Sticking with Luxco and a similar price range, Ezra Brooks gets the job done. We live in a world where NASCAR gets that message, it’s time this whiskey did too. It feels like a statue that needs to fall. Sorry, but I can’t get past the name of this brand. The fact that you can basically get three bottles for one Blanton’s seals the deal for me.ĭistillery: Lux Row Distillers, Bardstown, KY (Luxco) This is a well-rounded bourbon that works as a sipper on the rocks or a cocktail base. This is one of the best deals in all of the bourbon world, in my opinion. What To Buy Instead: Buffalo Trace Bourbon In the end, it kind of feels like you’re paying a premium to collect little horses for behind your bar.

But when it comes to Buffalo Trace, there are so, so many great bottles to choose from that are, frankly, cheaper than this. This is a cool looking bottle with very fine bourbon inside of it. The use of Plantation XO rum casks that previously held Cognac makes for a wholly unique experience in bourbon that’s worth every cent. What To Buy Instead: Angels Envy Rum Cask RyeĪnd this expression is exactly what I’m talking about. Still, I find their more adventurous and refined expressions to be what people are really talking about when they name drop this brand. If that’s what you dig in bourbon, please don’t let me stop you from loving this. Many would argue - myself included - that this expression isn’t the best example of that work. That also means that this bottle isn’t going to stay this cheap for much longer.ĭistillery: Angel’s Envy Distillery, Louisville, KYĪngel’s Envy does some great work in aging whiskey. has been cleaning up the awards recently and is, itself, about to go into a shortage situation. And you know you’re still getting a great bourbon. You can buy six of these bottles for the price of one George T. But this price tag is more for investment than drinking if we’re being brutally honest. But whiskey can only get so good, right? This release from the Buffalo Trace’s yearly Antique Collection is a very fine bottle that’s incredibly well-crafted. Look, if you want to spend $500 on a bottle, we’re not going to stop you. Stagg Buffalo Traceĭistillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, KY (Sazerac) And given that the juice is coming from the same place, you’re within reason switching these out for each other. In my humble opinion, this is just as fine as Bulleit and about $10 cheaper. What To Buy Instead: Four Roses Yellow Label That being said, recent controversies and that over-saturation have taken some of the sparkle off of this expression. The whiskey is sourced from the Four Roses Distillery (for now) and then aged at Bulleit’s facilities, adding their own mark on the juice. That’s not some grave injustice - this is a perfectly fine bourbon, for what it is. It was almost impossible to get away from this whiskey at one point. So for each bourbon that we’re calling out as overhyped below, we’re also naming another (cheaper) bottle as a solid alternative.ĭistillery: Four Roses Distillery, Lawrenceburg, KY (Diageo) As drinkers and aficionados, we have a real love for the art of whiskey making and the craftspeople producing it - hating on expressions isn’t fun for us. Whiskey is about exploring and we’re encouraging you to do just that. What we mean is that you shouldn’t limit yourself. That’s not to say any of the bottles below are bad.

And yes, some of them seem to get a little too much shine. In 2020, with more expressions on the shelf than ever, there are a lot of bourbons competing for your attention. Then there’s the awards circuit, where some bottles pile up win after win - adding a certain luster. The biggest reason people will trample their grandmothers for a bottle of Pappy is that Anthony Bourdain famously loved the stuff.

And partially because of plain, old luck. Partially because the competition is improving the overall quality and “good” bottles slide down that ranking to “mediocre.” Partially because branding occasionally helps the wrong bottles get mainstream love.

When the market for any spirit grows saturated, people will soon start identifying overhyped and overrated expressions.

Benchmark full proof vs stagg jr