THE BOURBON RESOURCE: OCTOBER 2024
Best bourbons $30-$50, how "special" becomes routine, Penelope Reserve list
THE BIG NEWS
Penelope Bourbon Founders Reserve List. You’ll soon be able to get a bottle of the rare Penelope release —- if you’re lucky. Penelope is making five lots of its 11-year-old straight wheat whiskey available, bottled at cask strength. One bottle will set you back $199.999, or you can buy the five-bottle set for $999.99. Here’s where the luck comes in. You have to enter a lottery, and if you’re chosen, go to the Lux Row Distillers in Bardstown, KY, to pick it up. To read all about the release and enter, visit the Penelope website. Yes, I’ve entered for one bottle. Five bottle set? Nice but no.
MORE NEWS
Talk about a really limited release. Four Roses will release 186 bottles —-that’s right, One-eight-six —- of its 9-year, 6-month aged OBSK on October 17. The OBSK has a more intense spice, so it’s a favorite of rye and bourbon lovers alike. It’s $99 and will be available at the Lawrenceburg, KY distillery. They’ll sell fast.
Blade and Bow has released a 22-year-old bourbon. It makes all kinds of claims about past awards and the complex flavors that make the pour “magical.” At $549.99 (last year’s MSRP), it should come with a genie that grants at least one wish. That would indeed be magical.
Good news, if you like Bardstown Bourbon. The distillery has completed a 10-year expansion to increase production to 18 million proof gallons annually. I’ve never been much of a fan, but maybe this expansion will add some additional releases.
Bulleit Bourbon has released its 10-year-old rye, which is comprised of 95% rye and just 5% malted barley. If you like spice, you’ll love this because it packs a punch. You’ll also love the price —- the $45 range, depending on where you live.
Knob Creek has released its limited edition 18-year, 100-proof bourbon with an MSRP of $179.99. Now, the Knob Creek 12 retails for about $75, and it’s a damn fine pour. Will the 18 be twice as good? Maybe, but unlikely. That leads to the next point ….
SPECIAL, RARE, YADA YADA BLAH, BLAH, BLAH
Over the last month, there have been a slew of releases that purport to be special, rare, limited inventory, etc. No surprise, many come with an elevated price tag. Booker’s The Reserves ($129.99), Little Book the Infinite ($199.99), Old Grand Dad 16-year ($199.99), and the Russell Reserve Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson B ($300) are just a few of the products that have hit the market. They will all sell fast since the limited releases add an air of rarity.
The Booker’s is the only one of that bunch that’s close to its $90 price point for its straight bourbon whiskey (one of my favs). The rest will go even higher on the secondary, with the Russell at $500-plus.
If you’ve got a bunch of coin lying around and want to want to impress, go for these bottBut most of us can’t drop hundreds for one bourbon. Instead, buy these:
Booker’s: Any of the lower-priced options are great. For $129.99, you can get one of those and an Evan Williams small batch (delicious).
Little Book. I’m not a fan because it’s rye forward, and the $149.99 MSRP already makes this an overrated out, in my book. Increasing the price point by 25% makes this a hard no.
Old Grand Dad 16: Yes, the OG of bourbons still gets a bad rap because of its 86 and 100-proof lower-end products. But $200? Instead, get the Old Grand Dad 114 (see below), one of my favorite daily drinkers. It’s a fine drink at about $30 in most places.
Russell Reserve: The name was too long for me to type out again. (Lazy, I know). These Wild Turkey products are among the best ultra-premium bourbons on the market. The RR 13 and 15 are two of the best I’ve tasted this year. (I got lucky and picked up a bottle of the 13 for $180, just $30 above MSRP). The RR Single Barell 10-year doesn’t have the full body of the 13 or 15, but at $75, it’s a tasty steal compared to the one with the long name.
Look at it this way. For about the $200 cost of the Old Grand Dad, get the OG 114, Booker’s, and Russell’s 10. That’s one hell of a night. For $300, add in the Remus Repeal VIII OR an Old Ezra 7. Now, that’s a hell of a week.
THE BEST BOURBONS, $30 to $50
We’ve already examined the best bourbons for $15 and under and between $16 and $25. This range proved tough because many of my favorites in this category, like Noah’s Mill and Rowans Creek, now cost more than $50. But these are five good choices that won’t break the bank
Maker’s Mark Cask Strength, $42. Just because a label says “cask strength,” it doesn’t mean it’s 120-plus proof. My bottle comes in at 109.4 proof and doesn’t taste hot. Instead, I get thick, syrup-like brown sugar with a lot of vanilla and a hint of caramel. Our friends at Bourbon Obsessed have a detailed review, and it’s worth reading.
Wild Turkey Rare Breed, $45. This is my favorite everyday drinking bourbon, and sadly, I have difficulty finding it. Rare Breed is everything a bourbon should be. It carries those caramel and vanilla notes, along with maple syrup that’s as sweet as your first kiss. I’m on the hunt, and when I find it, I’ll buy a half dozen.
New Riff Bottled in Bond, $42: About a year ago, I was in a restaurant and saw New Riff’s Bottled in Bond version, which I had never seen in the wild. So I did what I often recommend—buy a pour and see if you like it. I loved it (it went great with a Deschutes Black Butte Porter and a ribeye). The BinB has nice hints of toffee and orange that, for me, make it the best of their offerings.
Old Grand Dad 114. $32. OK, I get it. It’s Old Grand Dad. Isn’t that the orange-label stuff that tastes like watered-down vanilla with a dash of Tabasco thrown in? No! The 114 is a big, bold, thick maple pour that coats your mouth with flavor. You don’t have a bottle? What? You need one.
Evan Williams Single Barrel: $32. This is another one I’m having a hard time finding, which I guess speaks to its quality. The SB does the typical caramel/vanilla thing, but the cinnamon sets it apart.
You can buy these five wonderful bourbons for about $200. If you poured them for a tasting, no one would be unhappy.
UPCOMING
We’re already approaching the end of the year, with just two newsletters left before 2025. The annual gift-giving guide will be released in November, and our annual awards will be released in December. Be on the lookout!
That’s it for this month! If you’re an NBA fan, look at the Knicks Film School newsletter, which has the smartest commentary on all things New York Knicks and NBA basketball. You can click on the below button to learn more.
And our friends at Bourbon Obsessed have a tremendous catalog of bourbon and distillery reviews. You can see more from them here:
Ray Marcano writes and publishes the Bourbon Resource monthly, and he’s president of the 32 Staves Society. He’s a bourbon lover and long-time journalist who freelances for some of the country’s largest media brands. He’s the former national president of the Society of Professional Journalists, a two-time Pulitzer juror, and a Fulbright fellow.
Welcome aboard Todd! Glad to have you. I’m drinking the 114 right now.
Couldn't agree more with the Old Granddad 114. New subscriber from Virginia. Happy to have found your substack. Thanks!