12 Great Bourbons to Try This Fall
Whether you seek fancy finishes or just plain good bourbon, here’s a list of 12 to try.
Cravings for deep, rich whiskeys like bourbon seems to go hand in hand with the arrival of a cooler, crisper season. This fall season brings no shortage of delicious expressions to try, whether reaching for old favorites or discovering one of the many new bottlings that have hit the shelves in recent months. In the mood for an elegant, wine cask-finished bourbon? Or perhaps a fresh, young whiskey that’s perfect for cocktails? Maybe you just want to switch out your traditional style? Rounding out the final week of Bourbon Heritage Month, here are 12 bourbons to try this fall.
Watershed Barrel Strength Bourbon
(59.5% ABV, $70)
To celebrate their 10 year anniversary as an independent distillery, Watershed recently released their limited-edition Barrel Strength Bourbon. This rich, complex whiskey is Watershed’s most mature bourbon to date. It was aged for six years and finished in the distillery’s spent apple brandy barrels to give it a perfect balance of warm spices and fruit-forward flavors. Watershed Barrel Strength is warm on the palate with notes of dark fruit, caramel and a crisp red apple finish.
Hudson Whiskey Bright Lights, Big Bourbon
(46% ABV, $40)
Hudson Whiskey takes a lot of pride in being the first New York state distillery to make whiskey since Prohibition, and now the brand is back with a bigger, bolder love letter to their home state. If you were a fan of Hudson’s Baby Bourbon, then Bright Lights, Big Bourbon is for you. Made from 95 percent corn and five percent malted barley, it has a grain-forward flavor with notes of stone fruit and caramel. Its long finish will warm you from the inside out. Tuthilltown Distillery which produced Hudson whiskey was named NY Whiskey Distillery of the Year in the 2020 NY International Spirits Competition.
Bardstown Destillaré Orange Curaçao Finish
(50% ABV, $125)
Bardstown Bourbon Company has partnered with Louisville, Kentucky-based brandy distillery Copper & Kings for the sixth time to create this bright new expression. Bardstown starts with their nine-year-old Tennessee bourbon and finishes it for 18 months in Copper & Kings’ Destillaré Orange Curaçao barrels. On the palate, classic bourbon notes of vanilla, baking spice and maple are coupled with vibrant orange notes from the curaçao barrels. This release is especially good news for fans of the Heaven Hill Parker’s Heritage 2018 finished in curaçao barrels who wish they had more. We love it both neat and mixed into an Old Fashioned.
Pinhook Bohemian Bourbon
(47.5% ABV, $38)
When Pinhook was founded in 2010, they wanted to bring the concept of vintage releases to the bourbon market. Bohemian Bourbon, their 2020 flagship release, was created with a mashbill of 75 percent corn, 15 percent rye and 10 percent malted barley and blended in small batches. It has a light body with aromas of orange peel and clove, and each sip offers notes of ripe grapes, tropical fruit and a light minerality. Sip this one neat or mix it into a happy hour Whiskey Sour.
Treaty Oak Day Drinker Texas Bourbon
(40% ABV, $26)
Coming in at 80 proof, this young new bourbon is perfect for mixing into cocktails. To make the expression, Texas-based Treaty Oak Distilling starts with state-grown wheat and yellow no. 1 corn and brings it to proof with limestone-filtered water. On the palate, expect notes of sweet and salty kettle corn, maple syrup, and baking spices to give it a light heat on the finish. For more about Texas whiskeys, please click here.
Old Elk Wheated Bourbon Whiskey
(46% ABV, $72)
Old Elk Wheated Bourbon contains 45 percent wheat to give it a rich texture and flavor. The expression is made using slow cut proofing, meaning water is added to bring down the proof during the course of weeks (rather than days) to protect the liquid’s more delicate flavors. And the flavor is everything you could want from a smooth wheated bourbon—sweet caramel and vanilla notes with a touch of baking spices that linger on the finish. This bourbon won Gold in the 2020 NY International Spirits Competition. For more about this Colorado whiskey, please read here.
Smooth Ambler Big Level Bourbon
(50% ABV, $56)
When Smooth Ambler was founded in 2009, TAG Galyean and John Little wanted to bring patient Appalachian craftsmanship into the spirits space. And their dedication to quality is apparent as soon as you take a sip of their whiskey. Smooth Ambler Big Level Wheated Bourbon—which is aged for more than five years in No. 4 char barrels and produced entirely at their West Virginia distillery—is an instant classic. It’s pleasantly warm and sweet with notes of toffee and pecan pie, so we love sipping it after a great meal. This bourbon won Silver in the 2020 NY International Spirits Competition.
Heritage Distilling BSB Brown Sugar Bourbon
(30% ABV, $25)
Whether you’re just starting to get into the bourbon category or are a seasoned drinker of the spirit, BSB Brown Sugar Bourbon (yes, a flavored whiskey worth trying!) is a treat for the tastebuds. To make this expression, Heritage Distilling on the West Coast infuses bourbon with brown sugar and cinnamon to give it a warm, spiced flavor. BSB is delightful both neat and in cocktails, and it’s also available at 103 proof if you prefer a bolder flavor with a little less sweetness.
photo by Jessie Unruh, Breckenridge Distillery
Breckenridge Distillery Madeira Cask Finish
(46% ABV, $72)
Breckenridge Distillery is known for its award-winning wine cask finished whiskies, and this release, a Gold medal winner in the 2020 NYISC, is an elegant addition to the collection. They start with their signature high-rye bourbon and give it a rest in madeira casks to impart a rich, fruit-forward flavor. Notes of stone fruits like cherries and plums burst onto the front palate before earthy, chocolatey notes take over. This bottling is currently only sold at the Breckenridge Distillery but will be available nationally in 2021.
Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon
(proof varies, $61)
We can always count on Wild Turkey’s Russell’s Reserve expressions for a delicious sipping experience. Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel (since these are released by the barrel, proof varies with each, but tends to run around 100 proof) is made with Wild Turkey’s classic mashbill (75 percent corn, 13 percent rye and 12 percent malted barley) and matured in No. 4 alligator char American White Oak barrels. A recent release revealed notes of toffee, vanilla, baking spices and an oaky, chocolatey finish. If you want to level up, the 10 Year expression recently won Double Gold in the 2020 NY International Spirits Competition.
Jefferson’s Ocean
(45% ABV, $84)
This tried and true favorite is always on many must-drink bourbons list for good reason—it’s an exciting way to age bourbon and the results are typically scrumptious. Boats carrying warehouse-matured barrels of Jefferson’s bourbon then set sail around the world on an OCEARCH shark research vessel, and each voyage crosses the equator about four times and visits five continents. While there are subtle differences in each Voyage release, the common result is a deep, rich whiskey with sweet caramel notes that intermingle with briny and savory flavors, courtesy of the sea air.
Fistful of Bourbon
(45% ABV, $25)
Fistful of Bourbon launched nationally this month, and the brand is celebrating with a series of hilarious, Spaghetti Western-type short films. For those who are unfamiliar with the spirit, Fistful of Bourbon is a blend of five different bourbons that comes from the whiskey masters of William Grant & Sons. With its balanced, sweet flavor, soft spice notes, and buttery toffee finish, it’s ideal to mix in cocktails like Old Fashioneds and Boulevardiers.