The Best Bourbons I Sipped For National Bourbon Heritage Month

September is National Bourbon Heritage Month and has been recognized as such since 2007 thanks to former MLB player and Kentucky Sen. Jim Bunning. For this National Bourbon Heritage Month, I’m going to share my favorite bourbons I’ve had this year in no particular order aside from alphabetical. Before we get into my favorite bourbons for National Bourbon Heritage Month, let’s chat a little about “America’s Native Spirit” and what makes it so. First, for a whiskey to be called bourbon by law, its mash bill must be not less than 51 percent corn with a host of other cereal grains such as rye or wheat making up the rest in various combinations. That mash bill is then broken down into a distillate, often called “white dog” that is later aged in new oak barrels for no less than two years. There are also blended bourbons, bourbon brands that don’t reveal their age statement and other variables. The resulting liquid is a product of its environment, literally meaning that the temperatures, climate, humidity, elevation, and more all play a part in transforming the flavor profile of bourbon. Sen. Bunning introduced the National Bourbon Heritage Month bill and it was passed as a resolution in August of 2007. Each year, the bill must be passed a resolution. There is also an annual celebration in Bardstown, Ky. known as the Kentucky Bourbon Festival that first got its start in 1991. My bourbon tastes are all over the map and I don’t believe in overpaying for adult beverages of any sort. They’re to be enjoyed, savored, and shared among family and friends, not collected and traded like baseball cards or to sit on your shelf collecting dust. Sure, I do agree that some bottles should be preserved due to their rarity but there are plenty of fine available bottles of bourbon whiskey on the shelf and most of the ones I enjoyed the most won’t break the bank. And I want to be fair and say that I may have forgotten some bourbons I enjoyed. What you see listed is what I routinely go back to. Hopefully, you’ll find a new favorite below and hopefully, you had a fantastic National Bourbon Heritage Month to boot. Share your favorites with us on social media or in the comments section. — Photo: Getty

1. 1792 Full Proof

Normally, I’m not some proof hound when it comes to whiskey as I primarily make cocktails although I’ve graduated to the neat pour as a means to conserve my stash. 1792, produced by the Barton 1792 Distillery, has a full range of offerings but the standout for me this year was its Full Proof release. One, I scored my bottle for under $50 bucks and it drinks way above its weight. While the mash bill is not disclosed, some sleuths discovered that it sits at around 75 percent corn, 15 percent rye, and 10 percent malted barley. What you get is a big, bold sipper that will need drops of water to tame or a huge rock, but you can get used to it on a neat pour by letting it sit and get some air.

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2. Bardstown Bourbon Company – Origin Series – Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Bardstown Bourbon Company is one of the more transparent bourbon producers in the world, making no secret of collaborating with other producers to blend their innovative creations. However, the company has its own stock populating the massive rickhouses on their property, and the Origin Series from the folks at Bardstown deserve every accolade they’ve gotten. Of the series, my favorite remains the Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Always affordable and approachable at 96 proof, and holds up in any cocktail you can name. 

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3. Cedar Ridge Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon

Iowa isn’t a name that comes up when folks think of bourbon but it should change because Cedar Ridge is making some quality stuff. I already love the brand’s bottled-in-bond rye but I had the bottled-in-bond bourbon on a recent work trip and was blown away. I liked the core straight bourbon well enough too but that sits at 86 proof and gets lost when made into a cocktail. That said, I’m curious to find out how the rest of the range tastes. Stay tuned.

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4. Evan Willams Bottled-In-Bond

If you’ve been around me long enough, you’ll hear me mention two widely available and largely affordable bourbons that one should have on their bar cart or shelf. One of those is Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond and here’s why. While on a bourbon-tasting trip in downtown Louisville, our hotel bartender hosted a blind tasting, and much to everyone’s surprise, Evan Williams was the consensus pick for most flavor. At my local store, I can get a bottle for just under $20 bucks and it’s good neat, in a cocktail, as a shot, you name it. 

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5. Four Roses Small Batch Select

Four Roses, the standard bottle,  was my original Boilermaker shot whiskey of choice and at 80 proof, it still packs a lot of flavor but my palette has changed. The brand’s Small Batch Select is, to me, the top of the line of their quartet of core offerings and things get interesting in their limited edition series. But if you want a classic bourbon that punches well above its weight and doesn’t break the bank, start with this one.

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6. Garrison Brothers Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey

A few years ago, I attended the Whiskies of The World event in Washington, D.C., and got familiar with Garrison Brothers, which says it’s the first legal distillery in the state of Texas. Of course, Texas has the weather suited for distilling due to warm temps but surely that Lone Star State isn’t a destination for whiskey, right? Well, the Small Batch expression I had this summer blew me away and packed great flavors at 94 proof. It’s a little pricier than I think it needs to be but you can tell this is made by folks who care about what goes into a bottle. 

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7. Knob Creek 18 Year

I am of the camp that anything aged longer than 10 years will have a little too much of the barrel for me at times, depending on what I’m in the mood for. However, Knob Creek has wowed me with its 9 and 12-year expressions, and at 100 proof, the 18-year went down smoother than anyone could expect for something with this long of an age statement. This is not a cheap bottle of whiskey and I will only break it out among the dearest of friends but if you can find it, you won’t be let down.

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8. Larceny Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch No. A124

Larceny’s barrel-proof bottlings have been my favorite way to enjoy this brand from the great Heaven Hill Distillery and is another “wheater” aka the mash bill has a significant amount of wheat grain making for an often sweeter, smoother bourbon. At just over 124 proof, this isn’t a chuggable whiskey. Instead, it’s meant to be poured slowly and sipped slower, preferably after a hearty and savory meal. I haven’t had much experience with the B or C barrels from this lineup but hope that changes. Be wary of the upsell on pricing.

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9. Michter's 10 Year

Michter’s, which I just learned last year, has roots in Pennsylvania, a state known for producing rye whiskey more than anything. The distillery there has since closed and for the past 20 years, Mitchter’s has been producing its lauded offerings in Kentucky. You almost can’t go wrong with anything they offer but the 10-year expression is highly allocated and hard to find for a reason. One sip and I was ready to trade some of my beauties and I am not a secondary market kind of guy.

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10. Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style

11. Old Grand-Dad 114

12. Weller Antique 107

I tell this story fairly often about my first encounter with Weller Antique 107, which was about four years ago. At my local store, the bottle was part of an allocated drop of products from the famed Buffalo Trace distillery and it was selling for just around $30 at the time. Since then, the price of the bottle has skyrocketed to $58 at my local store and is highly allocated. That said, there is a reason for this. Of the list of Weller products I’ve had, this is still my favorite of them (and that includes William Larue Weller).  If you can find this bottle under $70, grab it. 

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13. Widow Jane Decadence

Widow Jane, out of Brooklyn, N.Y., has been making superb bourbon and was another brand I encountered at Whiskies of the World in Washington. I’ve had the 10-year expression plenty of times and loved every pour but the Decadence expression is twice the experience for me. Thankfully, I have friends who are big fans and I’m always privileged to have a pour but I ended up getting my own. Again, it’s not a cheap buy as you’ll probably pay around $100 or more but it is quite tasty.

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14. Wild Turkey Rare Breed

Without an ounce of hyperbole, I recently said to a bourbon expert that if all the companies went away aside from Wild Turkey, I’d be fine. That means I’d still be able to get Rare Breed, which is one of the best bottles you can buy at any level. I don’t even want to waste time blabbing about it. Just buy it when you see it, especially if it’s under $50 where you live. This whiskey is a blend of 6, 8, and 12-year-old bourbons without an age statement. All you need to know is that it’s delicious and proofed just right at just under 117. It’s as perfect as whiskey can get to me.

15. Woodinville Straight Bourbon Whiskey

There are still people who think that bourbon is only best if it comes from the Bluegrass State but it’s such a limiting worldview. The state of Washington has a little something to say via the Woodinville Whiskey Company and their Straight Bourbon is an affordable, always great bottling that I fell in love with a few years ago. The brand is also finishing its whiskies in a variety of different barrels and also offering rye and upping the proof on some releases. The core whiskey remains the best I’ve had this year.

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