Our Favorite American Single Barrel Whiskey Under $100

While Michter’s can trace its roots back to Pennsylvania in the 18th century, today it boasts two distilleries in Kentucky. For their Kentucky Straight Rye bottling, they release them as single barrel expressions so slight variations may occur.

The first mass-produced single-barrel bourbon, bottled by Master Distiller Elmer T Lee in 1984, gets its name from Colonel Albert Blanton. Colonel Blanton spent more than 55 years producing, studying and upholding whiskey traditions; holding almost every job imaginable at what is now the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Insider's note: Save the stoppers. They spell out Blanton's and depict eight different moments from the beginning to end of a horse race.

1792 Single Barrel Bourbon is the third limited edition bottling released by the brand. Select barrels of this high-rye straight Kentucky bourbon are chosen from the brand's Bardstown, Kentucky rickhouses.

One of the early players in the premium bourbon space with their Small Batch collection, Jim Beam Single Barrel gives classic Jim Beam the specialty twist. Being a single barrel bottling, it might vary slightly from one batch to the next. It is bottled at 95 proof to commemorate the first barrel of Jim Beam made in 1795.

As the name suggests, each bottle of Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve is made from an unblended, hand-selected barrel. The bourbon is aged in a rickhouse in Clermont, Kentucky for at least 9 years. However, unlike the standard small batch version, it is bottled at 120 proof instead of 100 proof. Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve may vary from bottle to bottle as is the nature of the category.

Four Roses Single Barrel is bottled at 50% ABV and is comprised of their OBSV recipe (Four Roses has 10 different recipes). It's a Kentucky straight bourbon made using a high-rye mash bill (60% corn, 35% rye, and 5% malted barley) and uses their delicate fruit yeast strain. Each batch will vary slightly as is to be expected from single-barrel bottlings.

Jack Daniel's already offers a single barrel whiskey watered down to 94 proof. The barrel proof, as the name suggests, is bottled at what ever proof the whiskey comes out in the barrel. As each barrel has a different alcohol content due to evaporation during the aging process, there is no standard proof for this bottling.

Russell's Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon is made with the classic Wild Turkey mash bill -- 75% corn, 13% rye and 12% malted barley. It matures in heavy "alligator" char new American oak barrels and is hand-selected by Master Distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell. Each honey barrel is then bottled at a hearty 110 proof without chill-filtration in order to preserve maximum flavor.

The first batch of 10 year-old single barrel Rebel Yell Bourbon was launched in September 2016 and has since been released annually. Rebel Yell is a wheated Kentucky bourbon whiskey. After 10 years in new, charred American oak, it is bottled at 100 proof. Instead of batching the barrels, Rebel Yell is bottling each barrel separately with each bottle to include the barrel number along with an "aged since" date. Slight variations in the bourbon will with each single barrel as is the nature of these releases.

Since 1983, the master distiller for Heaven Hill has chosen select barrels for this single barrel series. Each bottle is dated with the vintage date of when the bourbon was distilled along with the year it was bottled. Additionally, each bottle bares a serial number of the barrel from which it was drawn. Bottled at 86.6 proof.