What Is the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey?

All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon . Whiskey refers to any spirit distilled from grain in a wooden cask or barrel (which is actually where its iconic golden brown color comes from). Bourbon, on the other hand, has very specific requirements. Among other things, it must be a product of the United States, have a mash bill of at least 51% corn, be barreled at no higher than 125 proof, and be bottled at no less than 80 proof.

What Is Bourbon Made From?

Bourbon, like every other whiskey, is made from water, yeast, and a collection of grains called a mash . The most common ingredients in a mash are barley, corn, rye, and wheat, but as bourbon has grown in popularity and distilleries have sought to distinguish themselves, they have gotten more creative in terms of what grains they add to the mash. The golden rule, however, is that the mash bill for bourbon by definition must contain at least 51% corn. The higher this percentage goes, the sweeter the bourbon becomes.

How Long Does Bourbon Last?

Like many spirits, unopened bottles of bourbon will basically never, ever go bad. You can keep it shelved for decades knowing that its quality will be preserved (if it doesn’t increase, in fact). Opened bottles, on the other hand, still last a very long time, but they will begin to lose their flavor after roughly two years.

8 Best Bourbon of the Month Clubs of 2023

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Bourbon Cocktails,Close-up of drink on table — Photo:
Lucian Smoot / 500px / Getty Images

Bourbon isn’t just another type of whiskey. People have been distilling bourbon in the Americas since the late 18th century, and the United States Congress codified bourbon as a distinctive product of the U.S. over 60 years ago. It has a long, fascinating history, and what started as a distilled drink from Appalachia has spread to all corners of the country, with different distillers offering their own unique takes on it.

To experience all that bourbon has to offer by yourself would take forever. But fortunately, bourbon of the month clubs are designed to help you broaden your horizons much further — and quicker — than you could feasibly do yourself. Whether you are a connoisseur looking for a new rare bottle or are fairly new to America’s native spirit, you’re sure to find something you enjoy with our list of the best bourbon of the month clubs.

Best Bourbon of the Month Clubs of 2023

Best All-Around: Flaviar
Best Selection: Mash&Grape
Best for Mini-Bottles: Shots Box
Best Value: PourMore
Best for Bourbon Connoisseurs: Taster’s Club
Best for Gifting: Spirited Gifts
Best for Rare Bourbon: Bounty Hunter
Best for Craft Bourbon: Craft Whisky Club

Best All-Around: Flaviar

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Key Specs

Starting Price: $60 per month
Free Shipping: Yes, on orders over $60
Products per Delivery: 1, 2, or 8

Why You Should Try It

Flaviar gives you a very well-rounded taste for bourbon and other whiskeys, making it a great choice for people who like to try new things.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Deep informational materials for club members
Can be purchased as a gift
Professionally curated and themed tasting boxes

Cons

Club is not exclusively bourbon
Only 25 states in delivery area

Overview

With premium bourbon, scotch, and so much more, Flaviar’s whiskey club is guaranteed to keep you engaged and thirsty for more. Each month, its experts send you a professionally curated bottle or tasting box right to your door, along with handy informational materials and tasting notes. Flaviar sends a mix of fan favorites and harder-to-find bottles, so there’s a great chance you’ll find your new favorite bourbon or other whiskeys throughout the course of your membership.

While Flaviar is a fantastic choice for a whiskey club, it doesn’t have an option for only bourbon, so if you’re looking to try bourbon specifically, you may want to explore other options. However, if you’re open to trying different styles of whiskey in addition to bourbon, Flaviar makes an excellent choice.

Best Selection: Mash&Grape

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Key Specs

Starting Price: $69 per month
Free Shipping: No
Products per Delivery: 2-4

Why You Should Try It

Mash&Grape offers hundreds of à la carte products and six different monthly clubs, making it the perfect choice for bourbon fans looking for plenty of variety.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Extensive selection of global whiskey products to choose from
Can filter selection by country, spirit, and more
Most expensive club is less than $80 per month

Cons

Customer service only available through an online form
Some items run out of stock quickly

Overview

Not only does Mash&Grape’s bourbon club give you fantastic bottles from award-winning distillers each month, but memberships start at just $69 per month, allowing you to sip the best of the best without breaking the bank. You can choose a bourbon club subscription lasting for three, six, or 12 months, and there’s even a gift option if you want to treat a friend or loved one to a membership.

Currently, Mash&Grape’s bourbon section of its online store has 535 products listed. Even though some products are, unfortunately, out of stock, you’ll still find plenty of bourbons from countless distilleries. So, once your subscription is over, you can pick up all your favorites from the store.

Best for Mini-Bottles: Shots Box

Shots Box

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Key Specs

Starting Price: $360 for half-year membership
Free Shipping: Yes
Products per Delivery: Varies

Why You Should Try It

Looking to try a ton of different bourbons or don’t want full bottles taking up space at your home bar? Shots Box is for you.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Can make purchases à la carte
Dozens of cocktail recipes on website
Free shipping

Cons

Does not ship to every state
Only makes deliveries every other month

Overview

If you are looking for a quick way to try multiple distillers or are hosting a fun at-home tasting, it’s hard to go wrong with Shots Box. The company’s Whiskey Tasters Club sends you regular deliveries of shooters and mini bottles of some of the world’s favorite whiskeys. This club is available in both half-year and annual increments, and if you opt for the annual plan, you’ll receive a complimentary 750-milliliter bottle of one of the company’s top whiskeys as a special thank-you for signing up. No matter which plan you pick, you’ll receive two free Glencairn glasses to aid in your tasting experience.

If you feel like leveling up your mixology game, Shots Box is happy to help out by posting seasonal cocktail recipes on its site. Keep in mind, however, that the Whiskey Tasters Club only makes deliveries every other month, so it’s one of the more pricey options on this list.

Best Value: PourMore

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Key Specs

Starting Price: $49 per shipment
Free Shipping: No
Products per Delivery: 1, 3, 6, or 12

Why You Should Try It

With clubs starting at just $49 per shipment, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better value than PourMore.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Premium spirits starting at low prices
Variety of clubs to join
Each club has different tiers and frequencies

Cons

Shipping not included
Customer service only available through email

Overview

PourMore is a great option for people who are just getting into bourbon and don’t want to break the bank, as well as experienced bourbon drinkers who want consistently great products sent to their door on a regular basis. While PourMore’s initial bourbon club tier starts at just $49 per month for a premium bottle, you can buy up to 12 bottles per month. Additionally, if you want to switch up how often you receive bottles, you can change the frequency of your subscription, too.

However, even though PourMore is one of the most affordable bourbon deliveries on this list, it doesn’t include free shipping, so keep in mind that the cost will be just a little more than meets the eye.

Best for Bourbon Connoisseurs: Taster’s Club

Tasterâs Club

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Key Specs

Starting Price: $70 per month
Free Shipping: No
Products per Delivery: 1

Why You Should Try It

Taster’s Club’s in-depth notes and digital 101s make it a terrific choice for bourbon savants.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Bottles are chosen and curated individually
Can buy bottles and ingredients à la carte
Digital 101s with tasting notes and bottle info

Cons

Only one product per shipment
Shipping not included

Overview

If you’re serious about bourbon and want to learn as much as possible about each bottle, you can’t really beat Taster’s Club. One of the things we love most about this service is the digital 101s you receive with each delivery. Not only do you get a new bottle of bourbon regularly when you sign up with Taster’s Club, but each bottle comes with tasting notes, reviews, a list of awards it has won, and even a history of the distillery.

Additionally, while many alcohol delivery services have one set time frame for their subscriptions, Taster’s Club lets you choose either three-, six-, or 12-month memberships, in addition to an indefinite one if you know you’re in it for the long haul.

Best for Gifting: Spirited Gifts

Spirited Gifts

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Key Specs

Starting Price: $399 for 3 months
Free Shipping: Yes
Products per Delivery: 1

Why You Should Try It

Whether it’s a birthday, a holiday, or just because, a Spirited Gifts subscription is a great way to show the bourbon lover in your life how much they mean to you.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Large selection of rare whiskeys and bourbons
Gifting options available for multiple occasions
Option to add glassware and other extras to your order

Cons

Subscriptions are a bit expensive
Only one bottle per delivery

Overview

As the name of the site suggests, Spirited Gifts’ variety of offerings, customizable subscriptions, and personalization options make it the ultimate gift for the bourbon lover in your life. If you choose to buy its three-month Bourbon of the Month subscription as a gift, you can choose to add special whiskey glasses, accessories, or cigars to make it even more special.

Spirited Gifts also offers an entire “gifts” section on its website, which boasts a plethora of gift options for just about any occasion. Along with bourbon, you’ll find gift baskets full of wine, rum, Champagne, vodka, scotch, and more, allowing you to find the perfect treat for any spirit fan.

Best for Rare Bourbon: Bounty Hunter

Bounty Hunter

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Key Specs

Starting Price: $99 per month
Free Shipping: Yes (with membership)
Products per Delivery: 2–12

Why You Should Try It

Why settle for the overdone selection of bourbon at your local liquor store when you can get premium rare bourbons with Bounty Hunter?

Pros and Cons

Pros

Dozens of gifting options
Free shipping
Multiple subscriptions

Cons

Only members receive free shipping
Eligible states for delivery not listed on website

Overview

Bounty Hunter offers both monthly and quarterly options for its Bourbon Trail Club, and each one specializes in delivering rare and high-quality bottles of bourbon (among other types of whiskey, as well). The company’s motto is, “If it’s not great, we don’t sell it” — and after signing up for a subscription, you’ll truly understand what Bounty Hunter means by that. Its Spirits Team curates a selection of the best American whiskeys, including bourbon and rye, focusing on rare releases and exclusive selections.

If you’re shopping for someone else, Bounty Hunter’s website offers plenty of gifting options, and as a little icing on the cake, members receive free shipping on orders. If you want to branch off from bourbon a bit, Bounty Hunter also offers two other subscriptions, the Top Shelf Club and the Whiskey Runner Club, which primarily focuses on Scotch.

Best for Craft Bourbon: Craft Whisky Club

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Key Specs

Starting Price: $55 per month
Free Shipping: Yes
Products per Delivery: 1–2

Why You Should Try It

With whiskey distilleries constantly trying new mashes and distilling techniques, it can be hard to keep track of the best craft whiskey on your own. That’s where Craft Whisky Club comes in handy.

Pros and Cons

Pros

Online store offers bottles available only to members
Delivers liquor to more states than most clubs
Full bottle of hand-selected whiskey with each order

Cons

Specializes in scotch rather than bourbon
Bottles come every two months, rather than monthly

Overview

The experts at Craft Whisky Club work hard to source the finest artisanal and small batch whiskies on the market. This makes Craft Whisky Club a much better way to explore the world of whiskey than aimlessly wandering the aisles of your local liquor store. In addition to an excellent subscription, subscribers will have exclusive access to the company’s members-only online store, which sources fan-favorite and hard-to-find bottles.

While Craft Whisky Club is an excellent subscription, it sources a great deal of its products from Scotland, meaning that you will not be receiving bourbon with every delivery. Still, it is a great way to broaden your horizons and explore the many different varieties of whiskey out there.

Compare the Best Bourbon of the Month Clubs

Company	Starting Price	Free Shipping?	Products per Delivery	Delivery Area	Gift Option?
Best All-Around Flaviar	$60 per month	Yes, on select orders	1, 2, or 8	25 states	Yes
Best Selection Mash&Grape	$69 per month	No	2–4	39 states	Yes
Best for Mini Bottles Shots Box	$360 for half-year membership	Yes	Varies	41 states	No
Best Value PourMore	$49 per shipment	No	1, 3, 6, or 12	44 states	Yes
Best for Bourbon Connoisseurs Taster’s Club	$70 per month	No	1	46	Yes
Best for Gifting Spirited Gifts	$399 per 3 months	Yes	1	28 states	Yes
Best for Rare Bourbon Bounty Hunter	$99 per month	Yes (with membership)	2–12	Not disclosed	Yes
Best for Craft Bourbon Craft Whisky Club	$55 per month	Yes	1–2	41	Yes

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is the Difference Between Bourbon and Whiskey?

All bourbon is whiskey, but not all whiskey is bourbon. Whiskey refers to any spirit distilled from grain in a wooden cask or barrel (which is actually where its iconic golden brown color comes from). Bourbon, on the other hand, has very specific requirements. Among other things, it must be a product of the United States, have a mash bill of at least 51% corn, be barreled at no higher than 125 proof, and be bottled at no less than 80 proof.
What Is Bourbon Made From?

Bourbon, like every other whiskey, is made from water, yeast, and a collection of grains called a mash. The most common ingredients in a mash are barley, corn, rye, and wheat, but as bourbon has grown in popularity and distilleries have sought to distinguish themselves, they have gotten more creative in terms of what grains they add to the mash. The golden rule, however, is that the mash bill for bourbon by definition must contain at least 51% corn. The higher this percentage goes, the sweeter the bourbon becomes.
How Long Does Bourbon Last?

Like many spirits, unopened bottles of bourbon will basically never, ever go bad. You can keep it shelved for decades knowing that its quality will be preserved (if it doesn’t increase, in fact). Opened bottles, on the other hand, still last a very long time, but they will begin to lose their flavor after roughly two years.

Methodology

Our team of writers and experts went the extra mile to ensure that these bourbon of the month clubs hit all the marks in terms of overall customer experience. We evaluated each service based on a list of criteria including price, availability, customer satisfaction, and the quality of its products, In addition, we took into consideration the variety of offerings and the overall user-friendliness of these services in order to help you can make the most informed decision possible.

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