There you are standing in the isle of the local liquor store, staring at the countless options of bourbon and whiskey trying to figure out which one to buy. Looking at your options you see small batch Bourbon, Rye, labels that say single barrel, labels with a crow, someone’s grandad and an overwhelmed feeling begins to fall upon you. Fear not, we’ve got you covered.
Every bourbon whiskey drinker must try a range of bourbons to build their palate, and preference. Here are ten bourbons anyone new to bourbon must try to get familiar with your soon to be favorite spirit (In no particular order).
- Evan Williams
- Four Roses
- Jim Beam
- Woodford Reserve
- Bulleit Bourbon
- Buffalo Trace
- Weller Special Reserve
- Maker’s Mark
- Wild Turkey 101
- Elijah Craig
The higher the price the better the bourbon, right?
Not necessarily, and here is why. Some of the best bourbons to try are the lower priced bourbons. They introduce you to the distillery and their family of bourbons. Many are also distilled from the exact same mash build as their more expensive family members.
Why are they less expensive? Well, it can get complicated but in the end, they are usually only aged, in oak barrels, for two to 4 years and are then blended with a lot of other barrels aged the length of time. The result is a good quality, mass produced, consistent product.
Here are my three suggestions for a less expensive bottle to get you introduced to a number of distillers that have some hard to find and expensive higher end brands.
First is Evan Williams, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. It is on my list above, and at $15 a bottle, you really cannot go wrong at this entry point. At 86 Proof, it has three additional brands above it, Evan Williams 100 Proof & Bonded, Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch, and Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage. To add to it, Elijah Craig and Heaven Hill are also part of the family. While their mash builds are not identical, Evan Williams is a great entry into their large family of bourbons.
Second, Benchmark 8 or Ancient Age, both around $10-12 or their slightly more expensive cousin, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, coming in at $25 dollars. They have an entry point for any budget, but from there it opens you up to a diverse family of bourbons. Eagle Rare, Weller, Blanton’s, EH Taylor, Elmer T. Lee and Pappy Van Winkle, just to name a few. Yes, this family tree of bourbon has even more branches. Full disclosure, Buffalo Trace is one of, if not my, favorite distiller. Their flavors, blends and elusiveness of their bottles makes for some good bourbon hunts and the reward is always satisfying.
And finally, Jim Beam. While this comes in around $27, it opens you up to a number of other bourbons. This one I may need to create a flowchart to keep things straight. But the same mash build used to make this bourbon is the same as many of the other bourbons in their family. The difference for the name and price? Age, alcohol proof, blending, and warehouse placement of barrels impact their final products. Once you try Jim Beam, you’ll be better prepared to try other brands in the family like Baker’s, Knob Creek, Old Tylor, and even Wild Turkey.
| Bourbon | Price |
|---|---|
| Elijah Craig Small Batch | $22 |
| Buffalo Trace | $24 |
| Evan Williams | $15 |
| Four Roses | $27 |
| Woodford Reserve | $35 |
| Bulliet Bourbon | $20 |
| Weller Special Reserve | $24 |
| Maker’s Mark | $28 |
| Wild Turkey 101 | $26 |
| Jim Beam | $27 |
Let’s talk about alcohol by volume and proof and boil them down
Let’s get a little nerdy with this one. Alcohol by Volume or ABV, first defined in the United Kingdom as 7/4 the alcohol by volume or the alcohol concentration in the spirit. In America, ABV is defined as half the alcohol proof. Or, I guess it is easier to see it as the Proof is two times the ABV of the alcohol. So, that bottle of Wild Turkey 101, is 50.5 ABV or 101 Proof. Unlike many clear liquors, bourbon tends to be higher in ABV. Many standard bourbons are 86 Proof, Bonded Bourbon is always 100 Proof and some brands, like Wild Turkey are higher.
There are some stories out there that the term Proof came from British armies requiring rum distillers to prove their spirit was of high quality and not watered down. So, it would be tested with a flame to see if it would, in turn, catch fire. If it did catch fire, it was Proof that the content was of high quality, and if not, well, who would want to find that out the hard way?
What does this mean and why should you care? Well, the higher the ABV or Proof number, the more ethyl alcohol there is in the final product. The more alcohol the larger the impact it will have on the drinker. If you are looking to mix drinks or sip on your bourbon straight up, this will help you decide how much of an effect it will have on you and your guests.
In the United States, ABV is required to be on the label. But, many will have proof and even include it as their name to differentiate their family of bourbons. Again, I’ll go back to Wild Turkey. They have Wild Turkey 81 and Wild Turkey 101, among others.
Absolute alcohol is 200 Proof, or 100 ABV. You have to be close to a magician to get this level of purity, and don’t even dream of drinking anything at that level… Killer.
Quick Reference Guide for New Bourbon Drinkers
Here’s a quick list to help with some common terms and phrases you’ll start to see when researching bourbon.
- Kentucky Straight Bourbon- The ingredient to make up the mash, or grain-base, must be at least 51% corn. The distilled bourbon, or high/low wines must be at least 80% alcohol and not greater than 160%. When barrelled the alcohol must be no more than 125% and must age in a new charred oak barrel. Typically, the aging process is at least 2 years, most are aged around 4 years, but for some it is much longer.
- Single Barrel- Bourbon drawn from one barrel and not mixed with any other bourbon
- Small Batch- Bourbon mixed with select barrels that have aged into a specific style
- Blends- Similar to small batches but on a larger scale. Many of the mass go to market bourbon brands are blends. It helps the distilleries produce a consistent product.
- Bottled In Bond- Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 and it dictates that the spirit be aged for at least 4 years. When Bottled it has to be at 100 Proof, exactly. The spirit must be made by one distiller at the same distillery and within the same season. Then aged in a bonded warehouse. Think of it as the Government’s consumer protection practice for unadulterated bourbon, or in comparison to the German Beer Purity Law. Geez, people must have really taken their specific ingredients seriously to make a delicious alcohol.