The Top Three Bourbons I Order For People New To Bourbon
I'm sure I'm not the only bourbon drinker who has blown out a friend's palette by helping them select a barrel select high proof bourbon (or rye) at a bar. After the 43rd time ordering a friend something that obviously wasn't right - and risking turning them off of bourbon completely - I asked myself a few questions. What did I enjoy when I first started drinking bourbon? Which bourbons got my scotch drinking friends to open up and add bourbon to their whiskey library? Were there any bourbons my non-bourbon drinking friends discovered on their own and excitedly told me about?
The answers consistently fell into on of the following types of bourbon - a wheated bourbon, a lower proof bourbon, or a finished bourbon. Each type has a character that lends itself to being approachable, but there are also great bourbons here who have more complexity than meets the eye. So, when a friend asks me what to order, I regularly choose one of the following.
Willett Pot Still
Willett Pot Still, a lovely wheated bourbon.
I can't tell you how many non-bourbon drinking friends have come to me about the Willett Pot Still over the years. Annie, do you know about Willett? Have you had Willett? Being a bourbon nerd I immediately think purple top, but nope, they are waxing poetic about the Willett Pot Still. And once I started recommending it to other friends new to bourbon, they enjoyed it just as much.
Wheated bourbons tend to be a bit sweeter and creamier than bourbons made with rye, which is true for the Willett Pot Still. What sets Willett apart from other wheated bourbons, making it great for people new to bourbon and those who have been pouring bourbon for a bit longer, is it also brings in enough of bourbon’s inherent spice and oakiness to balance out that sweetness, resulting in a well rounded pour.
Basil Hayden, a low proof bourbon with high rye bourbon flavor.
Basil Hayden is a gateway bourbon for so many people. I kept it on my desk for years, partly because drinking a barrel strength bourbon at work is a terrible terrible idea and partly because I didn’t run across anyone who didn’t enjoy it. At 80 proof, it’s right in the range of most scotch, converting of my friends who were die hard scotch or Irish whiskey drinkers. And the rich bourbon flavor is good for all.
Low proof bourbons are more laid back than their high proof cousins. And when made with a high rye recipe such as Basil Haydens, Four Roses, Old Grand Dad, they bring bourbon’s depth and spiciness without the intensity. Low proof, high rye bourbons can be lovely sipping whiskeys, as good for someone new to bourbon as they are for a pro bourbon drinker on a hot day.
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, a finished bourbon with a sweeter profile.
The Woodford Double Oaked is just straight up good. More of a dessert bourbon than others on this list, it’s as good added to your favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe as it is sipped after dinner. This is the most recent addition to my list for people just getting into bourbon, so I can’t point at a long list of bourbon converts driven by this choice, but just give me some time.
A finished bourbon is a standard bourbon that is then aged again, sometimes in a secondary barrel, sometimes with staves, sometimes in a barrel that originally aged something like wine or rum. This secondary aging adds new flavors, often adding sweetness and mellowing out some of the intensity. In the case of Woodford Double Oaked, the secondary barrel is a deeply toasted, lightly charred barrel that brings more sweetness to the whiskey.
Ok, if you hung with me through all of this tell me... what did I miss? What am I not thinking of? What's your favorite bottle as someone new to bourbon? What is your favorite bottle to bring someone into bourbon?