Dear Santa,
They say you have to put your aspirations into the universe in order for them to be bestowed upon you, so here is my succinct list of 10 bourbons I’d be happy to find under the Christmas tree on the morning of Dec. 25, 2024.
These are in no particular order, so please don’t feel like you have to track down all of them. You know how well I’ve behaved this year, so I’ll leave it up to you as to how many you want to stuff in my stocking. Most of the bottles on this list were made in Kentucky. I’d like to say that’s because I’m trying to be considerate of your time, but everyone knows Kentucky bourbon is worth its weight in gold.
Yes, of course there are some great bourbons from other states. And I’ve even listed some of them here. The last thing I want to be is a bourbon snob, so I hope I didn’t offend your distillery elves from Colorado or New York. Seriously, they’re doing great work. The more the merrier as they say in the North Pole. Speaking of, when can we expect some North Pole Small Batch to hit the shelves?
OK, I promised I’d be brief, so I’m going to stop yapping. Time is money, after all. And you’ve got billions of other folks to worry about as well.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Origin Series High Wheat Bourbon
I’ve written about this 2024 release more than once, and that’s because it’s damn — er, I mean darn … sorry, Santa — good. I’m not sure if it’s the higher percentage of wheat in the mash bill (39%) or the low barrel entry proof (108) that makes it so tasty and viscous, but I’m a fan.
Heck, I wouldn’t be mad if all 10 bottles you got me were this. It retails for $49.99.
King of Kentucky (2024)
From Brown-Forman, makers of Woodford Reserve, Jack Daniel’s and Old Forester, the King of Kentucky is a premium release and is once again bottled at 16 years old. The single-barrel, ultra-aged bourbon is heralded by fanatics because it’s — in one word — excellent.
Just a little over 5,000 bottles were released this year to 11 states, so good luck with your search! Santa, I’m hoping you have an “in” with a liquor store or something. If anyone can find this bottle, it’s you! It retails for $349.99.
Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged (2024)
This bottle has the proud distinction of being the oldest Maker’s Mark released to date. A blend of 12- and 13-year-old bourbon, the Cellar Aged release spent half of its life in a standard Kentucky rickhouse with all the wonderful temperature fluctuations, and then spent the second half of its life in a cool, calm cellar on the Maker’s grounds.
It’s a great concept that allows the brand to stay true to its flavor profile while also releasing some aged stock. It retails for $174.99.
Bluegrass Distillers Single Barrel Blue Corn Bourbon
Bluegrass Distillers is doing great things with blue corn, and this single barrel proves just how delicious it is. With a mash bill of 75% blue corn, 21% wheat and 4% malted barley, this limited-edition single-barrel release came out twice in 2024.
Unlike the standard yellow corn, blue corn elicits sweeter and nuttier notes. The distillery is also celebrating the opening of their Elkwood Farm Distillery in Midway, Ky., so, Santa, you might have to swing by the farm to find this one. It retails for $80.
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Coy Hill Barrelhouse 8
See, Santa, I told you there were some Christmas bottles here not from Kentucky! Folks lost their minds when the first Coy Hill was released back in 2021. This high-proof whiskey tastes so much different than the standard Jack product, and it’s all due where it’s aged — at the very top floor of the historic rickhouses that sit on Coy Hill in Lynchburg, Tenn.
Due to the extreme temperature fluctuations up there, this bourbon is simply fantastic, and grown men will fight you for it. It retails for $79.99.
Castle & Key Wheated Bourbon Cask Strength
I’ve been watching this distillery blossom ever since it opened in 2018, and it’s no surprise great whiskey is coming out of the historic site formerly known as the Old Taylor Distillery. This wheated bourbon is the oldest to be bottled so far at 7 years, and I love that they gave it to us at cask strength (107 proof).
This is a sipping bourbon for sure, and every time I revisit it I get new flavor notes. Hey, it’s the gift that keeps on giving! Sugar cookie dough is the most recent note I detected, so you’ll love this, Santa. It retails for $60.
Green River Full Proof
Santa, you know I like my bourbon strong, so this affordable and delicious Green River Full Proof will be the perfect fit for my stocking. It’s made from their rye bourbon mash bill and is a blend of select barrels, making it a small batch. The full proof (117.3 proof) just gives it that much more flavor, in my opinion, and if I want to add some water, I can. (But you know I won’t.)
I’ve got my fingers crossed they’ll release a wheated bourbon full proof maybe next year, but until then, this will be my go-to for both sipping and high-proof cocktails. It retails for $49.99.
Milam & Greene Unabridged Bourbon Vol. 3
Here’s another one not made in Kentucky — well, kind of. The Milam & Greene Distillery is in Blanco, Texas, but Master Blender Heather Greene and Master Distiller Marlene Holmes also distill their own recipes at Bardstown Bourbon Co. That bourbon is then blended into some of their own products, like this one.
This year’s Unabridged release is a masterful blend Kentucky bourbon (aged 6-10 years); Texas bourbon (aged 4 years) made with malted rye; Tennessee bourbon (aged 4 years); and more Kentucky bourbon (aged 3.5 years) that was made with malted rye as well. It retails for $94.99.
Rabbit Hole Founder’s Collection Mizunara Oak
OK, this one is a long shot, Santa. It’s got the highest price point on this list, and it was released this summer — so it might be too late to wrangle. The Louisville-based Rabbit Hole Distillery puts out a couple “special” releases each year under the Founder’s Collection title. These not only include rare whiskey but also are usually finished in something spectacular.
This one features 15-year-old Kentucky bourbon that was finished for 11 months in rare Japanese mizunara oak barrels. The result is a floral, bright bourbon that drips with decadence. Plus, the bottle and the box are fancy, too, so no wrapping is required. It retails for $1,500.
Jefferson’s Tropics Aged in Humidity
Jefferson’s founder Trey Zoeller is about as inventive as you, Santa. For this one, he shipped off 720 barrels of fully mature Kentucky bourbon to Singapore, where they then sat for 18 months. Singapore’s intense heat and humidity worked their magic, creating tasty oak notes along with the familiar caramel, vanilla and molasses notes.
At 104 proof, the bourbon is viscous and quite rich. It’s my go-to pour after a big dinner, and I’ll gladly take another bottle. It retails for $100.
