Father’s Day is on Sunday. That means that right now people are scrambling to find gifts for the father figures in their lives. If that person likes whiskeys, consider your scrambling over. I have the answers, especially if the dads in your life like bourbon. Yep, it’s time to call out some special Father’s Day-ready bottles of bourbon that you can actually buy right now.
For this list, we’re breaking things down into two parts. First, I’m naming the more affordable bottles that you can buy right now and pretty easily anywhere or online. That doesn’t mean cheap. I’m listing 10 bourbons under $100 that are actually really freaking good. There are single barrels, old age statements, barrel proofs, huge name brands, and barrel picks from craft distillers that are actually available outside of their regions. It’s a good mix.
For the second half of the list, I’m calling out the bottles that are going to wow the father figure in your life. Some of these whiskeys are rare and very limited. But, if you’re willing to pay a little extra coin, you can 100% get them right now. I mean, is there ever a better time to buy a bottle of Pappy than for this holiday? Yes, the prices will be inflated, but the likelihood of getting the splurge-worthy bottles at their suggested retail is pretty much impossible anyway. So maybe now’s the time to just pull that trigger and go for the gold.
Oh, and I added one wild card rye whiskey at the end because it’s specifically made for Father’s Day 2023. Sound good? Let’s dive in!
Part 1 — The Affordable Bottles Of Bourbon For Father’s Day (Under $100)
Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
ABV: 56.25%
Average Price: $42
The Whisky:
This special release from Maker’s Mark is their classic wheated bourbon turned up a few notches. The batch is made from no more than 19 barrels of whiskey. Once batched, that whiskey goes into the barrel at cask strength with no filtering, just pure whiskey-from-the-barrel vibes.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Burnt caramel candies and lush vanilla lead the way on the nose with hints of dry straw, sour cherry pie, and spiced apple cider with a touch of eggnog lushness.
Palate: The palate has a sense of spicy caramel with a vanilla base that leads to apricot jam, southern biscuits, and a flake of salt with a soft mocha creaminess.
Finish: The end is all about the buzzy tobacco spiciness with a soft vanilla underbelly and a hint of cherry syrup.
Bottom Line:
I’m a devout Maker’s Mark fan and this bottle is one of their best. It’s a great option if you know your father already likes Maker’s, which shows that you pay attention and want to get them something a little more special while still playing in the same wheated bourbon sandbox.
Four Roses Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $43
The Whiskey:
Four Rose’s standard single-barrel expression is an interesting one. This is their “number one” recipe, meaning it’s the high-rye mash bill that’s fermented with a yeast that highlights “delicate fruit.” The whiskey is then bottled at 100 proof, meaning you’re getting a good sense of that single barrel in every bottle.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Woody maple syrup and cinnamon sticks lead to a hint of pear candy, rich vanilla, and a leathery dark fruit with this faint whisper of floral herbs on the nose.
Palate: The palate lets the pear shine as the spices lean into woody barks and tart berries next to leathery dates and plums with a butteriness tying everything together.
Finish: A spicy tobacco chewiness leads the mid-palate toward a soft fruitiness and a hint of plum pudding at the end with a slight nuttiness and green herbal vibe.
Bottom Line:
This is just a lovely pour of whiskey. Four Roses is a great option for a bourbon lover thanks to a unique flavor profile that’s a touch more floral, funky, and fruity than your average Kentucky bourbon. In a single-barrel format, it’s even more dialed toward uniqueness while still staying 100% delicious.
The best part is that this is a single-barrel bourbon that you can pretty easily find in any liquor store. Consider your shopping done.
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 57.5%
Average Price: $59
The Whiskey:
This Old Forester expression “celebrates” the Volstead Act of 1920, which pretty much banned alcohol in the U.S. What this is really celebrating is that Old Forester was one of only six distilleries that were able to keep making and selling whiskey (for medicinal purposes) during Prohibition. This translates to an expression that builds a blend that mimics the taste and vibe of the OF of that era.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A classic choco-cherry note comes through on the top of this nose with maple syrup-soaked cedar next to a faint touch of caramel apple.
Palate: The palate is slightly nutty, bordering on Pecan Sandies, with more maple syrup leading towards light pepperiness that’s almost like cumin as the cedar comes back into play.
Finish: The mid-palate sweetens pretty dramatically with a Caro Syrup feel to it as the spice hits on a wintery vibe and the taste ends with a finish of (almost smoked) dark chocolate cherry tobacco on the very backend.
Bottom Line:
There’s something about anything “Prohibition” era that just feels very dad. It’s old-school but always trendy in the bourbon scene. It helps that Brown-Forman makes this bourbon very available on most shelves.
Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 12 Years Old
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $69
The Whiskey:
This is the classic Beam whiskey. The juice is left alone in the Beam warehouses in Clermont, Kentucky, for 12 long years. The barrels are chosen according to a specific taste and mingled to create this aged expression with a drop or two of that soft Kentucky limestone water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with clear notes of dark rum-soaked cherry, bitter yet creamy dark chocolate, winter spices, a twinge of a sourdough sugar doughnut, and a hint of menthol.
Palate: The palate leans into a red berry crumble — brown sugar, butter, and spice — with a hint of dried chili flake, salted caramels covered in dark chocolate, and a spicy/sweet note that leads toward a wet cattail stem and soft brandied cherries dipped in silky dark chocolate sauce.
Finish: The very end holds onto that sweetness and layers in a final note of pecan shells and maple candy.
Bottom Line:
If your father figure is a Jim Beam fan, then this is a must-buy. This is Jim Beam dialed up to 11. It’s so refined yet bold and deeply delicious. It’s also well-aged, adding to the depth of the overall experience. This is the good stuff so make sure you get a pour too this Sunday.
Brother’s Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey Original Cask Strength
ABV: 57.55%
Average Price: $73
The Whiskey:
The newest release from Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley is an evolution of their brand. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of three bourbons which create a four-grain bourbon. That blend was then bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with a balance of old leather boots and freshly cracked black pepper next to a hint of walnut shell, vanilla pod, and orange zest.
Palate: The palate leans into what feels like star fruit as orange marmalade, salted butter, and fresh honey drip over rye bread crusts.
Finish: The end comes with a good dose of peppery spice and old leather as those walnuts and oranges combine with a handful of dried fruit and a dusting of winter spices on the finish.
Bottom Line:
This brand continues to wow. It’s one of the only celebrity bourbons that feels like it’s made with love. It just tastes good. And if your pops if a fan of either of the actors, then this is a no-brainer gift bottle.
Wyoming Whiskey Double Cask Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Sherry Casks
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $74
The Whiskey:
This is classic Wyoming Whiskey wheated bourbon (originally made by whiskey legend Steve Nally who helped created Maker’s Mark what it is today). That wheated whiskey is rested in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks for a final rest before batching and bottling in the high desert of Central Wyoming.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Leathery dried apricot, sticky toffee pudding cut with dried orange and sea salt, and soft fig jam mingle with sharp winter spices, vanilla pods, and a hint of eggnog on the nose.
Palate: That sticky toffee pudding leans into black-tea-soaked dates and leathery prunes on the palate with a sense of candied orange sprinkled over malted vanilla ice cream and drizzled with salted caramel.
Finish: Sultanas and cinnamon sticky buns rule the finish as orange creamsicles and spiced gingerbread round out the warm yet lush end.
Bottom Line:
This has a very nostalgic vibe — largely thanks to the orange/vanilla vibe — that feels like hanging with your dad on the back porch in the late summer just before the leaves start to fall. It’s also a good candidate if your father is into Yellowstone since this one is made about an hour east of the park.
Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $78
The Whiskey:
Jimmy Russell hand selects eight to nine-year-old barrels from his warehouses for their individual taste and quality. Those barrels are then cut down ever-so-slightly to 101 proof and bottled one at a time with their barrel number and warehouse location right on the bottle.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose draws you in with classic vibes from top to bottom thanks to rich vanilla smoothness, wintry spices, a hint of cedar, and a mix of sour cherry and tart apple with a slight lawn furniture earthiness.
Palate: The palate stays very classic with old boot leather next to dry cedar bark, a layer of rich marzipan cut with orange oils and covered in dark chocolate, and a distant hint of nasturtiums suspended in fresh honey.
Finish: The end finishes with a good hint of spiced cherry tobacco and old leather next to mild nuttiness, bitter chocolate, and soft vanilla cake frosted with cinnamon and cherry.
Bottom Line:
This is the best Wild Turkey product that you can find and buy for a great price. So if your father’s into Wild Turkey 101 as their everyday pour, then this is the bottle to buy.
Elijah Craig Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Private Barrel S2B2
ABV: 61.95%
Average Price: $82
The Whiskey:
This barrel pick from ReserveBar is a masterpiece bourbon. The whiskey in the bottle is a nine-year-old barrel made with Heaven Hill’s classic bourbon mash bill (78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley). The barrel rested in Heaven Hill’s famed warehouse KK for all nine of those years before it was bottled for this special release.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich cherries soaked in maple syrup mingle with a light sense of cedar cigar humidors, apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks, and cloves buried in orange peels with a hint of marzipan lurking in the background.
Palate: That cinnamon and clove blend with eggnog and nutmeg as the palate leans into mincemeat pie, vanilla cake, and a hint of toasted marshmallow dipped in dark chocolate.
Finish: The end gets a little dry as white pepper and old boot leather mingle with rich maple syrup over blueberry pancakes with a light sense of vanilla sugar cookies.
Bottom Line:
A lot of folks drink regular Elijah Craig Small Batch and lust after Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. This takes that a step further by offering a barrel-proof version of Elijah Craig that’s also a one-off single barrel. Get it now while you still can.
Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey Private Select Single Barrel
ABV: 57.2%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This craft distillery out in Washington is starting to create a big footprint nationwide. This release is as single barrel pick of five-year-old local grain-to-glass Washington bourbon. The barrel spent exactly five years and four months aging in Central Washington during deeply cold winters and very hot high-desert summers, accelerating the aging process significantly. It was then barreled 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A dark and almost dried cherry greet you on the nose with a sense of toasted Graham Crackers, maple syrup, and huckleberry pie next o hints of spiced winter cakes and salty dark chocolate.
Palate: Those spicy winter cakes follow on the palate as salted caramel and vanilla cake lead back to a lush cherry ice cream with a hint of dark chocolate and almond.
Finish: That dark chocolate gets creamy and sweet on the finish with a hint of floral honey and nasturtium spice next to a mild sense of old yet sweet oak.
Bottom Line:
Woodinville is one of those whiskeys that gets a lot of hype but is hard to find outside the West Coast. This release solves the latter as it is available online via ReserveBar right now. It’s also a single-barrel version that rocks — this is a great example of Woodinville.
Heaven’s Door Decade Series Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 10 Years
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This is the first release in the new series of Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door Tennessee whiskeys. The juice is a 10-year-old straight bourbon that was made in Tennessee but wasn’t charcoal filtered before or after aging. The sourced barrels were blended and just proofed down before bottling without any other fussing.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a tannic old oakiness on the nose (this is older) with hints of pecan waffles covered in maple syrup with vanilla butter.
Palate: The taste is pure silk with salted caramel, vanilla cream, black licorice, marzipan, and a hint of cinnamon-pecan ice cream with a dusting of powdery chocolate in malt.
Finish: The end has a moment of warmth thanks to that cinnamon before lunging toward old porch wicker, cinnamon bark, star anise, pear tobacco, and old leather with a hint of potting soil.
Bottom Line:
Is your dad a Bob Dylan fan? Hell, is your dad a fan of simply delicious whiskey? Consider your shopping sorted.
Part 2 — The Splurge-Worthy Bottles Of Bourbon For Father’s Day ($100 and Above)
E. H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottled In Bond
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $172
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is aged in the famed Warehouse C at Buffalo Trace from their Mash Bill No. 1. In this case, single barrels are picked for their perfect Taylor flavor profile and bottled one at a time with a slight touch of water to bring them down to bottled-in-bond proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dried dark fruits and a hint of vanilla wafers mingle with fig fruit leather, a touch of orchard wood, and a deep caramel on the nose.
Palate: The palate holds onto those notes while layering in dark berry tobacco with sharp winter spices, new leather, and a singed cotton candy next to a cedar box filled with that tobacco.
Finish: The finish lingers on your senses for a while and leaves the spice behind for that dark, almost savory fruit note with an echo of blackberry Hostess pies next to soft leather pouches that have held chewy tobacco for decades and a final hint of old porch wicker in the middle of summer.
Bottom Line:
E.H. Taylor is a founding father of Kentucky bourbon. He was instrumental in creating the whole scene in Kentucky in the 1800s. Gifting the signature whiskey of a founding father of bourbon feels like the right play this weekend.
Sweetens Cove 22 Tennessee Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Scotch Casks
ABV: 57%
Average Price: $219
The Whiskey:
This brand-new whiskey from Tennessee is a serious blend. The blend is made with a mix of five-, six-, eight-, and 10-year-old bourbons. That whiskey then goes into Speyside Scotch whisky casks for a final rest before blending and bottling with a tiny drop of proofing water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Leathery raisins and cranberries mingle with marmalade and sweet cedar next to a hint of clove tobacco and some old boot leather and vanilla buttercream.
Palate: Cinnamon toast and tart apple pies with plenty of cinnamon and walnuts mix with a touch of smoldering cedar bark and allspice on the palate.
Finish: That singed vibe applies to vanilla pods as dark berries and old dry tobacco dominate the finish with a hint of sweet cedar and soft vanilla cream drizzled with salted toffee.
Bottom Line:
This whiskey is from NFL legend Peyton Manning. I think my work here is done.
Michter’s Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 10 Years Old
ABV: 47.2%
Average Price: $241
The Whiskey:
The whiskey barrels sourced for these single-barrel expressions tend to be at least 10 years old with some rumored to be closer to 15 years old (depending on the barrel’s quality, naturally). Either way, the whiskey goes through Michter’s bespoke filtration process before a touch of Kentucky’s iconic soft limestone water is added, bringing the bourbon down to a very crushable 94.4 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a peppery sense of cedar bark and burnt orange next to salted caramel and tart red berries with a moist and spicy sticky toffee pudding with some brandy butter dancing on the nose.
Palate: The palate blends vanilla tobacco with salted dark chocolate-covered marzipan while espresso cream leads to new porch wicker and black peppercorns.
Finish: The end has a pecan waffle vibe with chocolate chips, maple syrup, blackberry jam, and minced meat pies next to old tobacco and cedar with a sweet yet toasted marshmallow on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is the bottle you get when you really want to get your father a truly great bourbon. This is one of the best, full stop.
Joseph A. Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50.35%
Average Price: $269
The Whiskey:
This Indiana-sourced bourbon is built from 11 and 18-year-old bourbons. The real star of the show with this whiskey is that those bourbons were finished in armagnac, cognac, and sherry casks before batching and bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with sticky toffee pudding that really amps up the cinnamon and nutmeg next to black-tea-soaked dates next to some stewed prunes wrapped in chili-chocolate-laced tobacco leaves and dripped in honey and then walnuts.
Palate: A savory fruitiness opens the palate with figs and pumpkin that leads towards an apricot jam with a hint of clove and cinnamon next to light touches of old library leather and cobwebs.
Finish: A faint hint of dark berries arrives on the mid-palate before the finish luxuriates in burnt toffee, almond shells, more of that leather, and dried-out apricots.
Bottom Line:
This is the bottle you get if your dad is a real whiskey nerd. It’s bespoke and you have to be in the know a bit to even know it exists. It’s also really freaking tasty.
Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Batch Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 2023 Release
ABV: 62.35%
Average Price: $291
The Whiskey:
This is Woodford Reserve’s classic and iconic bourbon presented in its purest form. The whiskey in the bottle this year is a batch of barrels that are bottled 100% as-as at barrel strength with no fussing whatsoever — just pure Woodford.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich marzipan — think the really good stuff like Niederegger — mingles with walnut-heavy banana bread, dried cherry, candied orange peels, and whole Tellichery peppercorns on the nose with this fleeting sense of old barrelhouses on a cold fall day.
Palate: That dark pepper leads back toward winter spice cakes wrapped in pipe tobacco and packed into old cedar boxes before vanilla cakes and creamy chai with plenty of cardamom takes over the silken palate.
Finish: That creamy silkiness drives the finish toward leathery pipe tobacco leaves and old braids of cedar, sweetgrass, and wild sage next to Black Forest cake and a hint more of that moist and rich marzipan.
Bottom Line:
This is incredibly delicious whiskey. It’s also a great gift for anyone who loves Woodford Reserve in general (which is available literally everywhere booze is sold). This really takes that Woodford vibe and explodes it into the stratosphere.
Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 65.15%
Average Price: $338
The Whiskey:
Blanton’s is “The Original Single Barrel” bourbon, and this expression is the purest form of that whiskey. The whiskey in this case is from the barrels that need no cutting with water and are excellent as-is, straight from the barrel. All the barrels will come from Warehouse H (where Elmer T. Lee stored his private stash of barrels back in the day) and arrive with varying proofs. The through-line is the excellent taste of that single, unadulterated barrel in each sip.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of very bespoke dark chocolate-covered salted hard caramel toffees encrusted with almonds and pecans — the kind you get from a chocolate shop that imports their goodies from somewhere like Belgium.
Palate: The nutty toffee carries through into the taste as oily vanilla pods mingle with cedar boxes of dried tobacco leaves and a touch of floral honey.
Finish: The end is very long and lingers in your senses, with a hot buzzing that subtly fades through all that sweetness.
Bottom Line:
This is the original single-barrel bourbon bottled right out of the cask without any water added for proofing. That means that this is Blanton’s amped all the way to its max volume. This is also probably the most notable/recognizable brand on the whole list and will make any dad pretty goddamn happy to see on Father’s Day Sunday.
Weller The Original Wheated Bourbon Aged 12 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $395
The Whiskey:
This is the expression that’s theoretically the closest to Pappy. The whiskey rests in the warehouse for 12 long years, in the same barrels and warehouses as Pappy. The difference between this and Pappy 12 — good ol’ “Lot B” — is pretty simple actually. If the barrel doesn’t hit the exact flavor profile needed for a Pappy, it’s sent to the blending house to become a Weller (as long as it hits Weller’s flavor profile, of course). So yes, this could have been a Pappy 12 had the flavor profile been slightly different in the barrel.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose hits softly with bruised peaches and old pears next to fresh wool sweaters, vanilla pancake batter, and moist marzipan next to orange oils, worn-out wicker deck furniture, and old Buffalo Trace leather with a faint hint of dried roses.
Palate: The palate kicks around cherry bark and apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks with spiced cranberry sauce over buttermilk biscuits and gingerbread.
Finish: The end leans into the sharp brown spices with a mild sense of vanilla cake with apple cider and cinnamon frosting, a touch of burnt orange, and more of that moist marzipan covered in salted dark chocolate.
Bottom Line:
This is probably the best regular Weller. Actually, gun to head, it is the best. So if you’re going to buy a Weller this Father’s Day, this is one to buy.
Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey One
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $575
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is a blend of Jimmy and Eddie Russells’ favorite barrels. Jimmy chose nine to 10-year-old barrels and Eddie added in 14-year-old barrels of their classic bourbon. Once batched, that whiskey was then re-barreled into new oak with a special toast and char level and then stored in a timber rickhouse called Tyrone G (as you’re starting to tell, rickhouses are very important to the nuance that makes Turkey great).
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cinnamon-infused caramel candies mingle with creamed honey and old slices of vanilla cake with an orange-clove-chocolate frosting next to old tobacco leaves and a touch of dried chili pepper flakes on the nose.
Palate: The palate opens with a creamy and lush vanilla foundation that leads to salted caramel over apple cake with a cutting ginger and cinnamon spiciness next to a light touch of dried nasturtiums.
Finish: The end starts sweet and spiced with a mouthful of Hot Tamales before old cherry-choco tobacco folds into an old pine box with a hint of singed cinnamon bark and cherry wood mellow with old boot leather and broken-down lawn furniture.
Bottom Line:
Look, I adore Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit above. But that is a regular-release bottle. This is the Wild Turkey you get when you really want to create a “holy shit, really?!?!” moment on Father’s Day for a Wild Turkey fan.
Old Rip Van Winkle Aged 10 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $1,106
The Whiskey:
This is Pappy at 10 years old. It’s not “technically” Pappy since it is a “Van Winkle” expression, but it’s a Pappy. Semantics aside, this is the same wheated whiskey that hits its prime at 10 years instead of 12, 15, 20, or 23 years. The main difference here — besides the younger age — is the proof. This goes into the bottle with only a touch of water, keeping it far closer to barrel-proof at 107 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a sense of rum-raisin folded into a honey-nut creamy fudge cluster with pecans and walnuts and dusted with powdered sugar, sweet cinnamon, and orange zest.
Palate: The palate leans into salted caramel with vanilla cream next to stewed apples with maple doughnut frosting and a twinge of old dates soaked in black tea.
Finish: The end has a moment of black pepperiness before heading toward woody winter spices, old piles of orchard wood with a hint of black mold, and soft leaves of chewy tobacco laced with dark chocolate, salted caramel, and marzipan.
Bottom Line:
Every Pappy journey should start with an Old Rip 10. This is where you begin. It’s also the most affordable bottle of Pappy that is very drinkable. It’s a classic bourbon that feels deeply nostalgic, which is a very Father’s Day vibe.
Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 17 Years Old BTAC 2022
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $1,945
The Whiskey:
Back in the spring of 2005, a humble bourbon was made with Kentucky distiller’s corn, Minnesota rye, and North Dakota barley. That hot juice was then filled into new white oak from Independent Stave from Missouri with a #4 char level (55 seconds) and stacked in Buffalo Trace’s warehouses H, K, and L on floors one and four. It was left alone for 17 years, which allowed 70% of the whiskey to be lost to the angels. In 2022, the barrels were batched and the bourbon was proofed down to 101 proof and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose subtly draws you in with soft pipe tobacco that feels fresh and vibrant next to dried sour cherries dipped in salted dark chocolate and rolled in vanilla seeds and vanilla-laced streusel with a good dose of woody maple syrup with this fleeting hint of red brick, moldy cellar beams, and soft and sandy cellar dirt floor.
Palate: Old maple trees dripping with sap lead to a rich salted caramel candy vibe next to rich vanilla pound cake topped with a creamy dark chocolate frosting and bespeckled with orange zest, dried cranberries bits, and crushed espresso beans.
Finish: The mid-palate takes on a woody spiciness with a whisper of apple bark that informs a spiced Christmas cake full of soft cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, mace, and maybe some anise and dried dark fruits with creamy eggnog baseline next to old Whether’s Originals wrapped up in dry tobacco leaves and stacked in a musty pine box for safekeeping.
Bottom Line:
The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection is the mountaintop of bourbon collecting (after Pappy of course). This is the one bottle that I can assure is the best to buy from that line every year. This is also one of the best bourbons out there.
Part 3 — Bonus Track Father’s Day Whiskey Bottle
Blue Run Single Barrel Double Oak Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (Barrel: #68594)
ABV: 53.85%
Average Price: $199
The Whiskey:
Blue Run Double Oak Single Barrel Rye Whiskey is a new line of 10 single barrels that are dropping just in time for Father’s Day. The whiskey in each case is a double oak finish Kentucky rye that’s first aged in classic American white oak that’s finished in another new American white oak barrel — both of which were toasted and charred to a level #3 (medium deep). Those whiskey barrels were then bottled 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bright dried red chili peppers mingle with soft leather, a twinge of toffee sweetness, soft red berries, and a whisper of umami.
Palate: Caramel and woody vanilla rush to a touch of cherry bark and ABV warmth next to creamy winter spice and a hint of sharp red chili heat.
Finish: The end is a long and warm hug with a sense of dried brown spices with a hot edge, mild nuttiness, and a foundation of buttercream cut with sassafras chips.
Bottom Line:
Blue Run always hits it out of the park with their blends and single barrel releases and this one is only further proof of their excellence. Moreover, this rye whiskey was released specifically for Father’s Day. You know what to do.
