10 Best Bourbons in the World

2. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof

Insider Monkey Score: 11

To sip Barrel Proof is to experience Bourbon in its purest form – uncut, straight from the barrel, and without chill filtering. Aged for 12 years, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a bold and honest expression of what charred oak barrel aging can do for Bourbon, from the man who originated the process.

Elijah Craig is credited as the first distiller to age his whiskey in charred oak barrels, earning his place in history as the ‘Father of Bourbon’. The charred barrel transformed the clear liquid inside into an intense amber whiskey made rich with the flavors of the wood, which we now recognize as Bourbon.