Kentucky, Evan Williams built his distillery along the banks of the Ohio River. Could this be its year? Bourbon always has to be aged in new charred oak barrels at no more than 125 proof (or 62.5 percent alcohol), and it's not allowed to include any additives or colorings. Last year, I tasted a dozen bourbons that were widely available and selected Ezra Brooks 7-year-old Cask Strength. Hope I can find some of them here in the Pac-NW. You might notice there isnt a price, proof, tasting notes or distillery information listed on this pick. Theres a bit more of a pine woodiness on the palate of this one next to the toffee, spice, orange, and vanilla thats more pushed into the background. Thats because Barrell is, at this moment, the best blender of American whiskey there is (they have the trophy case to prove it). I was more akin to the standard Makers than 46. Early Times had already won a blind tasting with me previously, having captured gold in theBourbon Pursuit blind BIB Showdown. He has written multiple books on bourbon, has served as a judge at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the World Whiskey Awards, is the founder of Bourbon+ magazine, was the former lead American whiskey reviewer at Whiskey Advocate, hosts The Fred Minnick Show podcast (about bourbon) and is the Bourbon Authority for the Kentucky Derby Museum. Subscribe to his YouTube Channel to watch his Best American Whiskey taste off December 20.
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