The 12 Finest Bourbons to Purchase Proper Now

Best Overall: Knob Creek 12 Bourbon

Original Knob Creek, part of the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection, is a truly excellent nine-year-old bourbon. But the limited-edition 12-year-old, first released a few years ago, is even better. It’s made from the same mashbill, bottled at the same 100 proof and has the same complex flavor full of vanilla, caramel and spicy notes. But those extra three years in barrels have given it some more complexity. The limited-edition 15 and 18-year-old Knob Creek bourbons are tasty as well, but the 12 occupies a middle zone that makes it one of the best out there.

Buy Now on ReserveBar: $69

Buy Now on Caskers: $56

Best Barrel Proof: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof

While the term barrel proof isn’t legally defined, it generally means that the whiskey in the bottle has not been diluted before bottling and is as close to drinking straight from the cask as you can get without actually doing so. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, produced at Kentucky’s Heaven Hill distillery, is one of the best in this category. It’s released three times per year, and while the proof and age range varies, it’s consistenly excellent. Try a few releases side-by-side to see how they compare.

Buy Now on ReserveBar: $75

Best Cask-Finished Bourbon: Angel’s Envy

Angel’s Envy is one of the best known and widely available cask-finished American whiskey brands you can find. The core expression is a four to six-year-old bourbon finished in ruby port wine barrels for up to half a year, giving the whiskey a dark color and syrupy notes of candied fruit. There are many other examples of cask-finished bourbon to choose from, but start with one of the best from a distillery that’s been at it for more than a decade.

Buy Now on ReserveBar: $46

Best Under $100: Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Wild Turkey 101 is one of the best cheap bourbons you can find, but consider spending a little more money on Rare Breed, the fantastic cask-strength expression from this Kentucky distillery. This blend of six, eight, and 12-year-old bourbon is one of the best you can find for less than 100 bucks, and at just shy of 113 proof it’s strong without smacking you in the face with alcohol, revealing layer upon layer of flavor.

Buy Now on ReserveBar: $64

Best Under $50: Old Forester 100 Proof

Old Forester is known for its affordable bourbon, and there are two options available for less than $50: the 86 proof and the 100 proof. Go for the latter, because that higher ABV means more flavor and less dilution. This is classic Kentucky bourbon, with notes of brown sugar, oak, caramel, and vanilla, and is a great bargain whether you want to sip your whiskey neat or make an Old Fashioned.

Buy Now on ReserveBar: $25

Buy Now on Caskers: $27

Best for Cocktails: Dickel Bourbon

Nicole Austin has made a huge impact on the quality of the whiskey released by the Cascade Hollow Distilling Co., the home of George Dickel Tennessee Whisky, since she joined the team there. There have been a series of bottled-in-bond whiskeys, a rye collaboration with Colorado distillery Leopold Bros., and her boutique Cascade Moon collection. But one of the best whiskeys she came up with was Dickel Bourbon, a fantastic choice for mixing up your favorite cocktails. This eight-year-old whiskey meets the same production criteria as Tennessee whiskey, but Austin thought the flavor profile was closer to a classic bourbon. Whatever you want to call it, keep this bottle on your home bar to use in your next Old Fashioned.

Buy Now on Wine.com: $32

Best Craft: Frey Ranch Bourbon

Not every craft distillery is making good whiskey, although most should be commended for their creativity and innovation. Nevada’s Frey Ranch checks all of these boxes, however, and this five-year-old, grain-to-glass bourbon stands with the best of the old guard. This whiskey is made from a four-grain mashbill of corn, rye, wheat and barley, and at 90 proof has all of the complexity and flavor you are looking for in high-quality bourbon.

Buy Now on ReserveBar: $45

Best High Rye: Redemption Cognac Cask Finish

This bourbon could certainly fall under the cask-finished category, but its high-rye mashbill earns it a place here. High rye can mean different things to different distilleries, but generally speaking more than 20 percent is pretty high for a bourbon. In this case, the mashbill has 36 percent rye, adding a nice layer of spice to the notes of dried fruit, sweet orange, and dark stone fruit picked up during its Cognac cask finish.

Buy Now on Total Wine: $70

Best Wheated: Maker’s Mark

The wheated bourbon category (meaning wheat is used as the secondary grain instead of rye) has some much more famous members—specifically, Pappy Van Winkle. But higher price and rarity isn’t necessarily an indicator of better quality, as proven by the excellence of Maker’s Mark. This wheated bourbon is a standout with a soft sweetness rounded out by caramel, vanilla, and oak notes. Sip it neat or use it in a cocktail, because it’s one of the most versatile bourbons you can find. 

Buy Now on ReserveBar: $26

Best Single Barrel Bourbon: Four Roses Single Barrel

By its very nature, single barrel bourbon varies in flavor depending on which cask it came from. But that’s also the joy of drinking whiskey that literally comes from one individual barrel instead of the blend of many barrels that go into a distillery’s core expressions. Kentucky’s Four Roses is unique in that it makes ten different recipes using two mashbills and five yeast strains. For its single barrel release, just one recipe is selected, usually aged between seven and nine years, and bottled at 100 proof. This is a bourbon that is consistently good no matter which barrel you get.

Buy Now on ReserveBar: $44

Best Blended: Barrell Bourbon

Gone are the days when “blended” was a bad word in bourbon, with producers like Barrell Craft Spirits sourcing and blending whiskey from various sources and making the sum better than its parts. BCS releases its Barrell Bourbon in batches throughout the year, with the latest being Batch 35. This blend of straight bourbon whiskeys comes from Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky (as do virtually all of the batches), consisting of six, seven, eight, and 13-year-old barrels. It’s bottled at cask strength of 117.5 proof, and is one of the best bourbons out there overall.

Buy Now on Total Wine: $81

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Best Splurge: Michter’s 10 Year Bourbon

Last year’s release of Michter’s 10 Year was the first since 2021, and fans are happy to see this fantastic single-barrel, decade-old bourbon back in the mix. Given that it’s a single barrel whiskey, there will be variation between release year and individual bottles. But the bourbon is usually pretty excellent, so if you’re looking to splurge on some whiskey consider this. Given the age of the whiskey, it was sourced and not distilled at the Michter’s distillery. But the master distiller and master of maturation have done a fantastic job selecting barrels, some of which are more than 10 years old, resulting in a deep and complex sipper that you will not regret dropping some cash on.

Buy Now on Caskers: $450

FAQ

What is bourbon?

There are some key requirements for a whiskey to be called bourbon. It must be made in the USA from at least 51 percent corn and aged in new charred oak containers (virtually always barrels). No color or flavor may be added. It cannot be distilled to more than 160 proof, cannot go into a barrel at more than 125 proof and must be bottled at a minimum of 80 proof. If there’s an age statement, it must list the youngest whiskey in the bottle. Straight bourbon means it’s been aged for at least two years, and if it’s less than four years old the age must be on the label.

How should you drink bourbon?

The short answer is however you like it. There is no wrong or right way to enjoy bourbon. If you prefer cocktails, there are plenty of options and bourbon goes well with other ingredients. But consider trying bourbon on its own as well to explore the flavors. A Glencairn glass is a good way to nose and taste bourbon neat, and some people like to add a splash of water. A tumbler works just fine if you’d like to add some ice. Just remember to drink it in the way that you like best.

How did we choose the bourbon on this list?

We considered different factors when picking these bourbons, with the emphasis being on taste. Because after all, despite a bottle’s availability or the hype surrounding it, that is the most important thing. Tasting bourbon involves a combination of sensations, including the nose, palate, mouthfeel and finish. And each category has different characteristics, so part of the process is to consider how an individual pick fits into its style overall. The bottles on this list represent the best bourbons based on all of these options, providing a good overview of selections you can easily purchase in person or online that are good examples of each individual category.

Why should you trust us?

Jonah Flicker has been writing about whiskey and other spirits for nearly a decade, visiting distilleries around the world to meet the people behind the bottles and find out more about their stories. He is a judge for the John Barleycorn Awards and New York World Wine and Spirits Competition, and his work has appeared in many national other lifestyle outlets besides Robb Report, including Esquire, Food & Wine, CNN, USA Today and more.