Figuring out the best bourbon whiskey to buy is no easy task these days. The shelves are more packed than ever, and even with awards lists, internet hype, blind taste tests, and single bottle reviews from your most trusted critics, it can all be a little daunting. One other thing that might help is knowing what people are actually buying. To that end, we reached out to ReserveBar to find out their 25 best-selling bourbon whiskeys.
For the list below, I’m ranking the 25 best-selling bourbons from ReserveBar according to my own tasting notes. One reason for this is that ReserveBar doesn’t actually rank its sales (not publicly anyway). They only sent me a list of their 25 best sellers in no particular order. Secondly, this is a pretty diverse list of whiskeys, ranging from classics to ultra-rare special releases, which tracks if you know that ReserveBar tends to be the place to find rarer special releases, sometimes closer to their MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price). With no ranking or tasting notes, this would just be a list of bourbons you may or may not have heard of. I’m here to add context.
All of that aside, this is about finding you a bourbon for your home bar cart so let’s dive in!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
- The 50 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2021, Ranked
- Every Winning Bourbon From Our 2021 Taste Tests, Blind Tasted And Re-Ranked
- The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021
- We Blind Tasted A Whole Bunch Of $30-60 Bourbons To See If Any Could Beat Weller
- The Best Ten-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskeys, Tasted Blind And Ranked
25. Brother’s Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $46
The Whiskey:
This celebrity whiskey comes from Vampire Diaries actors Paul Wesley and Ian Somerhalder. The juice is from an “undisclosed” source but from Indiana (gotta be MGP, obviously). The mash bill is a four-grain recipe of corn, rye, wheat, and malted barley that’s aged for an undisclosed amount of time before proofing all the down to 80 proof and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is light but distinct with hints of apple cider, soft caramel, a touch of singed oak, and plenty of vanilla. The palate leans into notes of marzipan with a fairgrounds caramel apple on a stick that’s just touched with salt and a distant hint of tobacco. The finish is short and sweet (and a bit thin) thanks to that low ABV, but does leave you with a nice sense of lush marzipan and applewood tobacco just touched by vanilla.
Bottom Line:
This is a good place to start. It’s also a testament to big-name celebrities (who actually care) being able to break through the static and get their bourbon in people’s hands. That aside, this is a perfectly good mixer for cocktails.
24. Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Whiskey
ABV: 46.5%
Average Price: $51
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is built from a batch of barrels that are a minimum of seven years old. Nearest’s Master Blender, Victoria Eady-Butler, builds the blend according to classic flavor notes first put into Tennessee whiskey by her ancestor, Nearest Green, back in the 1800s.
Tasting Notes:
Pecan Sandies and leather pouches that once held cinnamon sticks dominate the nose. The taste is more about the vanilla ice cream over a fresh piece of apple pie with plenty of brown spice and brown sugar with a hint of butter. The end brings about some walnut, cherry, and chocolate powder with a touch more of that cinnamon-infused leather but ultimately kind of peters out.
Bottom Line:
This is Uncle Nearest’s entry-point whiskey. It’s perfectly fine but a little washed out due to those low ABVs. That said, this is meant for mixing, so use it for that.
23. Horse Soldier Reserve Barrel Strength Bourbon
ABV: Varies
Average Price: $98
The Whiskey:
This new bourbon brand is killing it at the moment. The bourbon in this case was contract distilled in Ohio (but is now being made in Kentucky). The juice is a wheated bourbon that spent eight years mellowing before bottling. Each barrel was hand picked before being married into a single barrel strength expression that’s bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
A firewood pile opens the nose with apple crumble, lemon zest, plenty of creamy vanilla, and wintry spices rounding out the nose next to a hint of old saddle leather. The taste has a butterscotch vibe next to hints of Vanilla Coke, more of that apple crumble with the spice and brown sugar set to 11, and a touch of apple blossoms next to a hint of fresh ginger. The finish takes its time and leans into the sharpness of the spice, leaving you warmed to your soul next to a final note of that dry firewood stacked in dark soil.
Bottom Line:
This is a pretty classic bourbon for a “newbie” on the scene. Overall, this speaks to the crowd buying bourbon from ReserveBar. They seemingly know their stuff if they’re buying this.
22. Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $45
The Whiskey:
This is the whiskey that heralded a new era of bourbon in 1999. Famed Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee came out of retirement to create this bourbon to celebrate the renaming of the George T. Stagg distillery to Buffalo Trace when Sazerac bought the joint. The rest, as they say, is history — especially since this has become a touchstone bourbon for the brand.
Tasting Notes:
Classic notes of vanilla come through next to a dark syrup sweetness, a flourish of fresh mint, and a raw leather that veers towards raw steak. The palate cuts through the sweeter notes with plenty of spices — like clove and star anise — next to a hint of tart berries underneath it all. The end is long, velvety, and really delivers on the vanilla and spice.
Bottom Line:
Again, classic. This bourbon is beloved but harder to find these days thanks to Buffalo Trace allocations. I really only use it for cocktails but some folks like it neat or on the rocks.
21. Rare Stash Bourbon
ABV: 45.5%
Average Price: $103
The Whiskey:
This new whiskey is a blended bourbon. The gist is that “rare” barrels are sourced and blended to create a rare bourbon experience in the glass. Beyond that, not much is known about where or what those barrels are.
Tasting Notes:
This feels like a classic bourbon on the nose with hints of almond mingling with rich vanilla, salted caramel, wet cedar, and a hint of spicy tobacco. The palate largely follows the nose’s lead while adding in soft toffee and hints of marzipan with an orange oil edge. The finish is standard, with vanilla giving way to winter spice, more nuttiness, and a dash of cedar and pipe tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is fine and well-built. It’s easy drinking and complex enough to stay with you. I’m surprised to see it on a list of “best-selling” anything as I’ve only seen it at industry events. Plus, the price always seemed outrageous for what it is.
20. Woodford Reserve Bourbon
ABV: 45.2%
Average Price: $44
The Whiskey:
The mash bill on this bourbon is mid-range rye with 18% of the grain in the bill alongside the requisite corn and malted barley. It’s triple distilled utilizing both pot and column stills. The spirit then rests for six to seven years in a climate-controlled warehouse, taking time to mature before barrels are pulled for blending, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Vanilla comes through first on the nose with a good dose of caramel, soft oak, dark chocolate oranges, red berry tobacco, and the faintest hint of fresh mint. The palate delivers on those notes while layering in a soft toffee and silkiness with more dark chocolate, orange oils, and a cinnamon-forward tobacco leaf. The finish really holds onto the silken texture as the spice, dark chocolate, and vanilla linger the longest with a nice caramel sweetness.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the easiest drinking bourbons on the list. It’s also a great workhorse in that it works equally well as an on the rocks sipper as it does as a cocktail base.
19. Woodford Reserve Bourbon 2022 Kentucky Derby 148 Bottle
ABV: 45.2%
Average Price: $92
The Whiskey:
This is the exact same whiskey as above but in a special one-off bottle. The bottle in this case is made exclusively for the Kentucky Derby. The bottle’s label was painted by Jaime Corum, who’s a noted equestrian artist. The label — titled “Dreams in Bloom” — depicts three thoroughbreds heading towards a photo finish with spring flowers and Derby Roses framing them. It’s a vivid scene for a classic bottle.
Tasting Notes:
See above.
Bottom Line:
Since this is the same juice as standard Woodford, I ranked them back to back. This wins out in that the bottle is a limited edition and has actual art on it.
18. Heaven’s Door Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $52
The Whiskey:
This “high-rye” bourbon has a mash bill of 70% corn supported by 30% “small grains.” Basically, that’s mostly made up of rye with a dash of malted barley. The juice is then aged in new American oak for eight years before the barrels are blended into the bottle.
Tasting Notes:
This feels like a classic bourbon with notes of vanilla, bread, and oak up front, and is too basic to truly stand out. The sip edges towards a creamy vanilla essence with hints of stone fruit, like cherries, next to a slight spice. It’s very straightforward and drinkable with a long finish that leans into the spice, fruit, vanilla, and maybe a hint of chocolate.
Bottom Line:
This is another nice mixing bourbon for your cocktails. It’s fine on the rocks but better in an old fashioned.
17. Angel’s Envy Bourbon Finished in Port Barrels
ABV: 43.3%
Average Price: $58
The Whiskey:
This is a modern classic and helped relaunch the “barrel finished” movement in the U.S. The juice is made from sourced bourbon from undisclosed distilleries around Kentucky along with Angel Envy’s own-make coming out of Louisville. The whiskey is aged around six years before it’s reloaded into Ruby Port casks (French oak). No more than 12 barrels are then small batched, proofed with local water, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Blackberry jam mixes with salted butter, raw biscuit dough, and a hint of vanilla on the nose with a hint of winter spices and dried fruit. The palate has a sweet leathery vibe next to dried fruits, more of that winter spice, and a thin hint of black pepper. The finish thins out toward vanilla and peppery spice as the berry jam melds with the leather on the end.
Bottom Line:
This is a good “gateway to bourbon” pour. It’s not overly complex and pretty accessible when it comes to ABVs. That said, I’d mostly use this for whiskey highballs.
16. Jefferson’s Ocean Voyage Aged at Sea Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $82
The Whiskey:
Jefferson’s Ocean is an experiment in finishing that’s pretty unique. The blenders pull in six to eight-year-old whiskeys sourced from four Kentucky distilleries. They marry those barrels and then re-barrel the whiskey, load them onto a ship, and sail those barrels around the world for almost a year. The best of those barrels are married again and bottled with a little Kentucky limestone water added.
Tasting Notes:
Vanilla pudding meets orange zest and kiwi as a hint of marshmallow drives the nose. Spicy tobacco leads the way on the palate as fresh mint lightens things up and dried roses counterpoint. The mid-palate is all about sweet spices with savory fruits leaning into figs and maybe even a touch of raw pumpkin flesh. Those figs take over on the end and create a sweet/savory fruity finish with a touch of kiwi skin.
Bottom Line:
This feels like it’s a pure gimmick, but it delivers. There’s nuance and balance that leads to a deep and satisfying sip. Overall, I like this over a few rocks or in a cocktail.
15. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon
ABV: 45.2%
Average Price: $63
The Whiskey:
This expression amps up the already masterfully-crafted Woodford Reserve Bourbon. The juice is triple distilled in old pot stills and aged for six to seven years in deeply charred oak. Then the bourbon goes into a second barrel that has been double toasted but only slightly charred. After nine months of finishing, the bourbon is proofed and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This is an interesting one — hints of marzipan and rose water hit the nose next to dark berries and honey-toffee with just a bit of dry firewood. The palate draws those flavors out as the berries dry out, the marzipan becomes nuttier and less sweet, and the woodiness becomes more like a soft and almost wet cedar. There’s a touch of apple and caramel with a slightly spiced edge near the end with a rich honeyed tobacco chew next to a whisper of vanilla.
Bottom Line:
This is just a good bourbon. It’s very easy to drink and complex enough to really make a cocktail shine while working wonders on a single rock.
14. Saint Cloud 7-Year Single Barrel
ABV: 61.2%
Average Price: $154
The Whiskey:
This is a fascinating mix of sourced bourbon and good marketing. At seven years, it’s pretty young for such a pricey bourbon. The juice is hand-selected barrels that meet the specific taste and texture requirements of Saint Cloud’s team. That whiskey is then bottled at barrel strength with no other fussing, giving you a single barrel experience that’s one of a kind.
Tasting Notes:
You’re drawn in with a white cake slathered in buttery vanilla frosting next to a salted caramel waxy wrapper vibe. The palate is subtle, with hints of darkly roasted coffee beans covered in equally dark chocolate next to marzipan, light spices, and a touch of soft and maybe wet cedar. The end holds onto the spices (think clove and cinnamon) as a touch of dried apricot and dried cedar slowly fades towards a velvet-yet-warming end.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those bourbons I always forget exists. Then I try it again and really like it. Then I forget it again. That might just be the overwhelming about of bourbon I taste pushing it out of my mind. I don’t know…
13. Blanton’s Original Single Barrel
ABV: 46.5%
Average Price: $299
The Whiskey:
Buffalo Trace’s Blanton Single Barrel is made up of hand-selected single barrels that meet the sky-high standards of former Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee, who created the expression back in 1984. The juice in the bottle was the first-ever single barrel bourbon release. It’s probably Buffalo Trace’s low-rye mash bill that’s aged until it’s just right. It’s then proofed with local water and bottled as-is from single barrels.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a clear sense of Christmas spices right away, leaning towards honey spiked with vanilla and an old cedar cigar humidor. The taste holds onto the spice, especially nutmeg, as caramel kettle corn, more fresh honey, fresh red berries, and vanilla husks dominate the palate. The end doesn’t overstay its welcome as hints of eggnog spice, dry vanilla, and popped corn surface on the fade.
Bottom Line:
This is a classic for a reason. It’s insanely easy to sip and, I’d argue, lives up to the hype. If this was closer to the MSRP, it’d be higher on this list.
12. Hirsch The Single Barrel 6-Year
ABV: 69.4%
Average Price: $148
The Whiskey:
This release from Hirsch is a refined pour. The whiskey is sourced from Bardstown with a mash of 72% corn, 13% rye, and 15% malted barley. The 57 barrels Hirsch selected were aged a minimum of six years before going into the bottle as-is with proofing or filtration.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with hints of dark cherry, hickory bark, rich toffee, vanilla oils, and cinnamon sticks. The palate takes the cinnamon and boils it down to an essential oil as white pepper and dried roses lead to a hint of marzipan touched with orange oils. That sweet and nutty mid-palate leads to a warming and peppery finish with cinnamon-spiced tobacco wrapped in old leather and stuffed into an old cedar box with a hint of black soil lingering underneath it all.
Bottom Line:
This is a unique bottle that feels familiar yet refined. It’s complex, sure, but also understandable. It also takes you on a journey. It’s good stuff is what I’m getting at.
11. George Dickel Single Barrel Aged 15 Years
ABV: Varies
Average Price: $60
The Whisky:
This is a very old whiskey, all things considered. The juice is from single barrels, aged 15 years or more, and the proof varies accordingly (sometimes it’s cut with water, too). The whiskey showcases Dickel’s vast warehouses and the gems they have hidden deep on those ricks.
Tasting Notes:
This is all about the cherry pie with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream next to a slight apple-tobacco vibe. It’s also light on the nose and on the palate with red berries leading towards a cherry-choco soda pop, more vanilla cream, and a light touch of bourbon-soaked oakiness. That woodiness leans into a musty corner of a cellar as a spicy cherry tobacco finish leaves you with a dry yet sweet mouthfeel.
Bottom Line:
The fact that you can get a 15-year-old single barrel for under $100 is wild. Yes, this delivers and should cost way more than it does, but here we are.
10. Jack Daniel’s Bonded Tennessee Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $35
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is from Jack’s bonded warehouse. The mash of 80% corn, 12% barley, and eight percent rye is twice distilled before it’s run through Jack’s very long Lincoln County process of sugar maple charcoal filtration. The spirit then goes into the barrel for at least four years — per bonded law — before it’s batched, cut down with that Jack Daniel’s limestone cave water, and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Vanilla comes through next to cherry Jolly Ranchers, a touch of sweet oak, a hint of fresh leather, and an echo of orange peels on the nose. Going back in on the nose after a minute or two, a sense of potting soil and maybe the vitamin aisle at a health food store alongside more of that fresh leather, a bit of sweetgrass, apple blossoms, and a vanilla cookie with a touch of oat in the mix. Apple fritters and maple bars lead the way on the palate next to brown sugar and vanilla cream. The mid-palate adds in a little winter spice with a lean toward cinnamon and clove and a dusting of nutmeg. The finish arrives with brown sugar and butter mixed into Cream of Wheat as a minor note of wood and apple cider kicks in late and lingers the longest on the end.
Bottom Line:
This has no business being as good as it is for $35. This is also helping Jack Daniel’s become one of the most interesting brands of 2022.
9. Kentucky Owl St. Patrick Edition
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $153
The Whiskey:
The juice ended up being a blend of four to 11-year-old bourbons, with barrels sourced from an undisclosed distillery in Kentucky. Those barrels were blended by Rhea and McGuane to create a flavor profile that represented both Kentucky and Ireland.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a clear sense of fresh honey next to cinnamon toast, apple fritters, toffee sauce, crunchy peanut butter cookies, a smidge of new leather, and pine kindling. The palate bursts forth with butterscotch that leads to sticky and warm cinnamon rolls drizzled with caramel sauce and stuffed with raisins and walnuts while dark chocolate oranges and lightly singed marshmallows create a sweet mid-palate. The finish veers away from all of that toward huckleberry bushes and tart, almost woody berries while a vanilla tobacco leaf and more of that pine linger at the end of the taste.
Bottom Line:
This was one of the biggest surprises on the list. This felt like a gimmicky one-off that passed and faded away as soon as it dropped. But never bet against Kentucky Owl selling well, as this one-off expression proves.
8. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof
ABV: Varies
Average Price: $70
The Whiskey:
Where the Single Barrel Select is cut with soft limestone water to bring it down to proof, this is the straight juice from the barrel. These barrels are all hand-selected from the vast Jack Daniel’s rickhouses. What’s left from the angel’s share then goes straight into the bottle. That means the ABVs and tasting notes for this bottle will vary depending on which bottle you snag.
Tasting Notes:
Expect an experience that’s full of rich vanilla, caramel, and toasted oak, next to a rush of cherry-spiked spice. The sip should have a mix of that vanilla, oak, and rich wintry spices with a nice dose of bright red fruits and a texture that’s more velvet than liquid. The end really holds onto that vibe as the mild spice, toasted oak, rich vanilla, and almost maple syrup sweetness slowly fade across your senses, leaving you with chewy cherry tobacco stuffed into an old cedar box.
Bottom Line:
This is a great whiskey for everyday pouring. It’s complex and lush while still feeling like something that won’t challenge you at every turn. It’s also crazily affordable for a single-barrel release.
7. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 60.4%
Average Price: $113
The Whiskey:
This year’s first drop is a 12-year-old whiskey made from Heaven Hill’s classic bourbon mash of 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and a mere 10% rye. Those barrels are masterfully blended into this Barrel Proof expression with no cutting or fussing. This is as-is bourbon from the barrel.
Tasting Notes:
Based on the A122 release in January 2022: Caramel draws you in on the nose with a slight sourdough cinnamon roll with pecans, a touch of floral honey, and a soft and woody drug store aftershave with an echo of vanilla candle wax and singed marshmallow. The palate rolls through a soft leather and vanilla pie note as cinnamon ice cream leads to spicy oak. The mid-palate leans into a sweeter, almost creamy spice (think nutmeg-heavy eggnog) which, in turn, leads to a dry cedar bark next to a dry stewed-apple tobacco leaf folded into an old leather pouch for safekeeping.
The Bottle:
This is one of the most classic bourbons I’ve ever tasted. It’s refined and bold while feeling 100% nostalgic.
6. Eagle Rare 10-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $78
The Whiskey:
This might be one of the most beloved (and still kind of accessible) bottles from Buffalo Trace. This juice is made from their very low rye mash bill. The whiskey is then matured for at least 10 years in various parts of the warehouse. The final mix comes down to barrels that hit just the right notes to make them “Eagle Rare.” Finally, this one is proofed down to a fairly low 90 proof.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a lot happening on the nose here, with worn leather mingling with dried orange, fresh sage, butter toffee, and cellared oak. The taste turns towards marzipan covered in dark chocolate with a touch of honey, cherry, and a sprinkling of dark spices with a clear orange basket holiday vibe. The mid-palate leans into candied nuts and cherries towards a finish that touches on that marzipan, toffee, and the cedar-y oak while ending short and cherry-sweet.
Bottom Line:
This is another stone-cold classic. Though it is fairly allocated, it’s worth hunting down. It really does live up to the hype.
5. Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Strength Bourbon
ABV: 58.4%
Average Price: $55
The Whiskey:
This is the mountaintop of what Wild Turkey can achieve. This is a blend of the best barrels that are married and bottled untouched. That means no filtering and no cutting with water. This is a classic bourbon with nowhere to hide.
Tasting Notes:
Crème brûlée greets you with a nice dose of Christmas spices, mild pipe tobacco, orange zest, and a distant hint of fresh mint sprigs. There’s a pine resin nature to the woody flavors on the palate that accents the orange oils, spices, vanilla, and sweetness. The sip takes on a Christmas cake-feel late, with a velvet end that is just the right amount of everything you want from a bourbon.
Bottom Line:
We’re basically into the splitting hairs section of this list. This is one of the best bourbons at this price point, full stop. The only reason it’s not number one is that the next four are all killers too.
4. Michter’s US*1 Small Batch Bourbon
ABV: 45.7%
Average Price: $50
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. Before it goes into the bottle, the blended juice is filtered and proofed with Kentucky’s famously soft limestone water.
Tasting Notes:
Buttery caramel and peaches mix with creamy vanilla and old oak on the nose as a hint of cherry tobacco and allspice berries provide a counterpoint. The vanilla really shines as the peach almost takes on a grilled edge as it gets sweeter and adds a whisper of smoke next to peppery spice and a big marshmallow. The wintry spice kicks up and warms the senses as the slow fade embraces leathery apricot, burnt toffee, and more vanilla marshmallow with a final kick of charred oak that’s nearly smoldering.
Bottom Line:
This is quintessential bourbon. It’s deeply nuanced while still feeling like something you can drink every day. That’s a rare talent.
3. Heaven’s Door Bootleg Volume III
ABV: 60.6%
Average Price: $545
The Whiskey:
The third drop from Bob Dylan’s famed brand is a rare whiskey. The juice is made from 13 to 15-year-old Kentucky bourbon barrels that are finished in Vino de Naranja casks, or “orange Moscatel” wine casks from Andalucia, Spain. That whiskey is then bottled with no filtering or proofing as-is.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a mix of those dark chocolate oranges and very woody cinnamon on the nose with a hint of grapefruit dipped in maple syrup, light notes of dried cedar bark braids, and a hint of soft and sweet smoke. The palate leans into a thick maple syrup with a note of old boot leather, bright red berries, white pepper, and light vanilla cream. The finish is sugar-encrusted orange peels next to old leather pouched full of spicy tobacco with old cellar floors next to honeyed oak and a whisper of orange tobacco.
Bottom Line:
There are only 3,949 of these bottles. While the price is steep, this is a very unique bottle of bourbon that hits high marks. If you do come across a pour, take your time and really dig into the flavor profile. You’ll be rewarded.
2. Jack Daniel’s Sinatra Select Tennessee Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $200
The Whiskey:
Frank Sinatra was one of Jack’s biggest fans. So much so that the crooner was buried with a bottle. The actual juice in this expression is a throwback to how Jack was made in Sinatra’s day. They use special “Sinatra Barrels” that have concentric grooves carved into the newly charred oak, giving the whiskey more surface area to do its thing. Once that’s aged, it’s blended with traditional Old No. 7 and proofed at 45%, as it also would have been back in Sinatra’s heyday.
Tasting Notes:
Peach cobbler, apple pie with a buttery crust and caramel drizzle, vanilla pods, old leather, and a hint of cherry tobacco inside an old wooden box build on the nose. The sip leans into the fruit next to woody spice and soft leather that mellows dramatically towards a soft vanilla cream along with a very distant echo of cherry tobacco chewiness. The mild spice (think nutmeg) arrives late and is tied to a cherry syrup vibe that just touches on dry wicker, faint almonds, and a touch more of that tobacco. Ultimately, the leather returns and builds towards a silken finish with just the right balance of woody apple, cherry tobacco, and oaky spice — all touched by the softest note of vanilla bean.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the best whiskeys from Tennessee. It’s also a testament to Jack Daniel’s that three of their expressions are in the top 25 best-selling bourbons at ReserveBar (yes, all Tennessee whiskey is bourbon).
1. Wild Turkey Master’s Keep One
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $600
The Whiskey:
This release from late last year is still one of the most sought-after bourbons of 2022. The juice is a blend of nine to 10-year-old bourbons chosen by Master Distiller Eddie Russell and 14-year-old bourbon barrels chosen by Eddie’s father, Master Distiller Jimmy Russell. Those barrels were blended and then re-barreled in toasted barrels for another final maturation. That juice was then just touched with that soft Kentucky limestone water and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Honey spiked with apple and orange blossoms lead the way on the nose as balls of caramel corn mingle with dry cinnamon sticks, black peppercorns, and salted caramel chews. The palate is pure butterscotch candies with a vanilla cream foundation and more of that floral honey. The mid-palate kicks up with candied ginger and black pepper spice next to cinnamon sticks dipped in cherry syrup with buttery toffee and the slightest echo of dried lavender. The finish amps up the spices to Red Hots, fresh ginger, freshly cracked black pepper, spicy tobacco with a hint of dark cacao, and a dry cedar box on the very end.
Bottom Line:
I was surprised to see this on the list. This is a very rare bottle that’s also truly a masterpiece. I can’t imagine this won’t sell out pretty quickly. So, move fast! It’s worth every penny.
