It’s Bourbon Heritage Month, and we wanted to kick things off with a “bucket list” of bourbons, so to speak. The crème de la crème, the dream team, the canon — you get it. These bourbons are so incredible that we would consider each of them a “must-try” for any bourbon-lover.
We all know the saying “life is short,” and the truth is that sometimes it’s good to indulge. The following 10 Kentucky bourbon brands are the most memorable, stunning bourbons we’ve ever tasted and if we were given 10 days left to live we’d be sure to sip each one.
10 Kentucky Bourbon Brands to Try Before You Die
10. Hardin’s Creek Clermont | Raided Score®: 90
What better way to kick off a Kentucky bourbon list than with an expression of bourbon that is a liquid celebration of the Bluegrass State? Beam’s Hardin’s Creek Series features three bourbons — Boston, Frankfort and Clermont — made the same way. The only critical differentiating factor? Location, location, location.
Beam’s Hardin’s Creek Clermont was distilled at the brand’s Clermont facility, and this extra-aged, 17-year-old expression features the same mashbill as the other releases within the series. The nose on this 55% ABV knockout is a heady mixture of buttercream, cinnamon and nougat. On the palate, there’s that signature Beam funk with tobacco, fudge and honey. This liquid love letter to Kentucky concludes with brown sugar, spice and apple butter.
Though this might be a challenging whiskey to find on shelves and it does host a price tag that will set you back north of $200, it’s well worth the hunt and makes the number ten spot on our list!
9. Knob Creek 18 Year Old | Raided Score®: 91
It’s no surprise that another Beam offering made a second spot on our list. The Beam family has been distilling in Kentucky since 1795 — despite a minor interruption from Prohibition — and practice makes perfect.
This offering from Knob Creek honors the passage of time in a cool way. With a blend of Knob Creek’s newest and oldest whiskey, this 50% ABV bourbon can be purchased for around $200.
On the nose, there’s plenty of char, cherry pie, funk and a major pop of peanut brittle. The palate is lusciously thick and rich with plenty of heat. Loads of tannin and structure make this a viscous and chewy bourbon, with waves of cocoa fudge and toffee. Knob Creek 18 Year segues into plenty of cocoa and peanut brittle for the finale and rounds out with a warm Kentucky hug.
8. Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon Finished in Port Wine Barrels | Raided Score® for 2023: 92
Angel’s Envy chooses its premium barrels for the brand’s Cask Strength Bourbon, and the brand’s 2023 release was brought to fruition by Master Distiller Owen Martin. Martin left Stranahan’s in 2022 to come aboard Angel’s Envy, and this release marked an incredible start to his leadership.
This cask-strength bourbon features a 59.1% ABV and can be purchased for north of $200. Angel’s Envy is all about the finishing process, and this bourbon spent up to 14 months finishing in those port wine barrels.
On the nose, picture loads of black fruit like figs on the nose of this pour, coupled with caramel candies and allspice. The palate is figs and tobacco aplenty, with a caramel drizzle. Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon finishes with luxardo cherry, oak and sweet cream.
7. Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 2024 18 Year Old | Raided Score®: 92
This unicorn from Heaven Hill is an 18-year-old Kentucky bourbon that clocks in at 120 proof. Heaven Hill selected 133 barrels for this release. They were filled in December 2005 and spent time aging on the third floor of Heaven Hill’s rickhouse 1L. A bottle will set you back $200 at least (probably north of $1,000 if you’re shopping the secondary market), but this whiskey is incredible.
With brown sugar, toffee, clove and ginger on the nose, you know immediately this is going to be a serious bourbon. The opulent palate has plenty of oak yet it’s balanced without being overly woody. The oak is nicely balanced by tobacco, cream and maple.
Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 2024 18 Year Old finishes with plenty of grip and it goes on for eons. Picture a lovely balance of wood, spice and sweetness.
6. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C923 | Raided Score®: 92
It’s not surprising that Heaven Hill would snag two spots on this list. The brand is a Kentucky distilling powerhouse with its Old Fitzgerald, Larceny and Elijah Craig lines. Elijah Craig regularly drops killer release after killer release, but this offering which dropped in 2023 might be the best ECBP to date.
With a 13-year and 7-month age statement, coupled with a whopping proof of 133, this big bold bourbon has plenty to say! The nose doesn’t mess around, with cherry and root beer goodness interlaced with peanut brittle.
On the palate of this puppy, picture honey, toffee and caramel. Though this bourbon hosts a monster proof, it isn’t overly punishing and you get plenty of layered dessert characteristics. This whiskey finishes beautifully with toffee, caramel, cherry cola and root beer. It’s a knockout.
If you’re looking to score a bottle, expect to spend $60 to $100.
5. Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery #11 | Raided Score®: 93
The 11th release of Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Discovery Series was one of the first releases in the series to use Bardstown Bourbon’s own distillate in the blend. While Bardstown Bourbon Co. often blends whiskeys from across the country for its Discovery Series, this edition was composed solely of Kentucky bourbons in an ode to the Bluegrass State.
This bourbon hosts an ABV of 66.5% and has a suggested retail price of $139.99.
The breakdown is composed of 73% 13-year-old bourbon, 21% 10-year-old bourbon and 6% 6-year-old bourbon, which was the brand’s proprietary wheated bourbon.
With a nose of toffee, citrus, spice and black tea, coupled with a pour that has plenty of honey, vanilla and orange peel interlaced with creme brûlée, it’s clear this is a cerebral bourbon. The finish boasts brown butter, toffee and orange.
4. Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged | Raided Score®: 93
Maker’s Mark fans have been begging for an extended-age whiskey from the Suntory-owned brand for quite some time. In October , the brand finally answered the call and unveiled Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged 2023, with the pithy slogan, “aged is a construct.”
This blend of 11- and 12-year-old bourbons aged at a cask strength does cost a pretty penny, with an MSRP of $150 — though it’s probably going to cost you more, let’s be real. According to Wine-Searcher, this bourbon goes for an average price of $533 in the U.S.
Bottled at a cask-strength proof of 115.7, this cashmere-soft yet complicated whiskey hosts a nose full of baking spice, honey and buttercream. On the palate, picture loads of dessert, brown sugar and clove. There’s a kiss of blackberry on the pour, adding to the complexity.
Maker’s Mark hosts a finish that lasts ages. With plenty of dessert-forward sweetness, this whiskey has raisin and nutmeg flavors that lead to a lovely, layered conclusion.
3. Buffalo Trace Antique Collection: William Larue Weller Bourbon | Raided Score® for 2023: 93
You may have been waiting for an offering from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection to pop up somewhere on this list. Well, here it is.
The 2023 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection’s offering of William Larue Weller features a 12-year age statement and was bottled at a hefty 133.6 proof. The barrels for this release were pulled from Buffalo Trace’s Warehouses C, L, M and N. This bourbon hosts a price tag significantly north of $200 (realistically, probably north of $2,000), and expect to do some hunting for it!
This bourbon is viscous and bold with a capital “b.” On the nose, nougat, sweet oak and waffle burst forth. The rich and decadent palate hosts plenty of char, viscosity and red berries. The finish lasts forever, making this one of the most legendary William Larue Weller Bourbons in a long time.
2. Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Voyage | Raided Score®: 94
Wild Turkey’s Master’s Keep Voyage is a 10-year-old bourbon finished in 14-year-old rum casks from none other than Appleton Estate. This tropically driven, experimental bourbon can be purchased for over $200, but it’s distinctive and very much worth the buy.
The nose bursts forth with tropical fruit, brown sugar and beautifully integrated oak. Traditional bourbon is the primary driver on the nose, yet the rum adds plenty of richness with minimal funk. The palate is a pleasant marriage of bourbon and rum, with caramel, baking spices and ginger interlaced with pineapples and bananas. The finish lingers for eons and blends funky tropical fruit and spice.
With an ABV of 53%, Wild Turkey’s experimental Master’s Keep Voyage takes you on a journey and just doesn’t let go.
1. Four Roses 135th Anniversary Limited Edition Small Batch 2023 | Raided Score: 94
The No. 1 Kentucky bourbon to try before you die is this gem of a bourbon from Four Roses. This blended bourbon features four recipes that all clock in at different ages: a mixture of 12-year-old OESV (35%) 14-year-old OESK (40%), 16-year-old OESV (20%), and a 25-year-old OBSV (5%.) This release marks the first time the brand has housed a 25-year-old whiskey within its blend, and Four Roses 135th Anniversary Bourbon certainly does not disappoint.
With a 54% ABV and a price tag that sits at a minimum of $200 (average price is $605, per Wine-Searcher), the nose on this stunner is fruity and bold. Picture strawberry ice cream with a freshly baked waffle cone, graham cracker, and toffee. On the palate, picture plenty of fruit and honey, with beautifully integrated oak. There’s luscious caramel, strawberry and blackberry, all beautifully integrated with a backbone of shortbread. The finish is gentle, with créme brûlée and orange. In short, this stunner from Four Roses is simply a masterpiece, making it the absolute number one Kentucky bourbon to try before you die.
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