Yeah, you can spend $500 on a bottle — yes, one — of bourbon whiskey. It’s pretty easy, in fact — the bourbon and wider whisk(e)y boom have driven up prices to sometimes absurd heights. That’s not to say a bottle of bourbon isn’t worth $300, $400, or $500, though. Obviously, we all calculate the concepts of “value” and “worth” differently. (Especially in a world where you can get 20 $25 bottles of perfectly drinkable bourbon for $500.)
That’s all to say that bourbon at this price point is about the really, really good stuff. It’s about something special that sings on the palate. These are the bottles that bridge the worlds of very drinkable unique bottles and the unicorns you might be able to squirrel away in a vault as an investment. That said I’d personally crack open all of these bottles — rather than invest in them — to get a sense of what expensive whiskey tastes like.
As for the expressions at play, there is not a whole lot of variation at this level. We’re looking at three or four big-name brands that even have the ability and heritage to produce whiskeys that cost this much. So, yes, there is more than one label from a couple of companies on this list. Still, I picked ten bourbons that absolutely slap as sippers. You really can’t go wrong giving any of these a shot, especially if you’re looking to really up your bourbon and bar cart game.
As for the ranking, it’s simply according to which ones I’d reach for first when I needed a special pour — they’re all bangers in one way or another.
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months
- The 50 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2021, Ranked
- Every Winning Bourbon From Our 2021 Taste Tests, Blind Tasted And Re-Ranked
- The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021
- The Best Ten-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskeys, Tasted Blind And Ranked
- We Tasted Bourbon Whiskeys ‘Double-Blind’ And Tried To Guess Each Bottle
10. Garrison Brothers Cowboy Bourbon
ABV: 65.65%
Average Price: $300
The Whiskey:
Cowboy Bourbon has become Garrison Brother’s signature bottle of whiskey. The juice from Texas is from barrels that are hand-selected for their depth and deliciousness and then aged for a few more years before being small-batched. The whiskey is then bottled as-is — with no filtering or cutting — leaving you with the purest essence of what great Texas bourbon can be in every single sip.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a rush of very sharp cinnamon sticks next to a pile of wet cedar shingles and an almost Chinese hot mustard spice and miso edge that’s as baffling as it is enticing. That spicy/umami nose makes you want to dive into this sip. Once you do, you’re greeted with an apple pie overflowing with walnuts, spices, and syrupy brown sugar encased in a flaky lard pie crust as spicy plum puddings sit next to more cedar and a throughline of caramel. The end turns to velvet as a vanilla tobacco vibe arrives to calm everything down and numb your tongue with a buzz.
Bottom Line:
I love some Garrison, and this is a stellar whiskey. The thing is, I kind of like two of their other expressions a tad more and they’re both about half the price. That’s why we’re starting here with this ranking — this is great but not my favorite from this awesome craft distillery.
That said, hey, maybe it’ll be yours.
9. Blanton’s Gold
ABV: 51.5%
Average Price: $350
The Whiskey:
This single barrel masterpiece was made for the international market but is now available widely in the U.S., albeit for a hefty price. The juice is all about the refinement of the single barrel aging process, with masterful finishing to bring it down to a very drinkable 102 proof.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a big greeting on the nose with notes of spicy tobacco leaves next to honey, dark berries, and orange oils. The palate carries those notes forward while leaning into the tobacco and amping up the rye pepperiness then balancing it with a bit more honey and caramel. The finish takes its time fading out as notes of vanilla, spice, and oak linger — with a final billow of pipe tobacco popping at the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is a great sipper. It benefits from a drop or two of water to let it bloom and find those deeper, dark chocolate and berry notes. That all said, this is very classic and feels almost entry-level…for me. I’d like a little more ABV oomph, but that’s really stretching for something to complain about.
8. Old Forester 150th Anniversary Batch Proof
ABV: 62.8%
Average Price: $360
The Whisky:
This special release from Old Forester celebrates 150 years of whisky making by the brand with “150” at the core of the line. Master Taster Jackie Zykan created three batches of this limited release from 150 barrels that were specifically selected by Brown-Forman Master Distiller Chris Morris. Once these bottles are gone, there won’t be a whisky like this from Old Forester again.
Tasting Notes:
Based on Batch no. 1, you’ll be greeted with a mingling of menthol and anise with rich and buttery caramel next to a hint of holiday spices and a touch of sweet fruit. The palate embraces the holiday spice and adds in a peppery edge while the sweetness leans towards pancake syrup with a hint of dark chocolate and old wood beams lurking in the background. The finish marries the dark chocolate to the almost chili pepper spice on the medium-length finish as flourishes of orange oils, wet leather, and salted caramel kettle corn linger on your nicely warmed senses.
Bottom Line:
I was never really a huge Old Forester fan until I tried this. It’s fantastic and has such a great, unique flavor profile. The only reason I’ve ranked it this low is that it doesn’t make me continue to reach for other Old Forester expressions. It feels more like a one-off than a part of an iconic brand.
7. Elijah Craig Single Barrel 18
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $420
The Whiskey:
This old single barrel expression from Heaven Hill is a highlight for both single barrel whiskeys and very old bourbons. The barrel is hand-selected every year to highlight the expert craft behind Heaven Hill’s distilling and warehousing. Taking a sip transports you to those huge white barrel houses sitting in the Kentucky countryside surrounded by acres of corn in a way that few whiskeys do. This is truly an experiential whiskey.
Tasting Notes:
You get a sense of oak with a touch of a rock-hewn cellar next to notes of dark chocolate oranges, mild brown spices, a touch of vanilla cream, and a hint of honey. That vanilla takes on a nutty edge as the spices build and the wood softens towards cedar with a hint of fruity tobacco chew. The vanilla creaminess really drives the finish towards a silken mouthfeel with plenty of spicy/fruity tobacco leaving you with a mild buzz across your senses.
Bottom Line:
This is a big step up from Elijah Craig Barrel Proof but a long way from the halcyon heights of their 23-year expression. It’s a great sipper, but, again, not my favorite from Elijah Craig. That said, if you love their Barrel Proof, then go for it. You’ll really dig this.
6. Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Port Finished Bourbon
ABV: 59.65%
Average Price: $423
The Whiskey:
This whiskey from Angel’s Envy is much beloved and lauded. It’s been called the “best spirit in the world” before, which brings a lot of preconceived notions to this bourbon. The story behind the bottle is a classic tale of sourced whiskey barrels treated exactly right once picked. The blend of hand-chosen barrels is finished in port casks like the majority of the much-loved Angel’s Envy bourbon line, then bottled with no cutting or fussing.
Tasting Notes:
You’re going to get a nose full of fruits — spicy stewed plums, ripe apricots, and tart cherry — next to a well-aged balance of worn library leather-bound books, ashy wood, and a sugar-maple cookie with a good punch of vanilla. The taste really holds onto the cherry while adding in a salted caramel vibe next to bitter dark chocolate all housed in a cedar box that was once the home to rich tobacco leaves. The end brightens up with a burst of orange zest next to that tobacco and cedar as the finish takes its sweet time fading away.
Bottom Line:
There are some huge Angel’s Envy stans out there. I dig the brand and love these cask strength drops. It just doesn’t hold my attention quite like the rest of this list though and I can’t quite put my finger on why.
5. Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $385
The Whiskey:
Elmer T. Lee is another hugely popular Buffalo Trace release that’s very limited (and sought after). Where this differs from Blanton’s is in the mash bill (this is a bit higher rye) and the placement of the barrel in the warehouse. It’s said that the barrels for Elmer T. Lee are stored where the master distiller himself used to store the barrels he kept for his own stash.
Tasting Notes:
The nose on this is like a decadent breakfast of pancakes smothered in cinnamon butter, dripping with the best maple syrup, and topped with a hand-made scoop of vanilla ice cream. The palate holds onto the vanilla and spice but settles into more of floral honeyed sweetness with touches of cedar, old library book leather, and a hint of tobacco buzz. The end lingers for a while and leaves you with a dry pear tobacco warmth next to a cinnamon heat and maple bar sweetness.
Bottom Line:
This is just good from top to bottom. This is the sort of whiskey I pour myself after a long work week when I need to not be challenged but still be 100 percent satisfied. That also means that we’re getting into the “splitting hairs” section of this ranking.
4. Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon
ABV: 45.7%
Average Price: $350
The Whiskey:
Michter’s originally dropped this back in 2014, and it has since become a mainstay of their release schedule. The juice is standard bourbon that’s then finished in a toasted barrel from the famed Kelvin Cooperage in Louisville. They build these barrels by hand from 18-month air-dried white oak and then lightly toast the inside before the aged whiskey goes in.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a pecan pie vibe that’s nutty, dry, and full of dark Caro syrup sweetness with a hint of candied orange peels with a touch of cinnamon and dry cedar bark. The palate holds onto the sweetness as it leans towards a campfire roasted marshmallow, a touch of saffron and clove-stewed pears, a pile of sappy firewood, and creamy nuances of vanilla pudding all meander through your senses. The end has a light savory nature that leads back to the pear, vanilla, and marshmallow on a very slow fade toward a pile of fresh firewood piled high on soft black soil.
Bottom Line:
This is where things get interesting. This is as unique as it’s delicious. There’s a lot going on and it draws you back again and again. Had my mood been a little different today, this might have been number one.
3. Weller Aged 12 Years
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $350
The Whiskey:
This expression of Weller is the same juice and barrels as Pappy. Those casks rest in a Buffalo Trace warehouse for 12 long years and if the flavor profile doesn’t match Pappy, it’s vatted into Weller. The whiskey is then proofed down to a soft 90 proof before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a deep, creamy sweet corn note on the nose that gives way to old wool sweaters and vanilla pancakes rolled around soft marzipan. The palate has a warm biscuit vibe with hints of buttery toffee syrup and old cutting boards that still smell of dark spices and dried fruit. The end takes its time and touches back on the cakey vanilla, buttery syrups, soft marzipan, and old, fruit-stained wood as it gently fades away.
Bottom Line:
This expression has really grown on me over the last year or so. It’s just so damn drinkable and deeply hewn. It’s hard not to fall in love with this bottle if you give it the time it deserves. Why is it only number three you ask?
Look at it this way, the top three are all basically tied for first, but each one offers something a little different. They’re ordered purely off my personal preference today.
2. Barrell Craft Spirits Bourbon Aged 15 Years
ABV: 50.2%
Average Price: $262
The Whiskey:
Barrell Craft Spirits is another craft blendery that’s sourcing some of the best barrels in the game and expertly marrying those barrels. This expression blends 15-year-old bourbon from Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennesse into a final product that reaches new heights for blended bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a lot to draw you in with this nose of rich tobacco spiciness next to soft cedar, tart cherry pie filling, saffron stewed pears, salted toffee, and what almost feels like the salted water left after boiling artichokes. The fruitiness really builds as the cherry leads towards a bowl full of ripe raspberries swimming in cream with a dusting of dark spices and brown sugar that’s countered by a dose of floral tea leaves culminating with a mildly bitter coffee bean. The end is long and really holds onto the cherry and raspberry fruit while a note of that soft cedar dips back in with a hint of menthol tobacco buzz.
Bottom Line:
I love this pour. It’s so one-of-a-kind and funky. There’s really nothing quite like it. But, sometimes funky is a little too much to ask and you want something classic. I get it. This is definitely more “challenging” than “comforting” as a pour and that has a time and a place.
1. Michter’s Single Barrel 10-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon
ABV: 47.2%
Average Price: $486
The Whiskey:
The juice in this bottle is a little under wraps. Michter’s is currently distilling and aging their own whiskey, but this is still sourced. The actual barrels sourced for these single barrel expressions tend to be at least ten years old with some rumored to be closer to 15 years old (depending on the barrel’s quality, naturally). Either way, the juice goes through Michter’s bespoke filtration process before a touch of Kentucky’s iconic soft limestone water is added, bringing the bourbon down to a very crushable 94.4 proof.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with subtle notes of soft wood and worn leather next to light touches of dark berries, orange oils, eggnog spice, and slight toffee sweetness next to a fluttering hint of roasted marshmallow. The palate starts off equally soft with a maple syrup sweetness which then leads into a rush of berry brambles. The mid-palate hits on a bit of dark spice, vanilla tobacco, and dark cacao and espresso bitterness. The finish leans into a dry-yet-almost-sweet oak with a touch of an almond shell and dry grass coming in at the very end and a final hint of that now almost burnt marshmallow.
Bottom Line:
This feels classic to its core with a comfort level turned up to eleven. This is pretty much a perfect pour of classic bourbon that has no faults whatsoever. It also makes a killer $50 old fashioned. Just sayin’.