The 25 Most Important Bourbons Ever Made

Whether you're sipping bourbon neat or using it in a cocktail, these are the 25 bottles to know.

In the past few years, the world of bourbon and American whiskey in general have changed dramatically. According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (DISCUS), “In 2022, more than 31 million 9-liter cases of American Whiskey were sold in the United States, generating nearly $5.1 billion in revenue for distillers.” This was driven primarily by the proverbial top shelf. “Reflecting Americans’ increased interest in premium products, since 2003, High End Premium, and Super-Premium brands drove growth,” according to DISCUS. “High End Premium revenues were up 243% and Super-Premium 2,015%.”

And while American whiskey as a whole consists of far more than bourbon alone — rye whiskey, Tennessee whiskey, American single malt, and more are all important categories — it’s bourbon that remains something of a calling card. That doesn’t make it better or worse; it just means that in terms of widespread familiarity among much of the domestic consumer base, bourbon is more or less synonymous with American whiskey.

Despite that longterm familiarity, the category has expanded and the consumer base has broadened; the geographic range of places in which top-quality bourbon is crafted has expanded dramatically; women and people of color have continued to play increasingly important, public-facing roles in the industry; and creativity, in terms of use of heirloom grains, unique mash bills, barrel aging and finishing, and more, is at something of an all-time high.

As a result, the world of bourbon is as exciting as it’s ever been. The 27 below, listed alphabetically, reflect that in particularly visceral ways, and represent the old-school and newer classics that, to a significant extent, have shaped (and continue to shape) the entire category.

Angel’s Envy

Unique barrel-finishing among bourbons may seem fairly common now, but before Angel’s Envy, it really wasn’t. All that changed in 2011, when the brand — the brainchild of whiskey legends Lincoln and Wes Henderson — was launched. Since then, they’ve opened a distillery in downtown Louisville (2013), expanded their range from Port cask-finished bourbon to Caribbean rum cask-finished rye, barrel-proof expressions, and more, and become a crucial component of any serious bar’s selection.

Blanton’s Single Barrel

This is increasingly difficult to find, as seems to be the case with so many standout Bourbons these days. But it’s well worth picking up several bottles if you happen to come across any. It was the first to be marketed as a single-barrel expression, and since its introduction in 1984, it’s become a beloved standard.

Booker’s

Since its initial release in 1988, Booker’s has been a benchmark among barrel-proof whiskeys. A new expression hits the market four times each year; the current one, the 2023-02 “Apprentice Batch,” was aged for seven years, one month, and two days, bottled at 125.5 proof, and rings with sweet, spice-forward notes of caramelized stone fruit, pralines, and sticky toffee pudding. Also look for the annual release of Little Book, a whiskey that changes every year and that mines the family’s vast barrel stores and is always a fascinating expression. The current release, 2022’s Chapter 06: To the Finish, is a magnificent whiskey.

Buffalo Trace Experimental Series

Buffalo Trace is responsible for more whiskeys than most people realize, including legends like George T. Stagg, Elmer T. Lee, W.L. Weller, Eagle Rare, and more. They also have a zest for experimenting with barrels, mash bills, and more, and the best of them are introduced as part of their Experimental Series. The current release, a spectacular straight bourbon whiskey made with peated malt, is the result of just six barrels that were bottled on April 1, 2022 after aging for nine years and five months. Its dance of smoke, mineral, and cigar humidor notes is fantastic, and the generosity of the finish provides excellent balance.

Bulleit

Bulleit has become an instantly recognizable bottle at seemingly every bar in the country. The Diageo-owned brand has been around since 1987, and in the intervening decades, it’s become a go-to call for a wide range of whiskey-based cocktails. The brand produces a classic, a 10 year, and a barrel strength bourbon (in addition to rye), all of them based on a high-rye mash bill that lends them their telltale touch of spice.

Eaves Blind

This is the brainchild of Marianne Eaves, the first female master distiller in Kentucky, who worked for Castle & Key before branching out on her own. As far as we can tell, it’s the first bourbon subscription that allows members to receive both single barrel and cask-strength blended bourbons several times each year, yet with no branding information on any of them, The idea is to express the character of each of the country’s nine climate regions, afford members the opportunity to taste utterly unique bourbons without the preconceived notions of knowing what they are, and then, at the end of the year, to have all of the mysteries unveiled online with Marianne herself. It’s a totally different way of experiencing bourbon, and the first to elevate the blind tasting of it by consumers to a level more usually associated with wine.

Elijah Craig

Elijah Craig is best known for its excellent 94 proof Small Batch Bourbon, which tastes like it costs a lot more than it actually does and rings with maple-pecan pralines and peanut brittle. It’s a balanced, silky bourbon that can be found for well less than $30…a fantastic value. The non-chill-filtered Barrel Proof Bourbon is also delicious. A recent tasting of Batch A123 showed a powerful, mineral dram with plenty of autumn orchard fruit, orange oils, and a hint of ginger, all of it pulsed along with woodsy spice and salted caramel.

Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel

Another gem from the Buffalo Trace Distillery, this single-barrel standout has been climbing in price–and diminishing in availability–for years. But if you spot a bottle for a reasonable price, snap it up: It’s been around since 1985, and at nearly 40 years old, this industry stalwart is more popular than ever.

Evan William’s Single Barrel

Every home bar should have a bottle of this on it…and another in reserve. It’s released with a vintage on the label, which is unusual in the world of whiskey, and can be found for less than $30. Also of note is the Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon, which makes for a fantastic Old Fashioned.

Four Roses

After having disappeared from the American market, Four Roses returned here in 2002 under the new ownership of Kirin. Master Distiller (and whiskey legend) Jim Rutledge helped revivify the brand, and today, it’s become a highly respected standard. Four Roses famously uses two mash bills and five strains of yeast, which gives them ten distinct liquids to work with. Today, it’s made by the wildly talented Brent Elliott, and across the excellent range of bourbons, the Small Batch remains one of the great values in the world of American whiskey. It’s wonderfully silky in texture, and its notes of chocolate-enrobed cherries, warm vanilla, and caramel are deeply comforting.

George T. Stagg

Hard as it is to believe given its well-earned notoriety, George T. Stagg has only been around for a little over 20 years. But in that time, it’s become a cult classic, a minimum-15-year-old wonder that’s bottled unfiltered and uncut. The George T Stagg Jr. has become nearly as sought after, and with good reason: Both are incredible.

Hudson Baby Bourbon

Tuthilltown Spirits changed the whiskey landscape from its perch in New York State, where it was founded in 2003. Since those early days, the company has expanded its range significantly, including the Four Part Harmony four-grain bourbon, the Do The Rye Thing rye, and more. The Short Stack rye, finished in ex-maple syrup barrels, makes a particularly decadent Old Fashioned.

Jefferson’s

With their unorthodox blends and, most notably, their Ocean Series, Jefferson’s has captured the imagination of the whiskey-drinking public with its unique process (for the latter) of aging their whiskeys on sea voyages, exploring how movement and changes in temperature, humidity, and more impact the final liquid. Their recently released Marian McLain blend of straight bourbon whiskeys is also excellent. It brings together 8-, 11-, and 14-year-old bourbons with a wheated double-barreled bourbon and a rum cask-finished one. The result is sweet with grilled nectarines and nougat, savory with slate-like mineral, earthy with toasted walnuts and tobacco, and lingering through the long, layered finish.

Jim Beam

Jim Beam is one of the top-selling bourbons on Planet Earth, and can be found at bars across this country and overseas.  But the brand is more than its eponymous expressions, and in recent years, they’ve also expanded their offerings in fascinating ways, including Legent, which brings together the expertise of Jim Beam’s seventh generation master distiller Fred Noe and Suntory’s fifth chief blender Fhinji Fukuyo; Basil Hayden’s, which has become a go-to classic in its own right; Hardin’s Creek, which is comprised of a regularly cycle of limited releases (make sure to check out the terrific Boston, Clermont, and Frankfort expressions); and more. (They also recently released their first American single malt whiskey, Clermont Steep, and though that’s not a bourbon, it’s a dangerously easy-drinking and sneakily complex dram that should be considered in its own right.)

Knob Creek

Knob Creek, crafted at the Jim Beam Distillery and on the market since 1992, offers a breadth of whiskeys, from a nine-year bourbon and a seven-year rye to multiple single-barrel expressions, a terrific 18-year-old bourbon, and more.

Lost Lantern

Inspired by the independent bottlers of generations past on the other side of the Atlantic, Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski have applied that model to American whiskey. They seek out the most interesting, expressive whiskeys from distillers across the United States, and bottle them under both the producer’s name and Lost Lantern’s. Their annual cycle of releases is exceptionally interesting, always well chosen, and offers a view into the deeply exciting world of American craft whiskey, from bourbon and rye to American single malt and beyond.

Maker’s Mark

For many people, Maker’s Mark is the point of entry into the world of bourbon. From the iconic red wax dripping down the neck of the bottle to the sweet, balanced character of the liquid itself, Maker’s is always a reliable option to sip on its own, with a large rock, or in a cocktail. Maker’s Mark has also earned well-justified acclaim for its Limited Release Wood Finishing Series. The most recent one, the 2023 BEP (it stands for Barrel Entry Proof, in this case a relatively low 110, which affected how the liquid interacted with wood), is outstanding, with notes of brown sugar burbling away on the stove, sweet woodsy spices dusted on top, and a structuring frame of tannins lingering through the finish.

Michter’s Line

From the not-too-difficult-to-find US1 bourbon to less widely available expressions, Michter’s is a serious player on the American whiskey scene for good reason. Their well-aged and single-barrel expressions have become justifiable collectors’ items, often fetching many times their suggested retail prices on the secondary market. The phenomenal 2023 release of their 10 year single barrel bourbon is a delicious example of why this is: Its preternatural balance of fruit (cherries, currants, flamed orange peels, mashed pears), sweet spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, star anise), and savory notes like tobacco and leather are absolutely unforgettable.

Old Forester

The history of bourbon as we know it is inextricably tied to the history of Old Forester, which was the first brand to offer its precious liquid in sealed bottles, as opposed to the standard-at-the-time barrels. It’s been crafted since way back in 1870, and from their 100 proof straight bourbon to their fascinating Whiskey Row Series and their Birthday Bourbon – which is cause each year for collectors to go into fits of whiskey bliss – Old Forester is well worth a place on the shelf.

Old Grand-Dad Bonded and 114

Crafted from a high-rye mash bill, both of these expressions from Old Grand-Dad (named after a distiller by the name of Basil Hayden, whom you might have heard of…) are back-bar standards. They offer tremendous value, reliable quality, and elevate cocktails in particularly memorable ways. And both can be found for under $30.

Pappy Van Winkle

The stuff of whiskey-collectors’ dreams, the occasional high-profile theft, and not a few fakes, Pappy (it’s often referred to by that one name) is the Rolex of the American whiskey world, an icon in its own right whose reputation is enough to justify fans digging deep into their bank accounts for the chance to experience what the buzz is all about. It’s a wheated bourbon, and available in a number of age statements…all of them, it seems, difficult to find.

Russell’s Reserve

Since its commercial debut in 2001 (it was originally a 101 proof, 10 year bourbon), Russell’s Reserve has grown to become something of a cult classic. Each bottle is still emblazoned with the signature of both Jimmy and Eddie Russell, and in addition to their 90 proof, 10 year bourbon, they also make a stellar, limited release 13 year, barrel-proof expression, a single rickhouse collection, and rye—all well worth space on your shelf.

Uncle Nearest

The most successful Black-owned spirits brand in American history, Uncle Nearest is named for Nathan “Nearest” Green, the master distiller who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey and, it’s believed, perfected the Lincoln County Process that is now standard for Tennessee whiskey production. The brand was founded in 2016 by Fawn Weaver, and since then has had massive and very well-deserved success. Master blender Victoria Eady Butler, the first Black woman to hold that title at an American distillery, is Green’s great-great-granddaughter. The range of whiskeys produced at the Nearest Green Distillery doesn’t technically include a bourbon, but several of them fit the legal definition. Weaver, in a press release, noted: “Some call Uncle Nearest a straight bourbon whiskey, some call us straight Tennessee Whiskey. We don't care, as our whiskey meets the legal requirement of both distinctions.” Their entire range is excellent.

Weller Line

Often referred to as “Baby Pappy” for its wheated mash bill and its history of having been crafted at the iconic Stitzel-Weller distillery, Weller was once an affordable alternative to its nickname-sake, but has climbed in price and dropped in availability. Still, it’s a terrific whiskey, from the Special Reserve to the William Larue Weller, whose prices on the secondary market climb into the thousands.

Widow Jane

From their base in Brooklyn, the team at Widow Jane seeks out unique bourbons and ryes from across the country, further ages them in Red Hook, and brings them to proof with hard water from Upstate New York. The result is a portfolio of whiskeys that is exceptionally interesting and thoughtful, from their annual release of The Vaults to the more-easily-accessible 10 year blend of straight bourbons and beyond.

Wild Turkey 101

Synonymous with the Russell family (first Jimmy, and now Eddie, whose skill and vision as Master Distillers are the stuff of legend), Wild Turkey 101 is that rare whiskey that is simultaneously affordable, available, and reliably delicious. In addition to the classic 101, the barrel proof Wild Turkey Rare Breed and the collector’s-clamor-for-it Master’s Keep (the new one, “Voyage,” released in June 2023, is a magnificent expression based on 10 year old bourbon that was finished in casks that were personally chosen by Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum master blender Dr. Joy Spence and that previously held 14 year old pot still rum), are classics in their own right.

Woodford Reserve

Woodford Reserve is one of those whiskeys that seems to be everywhere, and with justifiable reason: It consistently offers excellent bang for the proverbial buck, it’s a lovely sipper both neat and on the rocks, and it makes a terrific base for an Old Fashioned. The distillery traces its roots back to 1812 and is registered as a National Historic Landmark. The classic Distiller’s Select is crafted from a mash that supplements corn with 18% rye and 10% malted barley, but the rest of the range is also worth sipping your way through, including the Double Oaked and the Master’s Collection Historic Barrel Entry series, the latest of which, the Winter 2022, hit the barrel at 100 proof (a nod to 19th century whiskey production) and tastes of Halloween candy corn, roasted and maple-covered walnuts, and dried black cherries joined by singed mint leaf through the long, silky finish.

The world of American whiskey has expanded in fantastic ways, and great bourbon is produced around the United States. Texas has become a particular hot spot, with producers like Firestone & Robertson, Balcones, Garrison Brothers, Still Austin, and Milam & Greene shining brightly. High West produces lovely bourbon (and standout rye) in Park City, Utah, Frey Ranch are grain-to-glass geniuses in Nevada, and Woody Creek is doing great things in the state, too. Woodinville has been on a hot streak for several years now from their base in Washington State, Penelope has been a hit from their base in New Jersey, and across the river in Pennsylvania, brands like Resurgent, Manatawny Still Works, and Bluebird are crushing it. Tattersall in Minnesota, Traverse City Whiskey Co. and Journeyman Distillery in Michigan, Watershed Distillery in Ohio, District Made in Washington, DC, Cedar Ridge in Iowa, and Laws Whiskey House and Breckenridge in Colorado all embody the vibrant, highly accomplished domestic bourbon scene brilliantly. And within Kentucky, spiritual home of bourbon, brands like New Riff, Barrel Craft Spirits, Bardstown Bourbon Company, Hirsch Selected Whiskeys, Kentucky Owl, 2XO, Castle & Key, and Pinhook are all helping to redefine the bounds of America’s classic spirit. The moral is simple: Drink bourbon with as much geographic breadth as possible!

Related: The 27 Best Gifts for Bourbon Lovers, According to Whiskey Experts

For more Food & Wine news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Food & Wine.