When it comes to bourbon-based cocktails, the Old Fashioned tends to get top-billing among the classics, but if you want a refreshing summertime drink, it’s almost impossible to top the Bourbon Smash. The elegant combination of 2 oz. Bourbon, 3/4 oz. of simple syrup, and muddled lemon wheels with fresh mint make for a delicious cocktail year-round, but the refreshment it provides means that summer is the ideal time to break one of these bad boys out. Given its simplicity, the only difficult part of whipping up a Bourbon Smash is determining which bourbon will make it a smash.
Fear not, Uproxx is here to assist! We recently blind-tasted ten of the most delicious, readily available bourbons in a Bourbon Smash cocktail to determine which works best. To up the ante a bit, we set them all up in a head-to-head tasting to add to the theatrics and properly crown a champion. Full disclosure: these are all really good, which should come as no surprise. A great cocktail is great because the result is more delicious than the sum of its parts. Still, we discovered that certain bourbons will 100% elevate your experience, delivering peak flavor and maximum enjoyment.
Lastly, each cocktail was judged and scored in three categories: balance, flavor, and drinkability. Balance was awarded based on how well each ingredient worked together, the flavor was judged based on overall deliciousness, and drinkability was scored based on whether or not one could enjoy multiple glasses. The aggregate score then determined each cocktail ranked overall.
Here’s a full breakdown of each contender and why they were chosen.
Basil Hayden Bourbon
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $43
The Whiskey:
Basil Hayden Bourbon, produced by Jim Beam, is one of the most popular bourbons for beginners. Created by Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Famer Booker Noe, this expression was made to honor Basil Hayden, who is also the “old Grand-Dad” featured on Old Grand Dad bourbon bottles.
Why We Chose It: Basil Hayden is almost ubiquitously available and wildly popular due to its approachable flavor profile and ornate packaging. We’re guessing you either have some Basil Hayden in your liquor cabinet or you can easily procure some from your local liquor store, so we had to give it a spin in this cocktail showdown.
Buffalo Trace Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $40
The Whiskey:
Buffalo Trace Bourbon is the flagship expression from one of America’s most popular bourbon brands. Named after a historic trail where buffalo were known to roam, the whiskey is made using Buffalo Trace’s mash bill #1 recipe, which also goes into Eagle Rare and George T. Stagg.
Why We Chose It: Due to the popularity of seemingly ALL Buffalo Trace products, this expression is suffering a bit from waning availability, but because of that popularity, we knew it would be a natural choice to feature in this face-off. We simply had to see how Buffalo Trace’s well-rounded flavor profile would fare in this classic cocktail.
Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $43
The Whiskey:/h3> Eagle Rare, from Buffalo Trace mash bill #1, is a 10-year-old single-barrel expression. Like all single-barrel bourbons, this one will showcase a variety of unexpected flavors, as no two single-barrel bourbons are exactly alike.
Why We Chose It: Who doesn’t love a wildcard!? Many people extol the virtues of single-barrel bourbon, likening them to snowflakes due to their unique nature. We simply couldn’t resist the temptation to see how this bottle’s singular flavor profile would hold up in a Bourbon Smash.
Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $29
The Whiskey:
Four Roses Small Batch is aged for 6-7 years and features a unique blend of four out of Four Roses’ 10 recipes. Fun fact: the brand will soon add two additional mash bills to their lineup.
Why We Chose It: While many people opt for the more affordable Four Roses Bourbon when mixing cocktails, we felt that the extra punch and more substantive body of Four Roses Small Batch tends to make it a better option in mixed drinks. What better way to test that theory than against some of the stiff competition on this list?
Jim Beam Black Label Bourbon Aged 7 Years
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $47
The Whiskey:
Jim Beam Black Label got a full redesign in 2024, which sees it sporting a spruce new label and a 7-year age statement. Made with the same recipe as the wildly popular Jim Beam White Label, this Black Label alternative is aged longer for a more refined flavor.
Why We Chose It: Jim Beam Black Label’s redesign has already been a hit here at UPROXX, so we had no choice but to put its versatility to the test. Sipping it neat, this one is a winner, but testing it in a cocktail will determine just how frequently you’ll need to replenish it on your bar cart.
Larceny Small Batch Bourbon
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $25
The Whiskey:
Larceny Small Batch Bourbon gets its name from the legend of Treasury Agent John E. Fitzgerald, who was said to clandestinely raid whiskey warehouses to steal sips out of his favorite barrels. This wheated bourbon is the Heaven Hill Distillery’s best-selling expression in the category.
Why We Chose It: While Maker’s Mark might be the most iconic readily available wheated bourbon on the market today, Larceny is certainly giving it a run for its money! Wheated bourbons are known to typically showcase a more mellow flavor profile, and that gentleness allows it to work well in many cocktails, so we needed more than just one to test in this tournament.
Old Forester 100-Proof Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $26
The Whiskey:
Old Forester 100-Proof is perhaps the bourbon above all others that exemplifies the Old Forester brand’s strengths. It honors the brand’s historical ties to 100-proof bourbon, which dates back to 1897 when they chose to switch from 45% ABV to the bottled-in-bond standard introduced that year.
Why We Chose It: Old Forester 100-Proof Rye is commonly regarded as a bartender’s best friend due to its versatility in cocktail recipes and ubiquity as a “well” whiskey behind many bars. We wanted to find out how its counterpart, Old Forester 100-Proof Bourbon, holds up as a cocktail base.
Russell’s Reserve 10-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $46
The Whiskey:
Russell’s Reserve 10-Year-Old Small Batch was formerly the eldest age-stated expression in the Russell’s Reserve lineup. While the 13, and 15-year versions of Russell’s Reserve have since supplanted it atop the age-stated heap, Russell’s Reserve 10 remains the most widely available bourbon in the lineup.
Why We Chose It: Russell’s Reserve 10-Year-Old Small Batch Bourbon is a criminally underrated expression for sipping neat, but it’s far less battle-tested behind the bar. Wild Turkey famously makes some classic bourbons that work well in mixed drinks, so to suss out which of their offerings would be the best, we absolutely had to include their two prime contenders.
Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $24
The Whiskey:
Wild Turkey 101 is the most iconic expression under the historic distillery’s banner. Its proof-point, chosen to be “a cut above” the rest, is almost as iconic as the man who put the whiskey on the map — Master Distiller Jimmy Russell.
Why We Chose It: Look, you can’t talk about under-$50 bourbon without acknowledging Wild Turkey 101, which has been a stalwart of the category for generations. As the highest proof expression in this tournament, it has a perceived advantage of packing more flavor but also faces a unique challenge — will it come across as over-proofed? There’s only one way to find out.
10.Basil Hayden Bourbon Smash
The Bourbon Smash: This Basil Hayden Bourbon Smash is pretty good, but it’s slightly too sweet with the prototypical peanut note found in Basil Hayden Bourbon punching through in a way that is a hit with Basil Hayden fans. However, it costs this Bourbon Smash some points in the balance department.
Balance: 7/10
Flavor: 8/10
Drinkability: 7.5/10
Overall: 7.5
9. Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon Smash
The Bourbon Smash: As our lead-off hitter, Four Roses Small Batch was free from expectation, yet it delivered in a major way. It’s even-keeled, with a little bit of apple and caramel punching through the citrus and mint. It is well-rounded, and even more pleasantly, it scored high marks as something you can drink all day.
Balance: 8/10
Flavor: 7/10
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 7.6
8. Eagle Rare 10-Year Bourbon
The Bourbon Smash: This Eagle Rare Bourbon Smash doesn’t stand up to the citrus enough, instead getting overpowered as the underlying whiskey is washed out. If you want the citrus to be far more forward than the booze in a Bourbon Smash, then this is the one for you.
Balance: 7/10
Flavor: 8/10
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 7.6
7. Russell’s Reserve 10-Year Small Batch Bourbon
The Bourbon Smash: The Russell’s Reserve 10-Year Bourbon Smash begins with some good oak tones, and you can readily detect that underlying bourbon profile, but it has a little punch and balance than you would ideally want. Overall this is a solid but imperfect Bourbon Smash.
Balance: 8/10
Flavor: 7.5/10
Drinkability: 8/10
Overall: 7.8
6. Larceny Small Batch Bourbon
The Bourbon Smash: This is actually one of the more delicious Bourbon Smashes of the day, and it would win against a lot of others thanks to its slight nuttiness and well-rounded profile that accentuates the lemon. If the flavors were turned up a bit (Maker’s Cask Strength, perhaps), then I could see this being even better.
Balance: 8/10
Flavor: 9/10
Drinkability: 8.5/10
Overall: 8.5
5. Old Forester 100-Proof Bourbon
The Bourbon Smash: The lovely Old Forester 100-Proof berry notes actually come through in this cocktail, which has a full-bodied texture and notes of cocktail cherries and juicy orange pairing well with the muddled lemon. On glass number two, the Old Forester 100-Proof Bourbon Smash continues to show that it’s all about leaning into the fruit-forward flavors of its base whiskey. While that works really well, admittedly, it isn’t the most balanced Bourbon Smash of the bunch.
Balance: 8/10
Flavor: 9/10
Drinkability: 8.5/10
Overall: 8.5
4. Jim Beam Black Label 7-Year Bourbon
The Bourbon Smash: Wow, right off the bat, you’ll notice that the lemon flavor plays off the nuttiness harmoniously. It’s not overly sweet, and it maintains a full body, making this one a pleasure to drink and then drink some more. On glass #2, Jim Beam’s 7-Year Black Label Bourbon Smash is simply a wrecking ball in this matchup, ready to tear apart almost any opposition. The base whiskey just works so well with the citrus notes, and the earthy Jim Beam backbone pairs perfectly with the sweetness provided by the mint and simple syrup.
Balance: 8.5/10
Flavor: 9/10
Drinkability: 8.5/10
Overall: 8.6
3. Maker’s Mark Bourbon Smash
The Bourbon Smash: The Maker’s Mark bourbon in this cocktail works incredibly well by accentuating the mint more than its competitor, and it has a slightly fuller mouthfeel. The mellow nature of the wheated bourbon at the base of this cocktail also wins when it comes to the refreshment it brings to the table. On a second glass, the Maker’s Mark Bourbon Smash deserves some serious praise; this thing is incredibly crushable! Maker’s Mark, on its own, is well-regarded for its mellow, refined flavors, and this Bourbon Smash only furthers that reputation.
Balance: 9/10
Flavor: 8.5/10
Drinkability: 9/10
Overall: 8.8
2. Buffalo Trace Bourbon
The Bourbon Smash: The Buffalo Trace Bourbon Smash is another contender for the finals! This cocktail tickles the sweet tooth with brown sugar and caramel, but the mint isn’t lost in the mix, and the citrus cuts through it all beautifully. On a second glass, the Buffalo Trace Bourbon Smash continues to impress as its baseline of brown sugar and caramel sauce comes with a subtle enough oak influence to elevate the cocktail without hiding the lemon and mint.
Balance: 9/10
Flavor: 9/10
Drinkability: 9/10
Overall: 9
1. Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon
The Bourbon Smash: Immediately on the first sip, I knew this had the potential to be the overall winner. There’s a beautiful citrus note underlying this cocktail which provides a backbone for red berries to come bursting through. The base spirit stands up tall without making the drink overly boozy and it’s well rounded. The Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon Smash lets the citrus shine while bringing some baking spice and berries of its own to liven up the party. Perhaps it’s the advantage of those extra proof points, but even with that taken into account, this Bourbon Smash maintains an impressive balance and isn’t boozy enough to dock it a single point in drinkability.
Balance: 9/10
Flavor: 9/10
Drinkability: 10/10
Overall: 9.3
Bottom Line: These are truly two championship-level cocktails, with each of them proving that the right base whiskey can take a bourbon cocktail from the doldrums of “good” to the delight of “greatness.” Standing atop the mountain as our overall winner is the Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon Smash, which seemingly has aspects of every great Bourbon Smash all rolled into one. Resplendent with berries and baking spices while still allowing the citrus and mint notes to shine, this Wild Turkey 101 cocktail is undoubtedly the best Bourbon Smash you can make with <$50 bourbon.
Winner: The Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon Smash
