Top Toasted Barrel Bourbons to Try Now

Part of the First West collection from 15 STARS in Bardstown, Kentucky, Toasted Oak blends 5, 6, and 7 year old Kentucky straight bourbons featuring proprietary red, white, and blue heritage corn varieties before finishing in toasted oak barrels using two different toast profiles. Bottled at 98 proof using the brand's Flavor Proofed process, available beginning July 2025.

Produced at Starlight Distillery in Borden, Indiana using estate-grown grains, Double Oak blends a three-grain mash bill (60% corn, 20% rye, 20% malted barley) and a four-grain mash bill (51% corn, 20% rye, 20% malted barley, 9% wheat). Both are twice distilled in a Vendome copper pot still using a sweet mash process before aging four years in new American oak, then finishing for three to eight months in a combination of new toasted barrels from Seguin Moreau Napa Cooperage and five-year air-dried heavy toast barrels from Canton Cooperage. Bottled non-chill filtered at cask strength of 106 proof, though proof may vary batch to batch.

A flagship release from Bluegrass Distillers based in Lexington, Kentucky, this bourbon is made from a mash bill of 75% yellow corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley. Aged a minimum of five years in new charred American oak before finishing for at least 30 days in lightly toasted white oak barrels. Bottled non-chill filtered at 100 proof.

A permanent addition to the Basil Hayden portfolio, Toast is a Kentucky straight bourbon crafted by Freddie Noe at James B. Beam Distilling Co. in Clermont, Kentucky. Made with brown rice in place of traditional rye, the bourbon undergoes a toasted barrel finish before being blended back with additional brown rice bourbon aged in level four char barrels. Released in August 2021, it is bottled at 80 proof.

Produced at Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, Toasted Barrel begins as fully matured Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon before being re-entered at barrel proof into a secondary barrel crafted in partnership with Independent Stave Company. Made with 18 month air-dried staves, the finishing barrel is toasted at a moderate temperature before being flash charred. Both the initial and finishing barrels are made from new American oak. A permanent addition to the Elijah Craig portfolio, it is bottled at 94 proof and became available beginning September 2020.

The second release in the limited Fifth District Series from Log Still Distillery in Gethsemane, Kentucky, this expression pays tribute to the F.M. Head Distillery, which shares the same DSP number (DSP-KY-47) as Log Still. The series honors the historic distilleries of Kentucky's fifth tax district. A high-rye bourbon aged a minimum of eight years, it was finished in toasted barrels before being bottled at 100 proof. Available beginning August 2023 in select states.

The fourth and final release in Old Forester's Whiskey Row series, 1910 Old Fine Whisky pays tribute to an accidental discovery in October 1910 when a fire shut down the bottling line at Old Forester. Rather than lose a vat of mature whiskey waiting to be bottled, the spirit was transferred into new charred oak containers until the line could be repaired, resulting in the first documented double-barreled whiskey. Today's recreation enters the second barrel at 100 proof into a lightly toasted, heavily charred barrel to finish maturation. Bottled at 93 proof, it became available beginning October 2018.

Part of Penelope's core portfolio, Toasted Bourbon begins as the brand's signature four-grain straight bourbon made from corn, rye, wheat, and malted barley. After full maturation in new charred American oak barrels, it is finished in a new hand-toasted barrel, with the char and toast level varying from batch to batch. Bottled at 100 proof.

Produced at Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky, Double Oaked is a bourbon that undergoes a second maturation in custom barrels that have been toasted for more than twice as long as the original barrel, then very lightly charred. The first barrel is seasoned outdoors for nine months before being fully toasted and charred in the traditional manner. Bottled at 90.4 proof, it is a permanent expression in the Woodford Reserve lineup.

Produced at Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company in Louisville, Toasted Bourbon is aged five years in char level 3 barrels before finishing in a medium toast secondary barrel, both crafted by Kelvin Cooperage. Like all Peerless whiskeys, it is made using a sweet mash process rather than the traditional sour mash method, and is bottled at barrel proof without chill-filtration. First released in March 2024.

First released in 2014, Michter's US1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon is credited with creating the toasted barrel finish category. Fully matured US1 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon is transferred into a secondary barrel made from 18-month air-dried wood staves, toasted to precise specifications but not charred, for additional aging. This limited release is not produced on an annual schedule but made available when quantities are ready. Bottled at 91.4 proof, availability for this 2024 edition begins September 2024.

This is one of two debut releases from Mary Dowling Whiskey Company, named for an influential female distiller credited with helping preserve the Kentucky whiskey industry during Prohibition. A joint venture between Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame Whiskey Maker Kaveh Zamanian and Pernod Ricard, the Double Oak expression is a wheated Kentucky straight bourbon aged first in heavily toasted, char #3 new American oak barrels before being transferred to lightly toasted, char #1 new American oak barrels to finish maturation, both crafted by Kelvin Cooperage. Bottled at cask strength of 107 proof, available beginning August 2023.