The unofficial well Bourbon at Drinkhacker HQ? Knob Creek.

It’s 100 proof, so it can get a little hot when drinking straight, but add a touch of water and KC mellows out nicely. “The Creek” has everything you want in a Bourbon without being too complicated. Mild vanilla and toasty oak notes, backed up with cedary spiciness and a grainlike character that calls out to the sour mash base from which Bourbon arises.

This isn’t a sweet whiskey like many modern, juice-cocktail-friendly blends. This is a Bourbon for simple drinks, retro and classic cocktails (it’s great in a Manhattan), and the occasional shot. Knob Creek is, to put it in terms as sexist as possible, a man’s drink.

Oh, and at $26 a bottle (and often cheaper), it’s not too expensive, though it is a step up in price from Jim Beam, JD, or Evan Williams. In fact, it’s a bit similar to Jack Daniel’s, and I often recommend it to JD drinkers who are looking to move up to something in the neighborhood… but better.

Also very cool: The Knob Creek folks sent me the bottle below with a custom label and my name on it. Now if that doesn’t make drinking fun, I don’t know what does. Order your own — the label is free; you provide the bottle of whiskey — by clicking here.

A- / $26 / knobcreek.com