Sticky flowers helps bind this together, creating a cohesive whole that you’ll miss when it’s away. Widow Jane 10-Year Old Bourbonįloral mocha rye spice and oak salt and burned sugar there’s a lovely yin/yang symmetry here that is earthy like the sea meeting the sky on the horizon. In the case of Old Forester, it comes from the recipe used by distiller Brown-Forman during the prohibition era when the government ordered them to keep their doors open to make bourbon “for medicinal purposes.” It’s 115 proof with vanilla, nuts, and seasoned oak that has a bulky belly which shows its exceptional age.Ĭheck latest price on Amazon 12. Usually when a bourbon starts claiming it’s “Prohibition style” it means made cheaply out of suspect ingredients. Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon Expect caramel apples, banana, oak, and cinnamon to come bounding in, begging you to play with them. Blade and Bow Kentucky StraightĪ curious creation by Diageo to revive the Stitzel-Weller distillery, Blade and Bow calls back all the notes of summer that made Stitzel-Weller a household, homespun name. There’s a reason Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is one of the top bourbons of 2021. All while black pepper, and cinnamon dance in the background. Once you taste this amber libation, you’ll be met with the flavors of vanilla, butterscotch, and even more caramel.
Elijah Craig Barrel ProofĬheck Price Upon initial experience, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof has a strong aroma of rich caramel, sweet fruits, and toasted oak. Though quite a high wire act, Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is silky and smooth in your mouth, that finishes off light, with no clingy aftertaste.Ĭheck latest price on Amazon 7. Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon WhiskeyĪ strange concoction that bears corn bread, stone fruits, walnut, along with menthol and mint, the delicate balance will never yank your tastes in any one direction. What you end up with is a uniquely flavorful bourbon with a lot of character. Then once you sample the bourbon, you’ll taste the peppery spices, along with a nuttiness that results in a full-bodied drinking experience. With Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, you’ll initially pick up on hints of honey, chocolate, and toasted oak. Low proof and basic, it’s a gentler choice for new sippers. Both are 2+2 simplistic, beginning with corky sweetness that is shot through with vanilla and blond oak. has returned with both an NAS (No Age Statement) version and one with a dedicated 15-year maturity. Long absent from sale on the shores of the United States, I.W. It has lots of Dreamsicle orange sweetness, but also has spite and tobacco leaf bite built right in to finish the job with frontier sass.Ĭheck latest price on Amazon 3. Swimming in rye, basic Bulleit might be easy to find, but that doesn’t discount how well it leverages mass production to bring high quality to the masses. So long as you get the right brand at the right price.īut look no further, here we present the best bourbon under $50: 1. Precisely how this mish-mash of corn and malt with rye became “Bourbon” is unknown. A culture which still lingers in the Southern States. The name comes from the French Dynasty, which brought over a vast culture. And corn is the necessary ingredient that changes it from straight whiskey.Īnd although it’s as connected to the Americas as it is to corn, the name “Bourbon” is most likely French inspired. Just as rye whiskey carries the distinction of being made of a majority of rye, bourbon is a majority of maize, or corn. But in the case of bourbon, it creates a rich, powerful drink, instead of being bottled heart disease. Of course that same crop is the reason westerners have so much high fructose corn syrup. One reason is corn, due to its cultivation in the Americas. In truth, straight bourbon whiskey is the only true American liquor. Here’s what you’ll find in our best bourbon reviews below And in America, one spirit reigns supreme: Bourbon. And the Emerald Isle whiskey isn’t far off.īut once you cross the Atlantic, you’ll land in the USA. Then as you run into the Atlantic, you hit Scotland with its scotch whisky. When you move further west, vodka becomes king.
Throughout East Asia, sake is often the drink of choice. Are you lost trying to sort through top shelf spirits, hoping to find the best bourbon on the market? We’re here to help with some of the most popular spirits available today, with reviews for the best bourbon under $50, $100, and right on up.