5 Highest Quality Bourbon Brands in the US

4. Elijah Craig

Insider Monkey Score: 16

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. 

Today, Heaven Hill Distillery preserves the Bourbon making traditions developed by Elijah Craig.