If you’re a fan of whiskey, there’s a good chance you have a few bottles of rye, scotch, bourbon, and other types of whiskey on hand for a mixed drink or to sip neat or on the rocks. But not everyone has a budget that allows them to stock up on dozens of bottles. High-end bottles with price tags well over $100 and beyond can be quite a hit to your wallet. If you’re like most of us and you don’t already have a fully stocked liquor cabinet or bar cart, you probably require a little bit of help picking the right bottles for you. That’s where we come in.
While we could write an article listing all the different bottles of the various whisk(e)y types that you need on your home bar cart, it would be uncomfortably long. This is why we’re sticking to bourbon today. If you’re a fan of a classic old fashioned, mint julep, or whiskey sour, or simply a nice, sweet, mellow sipper, it’s likely the most important whiskey style for you anyway.
For those new to the spirit, to be considered a bourbon (among other rules and regulations), the whiskey must be a minimum of 50 percent corn (other ingredients include rye, wheat, and barley), must be distilled to no more than 160 proof, aged in new, charred oak barrels, and added to the barrel at no higher than 125 proof. This highly versatile, sweet, corn-centric spirit is a staple of the bartending and home bar world.
But you can’t just grab a few bottles, throw them on a bar cart and call it a day. Purchasing the right bottles for your needs is key. Below, you’ll find ten bottles of bourbon everyone needs on their home bar cart. Some are known for their value, others for their mixability, and others are just perfect, mellow sippers that will warm you inside and out on a cold night and relax you on a warm, summer eve.
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
The flagship bourbon from the distillery of the same name, Buffalo Trace might be the best value in the whiskey world. Named for the majestic Buffalo that roamed the American frontier, this surprisingly cheap bourbon doesn’t carry an age statement (although it’s believed to be around nine years old), but its complexity would make us believe that it’s not a young bourbon. A perfect mixer or sipper, Buffalo Trace carries prominent flavors of toasted vanilla beans, charred oak, and subtly spicy rye.
Maker’s Mark Bourbon
There’s a reason even non-whiskey drinkers have heard of Maker’s Mark. The famous red wax dipped bottle has a mash bill of 70 percent corn, 16 percent wheat, and 14 percent malted barley. While it has a nice corn sweetness from the high corn content, the addition of wheat gives it a soft, easy-drinking flavor that’s unparalleled for the price point. At 90 proof, the flavors of wood char, buttery caramel, and sweet wheat hold up with even the boldest cocktail ingredients.
Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon
Four Roses is a big name in the bourbon world. It’s the type of distillery where you can close your eyes, grab a bottle and you’ll be pretty sure you’re happy. But, if you only had to pick one for your home bar cart, make it Four Roses Single Barrel. It’s bold, 100-proof, high-rye, and aged between 7 to 9 years in new, charred American oak casks. The result is a well-balanced whiskey with notes of dried cherries, vanilla, maple candy, and just a hint of peppery rye.
Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
If you only buy one bottle on this list, make it Wild Turkey 101. This highly versatile banger of a bottle has been made the same way for the last sixty years by beloved master distiller Jimmy Russell. It has a high-rye mash bill aged in deeply charred, American white oak barrels between six and eight years. This bartender favorite is bottled at a bold 101 proof and has flavors of oak, cinnamon, sugar, and toffee that work well in a classic Sazerac or brown derby.
Old Grand-Dad Bonded Bourbon Whiskey
If you’ve never purchased a bottle of Old Grand-Dad, you’re missing out on the best budget bottle on the market. This high-rye bourbon from Jim Beam is usually around $25 for a 750ml bottle. It’s aged in charred, oak barrels for four years and a bonded bourbon. This means it’s 100 proof. But, even at that high proof, it’s still surprisingly smooth and drinkable, neat or on the rocks. But it shines in cocktails due to its flavors of raisins, wood char, vanilla, and spicy cinnamon sugar.
Evan Williams Single Barrel
This award-winning bottle will quickly become the most used bourbon in your home bar cart. While Evan Williams Black Label is one of the best bottom shelf bourbons on the market, for only a few more dollars you can grab the only vintage-dated single barrel bottle on the market. This approachable 86.6 proof bourbon was matured in new, charred American oak barrels for seven to eight years. The result is well-balanced whiskey swirling with flavors of caramel apples, sticky toffee, vanilla, and subtle spices.
Eagle Rare 10-Year Bourbon
Eagle Rare 17 is a fairly difficult bottle to come by. While this is a bummer for bourbon fans, it’s okay because Eagle Rare 10 isn’t hard to find. Aged for ten years in new, charred American oak casks, this award-winning whiskey is a single-barrel bourbon that’s bottled at 90 proof. Great for cocktails, but meant for slow sipping, this beloved whiskey is chock full of flavors like charred oak, candied orange peels, vanilla beans, and a nice nutty sweetness.
Michter’s US-1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon
The unsung hero of the whiskey world, Michter’s is yet another distillery that makes nothing but high-level whiskeys. While its ten-year-old offering is bordering on unicorn status due to its limited quantity, the brand’s flagship small-batch bourbon is aged in new, charred oak casks before being batched in a holding tank that holds twenty barrels at most. This results in a highly complex bourbon with notes of toasted vanilla beans, sweet treacle, dried cherries, and just a hint of spicy wood char.
Woodford Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Located in the heart of horse racing country in Versailles, Kentucky, Woodford Reserve means quality. Its flagship expression is its Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The high-rye mash bill consists of 72 percent corn, 18 percent rye, and 10 percent malted barley. It’s triple distilled and aged for a minimum of six years before making its way into your bottle. It’s sweet, mellow, and filled with flavors like almond cookies, buttery caramel, sweet malts, and a healthy dose of peppery rye perfect for an old fashioned.
Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey
Bourbon drinkers love Elijah Craig because of its value. Believed by many to be the creator of what we now know as bourbon, Elijah Craig was the first distiller to char barrels before aging. This expression pays tribute to its namesake by using heavily charred casks in the maturation process. The result is a 94 proof bourbon with notes of toasted vanilla beans, dried fruits, charred oak, and subtle spices. It’s well-suited for sipping neat or on the rocks and stands up well in multi-dimensional, bold cocktails.
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