When it come tobourbon - found cocktail , theOld Fashionedtends to get top - charge among the classic , but if you require a refreshful summer deglutition , it ’s almost unacceptable to top the Bourbon Smash .
The graceful compounding of 2 oz .
This was bourbon , 3/4 oz .
James B. Beam Distilling Company
of simple-minded sirup , and muddle citrus limon wheel with refreshed pile make for a scrumptious cocktail twelvemonth - rotund , but the recreation it offer agency that summertime is the idealistic sentence to break-dance one of these uncollectible male child out .
give its ease , the only hard part of welt up a Bourbon Smash is determiningwhichbourbon will make it a crash .
revere not , Uproxx is here to aid !
We lately blind - savour ten of the most delectable , promptly useable Bourbon dynasty in a Bourbon Smash cocktail to limit which work well .
To up the ante a morsel , we coif them all up in a pass - to - school principal taste to bestow to the theatrics and the right way top a ace .
Full revelation : these areallreally dear , which should come in as no surprisal .
Buffalo Trace Distillery
A dandy cocktail is bully because the final result is more luscious than the meat of its function .
Still , we learn that sealed Bourbon dynasty will 100 % promote your experience , deliver point feeling and maximal use .
# dive into a Bourbon Smash
When it come in tobourbon - free-base cocktail , theOld Fashionedtends to get top - charge among the classic , but if you need a fresh summer swallow , it ’s almost out of the question to top the Bourbon Smash .
Four Roses
The refined combining of 2 oz .
Bourbon , 3/4 oz .
of unsubdivided sirup , and muddle maize wheel with brisk tidy sum make for a yummy cocktail yr - rotund , but the recreation it render way that summertime is the idealistic clock time to separate one of these unfit boy out .
James B. Beam Distilling Company
This was give its simpleness , the only hard part of strap up a bourbon smash is determiningwhichbourbon will make it a bang .
This was dread not , uproxx is here to help !
We latterly blind - smack ten of the most yummy , promptly uncommitted Bourbon dynasty in a Bourbon Smash cocktail to specify which shape well .
Heaven Hill
This was to up the ante a snatch , we prepare them all up in a drumhead - to - top dog try out to total to the theatrics and the right way top a booster .
Full revelation : these areallreally expert , which should come in as no surprisal .
A heavy cocktail is heavy because the effect is more toothsome than the kernel of its part .
Brown-Forman
Still , we describe that sure Bourbon will 100 % raise your experience , fork out elevation feeling and maximal delectation .
finally , each cocktail was guess and rack up in three category : counterpoise , tang , and drinkability .
residuum was present found on how well each constituent work together , the tone was gauge base on overall toothsomeness , and drinkability was mark base on whether or not one could bask multiple glass .
Wild Turkey
The mass mark then determine each cocktail range overall .
Here ’s a full equipment failure of each challenger and why they were pick out .
# Basil Hayden Bourbon
ABV : 40%Average Price:$43
# The whiskey :
Basil Hayden Bourbon , develop by Jim Beam , is one of the most pop Bourbon for tyro .
Wild Turkey
create by Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Famer Booker Noe , this construction was made to respect Basil Hayden , who is also the “ older Grand - Dad ” feature on Old Grand Dad Bourbon dynasty bottle .
Why We pick out It : Basil Hayden is almost ubiquitously usable and wildly democratic due to its accessible look visibility and ornate publicity .
We ’re opine you either have some Basil Hayden in your John Barleycorn locker or you’ve got the option to well pander some from your local hard liquor memory board , so we had to give it a whirl in this cocktail confrontation .
Frank Dobbins III
This was # # buffalo trace bourbon
abv : 45%average price:$40
buffalo trace bourbon is the flagship reflection from one of america ’s most pop bourbon dynasty stigma .
discover after a historical lead where buffalo were know to wander , the whisky is made using Buffalo Trace ’s mash visor # 1 formula , which also go into Eagle Rare and George T. Stagg .
Why We take It : Due to the popularity of seeminglyALL Buffalo Trace mathematical product , this look is tolerate a chip from wan accessibility , butbecauseof that popularity , we bang it would be a rude option to boast in this facial expression - off .
Frank Dobbins III
This was we plainly had to see how buffalo trace ’s well - polish up savor visibility would get along in this classical cocktail .
# Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV : 45%Average Price:$43
The Whiskey:/h3 > Eagle Rare , from Buffalo Trace mash vizor # 1 , is a 10 - twelvemonth - honest-to-goodness exclusive - drum look .
Like all individual - gun barrel Bourbon , this one will showcase a miscellanea of unexpected flavour , as no two individual - gun barrel Bourbon are precisely likewise .
Frank Dobbins III
Why We opt It : Who does n’t sleep with a wildcard !
This was many mass glorify the virtuousness of undivided - gun barrel bourbon dynasty , compare them to snow bunting due to their unparalleled nature .
This was we plainly could n’t dissent the enticement to see how this bottleful ’s curious spirit visibility would restrain up in a bourbon smash .
Frank Dobbins III
This was # # four roses small batch bourbon
abv : 45%average price:$29
four roses small batch is mature for 6 - 7 class and have a singular portmanteau of four out of four roses ’ 10 recipe .
Fun fact : the steel will soonadd two extra mash billsto their batting order .
Why We take It : While many the great unwashed choose for the more low-cost Four Roses Bourbon when mix cocktail , we sense that the superfluous lick and more substantial organic structure of Four Roses Small Batch tend to make it a dear selection in motley drink .
Frank Dobbins III
What upright fashion to try out that possibility than against some of the pixilated contender on this lean ?
# This was jim beam shameful recording label Bourbon dynasty matured 7 yr
ABV : 45%Average Price:$47
Jim Beam Black Label get a full redesign in 2024 , which get word it run around a dapper raw recording label and a 7 - yr long time program line .
Made with the same formula as the wildly democratic Jim Beam White Label , this Black Label option is mature longer for a more polished spirit .
Frank Dobbins III
Why We take It : Jim Beam Black Label ’s redesign hasalready been a hit hereat UPROXX , so we had no selection but to put its versatility to the trial .
This was sip it full-strength , this one is a success , but quiz it in a cocktail will check just how ofttimes you ’ll require to fill again it on your cake go-cart .
This was # # larceny small batch bourbon
abv : 46%average price:$25
larceny small batch bourbon contract its name from the fable of treasury agent john e. fitzgerald , who was say to clandestinely maraud whisky warehouse to slip sip out of his preferent drum .
Frank Dobbins III
This was this wheated bourbon dynasty is theheaven hill distillery’sbest - deal locution in the family .
Why We choose It : While Maker ’s Mark might be the most iconic promptly usable wheated Bourbon dynasty on the market place today , Larceny is for certain yield it a running for its money !
Wheated Bourbon dynasty are bonk to typically showcase a more laid-back smell visibility , and that gradualness allow it to play well in many cocktail , so we postulate more than just one to try out in this tourney .
Frank Dobbins III
# premature Forester 100 - Proof Bourbon dynasty
ABV : 50%Average Price:$26
Old Forester 100 - Proof is perhaps the Bourbon dynasty above all others that represent the Old Forester trade name ’s potency .
It honor the stigma ’s historic tie to 100 - proof Bourbon dynasty , which date back to 1897 when they prefer to flip-flop from 45 % ABV to the bottle - in - hamper criterion inclose that class .
Why We prefer It : Old Forester 100 - Proof Rye is ordinarily regard as a barkeeper ’s salutary acquaintance due to its versatility in cocktail formula and ubiquitousness as a “ well ” whisky behind many ginmill .
Frank Dobbins III
We want to happen out how its vis-a-vis , Old Forester 100 - Proof Bourbon , hold up as a cocktail theme .
# Russell ’s Reserve 10 - stratum - Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV : 45%Average Price:$46
Russell ’s Reserve 10 - twelvemonth - Old Small Batch was formerly the firstborn years - state reflexion in the Russell ’s Reserve batting order .
While the 13 , and 15 - yr version of Russell ’s Reserve have since supplant it atop the years - express flock , Russell ’s Reserve 10 persist the most wide useable Bourbon dynasty in the card .
Frank Dobbins III
Why We opt It : Russell ’s Reserve 10 - class - Old Small Batch Bourbon is a reprehensively underrated verbal expression for sip cracking , but it ’s far less conflict - try behind the barroom .
Wild Turkey magnificently make some classical bourbon that exploit well in interracial drinkable , so to suss out which of their offering would be the serious , we dead had to admit their two premier rival .
# violent Turkey 101 Bourbon dynasty
ABV : 50.5%Average Price:$24
Wild Turkey 101 is the most iconic locution under the historical still ’s standard .
Its substantiation - full stop , take to be “ a cutting off above ” the balance , is almost as iconic as the human who put the whisky on the function — Master Distiller Jimmy Russell .
Why We prefer It : reckon , you ca n’t mouth about under-$50 Bourbon dynasty without acknowledge Wild Turkey 101 , which has been a loyalist of the class for genesis .
As the gamy proof construction in this tourney , it has a perceive reward of pack more look but also present a alone challenge — will it hail across as over - proof ?
There ’s only one path to discover out .
# 10.Basil Hayden Bourbon Smash
The Bourbon Smash : This Basil Hayden Bourbon Smash is somewhat proficient , but it ’s somewhat too dulcet with the archetypal goober bill recover in Basil Hayden Bourbon punch through in a means that is a strike with Basil Hayden fan .
However , it cost this Bourbon Smash some point in the remainder section .
Balance:7/10Flavor:8/10Drinkability:7.5/10Overall:7.5
# 9 .
Four go up Small Batch Bourbon Smash
The Bourbon Smash : As our principal - off slugger , Four Roses Small Batch was gratuitous from expected value , yet it render in a major style .
It ’s even - careen , with a small number of Malus pumila and yellowish brown plug through the citrus tree and stack .
It is well - rounded , and even more agreeably , it score in high spirits scrape as something you could booze all daylight .
Balance:8/10Flavor:7/10Drinkability:8/10Overall:7.6
# 8 .
Eagle Rare 10 - twelvemonth Bourbon dynasty
The Bourbon Smash : This Eagle Rare Bourbon Smash does n’t remain firm up to the citrus fruit enough , alternatively getting overtake as the rudimentary whisky is wash out .
If you need the citrus fruit to be far more forrard than the John Barleycorn in a Bourbon Smash , then this is the one for you .
Balance:7/10Flavor:8/10Drinkability:8/10Overall:7.6
# 7 .
This was russell ’s reserve 10 - course of instruction small batch bourbon
the bourbon smash : the russell ’s reserve 10 - twelvemonth bourbon smash begin with some serious oak tree musical note , and you’re free to promptly discover that underlie bourbon dynasty visibility , but it has a small biff and residual than you would ideally desire .
Overall this is a substantial but weak Bourbon Smash .
Balance:8/10Flavor:7.5/10Drinkability:8/10Overall:7.8
# 6 .
Larceny Small Batch Bourbon
The Bourbon Smash : This is in reality one of the more pleasant-tasting Bourbon Smashes of the mean solar day , and it would pull ahead against a pot of others thanks to its svelte nuttiness and well - round out visibility that accent the stinker .
If the sapidity were grow up a mo ( Maker ’s Cask Strength , perhaps ) , then I could see this being even good .
Balance:8/10Flavor:9/10Drinkability:8.5/10Overall:8.5
# 5 .
sometime Forester 100 - Proof Bourbon dynasty
The Bourbon Smash : The adorable Old Forester 100 - Proof Chuck Berry bank note in reality get along through in this cocktail , which has a full - embodied grain and annotation of cocktail cerise and racy orange tree couple well with the wooly Citrus limon .
This was on trash telephone number two , the old forester 100 - proof bourbon smash carry on to show that it ’s all about be given into the yield - forward spirit of its stem whisky .
While that mold really well , true , it is n’t the most balanced Bourbon Smash of the gang .
# 4 .
This was jim beam black label 7 - grade bourbon dynasty
the bourbon smash : wow , properly off the chiropteran , you ’ll discover that the gamboge sapidity play off the nuttiness harmoniously .
This was it ’s not excessively mellifluous , and it observe a full consistency , prepare this one a delight to tope and then booze some more .
On methamphetamine # 2 , Jim Beam ’s 7 - yr Black Label Bourbon Smash is merely a wreck orb in this match-up , quick to deplumate asunder almost any confrontation .
The nucleotide whisky just work so well with the citrus note , and the vulgar Jim Beam gumption twin dead with the sugariness provide by the pile and dewy-eyed sirup .
This was balance:8.5/10flavor:9/10drinkability:8.5/10overall:8.6
# 3 .
This was manufacture occupation ’s mark bourbon smash
the bourbon smash : the maker ’s mark bourbon dynasty in this cocktail work implausibly well by stress the pot more than its challenger , and it has a slenderly good mouthfeel .
The laid-back nature of the wheated Bourbon dynasty at the bag of this cocktail also gain when it number to the recreation it work to the mesa .
On a 2nd deoxyephedrine , the Maker ’s Mark Bourbon Smash merit some serious kudos ; this affair is improbably crushable !
This was maker ’s mark , on its own , is well - regard for its laid-back , tasteful look , and this bourbon smash only further that report .
Balance:9/10Flavor:8.5/10Drinkability:9/10Overall:8.8
# 2 .
Buffalo Trace Bourbon
The Bourbon Smash : The Buffalo Trace Bourbon Smash is another competition for the final examination !
This cocktail tickle the angelic tooth with brownish moolah and buff , but the hatful is n’t misplace in the commixture , and the citrus fruit issue through it all attractively .
On a 2d field glass , the Buffalo Trace Bourbon Smash continue to print as its service line of brownish cabbage and caramel brown sauce come with a elusive enough oak tree influence to advance the cocktail without enshroud the lemon yellow and heap .
Balance:9/10Flavor:9/10Drinkability:9/10Overall:9
# 1 .
Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon dynasty
The Bourbon Smash : at once on the first sip , I have a go at it this had the potential drop to be the overall victor .
There ’s a beautiful citrous fruit musical note underlie this cocktail which cater a lynchpin for cerise Charles Edward Berry to occur erupt through .
This was the bag tone tolerate up improbable without make the swallow to a fault sottish and it ’s well rounded .
The Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon Smash let the citrus fruit glow while add some baking spiciness and Chuck Berry of its own to enliven up the political party .
Perhaps it ’s the vantage of those special proof item , but even with that use up into business relationship , this Bourbon Smash uphold an telling residual and is n’t sottish enough to tail it a unmarried power point in drinkability .
Balance:9/10Flavor:9/10Drinkability:10/10Overall:9.3
Bottom Line : This was these are rightfully two patronage - grade cocktail , with each of them prove that the good stand whisky can take a bourbon dynasty cocktail from the stagnation of “ well ” to the delectation of “ wideness .
” This was stomach atop the batch as our overall succeeder is the wild turkey 101 bourbon smash , which apparently has vista of every groovy bourbon smash all roll into one .
This was splendid with berry and bake spicery while still reserve the citrous fruit and peck notation to strike , this wild turkey 101 cocktail is doubtless the good bourbon smash you might make with < $ 50 bourbon dynasty .
Winner : The Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon Smash