Kentucky whiskies

Kentucky is the birthplace of bourbon and the state where the vast majority of the world’s bourbon is made. Its distilleries are spread around Louisville, Bardstown, Frankfort and Lawrenceburg, and they include Buffalo Trace, Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey, Four Roses, Woodford Reserve and Jim Beam. Millions of barrels age in its huge wooden warehouses, exposed to hot summers and cold winters.

In the catalogue
77 whiskies
Distilleries and brands
15
Most common type
Bourbon
Peated
0 of 77

History, style and where to startIts distilleries on the world map

77 whiskies

Guide to Kentucky

History

Kentucky’s first settlers, at the end of the 18th century, found fertile land for corn and water filtered through limestone, rich in minerals and low in iron. The name bourbon probably comes from the old Bourbon County, although its exact origin is debated. In the 19th century the sour mash method and the charred barrel defined the style. After Prohibition a few families and companies rebuilt the industry, and since the end of the 20th century the Bourbon Trail has turned its distilleries into a tourist destination.

Style and flavour

Kentucky bourbon is sweet, with vanilla, caramel and ripe fruit, and the grain recipe changes the result a lot. Higher-rye recipes, such as those of Four Roses or Wild Turkey, are spicier; wheated ones, like Maker’s Mark or Larceny, smoother and rounder. The extreme climate speeds up maturation, so an eight or ten-year-old bourbon is already mature. The state also produces rye, drier and spicier.

Average flavour profile of the 77 Kentucky whiskies in the catalogue

Sweet
3.2
Fresh fruit
1.9
Ripe and dried fruit
1.0
Floral and herbal
0.8
Cereal and malt
1.4
Vanilla and creamy
2.7
Oak
2.5
Spicy
2.7
Toasted
2.0
Smoky
0.1
Maritime
0.0
Body and intensity
3.0

Where to start

Buffalo Trace is a balanced starting point. Maker’s Mark shows the smooth wheated style, and Wild Turkey 101 shows the power and spice of higher-rye recipes. If you then want something more mature, Eagle Rare 10 Year Old or Russell’s Reserve 10 Year Old are good next steps. And for comparison, try a rye from the state, such as Rittenhouse, drier and spicier.

This text was generated and translated by AI and may contain errors.

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