In this article, we are going to discuss the 20 highest quality Bourbon brands in the US. You can skip our detailed analysis of the Bourbon industry in Kentucky, the recent investment in Bourbon, and sustainability in the Bourbon industry, and go directly to 5 Highest Quality Bourbon Brands in the US.
While there’s no definitive date of when Bourbon first began being distilled, historians agree that it started in the 18th century as Scottish and Irish immigrants settled in the New World and brought with them their distilling skills and equipment. Since corn was abundant in America, that was the main grain of choice when it came to distilling. It took until 1964 for the U.S. Congress to officially declare Bourbon a ‘distinctive product of the United States’.
The Bourbon Industry in Kentucky:
Although the popularity of Bourbon, America’s only native spirit, has risen and fallen throughout the past 100 years, it is experiencing a resurgence today like never before in history. Major distilleries have been expanding operations at a feverish pace to keep up with demand, and new craft distilleries are popping up all over the United States. Experts and industry insiders agree that this so-called ‘Bourbon Boom’ is here to stay, and whiskey lovers around the world wouldn’t have it any other way.
Kentucky is the birthplace of Bourbon, crafting 95% of the world’s supply. Only the Bluegrass State has the perfect natural mix of climate, corn, and pure limestone water necessary for producing the world’s greatest Bourbon.
As we mentioned in our article – 20 Best Bourbons for An Old Fashioned– Bourbon is a $9 billion signature industry in Kentucky that generates more than 22,500 jobs. And if we’re looking at production and consumption, the state receives more than $286 million in tax revenue each year from its signature whiskey.
Since 2000, Bourbon production has skyrocketed more than 360% thanks, in part, to the premium brands driving the Bourbon boom. Also making history last year, the number of Bourbon barrels aging in Kentucky reached a record 11.4 million – that’s around two barrels per every Kentucky resident.
Recent Investment in the Bourbon:
The Italian Campari Group announced last year that it is investing $161 million to open a second distillery for its Wild Turkey Bourbon brand in Kentucky. The new distillery will increase the Popular Bourbon Brand’s production capacity from 9 million proof gallons to 14 million proof gallons and create 31 additional jobs in Anderson County.
Located next to the company’s existing facility, the new investment also entails an expansion to the waste treatment dry house process to increase processing capacity, doubling the current dry house and waste treatment output. With this project, Campari Group will also upgrade the current barrel filling operation to handle the increased volumes. The new distillery is expected to be completed by the end of July 2025.
Sustainability in the Bourbon Industry:
The modern consumer has become increasingly aware of the climate emergency we unfortunately find ourselves in, and actively seeks out sustainable brands, even if it means paying extra. So, as Bourbon makers find themselves in an increasingly competitive market, committing psychologically and economically to reducing their impact on the planet may also be
the only means to make their businesses sustainable in the long run.
Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) announced in 2021 that it has opened its first carbon neutral distillery in Lebanon, KY, for its popular brand Bulleit Bourbon. The 72,000 square-foot facility has the capacity to produce up to 10 million proof gallons per year powered by 100% renewable electricity, and is expected to avoid more than 117,000 metric tons of carbon emissions annually. Bulleit is the first and lead brand being produced at the Lebanon Distillery that supplements existing production at the nearby Bulleit Distilling Co. in Shelbyville, KY, for which the spirits giant invested $115 million in 2017.
Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) announced a 10-year sustainability action plan in November 2020 – titled Society 2030: Spirit of Progress – which aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across direct operations and a 20% reduction in water used to produce every drink, while also working with suppliers in order to reduce indirect carbon emissions by 50%.
If it stays on this path of sustainability, Bourbon can be at the heart of the blueprint to protect Kentucky’s unique environment, while also continuing to be a modern, competitive, and successful industry that produces some of the world’s best whiskeys.
With that said, here are the Best Bourbons in 2024.
20 Highest Quality Bourbon Brands in the US
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Methodology:
To collect data for this article, we referred to a number of sources, such as Liquor, VinePair, Men’s Journal, Reddit etc., looking for the Best Bourbon Brands in the US. To make sure we only give you the best of the best, we picked brands that appeared multiple times in the aforementioned sources, assigned them a score based on their number of appearances, and ranked them accordingly.
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20. Evan Williams
Insider Monkey Score: 8
This smooth, easy-to–drink Bourbon is among the largest-selling Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey in the U.S. The Even Williams brand is owned by the family-owned Heaven Hill Distillery.
Meticulously crafted, this outstanding Bourbon stands as a true testament to the art of distillation. King of Kentucky is an annual release of a single barrel inventory featuring a barrel-strength, minimally-filtered proof presentation, with each release and every barrel being unique.
Now owned by The Brown-Forman Corporation (NYSE:BF-B), King of Kentucky is one of the Top Bourbon Brands in America.
18. Stagg Jr.
Insider Monkey Score: 8
Hailing from the Buffalo Trace Distillery, Stagg Jr. Barrel Proof is renowned for its intense flavor profile, stemming from a careful selection of the finest ingredients and a meticulous aging process. Every bottle of this High-End Bourbon is a testament to the distillery's commitment to producing an unparalleled Bourbon experience.
This expression releases twice a year and, because it's typically aged for 8 to 9 years and bottled at barrel-proof, maintains a somewhat consistent proof point of around 130.
17. Blanton’s
Insider Monkey Score: 9
Introduced in 1984, Albert Bacon Blanton’s namesake Bourbon was the first ever Single Barrel Bourbon sold commercially. Distilled at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, KY, this whiskey is produced and marketed by the Sazerac Company.
Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is masterfully crafted and carefully aged for no less than ten years. The rareness of this great breed of Bourbon is evident in its complex aroma, as well as the smooth and lingering taste.
The Eagle Rare brand was acquired by The Sazerac Company in 1989, and is also distilled and distributed by the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky.
15. Willett
Insider Monkey Score: 9
The Willett Bourbons are some of the most sought-after and highly respected whiskeys on the market. Aged between 8 to 10 years and bottled at 47% ABV, Willett Pot Still is a hand-selected Bourbon that comes in one of the coolest decanters on the market.
The Willett Distillery, also known as Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD), is a family-owned and operated distillery located in Bardstown, KY.
14. Booker’s
Insider Monkey Score: 10
This award-winning whiskey is a fitting tribute to Booker Noe, legendary longtime master distiller for the Beam brands and founder of their Small Batch Bourbon Collection.
Distilled in early 2003, Booker’s Rye is among the last barrels laid down by Noe in the final years of his life. Now ranked among the Best Bourbons in the World, the 136 uncut proof rye whiskey features heady oak and vanilla aromas with a nice finish of wintergreen and chocolate.
13. Colonel E. H. Taylor, Jr.
Insider Monkey Score: 11
Colonel Taylor was a prominent figure in the Bourbon world and is often referred to as the ‘founding father’ of this industry. Produced by the Buffalo Trace distillery, E.H. Taylor is one of the most highly appreciated and hardest-to-find Bourbon brands on the market. Bottles tend to fly off the shelves when available, and the more limited expressions can sometimes cost thousands of dollars on the secondary market.
12. Pappy Van Winkle
Insider Monkey Score: 11
Another incredibly rare and Top Shelf BourbonBrand produced at the Buffalo Trace distillery, Pappy Van Winkle has been admired by Bourbon connoisseurs for years thanks to its wheated mash bill. Though tens of thousands of new bottles are released each November, the secondary market for Pappy continues to soar, and in 2018, one bottle of Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 23-year-old Bourbon even began auctioning at $20,000.
The Van Winkle brand has won 41 awards in the last 15 years, making its offerings some of the Best Bourbons You Can Buy.
11. Michter’s
Insider Monkey Score: 11
Michter’s only became a brand in the 1990s but is now, despite deliberately keeping stocks low and releases in small batches, the fourth-fastest rising brand in the Bourbon market. Recently, a bottle of Michter’s 20-Year-Old Bourbon went for $27,500 at auction.
Made from the highest quality American corn, the Michter’s US★1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon sits among the Best Bourbon Whiskeys Under $50.
10. Maker’s Mark
Insider Monkey Score: 12
Never bitter or sharp, Maker's Mark is made with soft red winter wheat instead of the usual rye for a one-of-a-kind, full-flavored Bourbon. To ensure consistency, every barrel is rotated by hand and the Bourbon is aged to taste, not time.
Owned by Beam Suntory, the Maker's Mark Distillery is the sixth-largest Bourbon distillery in the world. Located in Loretto, KY, the distillery produces 16 brands, labels, and variations of Bourbon. Maker’s Mark is one of the Most Popular Bourbon Brands in the United States.
9. Wild Turkey
Insider Monkey Score: 12
For over 60 years, Wild Turkey has been making 101 the same way, the right way! Aged in American White Oak barrels coated in the deepest alligator char, Wild Turkey 101 has an impossible-to-miss character.
In 1980, Wild Turkey’s original owner, Austin Nichols & Co., was sold to the French spirits conglomerate Pernod Ricard for a reported $100 million. In 2009, the distillery changed hands again, when Italy’s Gruppo Campari acquired it for a staggering $575 million.
8. Woodford Reserve
Insider Monkey Score: 13
The art of making fine Bourbon first took place on the site of the Woodford Reserve Distillery, a National Historic Landmark, in 1812. Owned by The Brown-Forman Corporation (NYSE:BF-B), the perfectly balanced taste of this Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey comprises more than 200 detectable flavor notes, from bold grain and wood, to sweet aromatics, spice, fruit, and floral notes.
Four Roses is a good American whiskey that blends up to 10 of its distinct Bourbon recipes, resulting in a versatile, easy-drinking offering that appeals to casual fans and enthusiasts alike.
Knob Creek is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey owned by Beam Suntory and produced at the Jim Beam distillery in Clermont. In 2020, Beam Suntory released Knob Creek 12 Year Bourbon, a brand new addition to the Knob Creek lineup of ryes and Bourbons. Bottled at 100 proof with a robust 50% ABV, this full bodied whiskey is a driving force in the Ultra-Premium Bourbon category.
