Top Underrated and Overlooked Bourbons

What's up everyone? I am Jason C and today is a special episode and a follow up to my overrated video that so many of you asked for. It's time for my top underrated bourbons. Now this isn't complicated when you talk about underrated bourbons. These are delicious and amazing bottles that I see sitting on the shelves a lot or just don't get the notoriety and attention they deserve. Now for any of you out there that might get pissed off because you're scared of some of these great and available bottles going away. Have no fear for most of us neck deep in the whiskey world. These bottles have been very available for a while and I don't really think they're going anywhere. And on top of that I haven't seen any slowdown with anyone trying to chase down a Horsey Top or anything named Colonel Taylor, Stag or Weller. So let's get into my list of my top underrated bourbons. So first a quick sip before we get started. All right. As you can see here, first up is 1792 small batch that also includes the single barrel, the bottled and bond, which you see here and also foolproof. Now 1792 is rarely talked about and all of these are solid bourbons with good age and also great spice. Now depending where you live, different bottles are available, but overall you rarely hear about the lineup for 1792. Most bourbon hunters like me look for the foolproof store picks, but sometimes forget just how good and high quality the lineup really is. This sports a high rye mash bill, so it brings some spice and some sweetness. Plus they are all mostly really affordable. Next up is Cooper's Craft Barrel Reserve. Now I reviewed this for my What's on the Shelf Wednesday, I think last week or a couple of weeks ago. This has quickly become rising to the top of one of my favorite everyday sippers. Now this is about 32-ish dollars. Now this was introduced to the market in 2019 and doesn't go through this charcoal filtering like the lower proof offering does. Instead, the interiors are heavily charred and also chiseled to add more flavor. And like I said, it's super balanced. It's great in cocktails. I think a lot of people pass this by because they see Cooper's Craft, they're not really sure where it's from. But being a Brown Foreman product, it's very high quality, it's delicious, and super affordable. Let me pull on here next. This is Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. So Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, I think most people love this stuff, including me. It doesn't get much attention anymore as it should. Maybe it's the $50 price point, but when the 1910 came out from Old Forrester and even this year's Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel, a lot of these double oaked or kind of finished bourbons when they're either toasted or put in another barrel to enhance its flavor, you know, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked seems to be used more as a comparison bourbon than one that they should highlight. And I think this is one of those staples I always have in my bar. People love it. Even beginners to bourbon think Woodford Double Oaked is delicious. Again, it's got this really nice marshmallow, caramel, Snickers, candy bar thing going on. Absolutely great bourbon. I think it gets overlooked a little bit too. Next up for me are the Grandads, Old Grandad Bonded and OGD 114. Not only are they delicious and available, but they are cheap, about $25 and under for each. Both of them are spicy, citrusy, sweet. They sit on shelves and are better than most of the 90 proof overpriced stuff that people chase all the time. I think the word is a little bit more out on the OGD 114 of how good it is. But Old Grandad Bonded, I mean, this thing is always on the shelf. It's super cheap. It's high quality. Once this bottle gets past the shoulder to right about where it is now is where it really shines I think in the glass, in my opinion, a lot of citrus. It's like drinking kind of a creamsicle with some spice on it. It's absolutely delicious. Now I know proof isn't everything to some people and sometimes some don't want anything higher. But more proof for the most part means more flavor and for the prices and quality of these two hitters that just sit on the shelf, you'd be doing yourself a disservice without adding these to your collection. All right, next up is Four Roses Small Batch Select. Now Four Roses uses two different mash spills and five different yeast strains to create ten different unique bourbon recipes. Now of those ten, six are blended together to make Small Batch Select. Now this is 104 proof. It's non-chill filtered and absolutely delicious. So I will say Four Roses does have this flavor profile that some people really love. Some people aren't too crazy about it. I think that high rye that's in most of their recipes might turn someone off a little bit. But for 60 bucks, this is an absolute hitter. Again, it's 104 proof. It's non-chill filtered. It's extremely complex for what you're paying for. I think the mouthfeel, the finish is perfect for someone that really loves a high rye bourbon. I mean if the price bothers you at 60 bucks, it's the same MSRP as Blanton's, which is considered a high rye bourbon. But for $60, I would take this all day over any Blanton's any day of the week. All right, what do we got next? Bellmead Cast Strength Reserve. Delicious, delicious bourbon from Green Bride Distilling in Nashville. Historically, this bourbon used two different mash fills and two different yeast strains from MGP. And the ages range from 7 to 11 years old, sometimes even older, and also had different proof points and was also non-chill filtered. So this is the older bottle of Bellmead Cast Strength. Recently, Bellmead has updated this offering to feature one static proof point of 108.3. Now the reasoning for the change was batch consistency. Bellmead found there was more variation in each batch than they wanted. But even at 108.3 proof, this is still flavorful, bold, rich, and an absolute steal at 60 bucks and much, much better than a lot of bourbons that people pay premium prices for. Let me just fix these here. Coming up next, speaking of MGP, I still see a lot of consumers out there paying three to $400 for MGP whiskey from non-distilling producers. There is so much good available MGP out there. It boggles my mind while people are paying these prices. Enter 8 & Sand, George Remus, and Remus Repeal bourbons. I mean guys, these are bourbons that are actually crafted by the MGP brand, so no need to search or pay ridiculous amounts of money for it. 8 & Sand is the $25 mixer and casual sipper. George Remus is a 94 proof, non-chill filtered, affordable, and high-ride mid-shelfer at about $35 to $40, while the Remus Repeal is the premium 11 to 12 year old, 100 proof blend at about $80 to $90. All three are fantastic for their given price points and bring such great flavor, it's hard to fathom why so many people are paying so much money for MGP. Now these aren't available everywhere yet, unfortunately, but they're starting to come in more and more states. The Remus version 3 is one of the best MGP offerings I've had. Guys, keep your eye out for all these. Alright, before I move on, I need to take a quick sip break. Cheers. Ah, damn that's good. I haven't gotten to the bourbon that's in that glass yet, but it's coming. Alright, Wilderness Trail. Not sure if this is underrated or not, but wanted to put it on the list because I'm not sure people realize how good this stuff is quite yet. Wilderness Trail bourbons, both the weeded and rye recipe bourbons, and the single barrel rye. Yeah, they are generally about four to five years old is what you're finding on the shelf now, but the bourbons are hitting the six year mark in age and it's getting better and better. People like bourbon flavorful, balanced, some spice, some fruit flavors as well. Wilderness Trail has all of that and I think will end up being some of the most sought after bourbons and ryes on the shelf as this stuff gets up in age. Again, Wilderness Trail is growing more and more each day and they're starting to get into more and more states. So definitely keep an eye out. Now, like I said, not sure if this is quite on everyone's radar just yet, but you need to give this a try. The use of science and data on top of years of industry experience make Wilderness Trail a powerhouse distillery now and definitely for the future. Oh, here it comes. Here it comes. That's right. Oh, yes. There it is. One of my absolute favorites in the world, and that is what is in this glass right now. Jack Daniels single barrel, barrel proof Tennessee whiskey. I know it's not technically a bourbon, but who gives a when it's whiskey this damn good. So to craft these, Jack Daniels pulls barrels from the upper levels of the rick houses for their single barrel bottlings with the barrel proof version being released in varying proofs ranging from about 125 to 140. Now, yes, some do drink kind of pot, but most is like eating warm chocolate, banana pancakes with maple syrup and rum. It's an onslaught of flavor. Most people see Jack Daniels as a mixer or a cheap whiskey, but this will change anyone's mind. This is easily better than most allocated whiskey that people wait online for. I look at those guys. I laugh and I walk out with this knowing I have won the day. This is about 65 bucks and worth every penny. If you haven't tried Jack like this, you definitely need to. In fact, I'm going to have another sip. Chocolate banana pancakes, maple syrup, all of it. It's so damn good. Go get it. Next up is the Knob Creek nine year small batch and the Knob Creek nine year single barrel. Not only are these available and affordable, but they are absolutely outstanding bourbons. The nine year age statement was taken off in about 2016, but it is back for 2020. The whiskey in these bottles are at least nine years old. That's right. This nine year old 100 proof bourbon is 30 bucks and a nine year single barrel 120 proofer is about 45. I talk about the single barrel store picks a lot that can range from nine all the way up to sometimes 15 years old, but the standards on the shelf are absolutely fantastic. Jim Beam nuttiness combined with oak, caramel, citrus. Some of them get a little bit more fruit forward. Really makes these, uh, pretty much real gems on the shelf. Both of these have amazing value and always, always available because I think they are often overlooked for some crazy reason. Like I said, the nine year age statement is back. They're super affordable. Go give them a try. Grab this guy right here. This is John Jay Bowman, everybody. Pleasure to meet you. This is the John Jay Bowman single barrel and it's the perfect bourbon for anyone that is a Kentucky purist looking to expand their horizons and also folks who love Buffalo trace. Now why do you ask? Because basically a double distillate is sourced from Buffalo trace in Frankfurt before being distilled a third time in Virginia with their own copper pot stills, which is why they can technically call this a Virginia bourbon whiskey. Now some believe this is actually Buffalo trace Nashville too, which is the same distillate you find in blends, Elmer T. Lee, Rock Hill farms, ancient age, and all those popular bourbons from Buffalo trace. Now it's also aged in American oak char number three and aged upright in some of their brick warehouses. This is a hundred proof. It's 50 bucks. It's got that pot still distillation that gives it a little bit more of a creamy mouth feel. Also gives it a little bit more bite on the back end. It's very balanced. It's fruity. It's caramel forward. So now this is a single barrel and some of the single barrels I've had are absolutely delicious for the price. If you haven't tried John J. Bowman's single barrel, you really need to. Lastly for me is wild Turkey. Now the special releases like master's keep, I feel like get plenty of attention, but the available on the shelfers don't. I still think wild Turkey one-on-one is underrated. It's this beauty right here and people still think of it. It's a college whiskey or a mixer, not the case blend of six, seven and eight year old bourbons. Sometimes there's some older juice in there and it's only 23 bucks. It's my absolute always go to everyday sipper. It's absolutely phenomenal stuff. Wild Turkey one-on-one has defeated some $100 bourbons and blind tastings, and it just keeps coming. Easily my favorite everyday sipper. You have rare breed, which is 45 bucks, which is a blend of six, eight and 12 year old barrel proof bourbons for $45. This has beat stag and some other barrel proof releases more than five times its price point. You have Russell's reserve single barrel for 55 bucks, which is about eight to nine years old, 110 proof non-chill filtered. Another one of my everyday go-to sippers. You have the 10 year Russell's reserve, which is 90 proof, 30 ish bucks. Another amazing value, Kentucky Spirit, which is a single barrel one-on-one. You have the one-on-one rye, you have the 10 year rye, you have the single barrel rye, all with amazing age and value. Don't get me started on the brand new rare breed rye they just released this year. I could just keep going. Again, you hear me talk turkey a lot, but much like the Jack Daniel single barrel barrel proof, that people tend to overlook because they just feel like it's the same old Jack. Just like the Wild Turkey one-on-one, they just feel like it's, that's that old college stuff I used to drink with Coke or stuff that I hated back in the day. Well, if you haven't tried it lately or the other full range of Wild Turkey products, you're not only doing yourself and your taste buds a disservice, but also your wallet. Because while many people are out there chasing some of those allocated bottles, these seem to always be ready available and just waiting for you to give them a try. All right guys, so as you can see, I have chosen a lot of bourbons here today that are underrated and I think definitely overlooked for what they are. The reason why I mainly chose these is because most of these bourbons, if not all these bourbons, have always done really well or beat bourbons that I have put in blind tastings that are either a lot harder to find or way more expensive. These are all delicious offerings just waiting for you to give them a try. All right guys. Well, I hope you enjoyed this video for my top underrated overlooked bourbons and whiskeys. Hope you enjoyed it. If you did hit that subscribe button below, please hit that like button. If you haven't yet, find me on Instagram, find me on Twitter. Let me know what your top underrated and overlooked whiskeys are. If I missed any, I always love talking to you guys and as I always say, it's not about the whiskey, it's the people you share with. So cheers. Go out and get a few of these, seriously. All amazing. Cheers guys. See you next time on the Mastin Drum.