We’re not the only ones who appreciate a fine glass of bourbon. In 2007, Congress officially declared September National Bourbon Heritage Month; eight years later, the allure of the South’s historic spirit is stronger than ever. As a last call for this toast-worthy month, we’ve enlisted American-whiskey expert Teddy Nixon—the drinks manager at Charleston, South Carolina’s just-opened-yesterday bar, Mash—to help us craft a list of classic bottles that deserve a place on any well-stocked bar. Here are ten of his favorites from some of the South’s most established bourbon makers, including a few making comebacks. Cheers!
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Old Forester Limited Series 1897 ($60)
“This represents a revival in what’s known as “Bottled in Bond” bourbon, named for a quality control measure Old Forester initiated back in the late 1800’s. To be Bottled in Bond, you have to be made from a single distillery, in a single year, then aged at least four years in a government bonded facility.”
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Four Roses Private Selection (price varies)
“I’m a big Four Roses fan. Hard to go wrong with any of the bottles because their process involves mixing different yeast strains and mashbills. At Mash, we have a special barrel we hand-selected. It was aged 6 years 11 months and is 60.6% alcohol. It’s big, rich, chocolatey—and more than little bit dangerous.”
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Michter’s US1 ($51)
“Michter’s is an old label that’s coming back. It’s small-batch and really, really solid.”
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Eagle Rare 10 Year ($30)
“This isn’t an expensive bottle, but it’s made by Buffalo Trace and is always good. It’s the whiskey I have when I want a drink.”
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Woodford Reserve Double Oaked ($57)
“This twice-barreled bourbon is the result of a proprietary toasting process. It has a higher sugar content than most bourbons, which gives it an incredible oaky sweetness.”
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Blanton’s ($56)
“Blanton’s was the first to come out with a single barrel product in 1984, and I think they’re responsible in a lot of ways for bringing bourbon back.”
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Blade and Bow ($54)
“This goes back to the old Stitzel-Weller distillery and is made from some of the last remaining whiskey stock. They use what’s called a “solera” aging process, which is usually reserved for things like sherry and scotch, in which the barrels are never fully emptied. As a result, in each bottle, you might find a 22-year-old bourbon blended together with a 6-year-old bourbon, which makes for something really smooth. The older oaky nuances mingle with the heat of the younger stuff.”
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Jefferson’s Presidential Select 30-Year (price varies)
“This is one of the rarest and priciest bourbons we stock, somewhere in the $250–300 range. People have been going nuts that we have this.”
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Elijah Craig 23-Year-Old ($350)
“Insanely delicious—expensive, but insanely delicious.”
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Beam Signature Quarter Cask ($48)
“It’s really fun to have products from Beam that you’re not familiar with. The Signature series includes a 12-year-old bourbon, as well as bourbons with some really cool finishes. I particularly like the one aged in quarter casks.”
