For whiskey enthusiasts, one thing matters above all else: is the whiskey good?
For these ten black-owned brands, the answer is a resounding yes, as they each offer something slightly different to cater to different segments of the market — but which is the best of the bunch? That’s the question we sought to answer when we rounded up the best new whiskey offerings from ten black-owned companies that are either poised to break out or expand their already solid foothold in the industry.
Most consumers are already familiar with Uncle Nearest, but we’ll be shining a spotlight on their latest lineup extension and pitting it against the field, which includes several brands marking their very first foray into the spirits industry. That said, this list is for discerning drinkers of all stripes who are looking to find some high-quality sippers that you might be overlooking.
So, without further ado, let’s rank the best new black-owned whiskeys that you need to try right now!
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10. Nineteen70Something Wheated Bourbon
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
This wheated bourbon from Connecticut upstart brand Nineteen70Something is sourced from Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and it features a spruce, minimalistic label that’s eye-catching from the outset. Produced by owners Obee Byrd, Paul Cannady, Dakar Franklin, and Sean Dorantes, this whiskey is aged for at least three years in atypical spiral-cut barrels and bottled at 107 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with the aroma of waffle cones drizzled in dilute caramel with accents of nutmeg and hazelnut that come wafting over the top of the glass while notes of maple candy gently emanate from beneath a bed of oak.
Palate: Once this whiskey hits your palate, you pick up some tobacco leaf notes and graham cracker, giving it an austere start that slowly opens up to reveal sweeter notes of maple candy and vanilla. At midpalate, things take a turn, with the flavor of aloe vera joining some butterscotch and herbal tea.
Finish: The brief finish features a flourish of allspice and clove before curtailing those spice notes with a few drops of sweet Manuka honey.
Bottom Line:
This unique, potent pour offers a counterpoint to the conventional wisdom that wheated bourbon takes nearly a decade to hit its stride. Simultaneously full of flavor and approachable, this 107-proof offering is a step up from the Nineteen70Something’s 88-proof wheated bourbon expression.
9. Greenwood Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $38
The Whiskey:
This 3-year-old rye whiskey blend comes from Greenwood Whiskey, named after the Historic Greenwood District neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which was the home of “Black Wall Street.”
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes unmistakably open with honeyed mint tea, butterscotch, and pie crust, enveloping the senses in the richness of those core aromas and ceding very little ground for accents of freshly cracked black pepper and youthful oak.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey rings of uniformity with the nosing notes springing to life with impressive richness, albeit also with a limited array of flavors. Still, the flavors work well in unison with one another, making this a treat from the tip of the tongue and well into the transition towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is where you finally receive the baking spices that were alluded to on the nose, with black pepper joining a sort of treacle sweetness before each sip curtly concludes.
Bottom Line:
With a strong mint candy and butterscotch vibe leading the way, this easy-going, sweet whiskey will surprise the tip of your tongue but subtly capture your smile by the time your first sip is complete. You’ll want to share this flagship blend with your friends at your next whiskey tasting.
8. Nearest Green Tennessee Whiskey
ABV: 42%
Average Price: $30
The Whiskey:
The latest expression from one of the world’s most-awarded whiskeys is this moderately proofed expression from the Uncle Nearest brand called Nearest Green Tennessee Whiskey. Seemingly designed to be a more approachable and on-premise-friendly version of the brand’s premium whiskey, this expression comes complete with a new bottle and label design.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Nearest Green Tennessee Whiskey opens with well-developed butterscotch and mint tea vibes, along with Walker’s All-Butter Shortbread cookies, nutmeg, and youthful oak for an understated, sweet medley that draws you in for your first sip.
Palate: On the palate, what surprises most about Nearest Green’s Tennessee Whiskey is how well-wound the flavors are, spiraling out from a tightly packed core of butterscotch, honeyed mint tea, and shortbread cookies. The mouthfeel is also impressive, leaving a thin semi-viscous coat over your tongue, which is held together just enough to seep those flavors into your palate without becoming cloying.
Finish: The finish is brief but gently subsides, with nutmeg, butterscotch, and maple candy leading the way, while youthful oak and faint mint tones can be found in the background.
Bottom Line:
While Uncle Nearest’s main line premium whiskey is flavorful without being particularly complex, this lower-ABV alternative follows the same track with surprising success. Free from any rough edges and instead delivering a sweet, well-rounded, easy-sipping experience, this new whiskey from Uncle Nearest is a must-try for anyone looking to get into Tennessee Whiskey.
7. Brotha Whiskey Fellowship Wheated Whiskey
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $68
The Whiskey:
Brotha Whiskey is a budding brand born from the mind of its founder, Deondra Randle. Distilled in Indiana and bottled by Cardinal Spirits, the brand’s inaugural offering’s mash bill comprises 95% wheat and 5% malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Applesauce, a touch of honey, and cinnamon open the nosing notes on this whiskey. There’s some sweet oak and even a faint bit of sandalwood found in the air around the glass after swirling it a bit. The color is surprisingly light, but the aroma notes are impressively defined, so I have high hopes going into the first sip.
Palate: Honey, mellow oak, sandalwood, and cinnamon splash over the palate on the first pass. The texture is lean but still substantial enough to coat your palate surprisingly well at such a sparse proof. This is exceedingly approachable but still full of rich flavors.
Finish: Black pepper, honeyed apples, and faint oak mark the medium-length finish on Brotha Whiskey’s inaugural offering, which rounds out the delightfully balanced drinking experience.
Bottom Line:
My concern going in was that this moderately proofed, lightly colored, wheated whiskey would be too demure to make an impression. Boy, was I wrong. The flavors are impressively well developed, and it breaks the mold of quotidian easy-sipping to deliver a satisfyingly rich and impressive pour that already has me anticipating batch 2 and beyond.
6. Du Nord Mixed Blood Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $47
The Whiskey:
Du Nord Social Spirits began its life as America’s first black-owned distillery back in 2013. The brand was founded by Chris Montana, who also holds the title of the American Craft Spirits Association’s first African-American President. As for Du Nord’s first (and currently only) whiskey expression, they’ve bottled a roughly 60-40 blend of their own rye-based distillate and some corn whiskey from an undisclosed source with 0% malted barley in the recipe. Utilizing enzymes and a “cold cook” process are just the cherries on top of Du Nord’s unique production method.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Du Nord’s Mixed Blood Whiskey opens with an array of aromas, from honeyed cornbread to butterscotch, white pepper, sage, and dried apricots.
Palate: The flavor of white peaches, butterscotch, buttered cornbread, and walnut shells work well here as the supple whiskey gently coats your palate, unveiling a richness that wasn’t immediately evident on the nose. The light, sweet flavors, and the semi-viscous texture both work well to leave you salivating for more as it transitions to the finish.
Finish: The finish is marked by white pepper notes along with some youthful oak and a final splash of butterscotch before it succinctly slides off the palate.
Bottom Line:
While Americans are still overcoming their aversion to blended whiskey, which gained a reputation in the pre-prohibition days for lackluster and even harmful products, the truth is we’ve left those times in the distant past. Contemporary brands are putting out some amazing whiskey under the banner, and this incredibly crushable offering from atypical production methods by Du Nord Social Spirits is proof of that.
5. Mr. & Mrs. Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $55
The Whiskey:
Mr. and Mrs. Smith Bourbon Company was founded in 2019 by Russ Smith and Cecy Linzey. Basketball fans will know Russ for his successful playing career, including a stint in the NBA, being named China’s NBL Player of the Year in 2017, and setting the still-standing NBA G-League record for points in a single game with 65. Having attended the University of Louisville, winning an NCAA Championship in 2013, Russ’s ties to Kentucky run deep and inspired his decision to found MMBC.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Mr. and Mrs. Bourbon’s flagship offering evokes classic notes of vanilla bean, wood chips, brown sugar, and dilute caramel. Given a few waves of the hand, you’ll begin to pick out deeper accents of clove and cinnamon bark as well.
Palate: On the first sip, Mr. And Mrs. Bourbon opens with bright, fruit-forward flavors of apricots and blood orange before evolving to include brown sugar, marzipan, vanilla, and allspice. The mouthfeel is a bit restrained, which is to be expected with whiskey at this age and proof-point, but that same restraint works well to prop up, rather than distract from, the light sweetness of the flavor profile.
Finish: The finish is fairly brief, and it’s where the baking spices see an uptick in influence as freshly cracked black pepper fuses with nutmeg and youthful oak, providing balance to the otherwise sweet sipper.
Bottom Line:
This tasty whiskey doesn’t need to reinvent the wheel, opting instead to deliver a bevy of prototypical flavors familiar to any fan of well-made Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Resisting the temptation to call this easy-going offering a layup, instead, it can be said that this bourbon is as reliable as an all-conference point guard in the clutch. That is to say, you’ll want to draft this one into your bourbon collection.
4. Old Hillside Single Barrel Bourbon
ABV: 48.5%
Average Price: $63
The Whiskey:
Old Hillside’s founders first came together over their shared love of horse racing and good bourbon. The first two gentlemen to join in, Jesse Carpenter and Brian Burton, grew up together and attended the oldest historically Black high school still in existence: Hillside High School in Durham, NC. Courtney Tucker and Emmanuel J. Waters would eventually join them to form the brand on June 1, 2020. For this award-winning single-barrel bourbon, they employ the common practice of using whiskey sourced from an undisclosed distillery in Kentucky.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Old Hillside Single Barrel Bourbon begins with a woodsy flourish of oak and barrel char before opening up with brown sugar, savory bacon fat, and butterscotch.
Palate: The first sip of Old Hillside Single Barrel Bourbon is an absolute delight, with brown sugar leading the charge before deeper notes of maple candy, rich oak, and cooked apples come to the fore. The mouthfeel is really well-rounded, sending all those layers of flavor evenly across your palate for ample enjoyment.
Finish: The medium-length finish welcomes an uptick in the baking spice notes as black pepper and clove sync with cinnamon bark and rich oak before red apple skin closes things out with a fruit-forward, sweet kiss.
Bottom Line:
Old Hillside’s Single Barrel Bourbon is exceedingly impressive, offering a viscous, multi-layered sipping experience that punches above its weight. Given the variance among single-barrel expressions, your mileage may vary. Still, if this bottle is indicative of the quality to be expected throughout Old Hillside’s product lineup, you can rest assured that this is a brand you should invest in now.
3. Kinfolk Trust
ABV: 62.8%
Average Price: $118
The Whiskey:
Kinfolk Trust is a brand-new blend of American whiskeys from Taste Select Repeat’s Orlando “OJ” Lima. The unique blend takes barrels sourced from Dark Arts Whiskey House (potentially Danville-distilled bourbon) and Bainbridge Distillery. While there are only three batches of the cask strength version planned per year, the same is anticipated for the lower “Preferred Proof” version.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma notes unveil hints of beeswax at first, while butterscotch, oak, and orange blossom aromas follow close behind. It has a very creamy, approachable nose despite the proof, with a faintly vegetal note pulsing throughout as well.
Palate: Bubblegum reaches the palate first, then the faintly citric, sweet note of orange pith comes in. It’s big and flavorful at midpalate, with loads of butterscotch, slightly floral notes, orange marmalade, and restrained spice blossoming. The heat fans out over the edges of the tongue and then dart up the roof of the mouth, with black pepper leading the charge.
Finish: Kinfolk Trust’s Cask Strength offering has a lingering finish that hangs on the palate for a long time, with some nougat and black pepper leaving the most lasting impression.
Bottom Line:
As part of an intimate product reveal in Louisville, Lima indicated that he wasn’t intent on creating an empire with Kinfolk Trust, but that doesn’t change the fact that this is whiskey fit for a king. If this thoughtful, well-constructed inaugural blend is indicative of what we can expect from the future of the brand, then you’ll want to keep them firmly on your radar this fall.
2. New England Barrel Company Cask Strength Bourbon
ABV: 61.5%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
New England Barrel Company, the northeast region’s biggest home-grown whiskey brand, was founded by James Saunders in late 2020 and they’ve been on quite the ascent since then. For the brand’s premium cask-strength offering, they bottle it undiluted after at least 3-years of aging.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes open with some peanut shell, sticky toffee, and rich oak notes that soon morph to include dark chocolate, tobacco leaf, and barrel char in their complement.
Palate: As you take your first sip of NebCo’s cask strength bourbon, hazelnut spread, tobacco leaf, and brown sugar, consume the palate in dense layers, indicating that this is truly well-made whiskey. Further notes of nougat, milk chocolate, and black pepper spice round things out as it takes a turn for earthier notes at mid-palate with an almost-chalky texture leading the way towards the finish.
Finish: The finish is lingering and the chalky texture continues with notes of dark chocolate, slight smokiness, and savory dates concluding the sipping experience.
Bottom Line:
New England Barrel Company’s success all stems from founder James Saunders’ excellent job curating barrels that meet his standards, resulting in delicious whiskey finding its way in bottles across the NebCo lineup. While their single-barrel bourbons offer delightful variety, this small-batch cask-strength expression best showcases the fledgling brand’s flavor profile.
1. River City Whiskey Straight Bourbon “Beaver Bridge Barrel”
ABV: 57%
Average Price: $105
The Whiskey:
River City Whiskey is the newest brand on this list. This expression, from founders Da’Mon Brown and Ricky Rice, is a natural outgrowth of what began as a barrel pick group that the two started. Now, entering the arena of creating a brand, they’ve brought this inaugural expression “Beaver Bridge Barrel” to market using the single-barrel format they’ve perfected to present a cask-strength bourbon, aged for nine years, and made with a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma notes open with bruised pears, apple skin, singed orange peel, vanilla custard, black pepper, sage, and barrel char. The aromas are impressively well-developed and delicate but distinct, leading to extended appreciation before you venture in for the first sip.
Palate: The lighter, sweet notes come through on the palate, with peach rings, dried apricot, and scraped vanilla pod seizing your attention at first. The whiskey then turns a bit floral at midpalate before ceding ground to the flavors of restrained oak and honeyed black tea as it fans out over the tongue and begins transitioning to the finish.
Finish: The finish is robust but brief, expanding rapidly with full flavors before gently concluding with vanilla wafers, orange blossom, and white pepper lingering at the end of the party.
Bottom Line:
This is simply great whiskey that shines on the front end with distinct, well-developed flavors that blend together harmoniously before blossoming at mid-palate and succinctly shedding its petals on the finish. The price of admission is perfect, and as this bourbon flows with far more peaks than valleys from beginning to end, it shows that River City Whiskey is ready to open the floodgates of their hand-selected high-quality single-barrel bourbons with this inaugural release.
