Bourbon
Bourbon is the unquestioned king of American whiskey, its production dating back to the 1700s. While bourbon is invariably associated with Kentucky, where 95 percent of all bourbon is produced today, in reality it can be produced anywhere in the U.S. (though only Kentucky Bourbon can include the name of the state on the label). By U.S. law, bourbon must be made from a mash of at least 51% corn; be aged in new, charred oak containers; distilled to no more than 160 proof, entered into barrel at no more than 125 proof, and bottled at a minimum of 80 proof. Contrary to popular opinion, there’s no minimum aging requirement for bourbon, although straight bourbon must be aged for at least two years and cannot have added coloring. One of the most popular spirits in today’s drinking world, bourbon prices have been on the rise as stocks have dwindled — although massive investments in the industry promise to ease those supply pressures in coming years.
Top Bourbon Posts:
Tips, Tricks, and Advice on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
Top 10 Bourbons Under $20
Buffalo Trace’s Single Oak Project
Bourbon nerds love to wax poetic about a specific release of Wild Turkey from the 1980s and ’90s, affectionately called “Cheesy Gold Foil” because of its gaudy gold label, one which was clearly trying much too hard for an otherwise straightforward 12 year old release. (That said, Eddie Russell has reportedly stated that the release…
Last year, Four Roses rebooted its single barrel program with the launch of the Single Barrel Collection, a revolving set of whiskeys that highlight each of its 10 classic recipes, three bottles at a time. Now under its new ownership (Gallo), the company is back with three more bottles for 2026, each 7 to 9…
In the cosmology of the medieval world, Heaven was not conceived as a single destination. It was ordered, ascending, arranged in spheres. Aristotle described it. Dante charted it. Beyond the stars, beyond time, beyond material existence itself, sat the Empyrean: pure fire, pure light, the point at which all things reached resolution. It is an…
The latest addition to James B. Beam’s increasingly vast Knob Creek portfolio is dubbed Blender’s Edition — specifically Blender’s Edition 01, the first in a series with no clear terminus. The concept is right there in the name: This is a whiskey designed to celebrate art and craft of blending, though how subsequent releases may…
Hey, Woodinville has updated its bottle design with a more rugged, mountainy look — and that’s not all. Check the fine print and you’ll see that the brand is now adding age statements to its flagship offerings, with 6 years old being the standard mark across its Straight Bourbon, Straight 100% Rye, Straight Bourbon Finished…
For its first Distillery Series whiskey of 2026 (and the first we’ve reviewed in a a few years), Woodford Reserve takes us to an increasingly popular place: wine-finished bourbon. This expression begins with fully mature Woodford Reserve Bourbon, then finishes it in French oak cabernet sauvignon barrels of unstated origin and for an unstated length…
As David wrote in his 2025 review, High West’s Bourye has build a bit of a cult following — and deservedly so. This ever-evolving blend of bourbon and rye from some combination of Indiana, Kentucky, and Utah is one of the most reliable American whiskeys on the market, and it’s a whiskey I never turn…
Bardstown Bourbon Co.’s Distillery Reserve Series knocked it out of the park last year with a trio of exceptional whiskeys as delicious as they were distinctive. The inaugural release, Cathedral French Oak, made our Top 20 Whiskeys of 2025 list, but they were honestly all in the running. And they’re not resting on their laurels…
For the first time in basically forever, Texas whiskeymaker Garrison Brothers has dropped a bourbon without a clever name. Garrison Brothers Bottled in Bond tells you exactly what it is, without having to Google anything at all. This first bonded expression of Garrison Brothers comes 16 years after its inaugural bourbon release and lands as…
Forward/Slash Distillery and Blending House was founded by Tim Bradstreet and Michael Buffa, two longtime beverage industry veterans whose shared enthusiasm for American whiskey and blending eventually turned into a business partnership. Buffa is known throughout Central Florida as the founder of the Orlando Whiskey Society and Buffa Bittering Company. Bradstreet previously served as a…