The 13 Top Bourbons to Drink in 2024

1. Blanton’s Original Single Barrel

The Blanton family has been making Bourbon since before the Civil War, but their breakthrough came in 1984 when they introduced the first single barrel Bourbon.

Origin: Frankfort, KY, U.S.A.
Price: $60 for 750 ml.
ABV: 46.5%
By: Buffalo Trace

Since each barrel is bottled unblended, expect variations, but we’ve enjoyed tastes from multiple bottles. Throw away the cardboard box, and the multifaceted, squat globe bottle surrounded by a simple cloth bag makes a perfect gift…except when the recipient doesn’t open it right away. Pull the racehorse and jockey stopper (there are eight different poses available) and enjoy its toffee-caramel aroma. The reddish-amber Bourbon has a lovely jolt of orange zest and burnt sugar on the palate. Exuding flavors, one sip feels like it fills our entire mouth.

2. Bomberger’s Declaration 2018

This Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey may win the award for least sexy name ever, but a few sips will help the seven-syllable name Bomberger’s Declaration roll off your tongue.

Origin: Louisville, KY, U.S.A.
Price: $60 for 750 ml.
ABV: 54%
By: Michter’s

Bomberger’s was named for a Pennsylvania distillery that was making spirits way back in 1753 but closed in 1989. On the nose, one senses heat from this amber potion, but neat, there is no alcohol burn despite the whopping 108 proof. Among the caramel and toffee flavors lies a hint of citrus. Adding a splash of water brings candy notes to the fore. We don’t smoke, but if we were lighting up a cigar, this would make a fine accompaniment.

3. Booker’s Bluegrass

Booker Noe was the Master Distiller at Jim Beam Distillery from 1965-1992 and launched his eponymous whiskey in 1988 to start the Small Batch Bourbon Collection.

Origin: Clermont, KY, U.S.A.
Price: $60 for 750 ml.
ABV: 63.95%
By: Booker’s Bourbon

Booker’s labels bear his name (his middle name, actually; he was born Frederick Booker Noe II) and his handwriting. Fred Noe, his son and seventh-generation Beam family distiller, is now releasing Booker’s in batches using the same recipe. Booker’s Bluegrass is the first 2016 small batch of this collection, but there’s nothing small about its potency. This is powerful stuff, bottled at full strength after nearly seven years of aging at a whopping 127.9 proof. That means nearly two-thirds of each sweet sip is alcohol. While the original, full-bodied Booker’s is nearly as strong, Basil Hayden’s seems quaint at only 80 proof. But behind that intensity is a sweet, viscous vanilla and maple syrup flavor that will coat your mouth like adult candy. The alcohol is hidden on the nose, where one can detect vanilla and citrus. However, the alcohol burn is hard to ignore when sipped straight; don’t be embarrassed to ask for water or rocks. The additives tame the alcohol and bring out hints of cocoa in the satisfying aftertaste. Booker’s Bluegrass will warm you from the inside out.

4. Bradshaw Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

NFL Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw has excelled at several endeavors and is well known for winning four Super Bowls for the Pittsburg Steelers and his many years as a TV celebrity and sports commentator.

Origin: Owensboro, KY, U.S.A.
Price: $40 for 750 ml.
ABV: 51.9%
By: Bradshaw Bourbon

Now he’s succeeding at promoting a superior American bourbon. Made from a mash bill of 70% corn, 21% rye and 9% malted barley and aged for a minimum of two years in new American oak barrels, it comes in hot due to its high 51.9% ABV alcohol strength, a symbolic number as it also happens to be Bradshaw’s career passing completion percentage. As for the flavor, expect notes of baking spices, a touch of cinnamon and vanilla on the palate and more vanilla and butterscotch on the finish.

Lest you forget about what Bradshaw is also quite proud of, the Roman numerals IX, X, XIII and XIV identifying his four Super Bowl wins appear prominently on the front of the bottle. Like its namesake, this bourbon has earned some prestigious awards, including a 2023 95-point Gold Medal ranking by the IWSC (International Wine & Spirits Competition), a gold medal at the 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and a gold medal in the 2022 ASCOT Awards.

Reviewed by Bob Barnes

5. Crooked Furrow Straight Bourbon Whiskey

When we think of bourbon, usually Kentucky comes to mind, but bourbon is actually produced in all 50 states, including North Dakota.

Origin: Fargo, ND, U.S.A.
Price: $71 for 750 ml.
ABV: 45%
By: Proof Distillers

This is the state’s first and only bourbon and the mash bill for this small batch hand-crafted spirit is an 80/20 ratio of corn and barley grown in North Dakota; there is no third ingredient other than the charred American white oak barrels in which it is aged for four years.

A smooth combination of flavors includes caramel, butter, honey, tobacco and vanilla. This bourbon has won a double gold in The Fifty Best American Bourbon Competition in 2019 and silver in the 2019 Heartland Whiskey Competition.

Reviewed by Bob Barnes

6. E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof

In the days of former Buffalo Trace Distillery owner Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr., whiskey was bottled, uncut and unfiltered, right from the barrel.

Origin: Frankfort, KY, U.S.A.
Price: $70 for 750 ml.
ABV: 64.5%
By: Buffalo Trace Distillery

This pre-Prohibition method is used today for E.H. Taylor, Jr. Barrel Proof, a strong, smooth blend with hints of rye. A cooked berry aroma is followed by lightly floral notes and caramel. Coffee, burnt sugar and oak flavors precede an astringent, woody finish.

7. Michter’s 20 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Setting a price is key to marketing. Set it too low, and you are leaving money on the table. Too high, and you are pricing yourself out of the market. Somehow, Michter’s has done both.

Origin: Louisville, KY, U.S.A.
Price: $600 for 750 ml.
ABV: 57.1%
By: Michter’s

For their signature bottle of 20 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon, Michter’s suggests a price of $600. While many would think that’s excessively high, the market shows that this price is too low. Where it is offered, many retailers get more than $1,000 for a bottle. Sometimes, price just doesn’t matter. As Master Distiller Willie Pratt puts it, “It’s not about how much it costs to make the Michter’s; it’s about what it costs to make it the best.” It’s hard to believe that this ultra-smooth, two-decade- old spirit is 114.2 proof, as there is absolutely no alcohol burn. After distillation, aging, custom chill filtration and bottling, the product sports a superior viscosity and mouthfeel. You can sense the quality from the teasing, pleasing nose to its complex structure; from the fruit flavors of black cherry, orange and apricot on the palate to the warmth that lines your esophagus and finally, the long, lingering aftertaste.

8. Moonlight Mayhem! Small Batch Straight Bourbon

Each whiskey from Filmland Spirits is linked to original characters and stories.

Origin: Stanford, KY, U.S.A.
Price: $54 for 750 ml.
ABV: 47%
By: Filmland Spirits

The creators of Filmland Spirits, founded in 2020, are self-described as whiskey enthusiasts, movie buffs and storytellers. Each whiskey is linked to original characters and stories such as this saga of star-crossed lovers living in a world populated by werewolves. In addition to a preview of the storyline, the creative and entertaining labels detail origin, whiskey type, barrel aging and ABV, and are designed to resemble retro B movie posters. But instead of winning Oscars, the whiskey company has been reeling in competition honors, including this small batch straight bourbon whiskey’s Double Gold at the 2023 San Francisco Spirits Competition. Distilled in Indiana and aged in White American Oak barrels for 4-plus years in Kentucky, the mash bill is 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% malted barley. There’s an aroma of sweet cherry on the nose, and upon sipping vanilla, bread and caramel on the tongue conclude with a dry finish of toffee and toasted oak.

Reviewed by Bob Barnes

9. Old Weller Antique

Old Weller Antique is a full-bodied, wheated whiskey that is bottled at 107 proof.

Origin: Frankfort, KY, U.S.A.
Price: $35 for 750 ml.
ABV: 53.5%
By: Buffalo Trace Distillery

It starts off thin but finishes strong, balancing sweet and heat. Spicy, with vanilla, butterscotch and caramel notes, it transforms into leather, nutmeg and cinnamon on the tongue.

10. Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 20-Year-Old

The cult of bourbon worships at the altar of Pappy Van Winkle. Acquiring a bottle is like finding the Holy Grail.

Origin: Frankfort, KY, U.S.A.
Price: $1,500 for 750 ml.
ABV: 45.2%
By: Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery

For devotees, it is not a question of trying to find the best price, but simply finding someone to sell some at any price. Unscrupulous traders fill used bottles with inferior wheated Bourbon and try to pass it off as the real deal. If a local watering hole has somehow managed to get their hands on this rarity, run do not walk. While many bourbons are made with corn, rye and barley, the Pappy Van Winkle bourbons are made with corn, wheat and barley. Boasting aromas of caramel, cream and raisin, each bottle is mouth-filling and oaky on the palate, with buttery flavors of vanilla, honey and notes of apple, while the finish is long and elegant. If you like this 90.4-proof 20-year-old, you should meet his older brother. If you don’t drink this straight up, then don’t bother. It would be a shame to waste 20 years worth of aging.

11. RD One Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

The name of the distillery is a nod to Ashland Distillery being Lexington’s first federally registered distillery in 1865 and being assigned the distinction of RD#1.

Origin: Lexington, KY, U.S.A.
Price: $70 for 750 ml.
ABV: 49%
By: RD1 Spirits

After enduring Prohibition and changing ownership and names several times over the years, in 2020 the brand was resurrected, rebuilt and renamed to honor the historic first. This straight bourbon is the flagship of the RD1 portfolio and is a winner of several medals, including a gold at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Made from 100% Kentucky corn and local limestone well water, it has a traditional mash bill of 70% corn, 21% rye and 9% malted barley. Adding to even more Kentucky provenance is the fact it is distilled in Kentucky using 100% copper equipment, aged 4-plus years in Kentucky and bottled in Kentucky. At 98 proof (49% ABV), it is a balanced bourbon with notes of caramel, vanilla, maple syrup and a finish of baking spices such as cinnamon and ginger.

Reviewed by Bob Barnes

12. Widow Jane 8 Year Straight Bourbon Whiskey

This bourbon from the trendy Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn is grounded in both Kentucky tradition and 21st century American sensibility.

Origin: Brooklyn, NY, U.S.A.
Price: $57 for 750 ml.
ABV: 45.5%
By: Widow Jane

The makers of Widow Jane 8 Year say, “It takes sweet water from tough rock to make great whiskey.” The water they use comes from the Widow Jane Limestone Mine in Rosendale, New York, which is even richer in minerals than the pure waters of Kentucky. Widow Jane 8 Year drinks like a much older bourbon — strong and lush, with deep cherry notes and a tannic finish.

13. Woodford Reserve 1838 Style White Corn

Woodford Reserve 1838 Style White Corn honors distillery owner Oscar Pepper and Master Distiller James Crow, pioneers of bourbon.

Origin: Versailles, KY, U.S.A.
Price: $100 for 750 ml.
ABV: 45.2%
By: Woodford Reserve

Pepper and Crow began distilling on the site of the current Woodford County distillery in the 19th century and developed many techniques still used today. The honey-hued elixir is triple-distilled in copper pots stills, as is everyday Woodford Reserve. But following Pepper and Crow’s lead, Master Distiller Chris Morris uses white corn instead of the usual yellow corn. The white corn has a higher sugar content and lower starch content than its more common brother, making fermentation more efficient. The result is a subtle, playful, light-bodied spirit with a hint of spice that is sinewy on the palate with the same 90.4 proof as Distiller’s Select. There is a similar caramel flavor, with honey in the aftertaste and a long finish. The big difference is that 1838 Style White Corn has a flavor very reminiscent of short bread. The tall bottle is also a different shape from the round-shouldered Distiller’s Select, which makes a satisfying “glug-glug-glug” sound when poured.