Favorite Bourbons Of The Distiller Community

Distilled at its namesake Woodford Reserve Distillery located in Versailles, Ky. (formerly called Labrot & Graham Distillery), this Kentucky straight bourbon was first introduced in 1996. It is also known as "Distiller's Select". This high-rye bourbon has a mash bill containing 18% rye. It is made from a combination of pot still and column still whiskey. The bourbon is aged between 6-7 years and carries no age statement. Bottled at 45.2% ABV.

Maker's Mark Bourbon is a wheated bourbon made with a mash bill recipe of 70% locally-grown corn, 16% red winter wheat, and 14% malted barley. This recipe was created by Bill Samuels, Sr. who baked bread with different grains to settle on his mash bill rather than trial and error with distillation. His wife, Margie Samuels, is responsible for the shape of the bottle, the signature label, and the red wax topper. Maker's Mark is aged in char #3 new American oak barrels for 6-7 years. It is bottled at 90 proof.

Launched in 2010, Maker's Mark 46 is made by taking fully matured Maker's Mark Bourbon at cask strength and inserting specially seared French oak staves into the barrels. The bourbon finishes aging for a few months before bottling. The French oak staves selected from the Independent Stave Company, Maker's Mark long time cooperage, were named "Stave Profile No. 46." This is the first brand extension from the distillery since it started production in 1953 and is the first in its Wood Finishing Series. Note: As of March 2022 the brand has updated the packaging for its bottle and label to highlight the French oak staves.

Introduced in 1992, Knob Creek Small Batch Bourbon is part of the Jim Beam Small Batch Bourbon Collection along with Basil Hayden, Booker's, and Baker's. This Kentucky straight bourbon is bottled at 100 proof. It had an age statement of 9 years, but as of late 2016 the age statement has been removed. The goal of the brand is to achieve a flavor profile of nine years, using older and younger bourbons in its composition. NOTE: As of April 2020, the age statement is back. Look for that product as a separate listing.

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 Small Batch is a straight bourbon that is comprised of 4 of the 10 recipes Four Roses employs. They use an equal measure of both of their mash bills (60% corn, 35% rye, 5% barley and 75% corn, 20% rye, 5% barley). They also use yeast strains which highlight both a light and spicy profile along with a rich and fruity one. It is bottled at 45% ABV.

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.

This 86-proof product sits in between their 80 proof Green Label and 100 proof White Label. Though it used to have an age statement of 7 years in the 90's, it is still between 4-7 years of age. The cost of around $15 puts it at a standard go-to.

Produced by Heaven Hill and named after the disputed inventor of Bourbon Rev. Elijah Craig; he put his whiskey into barrels that had been charred in a fire. This is a small-batch bourbon (in this case, it is made from 100 or fewer barrels) and has a traditional bourbon mash-bill (one with 70-80% corn and remainder rye and barley). Note: As of Jan 2016, this product has been discontinued and replaced with a no-age statement Small Batch bottling.

Eagle Rare 10 Year Bourbon is one of the flagship products of the Buffalo Trace collection of whiskeys. It is made from 10 year old bourbon aged at the Kentucky distillery. The barrels are hand selected for quality and consistency before bottling.