Which Bourbon is Best? A Taste Test of Knob Creek, Michter’s, Bulleit and more

We’d love it in: A zingy Whiskey Sour, a warming Amaro Hot Toddy, or a classy Boulevardier?

Photograph by Scott Semler, Food Styling by Rebecca Jurkevich, Prop Styling by Maggie DiMarco

The All-Around Favorite: Michter’s US1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Remember that barrel charring process that all oak barrels must undergo before getting filled with bourbon for aging? Michter’s takes this a step further in their production process by toasting their barrels before charring them. Toasting the barrels caramelizes some of the sugars that naturally occur in the wood, and, as the bourbon ages, imparts more flavor and color than barrels that have simply been charred.

Why it won us over: This is a bourbon that’s got it all. It’s a crowd-pleaser, perfect for sipping on its own, or mixed into a cocktail. While tasters noticed some of those dark, leathery notes on the nose, they flipped for the distinct brown sugar notes that came through on their second sip. Li described what she thought of as a “molasses flavor,” and Kelsey said she enjoyed the caramel, vanilla sweetness in her tastes. Michter’s bourbon only improved in the context of an Old Fashioned where bitters added a floral, citric flavor that contrasted pleasingly with the woody, smokey aromas. We can’t guarantee many things in this life, but we’d be surprised if you didn’t love Michter’s bourbon as much as we did.

We’d love it in: A glass with a tiny splash of water—but barring that, why not try it in a big ole Batched Manhattan?

We also tried…

In alphabetical order, these are other bourbons we sipped and savored for our taste test.

Basil Hayden Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey: A solid contender, but tasters said Basil Hayden overindexed on peppery, raw wood notes.

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey: We tasted a kind of fruity vanilla that was overly sweet, which knocked Buffalo Trace out of the race.

Elijah Craig Small Batch: Another great bourbon, but there was a raisin-y, date flavor which tasters said didn’t quite fit for a crowd-pleasing bourbon.

Four Roses Bourbon: Jesse tasted “eggnog spice,” and other tasters noted an artificial-tasting sweetness.

Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey: A classic, and beloved by many, but our tasters deemed JB simply too watery.

Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon: Our tasters were “meh” about Maker’s which they said carried muted flavors.

WhistlePig PiggyBack 100 Proof Bourbon: We tasted a lot of baking spices, but no vanilla—a must for our preferred bourbon.
Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey: Kelsey described a “hot finish” here, and other tasters noted an artificial tasting cinnamon note—a lot like Big Red gum.

Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey: Another great option, but ultimately tasters found the texture here to be a bit more syrupy than they wanted.