Finding a classic bourbon isn’t hard. Finding a great classic bourbon that’s actually worth your cash is… a tad tougher. There are a lot of old-school brands on the shelf and each one has a ton of expressions, adding to the confusion of what to actually buy. Since it’s National Bourbon Day, I’m going to run a blind taste test of 10 stone-cold classic bourbon labels and crown an absolute winner to help you sort through it all.
Before I dive in, let’s get a handle on “classic” here. I’m looking squarely at heritage brands from Kentucky. Yes, bourbon can be made anywhere in the United States, and there are “craft” bourbon brands that have been around long enough to be modern classics. But we all know that Kentucky is the heart of bourbon.
I’m also looking at brands that are iconic and instantly recognizable. Every single bottle I’ve chosen for this blind tasting (organized by my lovely and very patient wife) is a household name. Even if you don’t know whiskey all that well, you’ve probably heard the words “Jim Beam” at some point.
I’ve also taken this a step up from the bottom-shelf expressions from classic bourbon brands. Look, Evan Williams Black Label or Jim Beam White Label or Wild Turkey 80 Proof are fine for mixing with soda. They’re not going to win any blind tests though. So these are the bottles that are still classic but a step above the entry-level stuff. Basically, I’m looking at the wheated bourbons, the bottled in bonds, the little bit higher proofs, and the slightly older age statements while still being ver findable and affordable.
That makes our lineup today the following classic bourbons:
- Wild Turkey 101 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Bulleit Bourbon Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Weller The Original Wheated Bourbon Special Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
- Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Woodford Reserve Double Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Jim Beam Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Eagle Rare Aged 10 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 9 Years
- Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
When it comes to the ranking after the blind taste test, it’s all about taste. Whichever pours run the deepest and offer the most satisfaction while tasting like a classic bourbon (let’s be fair, these all taste like “classic bourbons”) are going to rank higher. Let’s dive in!
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Part 1 — The Classic Bourbon Blind Tasting
Taste 1
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sweet and buttery toffee is countered by burnt orange, old oak, and a hint of cumin and red chili pepper flakes on the nose.
Palate: The palate leans into soft vanilla pudding cups with a touch of butterscotch swirled in next to orange oils, nougat, and a hint of menthol tobacco that’s just kissed with chili and cherry.
Finish: The midpalate tobacco warmth gives way to a finish that’s full of woody winter spices and a whisper of Cherry Coke next to orange/clove by way of a dark chocolate bar flaked with salt.
Initial Thoughts:
This is about as classic as it gets with a spicy/cherry edge that’s iconically Wild Turkey. The spice does lean more heavily toward the end, which means this has a great finish. I like this one.
Taste 2
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is just classic bourbon — cherry tobacco, apple cider doughnuts, plenty of cinnamon, eggnog, and a little grassy.
Palate: The spice on the palate is squarely in the cinnamon category with creamy vanilla, more warm fruity tobacco, and a hint of orchard bark lurking in the background.
Finish: The end is warm but fades pretty quickly, leaving you with soft oak, dark spice, brown sugar, and a whisper of sweet and creamy grits.
Initial Thoughts:
This isn’t quite as bold as the last pour but does have a really good balance. It fades pretty quickly but delivers plenty to enjoy throughout.
Taste 3
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sense of old oak next to sweet cherries, vanilla cookies, and that Buffalo Trace leathery vibe with a hint of spiced tobacco lurking underneath.
Palate: The palate has a sharp texture before malted vanilla ice cream over a hot apple pie cut with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and walnuts next to Frosted Raisin Bran takes over.
Finish: The end adds sweet cherry to the tart apple and layers it into a light tobacco leaf with a mild sense of old musty barrel warehouses with a hint of fall leaves outside but fades super fast.
Initial Thoughts:
This is 100% a Weller. The leatheriness on the nose and the earthiness on the finish are dead giveaways. This is great but fades away so quickly that it almost disappears.
Taste 4
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose has classic hints of caramel and vanilla with a grassy underbelly next to soft cherry, hints of oak, and a touch of apple orchard.
Palate: That grassiness becomes vaguely floral as slightly spiced caramel apples arrive, along with a chewy mouthfeel that leads towards a soft mineral vibe — kind of like wet granite.
Finish: The end holds onto the fruit and sweetness as the oak and dried grass stay in your senses but fade into proofing almost instantly.
Initial Thoughts:
This is also clearly wheated but Maker’s — that instant fade out is too fast and clearly that whisky. It’s very solid until then though.
Taste 5
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a light sense of rickhouse wood beams next to that mild taco seasoning on the nose with caramel apples, vanilla ice cream scoops, and a hint of fresh mint with a sweet/spicy edge.
Palate: The palate opens with a seriously smooth vanilla base with some winter spice (especially cinnamon and allspice) next to a hint of grain and apple pie filling.
Finish: The end leans towards the woodiness with a hint of broom bristle and minty tobacco lead undercut by that smooth vanilla.
Initial Thoughts:
This is another classic spicy/fruity bourbon that has some serious depth.
Taste 6
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a welcoming aroma of marzipan, blackberry, toffee, and fresh honey next to a real sense of pitchy, dry firewood.
Palate: The taste drills down on those notes as the sweet marzipan becomes more choco-hazelnut, the berries become increasingly dried and apple-y, the toffee becomes almost burnt, and the wood softens to a cedar bark.
Finish: A rich spicy and chewy tobacco arrives late as the vanilla gets super creamy and the fruit and honey combine on the slow fade.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a pretty big standout. There’s just more going on here thanks to the nuttiness and honey. It also has a nice long tail on the finish that actually lasts for a while. This is a good whiskey, full stop. It’s probably Woodford.
Taste 7
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Vanilla pound cake and salted caramel are countered by spicy cherry tobacco, mulled wine vibes, and dark chocolate cut with orange zest and a hint of corn husk.
Palate: The palate brings more orange oils with a mild sticky toffee pudding feel next to more spicy cherry tobacco and a hint of coconut cream pie.
Finish: The end amps up the cherry toward (good) fountain Cherry Coke with a hint of back porch wicker rocking chair, cigar humidor, and a hint more of that dark chocolate.
Initial Thoughts:
Deep cherry like this can only be Jim Beam. This is good but very … normal.
Taste 8
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Old leather boots, burnt orange rinds, oily sage, old oak staves, and buttery toffee round out the nose with a fleeting hint of walking through a fruit orchard on a brisk fall morning.
Palate: Marzipan covered in dark chocolate opens the palate as floral honey and ripe cherry lead to a winter cake vibe full of raisins, dark spices, campfire roasted nuts, and toffee sauce just kissed with salt.
Finish: The end has a balance of all things winter treats as the marzipan returns and the winter spice amp up alongside a hint of spicy cherry tobacco and old cedar cut with creamy eggnog and dry orchard barks.
Initial Thoughts:
This is another Buffalo Trace whiskey — that leatheriness is so distinct. This is also f*cking delicious, long-lasting, and deep. I like this one a lot.
Taste 9
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this feels classic with a sense of rich vanilla pods, apple cider-soaked cinnamon sticks, buttered and salted popcorn, and a good dose of cherry syrup with a hint of cotton candy.
Palate: The palate mixes soft almond, orange, and vanilla into cinnamon sticky buns with a hint of sour cherry soda that leads to a nice Kentucky hug on the mid-palate.
Finish: That warm hug fades toward black cherry root beer, old leather boots, porch wicker, and a sense of dried cherry/cinnamon tobacco packed into an old pine box.
Initial Thoughts:
That cherry is so Beam but so much deeper. Nuttiness, wicker, leather, and spice all add a lot to this one, making it taste far more interesting. And it lasts a lot longer on the finish, which is a big plus.
Taste 10
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a soft nose at play with mild chili spice next to creamy vanilla, caramel-dipped apples, and plenty of nutmeg.
Palate: The palate has a minor note of cornbread muffins next to cherry-vanilla tobacco with a dash of leather and toffee.
Finish: The end leans into some fresh gingerbread with a vanilla frosting but fades pretty quickly, leaving you with a hint of corn husks and cherry root beer where the ice has fully melted in the glass.
Initial Thoughts:
There’s a good balance here but it just fades out so fast and leaves you feeling a little cheap, you know, like an Evan Williams.
Part 2 — The Classic Bourbon Ranking
10. Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 10
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $19
The Whiskey:
Look, Heaven Hill makes great whiskey, especially inexpensive bottled in bonds. This “b-i-b” is tailored for the Evan Williams flavor profile. Still, this is Heaven Hill, so we’re talking about the same mash bill, same warehouses, and same blending team as beloved bourbons like Elijah Craig and Heaven Hill releases. This is simply built to match a higher-end Evan Williams vibe.
Bottom Line:
This tasted cheap. Now, mind you, that doesn’t mean it tasted bad. It tastes nice all things considered, and is very clearly a classic bourbon. It’s more that this tasted like something that you mix with more than anything else.
9. Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky — Taste 4
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $24
The Whisky:
This is Maker’s signature expression made with Red winter wheat and aged seasoned Ozark oak for six to seven years. This expression’s whiskey is sourced from only 150 barrels (making this a “small batch”). Those barrels are then blended and proofed with Kentucky limestone water before bottling and dipping in their iconic red wax.
Bottom Line:
This tasted really good but had the weakest finish overall. It never once felt cheap or thin though. It really felt like you should be making old fashioneds or Manhattans with it.
8. Bulleit Bourbon Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 2
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $32
The Whiskey:
This whiskey embraces a high-rye mash bill that’s comprised of 68% corn, 28% rye, and 4% malted barley. The juice is then rested for six years before blending, cutting down to proof, and barreling.
Bottom Line:
This just tasted good. Had it not faded out so quickly on the finish, it would have ranked higher. Still, this is perfectly fine as a shooter, mixer, or table whiskey pour.
7. Weller The Original Wheated Bourbon Special Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 3
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $24
The Whiskey:
This is a classic wheated bourbon from Buffalo Trace, which doesn’t publish any of its mash bills. Educated guesses put the wheat percentage of these mash bills at around 16 to 18%, which is pretty average. The age of the barrels on this blend is also unknown. Overall, we know this is a classic wheated bourbon, and … that’s about it.
Bottom Line:
I liked this but, again, this felt like something you make cocktails with more than sip. Still, there was a good overall balance from beginning to end, just without anything really exciting going on.
6. Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 5
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $25
The Whiskey:
This is Elijah Craig’s entry-point bottle. The mash is corn-focused, with more malted barley than rye. The whiskey is then rendered from “small batches” of eight to 12-year-old barrels to create this proofed-down version of the iconic brand.
Bottom Line:
The longer aging in this “entry point” expression from Elijah Craigh really does shine through and helps this stand out as something more than “average.” That aside, this just tastes good and is purely classic from top to bottom. I can really see sipping this over a rock or mixing it into my favorite cocktails easily.
5. Jim Beam Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 7
ABV: 54%
Average Price: $24
The Whiskey:
Each of these Jim Beam bottlings is pulled from single barrels that hit just the right spot of taste, texture, and drinkability, according to the master distillers at Beam. That means this whiskey is pulled from less than 1% of all barrels in Beam’s warehouses, making this a very special bottle at a bafflingly affordable price.
Bottom Line:
This was really good and classic through and through. It didn’t quite stick the landing but everything else was so dialed and tasty that it didn’t really matter as much. This is a good pour for everyday use over ice or in cocktails.
4. Wild Turkey 101 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 1
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $19
The Whiskey:
A lot of Wild Turkey’s character comes from the hard and deep char they use on their oak barrels. 101 starts with a high-rye mash bill that leans into the wood and aging, having spent six years in the cask. A little of that soft Kentucky limestone water is added to cool it down a bit before bottling.
Bottom Line:
This was just bolder. It finished super strong. It tasted classic. Drink it however you like to drink your whiskey. You won’t be disappointed.
3. Woodford Reserve Double Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 6
ABV: 45.2%
Average Price: $49
The Whiskey:
This expression takes standard Woodford Bourbon and gives it a finishing touch. The six to eight-year-old bourbon is blended and moved into new barrels that have been double-toasted but only lightly charred. The whiskey spends a final nine months resting in those barrels before proofing and bottling.
Bottom Line:
This is where we get into the interesting and truly standout pours. This had so much more going on, stuck the landing, and tasted really fine. I can see sipping this anytime over a big rock and being really happy.
2. Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 9 Years — Taste 9
ABV: 50%
Buy Here: $45 (one-liter)
The Whiskey:
This is Jim Beam’s small batch entry point into the wider world of Knob Creek. The juice is the low-rye mash aged for nine years in new oak in Beam’s vast warehouses. The right barrels are then mingled and cut down to 100 proof before being bottled in new, wavy bottles.
Bottom Line:
This had a kick to it that sticks with you. You feel this pour well after the glass is empty in all the best ways. I would lean toward over ice or in whiskey-forward cocktails for sure. You’ll get some serious depth with this one.
1. Eagle Rare Aged 10 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 8
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $51
The Whiskey:
This might be one of the most beloved (and still accessible) bottles from Buffalo Trace. This whiskey is made from their very low rye mash bill. The hot juice is then matured for at least ten years in various parts of the warehouse. The final mix comes down to barrels that hit just the right notes to make them “Eagle Rare.” Finally, this one is proofed down to a fairly low 90 proof.
Bottom Line:
This was the clearest and most deeply hewn bourbon by far. Everything works in this whiskey. It also tasted like something special. That really helped it stand above the rest, kind of by far. Pour this over a big rock and let the day melt away.
Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the Classic Bourbons
Yes, Eagle Rare really is that good. Buy it. Hell, buy a case and enjoy it for the rest of the year as your house pour.
That said, there really wasn’t a bad whiskey in the mix. They all had their place. If I was reaching for a cocktail whiskey, I’d go with the Knob Creek. If I was reaching for an inexpensive everyday pour, I’d probably go with the Jim Beam. And if I couldn’t find the Eagle Rare, I’d get the Woodford. You can find it everywhere at a great price. You can’t beat that.
Source: https://uproxx.com/life/best-classic-bourbons-reviewed-national-bourbon-day-2023/
