School of Wine & Spirits
Bourbon
245 reviews
Augusta Distillery 10 Year Old Buckner's Unfiltered Cask Strength Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Buckner's
This single barrel from Augusta Distillery is a masterclass in how a decade of char-level interaction transforms corn-based spirit into something profound and layered. The unfiltered, cask-strength presentation lets the barrel's notation speak without compromise. A bourbon where every sip reads like a deep mark left by time and fire.
Driftless Glen Distillery 10 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon
Driftless Glen
Driftless Glen proves that patience outside Kentucky's borders can yield remarkable bourbon. This 10-year single barrel delivers the depth and layered complexity of a well-aged whiskey with a distinctly Midwestern character—generous but unhurried. It's the kind of pour that needs no explanation, just a quiet room and an unhurried evening.
Bluegrass Distillers Wheated Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
Bluegrass Distillers
Bluegrass Distillers proves that discipline yields beauty. This bottled-in-bond wheated bourbon is a study in clarity through constraint—a small Lexington distillery working within the strictest federal standards to produce a whiskey that says exactly what it means and nothing more. At 100 proof, it delivers surprising depth without ever raising its voice.
Legent Kentucky Straight Bourbon Partially Finished in Wine & Sherry Casks
Legent
Legent represents a rare East-meets-West collaboration between Beam's master distiller Fred Noe and Suntory's chief blender Shinji Fukuyo, where the simple act of exposing bourbon to different cask atmospheres transforms the spirit entirely. The partial finishing in wine and sherry barrels allows air and wood to reshape a classic bourbon profile into something layered and cosmopolitan. A compelling expression of how environment—the breath between barrels—shapes what ends up in your glass.
Rebel 100 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Rebel
Rebel 100 punches well above its price point. The wheated mash bill delivers a round, easygoing pour that rewards both neat sipping and cocktail use. A daily drinker that doesn't apologize for being accessible.
Pinhook Bourbon War Vertical Series 7 Year
Pinhook
Pinhook's vertical series concept — a different age each year from the same distillate — is a masterclass in transparency. This 7-year release hits a sweet spot where barrel influence and grain character are in full conversation. An honest bourbon that doesn't need gimmicks.
Smokeye Hill Heirloom Blue Corn Barrel Proof Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Smokeye Hill
Smokeye Hill's Heirloom Blue Corn Barrel Proof is a masterclass in how grain selection can fundamentally redirect a bourbon's texture and character. In an issue themed around direction through texture, this bottle is the compass needle — its dense, oily body and savory mineral undertones chart a course entirely its own. A genuinely singular bourbon experience at a fair price.
High Wire Jimmy Red Straight Bourbon Whiskey
High Wire Distilling
High Wire's Jimmy Red bourbon is a singular expression of place, built on an heirloom red corn variety once nearly extinct in the Carolina Lowcountry. It delivers a grain-forward, terroir-rich experience that stands apart from conventional bourbon profiles. For drinkers seeking landscape made liquid, this is bourbon as agricultural artifact—alive with the character of its soil and seed.
Sagamore Spirit Double Oak Straight Rye Whiskey
Sagamore Spirit
Sagamore's Double Oak treatment amplifies the base rye's grain-forward character without drowning it in sweetness. The second barrel adds depth and a creamy backbone, but the rye's peppery spine stays intact. A well-executed study in layering wood onto grain.
Kings County Bottled in Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Kings County
Kings County's Bottled in Bond offering is a testament to the ambition of New York craft distilling—a small-batch spirit that punches well above its weight class. The BiB designation guarantees transparency and structure, and this bourbon delivers both in spades. It's a confident, well-built whiskey that reaches upward from its artisan roots to stand among serious bourbons.
Hidden Barn 6yr Organic Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Hidden Barn
Hidden Barn's 6-year wheated bourbon is a quiet revelation — proof that patience and quality sourcing can yield something genuinely soulful. The wheated mash bill delivers all the warmth and softness the theme demands, while the organic grain adds a clarity that elevates it beyond its modest price. A bourbon that feels like finding shelter after a long, cold night.
Lux Row Distillers Four Grain Double Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Lux Row Distillers
Lux Row's four-grain approach gives this bourbon unusual dimensionality. The double-barrel treatment deepens what could be a simple sipper into something genuinely layered. At its price, it punches well above its weight class.
Hillrock Estate Solera Aged Oregon Pinot Noir Finished Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Hillrock
This estate-to-bottle bourbon captures October in a glass — the solera aging method builds remarkable complexity, and the Oregon Pinot Noir barrel finish adds a vinous dimension that sets it apart from conventional bourbons. It's a contemplative sipper that rewards patience and pairs perfectly with the season's shifting colors.
Wathen's Single Barrel Bourbon
Wathen's
Wathen's Single Barrel is an underappreciated gem that delivers approachable complexity at a fair price. Its grain-forward sweetness and silky texture make it a natural embodiment of harvest warmth—golden, generous, and quietly confident. A bourbon that rewards patience without demanding it.
James E. Pepper Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
James E. Pepper
James E. Pepper's barrel proof expression channels the brand's storied legacy — the distillery that gave us the Old Fashioned cocktail — into an uncut, unapologetic bourbon that rewards patience and purposeful sipping. At cask strength, every flavor element is bound tightly together in remarkable cohesion. This is a bourbon with deep roots and serious intent, delivering well beyond its price point.
Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Bourbon
Wyoming Whiskey
Wyoming Whiskey proves that terroir isn't just a wine term. The high-altitude grain and mineral-rich water give this bourbon a clarity and lift that sets it apart from heavier Kentucky styles. An honest, well-made daily drinker with real character.
Widow Jane The Vaults 2024 Release Bourbon Whiskey
Widow Jane
Widow Jane's The Vaults release is a testament to how water source and blending artistry can channel terroir into bourbon. The Rosendale limestone mine water that defines Widow Jane's character is on full display here—a mineral backbone that gives this whiskey its singular sense of place. In an issue devoted to mineral memory, this bourbon proves that stone can speak through spirit.
Evan Williams 1783 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Evan Williams
Named for the year Evan Williams set up his still on the banks of the Ohio River, 1783 Small Batch is proof that decisive craft doesn't require a premium price tag. It's a reliable, well-balanced daily bourbon that punches above its weight at every pour.
Taconic Distillery Dutchess Private Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Taconic Distillery
Taconic's Dutchess Private Reserve is a compelling argument that craft distilling outside Kentucky can deliver serious bourbon. The interplay between deep char and bright spice showcases how fire literally shapes this whiskey's identity, making it a fitting companion for this issue's theme. An approachable yet layered pour that rewards attention.
Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber's Bottled in Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Starlight
Starlight's Bottled in Bond is a reminder that great bourbon doesn't need to come from Kentucky. This southern Indiana distillery, rooted in a family orchard operation, delivers transparency of process and a confident, grain-forward whiskey that punches above its age statement.
Noah's Mill Genuine Bourbon Whiskey
Noah's Mill
Noah's Mill is a bourbon that asks you to commit — its cask-strength intensity rewards patience and slow, deliberate sipping. In an era of hype and flash, this bottle quietly delivers complexity and depth that punches well above its modest price point. It is a ballast bottle: steady, resolute, and deeply satisfying.
Ironroot Republic Promethean Bourbon Whiskey
Ironroot Republic
Ironroot Republic's Promethean is a bourbon that earns its mythological name—it brings fire and light in equal measure. The combination of heirloom purple corn and dual oak maturation creates a smoke-kissed complexity rarely found outside peated Scotch, yet unmistakably bourbon in character. At cask strength, it's a bold, rewarding pour perfect for the theme of smoke-touched histories.
Wilderness Trail Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Sweet Mash Wheated)
Wilderness Trail
Wilderness Trail's sweet mash process — forgoing the sour mash setback that dominates bourbon — creates a cleaner canvas for grain character to shine. This wheated cask strength expression rewards patience with a layered, dessert-like complexity that never overwhelms.
Angel's Envy Rye Finished in Caribbean Rum Casks
Angel's Envy
This rye walks the line between indulgence and structure with real poise. The rum cask finish adds layers of tropical sweetness without overwhelming the grain's natural spice. A compelling bottle for anyone who thinks rye can only be austere.