The World’s Best Bourbon—According To The Beverage Testing Institute

Let’s talk a little bit about award-winning American whiskey, shall we? Despite all the doom and gloom surrounding booze sales these days, the top shelf domestic stuff–which isn’t subject to tariff-related price increases–is still generally trending upwards. According to the latest data from the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, we purchased more “high end premium” and “super premium” bourbon in 2023 than we did in 2022.

The Beverage Testing Institute (BTI) is a company that helps steer palates towards these exact sorts of bottles. It is the country’s oldest alcohol beverage testing organization, and it continually reviews and evaluates products across all major categories, helping “brands improve their marketing and product development,” according to its website.

It also maintains a continually evolving “leaderboard,” highlighting the top-scoring spirits at any given moment. Right now the king of that juice jungle is a specific single barrel bourbon from Four Roses distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. The 109.2-proof whiskey recorded an incredible 98 out of 100 points from BTI’s prestigious panel of judges. Here’s what they said about the liquid in focus:

“Golden amber color. Aromas and flavors of well-seasoned leather wrapped cigar box, five spice on cherries, apricot butter and marzipan, and cinnamon roasted walnuts with incense with a round, lively, dry medium-to-full body and a warming, complex, medium-long finish with overtones of cinnamon waffle cone, caramel apple with orange and peach, grilled herbs, and saddle leather in sticky toffee pudding. Lovely rye spice and vibrant mint on the nose, and the palate is oak dominant and rich with a slight tannin in a truly prolific way; a perfect Winter warmer loaded with autumnal spices.”

How do you get your hands on this tantalizing tipple? Well, there’s the rub: this particular single barrel offering was selected by and for Warehouse Liquors, a lauded bottle shop near the South Loop of Chicago. And it was completely stripped from shelves late last year, despite its weighty price tag of $116.

Thankfully we’ve gone out and found a comparable alternative: this single barrel cask strength, aged for over 9 years, costing $110 a bottle. Just like the Warehouse pick, this one relies on a specific Four Roses recipe known as OESV. It’s actually a fairly common base from the producer that contains a mashbill of 75% corn, 20% rye and 5% malted barley. And it combines that with a “delicate fruit” style of yeast–strain V, of the five different yeasts used by Four Roses in its fermentations.

This permutation of flavors is regarded as one of the more subtle and complex options out of the 10 distinct bourbon recipes used by the distillery. Enhanced by nearly a decade’s worth of barrel aging, and a proof point north of 100, it delivers an delectably spicy array of tobacco, spearmint and autumnal orchard fruit. As it pours into the snifter, the liquid noses almost more like a rye. But there’s freshly-baked cinnamon rolls and sugar-coated walnuts in the front palate to immediately remind you that this drink is more about the sweet than the savory.

With over 137 years of rich history, Four Roses has entrenched itself as a legend in the industry. Connoisseurs have long been captivated by its inherent magic. If you’ve ever wondered why, this is a worthwhile bottle to kickstart your own journey of discovery.