Every bourbon enthusiast has a go-to bottled-in-bond bourbon.
The category, which began as a quality assurance signifier, has taken on new life in recent times because it evens the playing field. By purchasing a bottled-in-bond bourbon, you know that every distillery is producing results with, more or less, the same set of rules. Because of that, the category makes for a great way to explore the differences between producers and assess their respective quality.
Due to the appeal of the above, a number of brands release bottled-in-bond expressions these days, but you may be wondering which is the best. That’s where we come in. Finding a bottled-in-bond bourbon on your local store’s shelf might be easier than ever, but because of that, finding the best is much more challenging. Some brands debuted with bottled-in-bond expressions, while others seek to include them once their core products have caught on, but no matter the path, many producers have an easily accessible offering within the category, and today, we’ll identify the best of the best.
These are the must-try bottled-in-bond bourbons of 2024.
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20. Old Forester 1897
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $50
The Whiskey:
Old Forester 1897 is so-named because this Whiskey Row expression was created to honor the brand’s pivot to 100-proof bourbon in the wake of the Bottled in Bond Act passing in 1897. This offering follows the Bottled in Bond regulations, which in part means that it is bottled at 100-proof and the product of a single distilling season, aged for at least four years.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, there are apricots and fresh cherries to go with graham crackers, gentle oak tones, and a touch of caramel. Its fairly straightforward nose draws you in and leaves you anticipating the first sip, which is a strong plus.
Palate: Once this whiskey hits your lips, a touch of roasted mocha gives way to robust oak tones, caramel candies, and cherry cordials. With the first pass, it’s abundantly clear that this is a well-rounded bourbon blended to be approachable and easy to drink. The mouthfeel is a bit quotidian, but that’s not a knock, as this works really well as a middle-of-the-road sipper.
Finish: The finish reinforces the generally straightforward nature of this bourbon, offering caramel and gentle oak tones to go with more of the cherry cordial note found at midpalate. The length is short to medium, and I’m not complaining about it.
Bottom Line:
Old Forester 1897 offers a lovely depth of flavor that indicates that it’s been matured for longer than four years. This is undeniably well-made whiskey with a cavalcade of traditional bourbon notes and a restrained textural profile.
19. Old Grand Dad Bonded
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $27
The Whiskey:
Old Grand Dad Bonded is made using Jim Beam’s high rye recipe, and it’s bottled at an even 100-proof, making it a great whiskey for neat sipping but a dangerous one for drinking straight out of the bottle. Old Grand Dad is also offered at 80-proof, and the most heralded bottle in the lineup clocks in at a hefty 114-proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens a bit coyly with cinnamon and oak, taking the lead before some peanut shell notes blend with toffee and restrained vanilla extract.
Palate: The palate begins with an interesting lime zest note with some steeliness at the tip of the tongue that quickly recedes and presents a big blast of cinnamon, roasted peanuts, and more vanilla with gentle rye spices kicking in at mid-palate. The mouthfeel is a bit lean, but it holds all of the flavor together enough to maintain your interest.
Finish: The short to medium-length finish showcases the cinnamon and peanut tones before closing with nutmeg and oak.
Bottom Line:
Old Grand Dad Bonded is a damn fine bourbon at a fantastic price, showcasing Jim Beam’s high-rye mash bill in all of its glory. If this were the only bourbon available on the bottom shelf, the world wouldn’t miss a beat.
18. Benchmark Bourbon Bonded
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $22
The Whiskey:
Benchmark’s Bonded expression is yet another bottle in the revamped Benchmark lineup, which received a facelift and a line expansion in early 2023. For this Bonded offering, Benchmark follows the Bottled in Bond regulations, meaning that, among other things, this bourbon comes from a single distilling season and is bottled at 100 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Benchmark Bonded has four distinct aromas: nutmeg, caramel, oak, and brown sugar. There are gradations to those aromas, with the nutmeg coming across as less-than-fresh, while the caramel and oak are more lively next to the subdued brown sugar note.
Palate: Once you take a sip of Benchmark Bonded, you’ll find that the nosing notes perfectly indicate what to expect. Again, those four distinct notes come through, and though they’re joined by a bit of black pepper and cereal notes, it’s the nutmeg, caramel, oak (with the addition of barrel char), and brown sugar that steal the show flavor-wise. The texture is stout; this is the first bourbon thus far that occupies the entire palate before ceding the reigns to the finish.
Finish: On the finish, there’s more brown sugar, black pepper, and even a bit of mocha on each sip. The finish hangs around for a medium length, befitting its proof point, and offers a balanced climax to an overall very balanced bourbon.
Bottom Line:
As the sole bottled in bond expression in the Buffalo Trace portfolio, outside of the E.H. Taylor lineup, this solid budget bottle exhibits the quality standard one can expect from the Buffalo Trace Distillery.
17. Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch Bottled in Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $67
The Whiskey:
E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch is the entry-level offering in Buffalo Trace’s E.H. Taylor lineup. It was created to honor Edmund Hayes Taylor, the original owner of the O.F.C. Distillery, which would eventually become the George T. Stagg Distillery, before being renamed the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Taylor was also the spearhead behind creating the Bottled in Bond Act.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose has exciting notes like bruised peaches, apricots, toffee, and gentle oak with a hint of honey and brioche buns.
Palate: Taking a sip of E.H. Taylor Small Batch is a pleasant surprise as the viscousness is particularly laudable, although the flavors are a bit simple. Look for toffee, apricots, and oak tones to seize the lead when it comes to flavor notes, though there are accents of toffee, black pepper, and honey as well.
Finish: The finish is primarily concerned with the prominent toffee note and is balanced by baking spices like nutmeg and black pepper. It’s a short-to-medium-length finish but one that is exceedingly enjoyable at the same time.
Bottom Line:
E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch Bourbon is a fairly straightforward bourbon that delivers about what one would expect for a middle-of-the-road American whiskey. Enjoyable, though not exceptional, it’s well worth a buy if you see one sitting on shelves for six or seven sawbucks.
16. George Dickel Bottled in Bond Tennessee Whisky
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
George Dickel is one of the best-selling American whiskey brands on the planet, so it makes perfect sense to reach for one of their best (and one of their most widely available) bottles for this list. George Dickel Bottled in Bond is released annually, and this year’s version, made with a mashbill that’s 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley, is matured for 13 years.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Look for warm brown sugar, sticky maple syrup, and fruity notes like stewed red apple and ripe bananas when you catch a whiff of this intoxicating whiskey. Adding to the cowboy vibes, a smoky undertone goes well with the mellow oak aromas here. Lastly, there’s a touch of milk chocolate sweetness, which gives this whiskey the impression of being artfully aged.
Palate: On the palate, expect to taste toasted pecans with some subdued brown sugar as the maple syrup aroma notes become more distinct in the mouth. The flavor of bruised bananas and a faint bit of wet tobacco, nutmeg, and cornbread also stand out. The mouthfeel is surprisingly rich and robust despite being only 100-proof.
Finish: On the finish, there’s a rising impression of leather, and more fruit comes into play as a bit of waxy fig comes to the fore, along with a few shakes of allspice.
Bottom Line:
This is George Dickel Tennessee Whisky at its best, with a perfect proof point for enjoying neat or on the rocks. While the liquid undergoes the Lincoln County Process, making this one qualify as a Tennessee whisky, it follows all bourbon regulations with a little Volunteer State twist.
15. Starlight Bottled in Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $50
The Whiskey:
For an introduction to one of the best craft whiskey brands in America, you don’t need to look any further than this bottle from Starlight Distillery. Starlight has made a bit of a name for themselves with their exotic finishing casks but tasting their base bourbon is the kind of eye-opening experience that you’ll want to start with.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Take me out to the ballgame! This is a box of Cracker Jacks on the nose, where you can expect caramel sweetness and subtle nuttiness to be present, along with some barrel char and corn-forward graininess.
Palate: On the palate, this retains its nutty quality while providing just enough butterscotch balance plus plenty of nutmeg to make this an enjoyable pour that comes across as straightforward but savory.
Finish: Carl T. Huber’s Bottled in Bond shines on the medium-length finish, where each sip exudes balance between the mellow baking spices like nutmeg and clove along with a gentle sweetness anchored by the notes of butterscotch.
Bottom Line:
Starlight Bottled in Bond Bourbon is full of nutmeg, Nutella-like hazelnut, and warm brown sugar which gives it a commanding enough presence to be enjoyed neat, but it will really shine in boozy cocktails like an Old Fashioned making it a versatile choice.
14. Bardstown Origin Series Wheated Bottled In Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $50
The Whiskey:
Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Origin Series was released in 2023 to much fanfare due to the fact it initially offered three high-quality whiskeys at bargain-busting prices. Since then, the lineup has expanded to include a stellar high-wheat bourbon in addition to this more moderately wheated bottled-in-bond expression.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes open with stone fruits, confectioners sugar, vanilla, butterscotch chews, and a slightly dusty quality that draws you deep into the glass to discover apple chunks.
Palate: That big apple hit comes through with a bit of charred skin on the palate plus some light white pepper. A delicate drizzling of caramel opens the door for more dense oak, and the texture remains consistent and balanced.
Finish: The finish is fairly curt, concluding with a drop of honey, sawdust, and apple chips.
Bottom Line:
Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Origin Series features incredible whiskey at every turn, and this high-quality bottled-in-bond wheated offering is the proof in the pudding.
13. J.T.S. Brown Bottled in Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $16
The Whiskey:
J.T.S. Brown is named after John Thompson Street Brown, who founded the wholesale liquor company that would become Brown-Forman. It is currently offered at 80 and 100 proof, though it also featured an 86-proof version until at least the late 1980s.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey has a flourish of butterscotch and clove that make it stand out from the rest of Heaven Hill’s budget bottled-in-bond offerings. A touch of lemon zest and peanut butter are also evident.
Palate: On the palate, the butterscotch and peanut butter are out in full force, along with some vanilla cream, sweet oak, and white pepper. The flavors are impressively balanced, and despite this whiskey’s restrained mouthfeel, they appear to be well-defined on the palate.
Finish: The medium-length finish again highlights the fusion of peanut butter and vanilla with a gentle white pepper send-off.
Bottom Line:
It’s a crowded bunch when it comes to Heaven Hill’s bottom-shelf bottled-in-bond expressions, but J.T.S. Brown reliably outperforms almost all of them thanks to its well-managed balance and surprisingly stout depth of flavor. Like many of Heaven Hill’s most affordable options, it won’t wow you with its complexity but rather with its consistent everyday quality.
12. Kings County Bottled in Bond
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $125
The Whiskey:
Kings County, New York City’s oldest bourbon distillery, has been cranking out incredible whiskey for years now, and it now stands as the best producer in the state. For the latest batch, 13 of their Bottled in Bond Bourbon takes 7-year bourbon from two 53-gallon barrels from the Spring 2017 distilling season.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is resplendent with raspberry, clover honey, toasted coconut, lanolin, and cardamom for a gentle yet decadent base of aromas that entices you to take your first sip.
Palate: Once on the palate, Kings County’s newest Bottled in Bond Bourbon has far-flung flavors like creme brûlée, pomegranate, plum, and robust oak tones. The texture is steady, maintaining balance and presenting those intriguing flavors well.
Finish: The finish is moderate, with vanilla custard and sustained oak leaving the most lasting impression and baking spice patches of nutmeg and cardamom.
Bottom Line:
Kings County’s Bottled in Bond Bourbon is a rising star in the brand’s portfolio. While the brand’s cask strength expressions offer the fullest display of the Brooklyn distillery’s liquid, their Bottled in Bond offering offers greater insight into their high-quality production practices.
11. McKenzie Wheated Bourbon Bottled In Bond
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $45
The Whiskey:
McKenzie’s Bottled in Bond Wheated Bourbon is a bit of an unknown in the wider world of American whiskey, hailing from North New York’s Finger Lake Distillery. Made per all of the Bottled In Bond Act’s legal specifications, this bourbon is distilled and aged entirely on the banks of New York’s Finger Lakes.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, this bourbon begins with a touch of wheat funk, lavender honey, fresh hazelnuts, and peanut brittle. It’s a smooth, inviting set of aromas that also brings a bit of chocolate truffle dust, clove, and pastry dough into the fold.
Palate: Once on the palate, all of the flavors from the nose are at the tip of your tongue, albeit in a slightly more muddled fashion. There are chunks of toffee to go with a bit of candied ginger, pastry dough, and peanut brittle up front, while a touch of honey, wheat funk, and chocolate truffle dust haunt the periphery of your tongue and the back of your palate. The liquid is medium-bodied but spry, covering and coating your palate quickly, receding almost as quickly, and leaving those mellow sweet notes behind.
Finish: For its short-to-medium finish, McKenzie Wheated Bourbon gives off the flavor of the slightly overcooked bottom of a blondie. There’s a touch of young oak, cloves, and honeyed wheat toast to send you on your way as well.
Bottom Line:
As one of the lesser-known bourbons on this list, let it be clear that’s an issue of limited distribution and marketing far more than flavor. McKenzie’d Wheated Bottled in Bond Bourbon is one of the best-kept secrets in my home bar, and if you find a bottle and add it to your liquor cabinet, you’ll soon be telling curious houseguests the very same thing.
10. Evan Williams Bottled In Bond
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $20
The Whiskey:
Evan Williams Bottled in Bond is often named as one of if not the best bourbon under $20. Aged for at least four years, per the Bottled in Bond regulations, this 100-proof bourbon is almost as readily found around the country as Evan Williams “black label.”
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes open with honey, lemon zest, and a distinct peanut note on this bourbon. From there, the periphery aromas are faint — a touch of brown butter, apricots, and cumin, but otherwise nondescript.
Palate: In the mouth, those initial three notes make the most substantial impression, along with a piquant texture that slightly prickles the tongue and adds a bit of pop to the citrus flavors in the liquid.
Finish: On the finish, you’ll find some black pepper spice and youthful oak that curtail the peanut and lemon zest flavors. The finish is short-to-medium, giving just enough room to make a satisfying impression on the palate before encouraging repeat sips.
Bottom Line:
Evan Williams’ Bottled in Bond Expression is a masterclass in delivering a high-quality, no-frills bourbon. At 100-proof, it can stand tall in cocktails, bringing an abundance of flavor to classics like an Old-Fashioned, but it has just enough depth to perform well on its own—making for a delicious, cost-friendly, everyday sipper.
9. Wilderness Trail Wheated
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $62
The Whiskey:
Wilderness Trail is the brand from Shane Baker and Dr. Pat Heist, the bourbon world’s most highly-regarded “yeast guys,” who started Ferm Solutions, a technical support company for distillers and brewers worldwide. With all the knowledge they accrued troubleshooting other brand’s problems, they decided to set out on their own, founding Wilderness Trail in 2013 and growing into one of the most scientifically advanced distilleries in America.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dried raspberries and black pepper kick things off on the nose, with oak and leather encroaching as you inhale more deeply. There are also intriguing additional layers of cream cheese, allspice, and lemon zest uncovered after swirling the glass with some bubblegum lurking underneath.
Palate: Black pepper and bubblegum hit the palate at first before rich oak tones make their presence known, along with a tasty semi-tart dose of the dried raspberries from the nose. The liquid itself has some elbows, pricking various parts of your tongue with a punctuation of flavor and a grainy, honeycomb-like texture.
Finish: On the finish, this whiskey introduces butterscotch and vanilla custard before the black pepper notes seize control and coast into the sunset after a moderate length.
Bottom Line:
Wilderness Trail is gaining acclaim for its flavorful sweet mash whiskey, which is free from chill filtration, and its wheated mash bill is the best among its bourbon lineup. With such an approachable proof and an impressive depth of flavor in every bottle, you’ll want to explore this expression and experience the most technically advanced bourbon distillery in the world.
8. Henry Mckenna 10-Year Single Barrel Bottled in Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $75
The Whiskey:
Henry McKenna Single Barrel is one of the few bourbons bearing a 10-year age statement that can be found with relative regularity on liquor store shelves. Of note is that it is one of the oldest bottled-in-bond bourbons among any brand’s regular releases.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this bourbon is full of medicinal cherry, well-aged leather, a touch of nail polish, and a dark, bubbling brown sugar note. It immediately evinces its age courtesy of the leather notes as well as the mature oak that creeps in on the heels of the red berry aroma.
Palate: On the palate, this bourbon tumbles over the tongue as a top-heavy liquid, front-loaded with honey, bright cherry sweetness, and vanilla extract before thinning out at midpalate as the influence of leather and mature oak take hold. The transition to midpalate betrays its initially robust texture, and the bright cherry note from the tip of the tongue becomes more medicinal.
Finish: The finish brings cherry and vanilla extract, again, to the fore, but barrel char and some of the nail polish notes from the nose are also present. It’s a bit more balanced on the finish than it is at midpalate, and that’s helped by the fact that it has a medium length that allows it to develop fully.
Bottom Line:
Henry McKenna Single Barrel Bourbon is infamous for being a lot like life or a box of chocolates…you never know what you’re going to get. Your mileage may vary, as these are typically above-average bourbons, but you should be aware of their inconsistency. That means if you find one of these single barrels that suits your palate, be sure to buy backups.
7. Ben Holladay Bottled in Bond Soft Red Wheat Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $52
The Whiskey:
Holladay Distillery in Weston, MO, is a beautiful destination where a new generation of bourbon makers are casting the dye for an incredible future. With Master Distiller Kyle Merklein steering the ship, Holladay is putting out two excellent 6-year bourbons from a rye-based and a wheat-based mash bill.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bright stone fruit, spiced pears, cinnamon bark, clove, and white pepper with a touch of celery root hit the nose at first with a waxy note rising in the background in addition to ginger and slight mint sprig.
Palate: The first sip is remarkably rich. It has honey, cream of wheat, pears, and apricots, but it doesn’t stop there. The flavors of clove and cinnamon also come through in spades. The mouthfeel is impressively creamy substantially gripping the edges of your tongue.
Finish: That creamy texture aids the lengthy finish which is full of stone fruits, vanilla custard, black pepper, and dense oak.
Bottom Line:
Holladay Distillery made the bold (and costly) choice to hold all of its core products until they reached six years of age, with this Soft Red Wheat Bottled in Bond Bourbon being their inaugural expression. The results have been decidedly delicious, leading it to make a major splash when it first launched and growing steadily since then.
6. Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $20
The Whiskey:
Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond Bourbon is one of those IYKYK expressions from the Willett Distillery. It is sold exclusively in Kentucky on the bottom shelf of liquor stores. This bottled-in-bond offering is not to be confused with the 101-proof small-batch variant available nationwide.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: It begins with a really round butterscotch note with some intriguing menthol and tobacco leaf aromas that make you dig deeper in the glass to uncover additional layers of Brooks cherries, pecans, and vanilla extract.
Palate: Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond Bourbon is dense and full-bodied on the palate despite the proof, and it opens with sticky toffee and Brooks cherries while a touch of the menthol from the nose streaks up the middle of the tongue and introduces some dark chocolate at midpalate.
Finish: The moderate finish sees the blossoming of dark chocolate flavor with some fresh hazelnuts, caramel, and white pepper notes rounding things off.
Bottom Line:
This unassuming bottle packs a real wallop with a substantive mouthfeel and a dark, rich flavor profile that will have you double-checking your receipt to be sure you didn’t steal this bottle at roughly $30 USD. Rest assured, your receipt is right; hell, all is right with this bourbon in your glass.
5. Larrikin Bottled in Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $80
The Whiskey:
Larrikin Bourbon Company recently rebranded, and if you’re wondering a larrikin is Aussie slang for someone who disregards convention. To wit, the brand’s unconventional Bottled in Bond Bourbon was aged for eight long years and comes from a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose begins floral with dark chocolate and salted caramel notes wafting out of the glass in a tightly wound melange that seems indicative of mature, well-aged bourbon.
Palate: On the palate, that tightly wound base of aromas absolutely detonates with bright cherries, singed orange peel, caramel, and chocolate gently unfurling over the length of the tongue. On a second sip, you pick up vanilla custard as the creamy texture burrows each layer of flavor deeper into your tastebuds.
Finish: The finish takes a surprisingly long time to melt away as the rich vanilla and caramel notes fuse with bright cherries just before they turn slightly tropical, with coconut and peach ring flavors ascending.
Bottom Line:
Larrikin might not be a widely known player on the bourbon scene, but the brand’s sleek redesign and flat-out jaw-dropping density of flavors make up the solid one-two punch that results in this one being a knockout.
4. Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $30
The Whiskey:
Heaven Hill’s flagship bottled-in-bond expression is a rebranded release that was first launched in 2022. Sticking true to their roots, this bourbon is made with their “HH reg” mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond 7-Year is distinctly earthy and nutty with walnuts and potting soil melding well with brown sugar and oak. All of those enticing notes are undergirded by the warm aroma of vanilla pods.
Palate: Once across the palate, Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond 7-Year leads with brown sugar before the earthier elements of cinnamon bark, nutmeg, oak, and walnuts claim the midpalate. As this pour transitions to the finish, there’s a faint bit of milk chocolate, vanilla cream, and caramel.
Finish: The finish puts a lovely bow on the entire affair as brown sugar and barrel char fuse together with walnut shells and black pepper. Overall, the finish gives the impression that this bourbon is slightly older than seven years, and as it closes with a dash of vanilla extract, it whets the palate, bracing your senses for repeat sips.
Bottom Line:
For the price point, flavor profile, and ample time spent aging, this is a bottled-in-bond bourbon that exemplifies the triumph of restraint over the impulse to feature a younger (or higher) age statement. It’s truly bottled at its peak.
3. Old Fitzgerald 10-Year Bottled in Bond Decanter Series Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $440
The Whiskey:
This 10-year wheated bourbon, the thirteenth national release of the Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Decanter Series, was released early in the spring of 2024 to great fanfare. This expression marks the second time Heaven Hill has released a 10-year version of Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Milk chocolate and caramel find the nose first, gently encouraging a deeper investigation. On the second pass, subtle hints of lavender candy, clove, and nougat slowly unfurl.
Palate: The supple texture of this whiskey makes the first impression as it gently caresses your palate before buttery pie crust, toasted almonds, and gooey caramel slowly seep in. The overall flavor profile is mellow but well-defined, as each note has space to make a distinct impression before clearing the way for the next.
Finish: The finish falls off a bit quickly, but here that’s a welcome discovery as Old Fitzgerald 10-Year comes across as almost refreshing, something akin to an amuse-bouche. The sweetness is held perfectly in check with a slight expression of orange rind and nutmeg before a sweet oak note strikes the final chord, allowing this whiskey to leave your palate.
Bottom Line:
Not all Old Fitzgeralds are created equally, with the Decanter Series displaying an unevenness that might give one pause before splurging on the spendy bottles. Those concerns can be tossed to the wind concerning the Spring 2024 release, as this 10-year wheated bourbon delivers the mellow sipping experience one expects with a considerable depth of flavor to boot.
2. Early Times Bottled in Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $25
The Whiskey:
Early Times is a historic brand first launched in 1860 by John Henry “Jack” Beam, Jim Beam’s paternal uncle. In 2021, it was announced that the production of this bourbon would be moved from Brown-Forman, the brand’s previous owner, to the Barton 1792 Distillery under new owner Sazerac.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, there’s a strong Luden’s Wild Cherry cough drop note that is distracting at first but becomes increasingly enchanting over time. In addition to that artificial, berry-like sweetness, there are notes of ripe oranges, polished leather, and fresh hazelnuts.
Palate: On the palate, it’s the artificial cherry note and the polished leather from the nose that make the biggest impression as each sip begins very sweet before trailing off into more typical, earthy bourbon notes like oak and nutmeg. Just as the flavors seemingly shift from the front palate to the mid-palate, so does the texture, which begins very slick and viscous before turning lean as the whiskey makes its way to the finish.
Finish: The finish on Early Times Bottled in Bond features a flourish of black pepper and barrel char, which wasn’t present at midpalate. The lengthy finish also showcases an additional pop of fresh hazelnuts, adding a layer of balance to the entire affair.
Bottom Line:
Early Times Bottled in Bond has a fruit-forward medley of flavors and substantive texture, allowing it to hold its own as a neat sipper. Considering that, its budget-friendly sticker price awards it extra points (for a full liter, no less!), allowing you to happily skip bottles that are two to three times the cost.
1. Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bottled in Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $55
The Whiskey:
Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bottled In Bond Bourbon is a distillery exclusive that showcases unfinished Angel’s Envy whiskey for the first time ever. Even more remarkable is the fact that through careful aging and blending, this bourbon meets all of the Bottled In Bond requirements without requiring water for proof, making it a barrel-proof Bottled In Bond bourbon, one of if not the first on the market.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cherries, leather, and molasses rise out of the glass at first in a tightly fused ball that bounces from nostril to nostril with brown sugar and wheat bread joining as well. There’s also a distinct oak undertone to go with some milk chocolate, cardboard, and stewed rhubarb, making for an extremely expressive and impressive nose.
Palate: Brown sugar, allspice, raspberry jam, and leather are the most immediately recognizable flavors on the palate, but what’s most impressive is that even as you’re teasing those notes apart, you get a glimpse of a much larger whole. This is an extremely multi-layered pour, packed with flavors you’ll need extended consideration to get halfway through appreciating.
Finish: The finish sees hazelnuts, raspberry jam, and allspice taking turns at the wheel as it gently pulses over your tongue, hanging on for dear life before leaving your palate after a lengthy period.
Bottom Line:
This bourbon is absolutely vital to try because it checks several atypical boxes you can’t get elsewhere. The first Angel’s Envy expression that isn’t finished? Check. The first cask-strength bottled-in-bond bourbon? Check again. But Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bottled In Bond Bourbon isn’t simply an awesome oddity; it’s straight-up awesome.
