Bourbon & Whiskey Guides
Original research from the Bourbon Central tasting panel.
Every guide here is built on a blind tasting: bottles are poured into numbered glasses against a control, scored independently by a four-person panel, and ranked on how closely they match — not on what we would rather sell. Each one publishes its full methodology, the panel's names and credentials, and the date it was tasted.
Prices and availability are checked against live stock. When a bottle we rank is sold out, the guide says so.
Blind panel tastings with published methodology, scores and price comparisons.
Best Rye Whiskey Under $50 (2026)
The best rye whiskey under $50 is Sazerac 6 Year at $34.99 - dry, peppery and made for cocktails. High West Double Rye at $39.99 is the most layered.
Panel testedBest Irish Whiskey Under $50 (2026)
The best Irish whiskey under $50 is Jameson at $38.99 - a soft, triple-distilled blend. Bushmills Black Bush at $45.99 is the best sipper.
Panel testedBest Vodka Under $40 (2026)
The best vodka under $40 is Grey Goose Vodka at $29.99 - soft winter wheat, distilled once. Deep Eddy at $21.99 is the best value for mixed drinks.
Panel testedBest Islay Scotch Under $100 (2026)
The best Islay scotch under $100 is Lagavulin 16 Year at $99.99 — the most complete, most acclaimed dram here. Laphroaig 10 Year at $59.99 is the best value for the classic peated style.
Panel testedBest Malbec Under $25 (2026)
The best Malbec under $25 is Catena Malbec at $22.99 — Uco Valley-sourced fruit that gives it more structure than anything else at the price. Trivento Reserve Malbec at $12.99 is the best pure value f
Panel testedBest Chianti Under $20 (2026)
The best Chianti under $20 is Villa di Vetrice Chianti Rufina Riserva at $10.99 - a Riserva from the coolest, highest subzone in the Chianti system, with more structure and a longer life than anything
Panel testedBest Amaro for Beginners (2026)
The best amaro for a beginner is Ramazzotti at $26.99 - the gentlest bottle on our shelf, with cola and orange peel in front of a mild bitter finish. Amaro Lucano ($37.99) is the best all-rounder if y
Panel testedThe Best Wheated Bourbons, Ranked (2026)
The best wheated bourbons our panel ranked are Weller Antique 107, Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 7 Year, and Rebel 10 Year Single Barrel — each built on a mash bill that uses wheat instead of rye, wh
Panel testedThe Best Single Barrel Bourbons, Ranked (2026)
The best single barrel bourbons our panel ranked are Four Roses Single Barrel, Henry McKenna 10 Year Bottled-in-Bond, and Russell's Reserve Single Barrel — each drawn from one hand-selected cask rathe
Panel testedIs Woodford Reserve Worth It? (And What to Buy Instead)
Mostly yes — but for narrower reasons than its reputation suggests. Woodford Reserve Distiller's Select ($44.99) is a smooth, consistent, widely available bourbon that makes an excellent gift and a de
Panel testedIs Eagle Rare Worth It? (And What to Buy Instead)
It depends on the price. Eagle Rare 10 Year is a genuinely excellent, elegant, well-aged bourbon — clearly worth it near its ~$40 suggested retail. But it's allocated and usually sells for $60–$90 ($6
Panel testedIs Booker's Worth It? (And What to Buy Instead)
Yes, mostly — Booker's is legitimately excellent and, unlike allocated 'trophy' bourbons, you're paying for barrel-strength liquid rather than a fancy bottle. But its price has climbed to about $110,
Panel testedIs Blanton's Worth It? (And What to Buy Instead)
For drinking, no. Blanton's Original Single Barrel is excellent but not unique, and its $185–$250 secondary price buys only a 0.4-point edge over bottles that cost a quarter as much. For gifting or co
Panel testedThe Best High-Rye Bourbons, Ranked (2026)
The best high-rye bourbons our panel ranked are Four Roses Single Barrel, Bulleit Bourbon 10-Year, and Four Roses Small Batch — each built on a mash bill with roughly 28–35% rye, which is what gives h
Panel testedBourbons That Taste Like Woodford Reserve (What to Pour Next)
The bourbons closest to Woodford Reserve are Four Roses Small Batch, Russell's Reserve 10 Year, and Woodford's own Double Oaked — all balanced, oak-forward Kentucky bourbons that share Woodford's rye-
Panel testedBourbons That Taste Like Weller (But Are Easier to Find)
The closest easy-to-find bourbons to W.L. Weller are Larceny Small Batch, Old Elk Straight Wheated Bourbon and Maker's Mark - all built, like Weller, on a wheated mash bill that swaps rye for soft whe
Panel testedBourbons That Taste Like Pappy Van Winkle (But Are Easier to Find)
The closest widely-buyable bourbons to Pappy Van Winkle are W.L. Weller 12 Year and Weller Antique 107 — the same wheated Buffalo Trace recipe as Pappy, just younger — with Maker's Mark Cask Strength
Panel testedBourbons That Taste Like Michter's (But Are Easier to Find)
The bourbons closest to Michter's US*1 Small Batch that you can actually buy are Woodford Reserve Double Oaked and Angel's Envy — both deliver Michter's soft, dessert-forward caramel-and-vanilla chara
Panel testedBourbons That Taste Like Maker's Mark (What to Pour Next)
The bourbons closest to Maker's Mark are Larceny Small Batch, W.L. Weller Special Reserve, and Maker's Mark 46 — all wheated bourbons that keep Maker's soft caramel-and-vanilla profile. Larceny is the
Panel testedBourbons That Taste Like Knob Creek (What to Pour Next)
The bourbons closest to Knob Creek are Knob Creek 12 Year, Baker's 7 Year Single Barrel, and Elijah Craig Small Batch — bold, oak-forward bourbons that share Knob Creek's roasted-nut, caramel and toas
Panel testedBourbons That Taste Like George T. Stagg (But Are Easier to Find)
The barrel-proof bourbons closest to George T. Stagg that you can actually buy are Booker's and 1792 Full Proof — both deliver Stagg's huge, uncut, oak-and-dark-caramel intensity at a fraction of the
Panel testedBourbons That Taste Like Four Roses (What to Pour Next)
The bourbons that taste most like Four Roses are New Riff Single Barrel, Bulleit and 1792 Small Batch — each shares the floral, fruity, high-rye character of the Four Roses house style. New Riff is th
Panel testedBourbons That Taste Like Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (But Are Easier to Find)
The closest widely-available bourbons to Elijah Craig Barrel Proof are Wild Turkey Rare Breed, Booker's, and regular Elijah Craig Small Batch — each delivers ECBP's rich, cask-strength oak-and-caramel
Panel testedBourbons That Taste Like Eagle Rare (But Are Easier to Find)
The bourbons closest to Eagle Rare 10 Year that you can actually buy are Evan Williams Single Barrel and Elijah Craig Small Batch — both deliver Eagle Rare's honeyed caramel-and-toffee profile at a lo
Panel testedBourbons That Taste Like E.H. Taylor (But Are Easier to Find)
The closest widely-available bourbons to Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch are Eagle Rare 10 Year, Henry McKenna 10 Year Bottled in Bond, and Heaven Hill 7 Year Bottled in Bond. Eagle Rare shares E.H. T
Panel testedBourbons That Taste Like Buffalo Trace (But Are Easier to Find)
The bourbons that taste most like Buffalo Trace are its own distillery-mates — Eagle Rare 10 Year and E.H. Taylor Small Batch share Buffalo Trace's exact low-rye mash bill #1 — but they're allocated t
Panel testedBourbons That Taste Like Booker's (But Are Easier to Find)
The closest easy-to-find bourbons to Booker's are Wild Turkey Rare Breed, Russell's Reserve Single Barrel and Knob Creek 12 Year - all big, high-proof Kentucky bourbons built on the same kind of high-
Panel testedBourbons That Taste Like Blanton's (But Are Easier to Find)
The closest widely-available bourbons to Blanton's Original Single Barrel are Four Roses Single Barrel, 1792 Small Batch, and Eagle Rare 10 Year — each delivers Blanton's caramel-and-orange-peel signa
Panel testedBourbons That Taste Like Angel's Envy (But Are Easier to Find)
The closest easy-to-find bourbons to Angel's Envy are Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, Penelope Rosé Cask Finish and Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel - all, like Angel's Envy, given a secondary maturation (a
Panel testedThe Best Small Batch Bourbons, Ranked (2026)
The best small batch bourbons our panel ranked are Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch, Knob Creek 12-Year, and Michter's US*1 Small Batch — each is blended from a deliberately small marriage of hand-pick
Panel testedThe Best Bourbons for Gifting (2026), Ranked
The best bourbons for gifting combine a bottle that looks special, a flavour almost anyone enjoys, and easy availability. Our panel's top three are Angel's Envy Triple Oak ($69.99), Eagle Rare 10 Year
Panel testedThe Best Bourbons for Beginners (2026), Ranked
The best beginner bourbons are smooth, gently priced and easy to find — our panel's top three are Four Roses Small Batch, Elijah Craig Small Batch and Woodford Reserve. Each is bottled between 90 and
Panel testedBest Bourbons for an Old Fashioned Under $50 (What to Pour)
The best bourbons for an Old Fashioned under $50 are 1792 Small Batch, Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond and Bulleit — each has the rye spice and proof to hold its own against the sugar, bitters and orang
Panel testedBest Bourbons for a Manhattan (2026), Ranked
The best bourbons for a Manhattan are Four Roses Single Barrel, Wild Turkey Rare Breed and 1792 Small Batch — each carries enough rye spice and proof to cut through sweet vermouth and bitters instead
Panel testedThe Best Bottled-in-Bond Bourbons, Ranked (2026)
The best bottled-in-bond bourbons our panel ranked are Henry McKenna 10-Year Single Barrel, Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch, and Wilderness Trail Small Batch — every bottle is exactly 100 proof, aged
Panel testedThe Best Barrel-Proof Bourbons, Ranked (2026)
The best barrel-proof bourbons our panel ranked are Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, Booker's and Wild Turkey Rare Breed — each bottled uncut, straight from the barrel, with no water added to lower the proo
