Kentucky is bourbon country, but let’s be honest in 2024 – the rest of the country is catching up. To the point that some of the world’s best bourbon is made outside of Kentucky. Bourbon may not be peated (minus a few exceptions) but in a matchup of Kentucky vs. the world, these 10 bourbons want ALL the smoke.
From cities as far-flung as Brooklyn, New York, Charleston, South Carolina, and Seattle, Washington there are distilleries today proving that the best bourbon in the world isn’t limited to the Bluegrass State. Give ’em a taste and you’ll find that the rest of the country isn’t just trotting along trying to keep up with the greatness produced in Kentucky. In fact, in a race to the top, these are 10 bourbons that can easily be considered some of the finest in all the land.
Prepare to have your horizon broadened and, if you’ll allow it, perhaps even have your mind changed. These are the 10 best bourbons made outside of Kentucky in 2024, ranked
10. Jimmy Red Bottled In Bond Bourbon 10th Anniversary
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $300
The Whiskey:
Jimmy Red Bourbon is made using a unique corn varietal, Jimmy Red, which the brand helped save from the brink of extinction. Ecological heroics aside, this isn’t your garden-variety bourbon – it utilizes locally grown grains, is likewise proofed with local water, and is made according to the exacting standards of the Bottled in Bond Act.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Immediately fragrant and grain forward, which you like to see when a whiskey utilizes a unique grain varietal, the nuttiness of Jimmy Red corn is on full display here. Spiced orange peel and cinnamon bark dance delightfully in the background while brioche, star anise, and a light sugary top note take care of the rest.
Palate: Once across the palate, this bourbon is oily with all of the nosing notes finding their way into the mouth with the prominent addition of brown sugar, vanilla pod, and buttered popcorn. There’s also the savory sweetness of honey to be found on top of the doughy flavor of brioche that rewards the patient sipper.
Finish: With a medium-length finish that leaves you sucking your molars and searching for flavor long after your final sip, you’ll find gentle allspice notes along with youthful oak and maple candy.
Bottom Line:
High Wire Distilling out of Charleston, South Carolina has done a lot of heavy lifting to resuscitate Jimmy Red corn and give it a place of prominence in the bourbon world. The results of that work are on full display in their 10th Anniversary Bottled in Bond Bourbon, where an impressively mature mouthfeel and lush flavors pass the “it has potential” test and rise to the level of promise fulfilled.
9. Southern Star Paragon Single Barrel Cask Strength Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 57.1%
Average Price: $100
The Whiskey:
Southern Distilling Company is helping to put the North Carolina bourbon scene on the map with their fleet of impressive wheated bourbons but none are as remarkable as their Single Barrel Cask Strength offerings. Made with a mashbill of 70% corn, 16% wheat, and 14% malted barley, this is a whiskey that despite being produced in limited batches is making a major impact among bourbon drinkers in the know.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sticky orange marmalade comes wafting out of the glass set against an earthy backbone of nutmeg, robust barrel char, and the floral, musky aroma of jasmine.
Palate: On the palate one can expect the pleasure to increase tenfold as chocolate truffle dust graces the tongue before walnut meat and sassafras kick things into high gear. Those semi-sweet, earthy notes are then bolstered by a treacle sweetness accented by cardamom and a sprig of mint.
Finish: On the finish it’s the sweetness that overtakes the robust earthy character of this bourbon with apple skin, clover honey, and vanilla extract to be found along with a touch of white pepper to balance it all out.
Bottom Line:
Boldness with balance is really the right way to describe Southern Star Paragon Single Barrel Bourbon. Despite being new to the stage and facing stiff competition in the wheated bourbon category, this is one expression that proves North Carolina deserves a seat at the table when discussing superlative cask strength bourbon.
8. McKenzie Bottled In Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
New York has no shortage of promising distilleries right now, and Finger Lakes Distilling, located upstate, is certainly among them. Featuring a mashbill of 70% corn, 20% hard red winter wheat, and 10% malted barley and aged for a full four years under the Bottled in Bond standards, McKenzie Bourbon is proof positive that the north New York region may soon be known for its whiskey as much as its wine.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Caramel-coated melon kicks things off, an unexpected duo that prepares your senses for the journey you’re about to take. From that auspicious start, you’ll also find milk chocolate, marshmallow fluff, lemon zest, and dried cranberries hanging in the air above the glass.
Palate: Again, milk chocolate holds significant space on the palate and it’s joined by more red berries – this time more akin to semi-sweet raspberries – while lemon tartness and savory pecan flavors soon follow.
Finish: The medium-bodied texture allows plenty of runway for a surprisingly lengthy finish that crescendos with mellow baking spices and gently undulates away leaving custard and almond extract in its wake.
Bottom Line:
Both affordable and exceedingly easy to enjoy this bourbon is even more impressive than Finger Lake Distilling’s award-winning rye. McKenzie Bottled in Bond Bourbon is a surprisingly well-rounded whiskey that utilizes an atypical grain recipe and subjects it to the Bottled in Bond standards to satisfying results.
7. Old Stubborn Straight Wheated Bourbon Batch 1
ABV: 61.9%
Average Price: $250
The Whiskey:
Rising Tide Spirits is a non-distilling producer founded by industry icon Ed Bley, who is indeed based in Kentucky but sources the liquid for this release from an undisclosed distillery out of West Virginia. For batch 1 of their playfully named “Old Stubborn” expression a blend of 10, 11, and 13-year-old bourbons are mingled to produce a wheated bourbon that treads off the beaten path.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Vegetal notes like oregano and sage rise to greet the nose at first before a dollop of sticky caramel, dark chocolate, and mature oak blossom and offer a sturdy foundation for those top notes to grow.
Palate: Caramel candy is far more pronounced on the palate here and it’s accented by a layer of cinnamon and clove that deftly relegates the vegetal notes from the nose to the background, allowing them to shine as secondary players to the nuanced sweetness and the flavor of semi-bitter barrel char.
Finish: On the finish you’ll find walnut shell, allspice, and a touch of mint emerging in lockstep with red chili pepper skin and the semi-bitter barrel char note that’s only faintly evident at midpalate.
Bottom Line:
Old Stubborn excels by marching to the beat of its own drum and eschewing the comforting familiarity of most wheated bourbons on the market. Mellow sweetness is supplanted by self-sure vegetal notes that play well with your standard confectionery flavors to produce a truly unique sipping experience.
6. Frey Ranch Farm Strength Uncut Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 62.15%
Average Price: $80
The Whiskey:
Frey Ranch Distillery, tucked away in the mountains of Nevada, are relative newcomers to the American whiskey world but they’ve been farming since 1854. All of that agricultural know-how finds its way into the bottle as they utilize their own sustainably grown grains in each of their products, putting nearly 170 years of experience on full display in their farm-to-glass bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Leather and cinnamon bark come roaring out of the glass as the impressive proof in this whiskey makes itself known vis-a-vis its burly aromas. Buttery pastry notes and a sweetness reminiscent of port wine adds refinement to the affair with custard and torched blood orange elevating it as well.
Palate: The interplay of grain – with corn pudding playing the role here – with tropical fruit, tobacco leaf, black tea, and clove is mesmerizing in every sip. Be sure to suck your teeth as an invitation for toasted almonds and overripe dates to join the party.
Finish: The finish showcases a delicate balance – though this whiskey is anything but delicate – where leather, dates, and big black pepper vibes all claim equal ground and cling to the roof of your mouth for dear life.
Bottom Line:
Believe it or not, Frey Ranch Distillery has been around for nearly 20 years, having been founded in 2006. What time has wrought is a level of expertise coupled with high-quality grains to produce a robust bourbon loaded with fulsome flavor notes and a silky mouthfeel that you’ll want to experience over and over again until your bottle, like mine, is nearly depleted.
5. Old 55 Single Barrel 100% Sweet Corn Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 62.7%
Average Price: $300
The Whiskey:
Newtown, Indiana is home to Old 55 Distillery who is deploying proprietary enzymes and producing both a wheated bourbon as well as some truly magnificent, albeit extremely limited, 100% sweet corn bourbon. Cask strength is where their sweet corn bourbon shines brightest, as it showcases all of that unsprayed, organic sweet corn in all its glory.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s an earthy aroma reminiscent of tree bark that is quickly supplanted by gobs of sumptuously sweet corn pudding, melon, white peach, and overripe apricot.
Palate: On the palate the viscousness of the liquid is immediately remarkable, which lays the foundation for corn pudding, blackberries, vanilla ice cream, and cinnamon bark to coat your tongue in nearly equal measure.
Finish: On the finish you’ll find the kick of cinnamon bark, cola nut, and jammy blackberry sweetness kissing you goodbye after every sip.
Bottom Line:
Producing 100% sweet corn bourbon is not only more labor-intensive but it’s also extremely expensive — which goes to explain the high sticker price for Old 55 100% Sweet Corn Bourbon, but the results are so damn worth it. Not only is this one of the more unique bourbons on the market from a production standpoint, but it really goes to show the potential of bourbon as a category when the cost is thrown to the wind and talented distillers set their sights on one simple goal: flavor.
4. Wyoming Whiskey 10-Year Anniversary Edition
ABV: 51.7%
Average Price: $190
The Whiskey:
Wyoming Whiskey, nestled out west in Kirby, Wyoming, has a flavorful portfolio of bourbons in its lineup but the 10-Year Anniversary expression should be considered its crown jewel to date. To honor their 10th calendar year, in 2022, they united their original master distiller and their master blender to create this special release using the oldest barrels in their inventory to produce this high-rye bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A duo of apricot and pear find themselves fused with caramel, hay, and a bit of bubblegum – but the ride doesn’t end there. Dig deeper to find a savory note reminiscent of smoked brisket alongside orange blossom, brandied cherries, and baklava.
Palate: Citrus kisses the tip of the tongue before allowing bubblegum, creme brulee, and a stout oak presence to enter the fray. This succeeds by being spry on the palate despite containing a depth of rich flavors commensurate with 10-year-old bourbon.
Finish: The finish contains the herbaceousness of bay leaf and honeyed mint tea along with white pepper and a final dash of barrel char.
Bottom Line:
Wyoming Whiskey’s 10th Anniversary Bourbon features a delightfully refreshing bouquet of aroma that is only outdone by the flavors found on the palate. It is one of those exceptional – and rare – bourbons that can succeed by being multiple things at once, and that’s worth some serious applause.
3. Starlight Distillery Mizunara Reserve Bourbon Finished In Japanese Mizunara Barrels
ABV: 58%
Average Price: $150
The Whiskey:
Starlight Distillery, located in Borden, Indiana, can comfortably be considered one of the best craft whiskey distilleries in the entire country. For this mouth-watering Mizunara-finished release they take barrels that were initially earmarked for their premium “Family Reserve” lineup, age them for at least 4 years, and then rest them for an undisclosed period of time in exotic Japanese oak casks. The resultant whiskey carries a 7-year age statement.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cinnamon-specked fried apple pie aromas waft out of the glass along with candied ginger, orange pith, and root beer. It all makes for a mesmerizing melange that, at 116 proof, comes across as surprisingly approachable.
Palate: On the palate this whiskey bursts with bright cherry and cedar that swiftly clears space for vanilla buttercream, cinnamon, and charred green apple skin.
Finish: A healthy helping of allspice helps to focus, rather than curtail, the wonderful sweet flavors on display in this whiskey.
Bottom Line:
Mizunara is an infamously difficult oak to use in whiskey production due to its extreme porosity — which can cause those casks to spring a leak. Without that knowledge, it might also be difficult for the layperson to imagine why it isn’t more widely used because the flavors it can wring out of bourbon – particularly one with the sumptuous baseline provided by Starlight bourbon – are stellar.
This delicate whiskey achieves a depth of flavor typically reserved for bourbon twice its age, making it well worth the expensive barrels it was finished in.
2. Ben Holladay Bourbon Lore 18 Barrel Blend
ABV: 59.3%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This 18-barrel blend from Holladay Distillery came about thanks to a unique collaboration with Bourbon Lore, the brand-new enthusiast community that’s already shaking up the American whiskey world. This collaboration was helmed by Master Distiller Kyle Merklein along with the illustrious group of Mason Walker, Clay Risen, Emerson Shotwell, David Jennings, and Ryan Alves.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes are driven by the aroma of aged leather books, raspberry fruit parfait, and the faint influence of cinnamon. Those aromas are further fortified by notes of milk chocolate and a bit of herbal tea.
Palate: As this whiskey splashes across your palate you’re immediately greeted by the creamy mouthfeel. Expect to find raspberry and sarsaparilla along with shades of white pepper, cream soda, and clove set against a sturdy backdrop of oak.
Finish: On the finish this bourbon defies its age, coming across as a 10+ year-old product courtesy of its rich oaky character accented by Aleppo red chili flakes.
Bottom Line:
The social media hype resulted in this whiskey being sold out almost instantly, but it will leave a lasting impression on both your palate and your opinion of Holladay Distillery. It checks every box and drinks dangerously below its proof while tasting like bourbon with a significantly higher age statement. Rest assured, this probably won’t be the best bourbon Ben Holladay ever releases, but it’s also safe to say this is the best stuff they’ve ever bottled to date.
1. Kings County Distillery Blender’s Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch 4
ABV: 64.8%
Average Price: $185
The Whiskey:
Is Brooklyn in the house?
Your house, that is, because if not then Kings County Blender’s Reserve needs an introduction. This particular batch produced 269 bottles and featured the very last of the distillery’s 5-gallon barrels in a blend that was aged for at least 7 years.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Well-aged leather furniture, Mexican hot chocolate, and coconut flakes are all initially resplendent on the nose. There’s a good bit of evident ethanol, but it’s not overpowering, and once acclimated there are notes of marshmallow with the faintest touch of orange rind and deep oak to be found.
Palate: An incredibly dense mouthfeel introduces spoils like the Almond Joy and Tootsie Roll candies, marzipan, plus rich oak which are all on full display along with gentle accents of tobacco leaf and orange zest.
Finish: A bounty of barrel char and baking spice – namely black pepper and nutmeg – emerge on the finish which is exceptionally long-lasting and warms your chest through every savory sip.
Bottom Line:
Kings County’s Blender’s Reserve stands in remarkable defiance of the notion that the best bourbon in the world can only come from Kentucky. Utilizing anything-but-industry-standard 5-gallon barrels in this blend along with Kings County’s signature 80% New York corn, and 20% malted barley mashbill, this is a bottle that charts its own path to flavor town yet arrives with all of the gusto its hefty proof would indicate.
Simply put, if you want to prove that the best bourbon doesn’t have to be made in Kentucky then you should pour a glass of Kings County Blender’s Reserve.