12 Essential Bourbons for Your Liquor Cabinet

One of the best-known and best-selling bourbons out there, Maker’s Mark is iconic; even those who aren’t whiskey fans will recognize their red wax-sealed bottle. It’s a great gateway bourbon for the whiskey-curious, as it’s quite sweet, and deliberately so. The distillery calls it a “front-of-palate bourbon,” meaning it lands on the front of your tongue, where the sweetness receptors are, rather than the back. Maker’s use of wheat alongside corn and malted barley (rather than rye), their production methods, and their proprietary yeast all contribute to its distinctive sweet caramel-vanilla taste. 

Best for: Juleps, sipping neat

Find it: Everywhere

Now in its 25th year of production, Knob Creek is an unapologetic, full-flavored bourbon—long-aged and barreled up at 100 proof. As a result, it’s robust and woody, ideal for those who want a whiskey with power, but still pleasantly sweet, with notes of maple and caramel. 

Best for: Stiff drinks like a Boulevardier

Find it: Everywhere

There are hundreds of bourbons out there, and while many of the more esoteric bottles are great, it’s also good to have a widely available go-to—a bourbon you’re sure to find at just about every liquor store and just about every sizable bar. If you’re not a Maker’s or a Knob Creek person, you might be a Woodford person. It’s an elegant whiskey on the lighter side and almost creamy in texture, fruity and lively and as smooth as they come.

Best for: Bright, lively drinks like a whiskey sour or Seelbach

Find it: Everywhere

When I think of an absolute classic Kentucky bourbon, I think of Old Forester. In its fifth generation of family production, Old Forester was the first bourbon in Kentucky to be bottled—a huge step toward guaranteeing quality and boosting bourbon’s reputation. Today, Forester releases a line of “Whiskey Row” bourbons that each emulate a style of the past; the 1870 aims to recreate their first batch, while the 1897 and 1920 recall later styles. But I’m a fan of their classic 86-proof, bright and balanced and mixable. 

Best for: Classic cocktails, starting with an Old Fashioned

Find it: At many liquor stores, low-end or high-end

While Buffalo Trace, the distillery, has been in operation for more than 200 years, its flagship bourbon, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey, only dates back to 1999. Intended for mixed drinks, it’s a beautifully balanced whiskey, vanilla and spice on the nose, smooth and less sweet than many of its counterparts. A Maker’s Mark Old Fashioned is too sweet for me; a Buffalo Trace Manhattan, not at all. 

Best for: Classic cocktails, starting with an Old Fashioned

Find it: Almost everywhere

Bourbon is an everyman’s spirit, and as such it’s still possible to get a solid bottle for under $20. And you can often find a liter of Evan Williams Black Label for around $15. Up at 86 proof, it’s got just enough muscle to it, a smooth spirit with classic oak and caramel notes. It’s not the world’s most sophisticated bourbon, but it’s one of the best values out there. Bring a bottle to a party—it’s cheaper than wine and you’ll get a whole lot more drinkin’ out of it. 

Best for: Anything simple—mixing with ginger ale or Coke

Find it: At many liquor stores, low-end or high-end

Another excellent value, Old Grand-Dad has a higher rye content than many bourbons out there, giving it a definitive spice; I’m partial to the 100-proof, whose extra heat makes it more powerful still. Another great party bottle. 

Best for: Drinking straight with a beer alongside

Find it: At many liquor stores, low-end or high-end

While I’ll never say anything against the classic Four Roses Yellow Label (another fantastic value) I’m partial to their Small Batch. At a respectable 90 proof, it hits the right note between spicy and fruity, with a long, smooth finish; it’s one of those spirits that keeps evolving as you drink it. A perfect gift bottle. (Just make sure you get to taste some.) 

Best for: Sipping on the rocks, letting it evolve with the ice melt

Find it: At many high-end liquor stores

While Elijah Craig 12-Year was a favorite among many bourbon aficionados, the Heaven Hill distillery recently replaced it with Elijah Craig Small Batch. Though it no longer carries an age statement, it’s bottled from bourbon between 8 and 12 years old, so there’s some real longevity; and the whiskey remains an intriguing balance of caramel-vanilla on the nose, fruit and spice on the palate. 

Best for: Sipping neat

Find it: At some high-end liquor stores

Most bourbons (and most whiskeys generally for that matter), are brought down to proof when they come out of the barrel, ending up at 40-50 percent ABV. Not so with barrel-strength bourbons. While many brands have barrel-strength releases, Booker’s does nothing but; every batch is a unique release, bottled at barrel proof (often north of 60 percent) and unfiltered. The results vary with every batch, but are always intense, interesting, and for true bourbon fans, worth seeking out. 

Best for: Sipping neat

Find it: At some high-end liquor stores

Like Maker’s Mark, this is a wheated bourbon; unlike Maker’s Mark, it’s bold and forward, thanks in large part to its 107 proof. It’s hard to believe you can find this bottle for around $25. Great for cocktails that benefit from a higher proof like a Manhattan. 

Best for: Mixed drinks like Manhattans

Find it: At some high-end liquor stores

Pappy Van Winkle is the cult name in Kentucky, a wheated bourbon whose star has risen exponentially in the past five years. Realistically: You’re not getting your hands on a bottle of Pappy. So opt for a similar wheated bourbon that’s made, in fact, at the same distillery. At 12-years-old, it’s rich and almost unctuous, its complex flavor evolving on the palate. At around $35, it’s a tremendous value for a high-end bottle.  

Best for: Sipping neat

Find it: At some high-end liquor stores