In my two decades of writing about alcohol, I’ve encountered whiskeys at many different price points. I’ve sipped bottom shelf bargains, middle of the road gems, top shelf treasures, and uncomfortably expensive, long-aged unicorns. And while it’s difficult to beat the complexity of a well-made, decades old bourbon, I’ve learned that there’s always room for an inexpensive, versatile sipping and mixing whiskey as well.
Even if you’re a collector of rare whiskey, you’re probably not going to crack open a bottle of E.H. Taylor or Stagg to mix into a cocktail. Affordable whiskeys are made for that. But just because a whiskey is inexpensive and hasn’t spent decades mellowing in a charred barrel hidden deep inside a Buffalo Trace rick house doesn’t mean that it's not worth your time. There are countless bargain bourbons that land in the right ratio of price to quality.
One of my favorites is Old Bardstown Estate Bottled. Not only is this the best value bottle from the iconic Willett Distillery, but Old Bardstown is the inaugural Willett Family Bourbon, made with the original family recipe. This timeless expression begins with a mash bill of 72 percent corn, 15 percent barley, and 13 percent rye. After distillation, it enters the barrels at a robust 125-proof. It’s aged for at least four years but typically matures between six and eight years before being bottled at 101-proof.
The result is a surprisingly complex, multi-layered whiskey that begins with a nose of candied orange peels, almond cookies, dried fruits, gentle spices, and rich oak. A sip reveals hints of toasted vanilla beans, licorice, molasses cookies, candied nuts, ripe berries, caramelized sugar, and oak. The finish is a welcoming, warming mix of sweetness and spice. It's the type of whiskey that's cheap enough to mix but good enough to sip neat.
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You might assume that Old Bardstown was simply named after the bourbon-centric city of Bardstown, KY. But it was actually named for an historic racehorse named Old Bardstown. The label prominently features a horse.
I didn’t even get to the best part yet. While I mentioned that this whiskey was inexpensive, I didn’t detail just how cheap it is. A bottle of this versatile bourbon whiskey can be yours for between $20 to $40 depending on where you live. Think about that for value. There are just a handful of comparable bourbons for twice that price. Also, while Old Bardstown Bottled-in-Bond is only available in Kentucky, Old Bardstown Estate Bottled is available in a good portion of the country.
Now that you’ve learned a little about Old Bardstown Estate Bottled Bourbon it’s time to actually buy a bottle—or two—to add to your home bar or bar cart. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did. This is a surprisingly well-balanced, complex whiskey that’s perfectly suitable for mixing and sipping. There’s a reason this expression has countless fans.
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