10 Must-Have Bourbons For Home Bar

Let’s check out the ten must-have bourbons for your home bar.

Must-Have Bourbons For Home Bar

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

The most popular bourbon is produced by a distillery with an identical name. Buffalo Trace may be the most affordable in the world of whiskey. It is named after the magnificent Buffalo that roamed across the American west. The shockingly affordable bourbon isn’t accompanied by an age declaration (although it’s thought to be about 9 years old). However, its complexity could make us think it’s an old Bourbon. It’s the perfect sipper or mixer. Buffalo Trace carries prominent flavor notes of vanilla beans that have been toasted, as well as charred oak and mildly spicy rye.

Maker’s Mark Bourbon

There’s a reason why even non-whiskey drinkers are familiar with Maker’s Mark. The well-known red wax-dipped bottle comes with a mash comprised of 70 percent corn and 16 percent wheat with 14 percent malted barley. Although it does have a lovely sweetness of corn due to the high corn content, The wheat adds an easy drinking, soft flavor that’s unbeatable for its cost. With proof of 90, it’s a blend of wood caramel, charred sugar, and sweet wheat that stand up to even the most savage cocktails.

Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon

Four Roses is a big brand in the world of bourbon. It’s a distillery where you close your eyes, pick up one of the bottles, and feel confident that you’ll be happy. But, if you need to choose one for your bar cart in your home, pick four roses single barrel. It’s bold, 100 proof, high-rye, and aged for 7 and 9 years in brand new charcoal-charred American oak barrels. The result is a balanced whiskey with notes of vanilla, dried cherries syrup, maple candy, and a hint of rye peppery.

Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon

If you can only purchase one bottle from this list, go for Wild Turkey 101. This extremely versatile bottle was produced similarly for the past sixty years by the adored Master distiller Jimmy Russell. It features a high-rye mashing bill, aged in deeply charred American whiskey barrels made of white oak from six to eight. The bartender’s favorite is bottled at an intense 101 proof and is flavored with hints of cinnamon, oak sugar, and toffee that are perfect for the iconic Sazerac and a brown derby.

Old Grand-Dad Bonded Bourbon Whiskey

If you’ve not yet purchased a bottle of Old Grand-Dad, you’re missing out on the most affordable bottle available. This bourbon made with high-rye made by Jim Beam typically costs priced at around

$22 for a bottle of 750ml. This whiskey has been aged inside charred oak barrels for four years and is a bonded bourbon. It’s, therefore, 100 proof. Even at that higher proof, it’s very smooth and drinkable, either neat or with a cocktail. However, it is particularly good in cocktails because of the flavors of wood char, raisins, vanilla, and cinnamon sugar, which are spicy and sweet.

Evan Williams Single Barrel

Its prize-winning bottle is sure to become the most frequently used bourbon you have in your bar cart. Even though Evan Williams Black Label is one of the low-top shelves of bourbons available, For a couple dollars more, you can purchase the sole vintage-dated single barrel bottle available. The

attainable 86.6-proof bourbon matured in brand new charcoal-charred American oak barrels that lasted 7 to 8 years. The result is a balanced whiskey that is bursting with the aromas of caramel apples, sweet vanilla, toffee, and subtle spice.

Eagle Rare 10-Year Bourbon

Eagle Rare 17 is a relatively hard bottle to locate. Although this is a pity for bourbon fans, it’s ok since Eagle Rare 10 isn’t hard to locate. It was aged for ten years in brand-new and charred American oak casks. This award-winning whiskey is one-barrel bourbon which is made available with proof of

• It’s great for cocktails. However, it is best enjoyed slowly; this adored whiskey contains flavors such as charred oak, candied orange peels, vanilla beans, and lovely nuanced sweetness.

Michter’s US-1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon

The unheralded star of the whiskey world, Michter’s is another distillery that produces nothing but premium whiskeys. Although, its ten-year-old whiskey is close to being a unicorn due to its low production, Michter’s signature small-batch bourbon is aged oak casks with charred newness before being batched into a holding tank can hold twenty barrels or more. It’s a complex bourbon with flavors of vanilla beans that have been toasted and sweet dried cherries, treacle, and a touch of wood char that is spicy.

Woodford Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Woodford Reserve is a sign of the highest quality in the middle of horse racing in Versailles, Kentucky. Its signature expression is Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The high-rye mash bill is comprised consisting of 72 percent corn and 18 percent rye, as well as 10 percent malted barley. It’s triple distilled and then stored for a minimum of six years before entering the bottle. It’s sweet, smooth, and bursting with flavors such as almonds, caramel that is buttery sweet malts, and plenty of peppery rye, perfect for an old-fashioned.

Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey

The drinkers of bourbon are awestruck by Elijah Craig because of its significance. Many believe that he was the inventor of what is now known as bourbon. Elijah Craig was the first distiller to use charcoal in barrels before maturing. This expression is a tribute to its creator’s name by using heavily charred casks for maturation. The outcome is a 94-proof bourbon that has aromas of toasted vanilla beans, dry fruits, oak charred, along with subtle flavors of spices. It’s perfect for drinking straight or in a glass and can be enjoyed in bold, multi-dimensional cocktails.