Low-proof bourbon has been kind of pushed to the sideline as high-proof and massive barrel-proof bourbons (and all whiskeys for that matter) have skyrocketed in popularity. As people get further into their connoisseurship of the brown juice, tastes change and the desire for cask-strength single barrels and blends grows along with it.
Still, some of us don’t like being slapped in the face with 55, 60, or even 70% ABV (alcohol by volume) when we take a sip of whiskey, no matter how long we’ve been drinking it. That’s where lower-proof bourbons come in. They’re easier to drink by design.
But as with anything whiskey-related, not all lower-proof bourbons are created equal. That means it’s time for a blind taste test of some classic and new low-proof bourbon whiskeys.
Before I dive into this blind tasting, let’s get the logistics out of the way. In bourbon (and whiskey in general), “low-proof” is anything from 40 to 49.99% ABV or 80 to 99.9 proof. Bottled-in-Bond offerings sit as a sort of bridge between low proof and high proof at exactly 50% ABV or 100 proof. High-proof whiskey then ranges between 50.01% and 69.99%, so 100.1 to 139.9 proof. 70% ABV/140 proof and above are called Hazmat whiskeys due to their volatility (seriously, you cannot take them on a plane or store them on their side).
With very few exceptions, that low proof is achieved by proofing the whiskey with water before it enters the barrels and then after the juice is blended, or some combination therein. And that’s the rub. Often that proofing water washes out some key components of the flavor profile. As folks try more and more whiskey, this becomes more and more apparent, and higher-proof and barrel-proof whiskeys become more sought after. It’s the circle of life.
For this blind tasting, I grabbed 10 low-proof bourbons off my shelf and tasted them side-by-side. The ABVs ranged from 40 to 46.85%, or 80 to 93.7 proof. So this is well under the 100-proof/50% ABV mark of a bottled-in-bond. And surprisingly, the lower proofs didn’t lose out to the higher proofs. It was way more of a mix-and-match when it came to the ranking, which was based on both overall taste and how washed out the sip became.
Our lineup today is:
- Weller Special Reserve
- Benchmark Old. No. 8
- The Original Silverbelly
- High West Bourbon
- Chicken Cock
- Dragon’s Milk Beer Barrel Bourbon
- Michter’s Small Batch US*1 Bourbon
- Nashville Barrel Company 86 Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Evan Williams Black Label
- 1792 Small Batch
Okay, let’s dive in and find you a whiskey that’s not going to burn your face off.
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Part 1: The Tasting
Taste 1
Tasting Notes:
There’s a hint of old oak next to sweet cherries, classic bourbon vanilla, and a twinge of wet leather (Hello, Buffalo Trace). The taste has a nice and creamy texture with apple pie filling, plenty of wintry spices, and chocolate nut clusters. The end returns to that cherry with a syrupy feel as chewy pipe tobacco, dry leather, and old wicker round out the finish.
This was soft and obviously proofed but didn’t wash out really at all.
Taste 2
Tasting Notes:
There’s a bit of old lemon candies (this is cheap) on the nose with a touch of vanilla wafer, oatmeal cookie dough, and maybe some honey. The palate hints at dry cornmeal, some vanilla extract (again, this is cheap), caramel, and buttered popcorn. Hints of leather and “spice” move around on the palate but the finish is ultimately more like vodka than bourbon.
This is super washed out on the finish. There’s definitely a black label involved and it’s not from Bardstown, Lynchburg, or Clermont.
Taste 3
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a nice mix of leather and caramel with a touch of orchard fruits — apples and cherries mostly — next to a whisper of creamed corn and maybe some bran muffins. The palate leans into woody Christmas spices with a hint of oatmeal raisin cookies dipped in caramel with an underlying vanilla presence. The end brings about a soft sense of leather and caramel apples dusted with cinnamon and a thin line of mineral water.
This is a pretty good sip overall. There’s a little water at the end, but you can hide that in a good cocktail very easily.
Taste 4
Tasting Notes:
New leather and vanilla pudding cups mingle with buttered sweetcorn and a hint of yeasty funk on the nose. The palate is very supple with a nougat base and Pillsbury biscuits next to buttery honey and vanilla pods. The end moves on from the vanilla toward a hint of cedar bark and apple chips with a touch of salt and dry straw.
This was a solid sip again. Still, I feel like I’m very much in the “fine” section of the tasting.
Taste 5
Tasting Notes:
Tart apples and sharp cinnamon open up on the nose with a hint of anise and vanilla wafer, sweet oak, and maybe some salted caramel. The palate is full of buttery toffee with a hint of burnt sugar, dried figs, walnuts, and some minced meat pies. The end smooths everything out with a nice sense of vanilla next to dried tobacco just touched with that hot cinnamon.
This is way better and probably the best pour since taste 1.
Taste 6
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a clear sense of dark chocolate powder next to a very mild vanilla latte with a hint of winter spice and some nuttiness. The palate largely follows that pattern with a little creamier chocolate and sharper spice. The end ultimately sort of washes all that away and you’re left with a sense of chocolate powder and cinnamon but little else.
This was unique and promising but sort of just… petered out. Shame. There’s a lot to like here otherwise.
Taste 7
Tasting Notes:
Oh, here we go. The nose on this has a mix of woody maple syrup over buttery pancakes cooked on a griddle with a hint of peach compote and maybe a whisper of marshmallow. The palate has a vanilla cake vibe with a hint more of that stewed peach next to a dash of black pepper, fat whipping cream, and some campfire singed marshmallow. The end softens with buttery toffee, more of that vanilla cake, and a solid counterpoint of old cedar bark wrapped up with maple syrup tobacco leaves.
This is the good stuff. There was exactly zero sense of proofing water on this one.
Taste 8
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a mix of soft oatmeal cookies with a hint of rum-raisin, almond, and wintry spices next to a hint of worn leather, dry tobacco stems, and maybe some grape leaves. The palate leans into the grains with a soft brown bread vibe (straight from the can) next to a hint of dark sugar before a moment of Red Hot cinnamon arrives and moves the mid-palate back toward soft oatmeal cookies cut with vanilla and orange zest. The end lingers and sweetens toward a fruity end that’s almost grape soda.
This is a great one again. There’s no wateriness at all.
Taste 9
Tasting Notes:
Dry corn husks and vanilla pudding cups dominate the nose with a sense of caramel apples and… mineral water. The palate hints at lush eggnog but doesn’t quite get there as pear/apple candy keeps things sweet on the tongue. The end has a nice note of buttery toffee and roasted almonds with a dash more of that dried corn husk before the sweet pear/apple candy kicks in and washes out.
This washes out pretty hard by the end. You can sense it coming on the nose too. That said, this has a lot going on, it’s all just a little muted overall.
Taste 10
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a clear sense of cherrywood and sour apple with a note of fermented beer and caramel/vanilla cookies, which all leads back to Cherry Coke. The palate feels like a classic bourbon with plenty of vanilla and cherry next to winter spices, soft oak, worn leather, and rich toffee. The end creams the cherry and vanilla together with some butter and layers it onto dried tobacco and wicker braids.
This was also pretty damn good. No watery end. Nothing washed out. It was just good, ol’ bourbon whiskey.
Part: The Ranking
10. Benchmark Old. No. 8 — Taste 2
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $10
The Whiskey:
The juice in this bottle is from the famed Buffalo Trace Mash no. 1, which is very low rye (supposedly). This is a standard straight bourbon. Once the barrels are vatted, the whiskey is proofed all the way down to 80 proof for bottling.
Bottom Line:
Ah, the old black label from Frankfort. This was just too washed out to really be a contender. I can see mixing this with Coke or ginger but I’d probably avoid mixing it with fizzy water or into cocktails.
9. Evan Williams Black Label — Taste 9
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $13
The Whiskey:
This is the entry point for Evan Williams. The juice is a mix of four to seven-year-old barrels of the standard Heaven Hill bourbon. The bourbon is proofed at a slightly higher 43% before bottling.
Bottom Line:
This was miles above the last entry but still had a fairly washed-out end. That said, this felt like it could work in a simple old fashioned or with some good, fizzy mineral water. Or just mix it with Coke. It’s fine.
8. Dragon’s Milk Beer Barrel Bourbon — Taste 6
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $30
The Whiskey:
This is New Holland’s big swing at the stout barrel-aged bourbon market. The juice is made with a high barley mash bill. After maturation, the whiskey is vatted and re-barreled in New Holland’s Dragon’s Milk Stout barrels for a final rest. Finally, those barrels are blended, the whiskey is proofed way down, and it’s bottled.
Bottom Line:
This had a lot of promise. There’s a good and unique profile here. It just doesn’t land the finish thanks to all that proofing water. Still, I can see this working in an old fashioned if you wanted a nice chocolate note.
7. The Original Silverbelly — Taste 3
ABV: 45.5%
Average Price: $39
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is a sourced Kentucky bourbon that’s built for country music legend Alan Jackson. The juice is named after the color of Jackson’s iconic “silverbelly” hat. That juice is made in Owensboro, Kentucky, and then built from barrels that Jackson hand-selected with his daughter Mattie Jackson Selecman, who’s a certified sommelier by day.
Bottom Line:
This had a unique flavor profile that ultimately ended up classic. Overall, this was a nice sip with a soft landing of a finish. I’m only going to say this once. I wanted this at a higher proof. That said, this is perfectly suitable for cocktails and mixed drinks. Hell, I’d even sip it on the rocks with a dash of Angostura Bitters.
6. High West Bourbon — Taste 4
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $32
The Whiskey:
High West Bourbon is quickly becoming one of the most sought-after sourced/own-make whiskey blends. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of two to 13-year-old barrels rendered from high-rye and low-rye mashes alongside undisclosed whiskeys, some of which are sourced from MGP. Those sourced barrels are mixed with two-year-old barrels from High West before proofing and bottling.
Bottom Line:
This is a very solid, albeit average, bourbon. There are no faults. It tastes perfectly good. It’s just not arresting. I’d even argue that the little bit of water on the end doesn’t distract from this one.
5. Weller Special Reserve — Taste 1
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $130 ($29 MSRP)
The Whiskey:
Buffalo Trace doesn’t publish any of their mash bills. Educated guesses put the wheat percentage of these mash bills at around 16 to 18%, which is average. The age of the barrels on this blend is also unknown. We do know that they cut down those ABVs with that soft Kentucky limestone water.
Bottom Line:
This is where we get into the good stuff. This hit pretty well. It’s complex and very classic. And that’s about it.
4. Chicken Cock — Taste 5
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $63
The Whiskey:
Chicken Cock has some serious bourbon history going back to 1856. It was also the bourbon of the infamous Cotton Club in Harlem during Prohibition. Fun fact, the hooch was smuggled into the club in tin cans that they cracked open tableside. The juice in this bottle is being contract distilled at Bardstown Bourbon Company, where it’s also aged before blended, proofing, and bottling.
Bottom Line:
I was kind of surprised to see this so high. I rarely reach for this bottle but it really stood out today as a classic pour of bourbon. That said, I think I’d mostly use this for cocktails though. It feels like something you build upon.
3. 1792 Small Batch — Taste 10
ABV: 46.85%
Average Price: $30
The Whiskey:
This whiskey from Barton 1792 Distillery is a no-age-statement release made in “small batches.” The mash is unknown but Sazerac does mention that it’s a “high rye” mash bill, which could be exactly the same as Kirkland Signature Small Batch — or not. The juice is batched from select barrels and then proofed down and bottled as is.
Bottom Line:
This had serious depth and flavor. It wasn’t washed out at all. In fact, the proofing water was barely noticeable. Overall, this felt like a solid workhorse whiskey for cocktails and sipping on the rocks.
2. Michter’s Small Batch US*1 Bourbon — Taste 7
ABV: 45.7%
Average Price: $40
The Whiskey:
Michter’s really means the phrase “small batch” here. The tank they use to marry their hand-selected eight-year-old bourbons can only hold 20 barrels, so that’s how many go into each small-batch bottling. The blended juice is then proofed with Kentucky’s famously soft limestone water and bottled.
Bottom Line:
I was shocked this wasn’t number one. This is damn good bourbon with a fully-developed profile that has no hints of proofing water. This is a winner but it didn’t quite reach the same depth as the next entry.
1. Nashville Barrel Company 86 Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 8
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
Nashville Barrel Company has been raking in the awards for their single barrel releases (mostly from MGP). With all of their releases at barrel strength, they figured it was high time to offer a blend that’s proofed down a little more for the folks who don’t want that ABV slap in the face mentioned above. This whiskey is a blend of five or more year-old barrels (only a handful of them) and then masterfully proofed down to 43%.
Bottom Line:
This felt perfectly rounded. It was low-proof but didn’t feel like it was washed out by water thanks to a unique and deep flavor profile. It’s also bold, which is what we’ve all come to expect from an NBC release.
Part 3: Final Thoughts
This really was a mixed bag when it comes to those low proofs. One of the lower-proofed bourbon whiskeys won the day.
Overall, this showed that it is less about the proof and more about the hand at the water spigot when it comes to how these whiskeys are blended and proofed down. This blind tasting also showed that low proof doesn’t mean low flavor. Most of these whiskeys had a great flavor profile with the top really shining brightly.
