In this article, we are going to discuss the 5 best Bourbons for an Old Fashioned. If you want to check our detailed analysis of the Bourbon industry in Kentucky, the new positive development for Bourbon distillers, and the recent acquisitions in the Bourbon industry, head to 20 Best Bourbons for An Old Fashioned.
5. Elijah Craig Small Batch
Insider Monkey Score: 9
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.
Elijah Craig Small Batch is distilled, aged, and bottled in Kentucky from a traditional Bourbon mash bill of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley, and then aged for 8 to 12 years in Level 3 charred oak barrels.
4. Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight
Insider Monkey Score: 9
Ancient buffalo carved paths through the wilderness that led American pioneers and explorers to new frontiers. One such trail led to the banks of the Kentucky River where Buffalo Trace Distillery has been making Bourbon whiskey the same way for more than 200 years. Made from the finest corn, rye, and barley malt, this whiskey ages in new oak barrels for years in century old warehouses until the peak of maturity. The Buffalo Trace Distillery was acquired by the Sazerac Company in 1992.
At only $22 a bottle, the Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight is one of the Best Bourbons for the Money.
3. Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style
Insider Monkey Score: 10
The Volstead Act of 1920 which initiated Prohibition granted permits to only six distilleries in Kentucky to continue to bottle Bourbon for medicinal purposes. Through one of these permits, Old Forester continued to be produced as medicinal whiskey on Louisville’s famed Whiskey Row. To pay homage to this era, Old Forester presents 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon at 115 proof to represent the rich flavor profile this Bourbon had nearly 100 years ago.
A truly rare and distinctive occasion took place in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1870. When George Garvin Brown sealed Bourbon in a bottle for the very first time, he did so knowing it would guarantee quality and consistency for Bourbon lovers everywhere. And nearly 150 Years later, the Brown-Forman Corporation still watches over the production of every drop of Old Forester with that same care.
2. Old Forester 100 Proof
Insider Monkey Score: 11
Handpicked from select barrels, Old Forester 100 proof is a rich, complex Bourbon that honors the legacy of founder George Garvin Brown, who put his signature on every bottle. This whiskey is quite popular with bartenders and appears frequently as an ingredient in most bars’ cocktail lists.
1. Wild Turkey 101
Insider Monkey Score: 12
For over 60 years, Wild Turkey has been making 101 the same way, the right way! Aged in American White Oak barrels coated in the deepest alligator char, Wild Turkey 101 has an impossible-to-miss character.
In 1980, Wild Turkey’s original owner, Austin Nichols & Co., was sold to the French spirits conglomerate Pernod Ricard for a reported $100 million. In 2009, the distillery changed hands again, when Italy’s Gruppo Campari acquired it for a staggering $575 million.
Wild Turkey 101 is the Best Bourbon for an Old Fashioned in our list.
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