A detailed rundown of our favorite bourbons, ryes, wheaters and Tennessee whiskeys ideal for celebrating the USA
If you're going to toast America this weekend, use one of these bottles
Whiskey is not an American invention, but the best domestic iterations certainly have their own fanciful backstories and flavor profiles (and we can claim bourbon and Tennessee whiskey as our own). Without spending too much time on a history lesson — though we suggest quickly familiarizing yourself with the Whiskey Rebellion, Nearest Green and the Bottled-in-Bond Act — we simply wanted to profile 50 American whiskeys we appreciate on this, our Independence Day weekend.
As with any list, there are omissions (1792, Rittenhouse, Old Overholt and Willet immediately spring to mind). We didn’t have room for everything we like (see: those four brands we just mentioned) and I’m positive we outright forgot a few. And one of the most popular whiskey brands we’re still not quite sure how to discuss. Then you’ve got our criteria for inclusion, which was admittedly pretty loose — many of these hail from a few select distilleries and the larger brands they supply, but others are tiny and regional. And even though we went with 50 for thematic reasons, we did not include a whiskey from each state (sorry, South Dakota).
Still, we consider this a good overview of where American whiskey (and America!) started, where it is today and where we’re headed … with a drink in hand.
Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey
Back in the 1950s, Frank Sinatra held up a bottle of Jack Daniel’s on stage and called it the “nectar of the Gods.” An exaggeration, yes, but the charcoal-mellowed Tennessee whiskey was the first registered distillery in the U.S. and has maintained its iconic status throughout the years.
Drink: The new Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash Blended Straight Whiskey is an unlikely marriage of three straight Bottled-In-Bond whiskeys – 60% Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye, 20% Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and 20% Jack Daniel’s American Malt. It might be the best and most versatile whiskey you can buy for $30-$35.
The most important story in the history of American whiskey. The Black-owned Tennessee whiskey brand didn’t even exist five years ago; today, it’s the fastest-growing whiskey brand in U.S. history.
Drink: The Master Blend Edition Batch 005, the first whiskey released by the distillery that’s 100 percent distilled, aged and bottled by Uncle Nearest.
Pappy Van Winkle Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr. was the first of four generations of Van Winkle in the world of bourbon; today, Julian Van Winkle III serves as the caretaker for the mythologized brand. Their wheated bourbon (and a rye) is now under the umbrella of Buffalo Trace, but it’s still almost impossible to find.
Drink: Whatever your friend is buying. That said, the Family Reserve 15 Year is exquisite, with a wonderful balance between the caramel, spice and oak.
George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Another Buffalo Trace release (historically, BT used to be called the George T. Stagg Distillery), this is part of that distillery’s “Antique Collection” — aged over 15 years, this uncut, unfiltered and barrel-proof annual release is right up there with Pappy as far as limited supply and inflated secondary market prices.
Drink: You’ll probably never find it affordably, but the 2007 release — a multiple Whiskey of the Year winner — comes in at a whopping 144.8 proof.
Blanton’s Straight From the Barrel Whiskey
You can thank Blanton’s for the idea of single-barrel releases — expected today but a novelty in the early ’80s. Elevated bourbon here, and you’ll want a bottle just for the horse-and-jockey bottle stopper.
Drink: As long as you’re going with single barrels, you might as well get the most out of them with the cask-strength Blanton’s Straight From the Barrel, where the proof will usually top out above 130.
https://www.thewhiskyexchangeshop.com/ https://www.thewhiskyexchangeshop.com/product-category/buy-whisky-online-tennessee-tn-usa/ https://www.thewhiskyexchangeshop.com/product-category/buy-bourbon-whisky-online-kentucky-ky-usa/ https://www.thewhiskyexchangeshop.com/product-category/japanese-whisky/ https://www.thewhiskyexchangeshop.com/product-category/scotch-whisky/ https://www.thewhiskyexchangeshop.com/product/blantons-single-barrel-bourbon-whiskey/ https://www.thewhiskyexchangeshop.com/product/whiskey-eagle-rare-17-year-old-2018-kentucky-straight-bourbon/ A detailed rundown of our favorite bourbons, ryes, wheaters and Tennessee whiskeys ideal for celebrating the USA
If you're going to toast America this weekend, use one of these bottles
Whiskey is not an American invention, but the best domestic iterations certainly have their own fanciful backstories and flavor profiles (and we can claim bourbon and Tennessee whiskey as our own). Without spending too much time on a history lesson — though we suggest quickly familiarizing yourself with the Whiskey Rebellion, Nearest Green and the Bottled-in-Bond Act — we simply wanted to profile 50 American whiskeys we appreciate on this, our Independence Day weekend.
As with any list, there are omissions (1792, Rittenhouse, Old Overholt and Willet immediately spring to mind). We didn’t have room for everything we like (see: those four brands we just mentioned) and I’m positive we outright forgot a few. And one of the most popular whiskey brands we’re still not quite sure how to discuss. Then you’ve got our criteria for inclusion, which was admittedly pretty loose — many of these hail from a few select distilleries and the larger brands they supply, but others are tiny and regional. And even though we went with 50 for thematic reasons, we did not include a whiskey from each state (sorry, South Dakota).
Still, we consider this a good overview of where American whiskey (and America!) started, where it is today and where we’re headed … with a drink in hand.
Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey
Back in the 1950s, Frank Sinatra held up a bottle of Jack Daniel’s on stage and called it the “nectar of the Gods.” An exaggeration, yes, but the charcoal-mellowed Tennessee whiskey was the first registered distillery in the U.S. and has maintained its iconic status throughout the years.
Drink: The new Jack Daniel’s Triple Mash Blended Straight Whiskey is an unlikely marriage of three straight Bottled-In-Bond whiskeys – 60% Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye, 20% Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and 20% Jack Daniel’s American Malt. It might be the best and most versatile whiskey you can buy for $30-$35.
The most important story in the history of American whiskey. The Black-owned Tennessee whiskey brand didn’t even exist five years ago; today, it’s the fastest-growing whiskey brand in U.S. history.
Drink: The Master Blend Edition Batch 005, the first whiskey released by the distillery that’s 100 percent distilled, aged and bottled by Uncle Nearest.
Pappy Van Winkle Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Julian P. “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr. was the first of four generations of Van Winkle in the world of bourbon; today, Julian Van Winkle III serves as the caretaker for the mythologized brand. Their wheated bourbon (and a rye) is now under the umbrella of Buffalo Trace, but it’s still almost impossible to find.
Drink: Whatever your friend is buying. That said, the Family Reserve 15 Year is exquisite, with a wonderful balance between the caramel, spice and oak.
George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Another Buffalo Trace release (historically, BT used to be called the George T. Stagg Distillery), this is part of that distillery’s “Antique Collection” — aged over 15 years, this uncut, unfiltered and barrel-proof annual release is right up there with Pappy as far as limited supply and inflated secondary market prices.
Drink: You’ll probably never find it affordably, but the 2007 release — a multiple Whiskey of the Year winner — comes in at a whopping 144.8 proof.
Blanton’s Straight From the Barrel Whiskey
You can thank Blanton’s for the idea of single-barrel releases — expected today but a novelty in the early ’80s. Elevated bourbon here, and you’ll want a bottle just for the horse-and-jockey bottle stopper.
Drink: As long as you’re going with single barrels, you might as well get the most out of them with the cask-strength Blanton’s Straight From the Barrel, where the proof will usually top out above 130.
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https://www.thewhiskyexchangeshop.com/product-category/buy-whisky-online-tennessee-tn-usa/
https://www.thewhiskyexchangeshop.com/product-category/buy-bourbon-whisky-online-kentucky-ky-usa/
https://www.thewhiskyexchangeshop.com/product-category/japanese-whisky/
https://www.thewhiskyexchangeshop.com/product-category/scotch-whisky/
https://www.thewhiskyexchangeshop.com/product/blantons-single-barrel-bourbon-whiskey/
https://www.thewhiskyexchangeshop.com/product/whiskey-eagle-rare-17-year-old-2018-kentucky-straight-bourbon/