4 value-minded bourbons for sipping on cool autumn nights
Distilled & Fermented columnist Jerry Slater moved to Louisville, Kentucky, in 2001, in what could be argued as the start of the 21st century bourbon boom.
At that time, Julian Van Winkle was behind the table at charity events trying to get folks to try his recently relaunched family label (Pappy Van Winkle) and Jim Beam’s Booker Noe had released his namesake Booker’s just over a decade before. Nowadays, both of those bourbons have reached cult status, making them wildly expensive and highly allocated, i.e. very hard to find.
Since the beginning of the century, a surge of new distilleries and new brands have launched. Many of those new whiskies can cost over $100, some ranging into multiple hundreds of dollars.
As the nights cool and we head into our favorite time of the year for bourbon, we wanted to share some choices that we feel punch above their price. All four are under $50, with one priced at half that amount. From our experience, these high-quality bourbons tend to fly under the radar.
First up is Old Forester 86 proof. This is the whiskey that Louisville service industry folks kept a handle (a 1.75-liter bottle) of under the sink in case an impromptu party broke out. It is also the well whiskey at all of our bars.
At a three person tasting panel that included our beverage manager Jonathon Griffey, we tasted Rainier cherry, orange zest, and apple pie with all the baking spices (due in large part to its high rye content). At around $25, this is great choice for Old Fashioneds and holiday parties.
Next up is Old Grand-Dad 114 proof. The original creator of Old Grand-Dad, Raymond B. Hayden, named the whiskey after his grandfather, Meredith Basil Hayden, Sr., and even put his picture on the label.
The name Basil Hayden may sound familiar; that’s the name of a bourbon that goes for $40 or more per 750 ml bottle. Old Grand-Dad 114 proof is the same formula, but with less age, more alcohol, and it’s about $10 cheaper. At the high proof, it is surprisingly easy to sip, but also benefits from a large ice cube. We tasted red apple skin, molasses spice cookie and caramel corn.
The next two heavyweights are usually right at the $49.99 mark, but outclass many in the same arena.
Russell’s Reserve was created in 1998 to celebrate Jimmy Russell’s 45 years at Wild Turkey. In 2001, he and his son Eddie Russell debuted this 10-year-old, 90-proof version. We tasted black walnut, vanilla bean and Brach’s Candy’s Maple Nut Goodies. The heavy No. 4 char on the barrels adds a toasty note for cold nights.
Our last value bourbon is Heaven Hill Bottled-In-Bond, 7-year-old 100 proof, a powerhouse of premium mixed nuts (maybe a hint of saline), turtle confections (caramel, pecans, milk chocolate) and creme brulee. Heaven Hill is still family owned and has been making whiskey this way since 1939. It is 100 proof per the bottled-in-bond rules, but it is aged three years longer than the same regulation.
We hope this helps you find some under-the-radar bourbon selections when a cozy sip is needed.
