Bourbon is one of our most beloved (and historic) spirits, excellent as a sipper, mixed into classic cocktails like the Bee’s Knees and prized as collector’s items. And no matter what style you like—single barrel, double barrel, cask strength—this year has been especially notable for the bourbon bottlings, says Kara Newman, Wine Enthusiast’s spirits reviewer. “This is a golden age of bourbon, as whiskey stocks remain high and producers continue to roll out memorable new bottlings,” she says.
On Wine Enthusiast’s Top 100 Spirits list for 2024, bourbon tied with rum from Barbados for the highest-rated spirit of the year. Newman described the Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 13 Years Aged bourbon as “plush,” with notes of caramel, toffee and red fruit. Created as a special 25th-anniversary bottle, it also represents a trend among the best spirits of the year.
“Limited editions remain a strong feature of the bourbon category right now,” Newman says. “That 13-year-old Old Fitz, Milam & Green Very Small Batch and Rare Character Single Barrel are all examples of bottlings you need to catch when you see them, because they won’t be around long.”
Many of these top-rated bourbons also diverge from prior years in that they’re blends from smaller brands. “‘Sourced’ bourbons seem to be losing their stigma, and that’s reflected on our list,” Newman says. “Just a few years ago, it was expected that every whiskey producer distilled their own juice. But blending whiskey produced by others is an art, and it’s not a coincidence
This Article was originally published on Wine Enthusiast
