7 Award-Winning Bourbon Brands Every Whiskey Lover Should Know

With the seemingly endless number of bourbon distilleries, more of which are popping up all the time, it can be challenging to keep track of what's what in the world of bourbon. Even if you fancy yourself a true bourbon lover, knowing which distilleries are worth your time and which ones it might be best to overlook is challenging at best. No need to worry, though. That's what whiskey connoisseurs are for.

In an effort to learn about a few award-winning bourbon brands every whiskey lover should know, I reached out to Chris Walster, a whiskey connoisseur by any standard. He has over 30 years of experience loving and learning about the spirit and is the resident expert at The Cask Connoisseur. If that isn't impressive enough, just wait until you hear what he had to tell me. This guy really knows his stuff when it comes to the beloved brown spirit.

Several of the seven brands Walster highlighted were recently recognized in the San Francisco and New York World Spirits Competitions as stand-out picks, and the others also gained some traction in this year's award circuits. According to Walster, they "all stand out because they demonstrate the diversity of mash bills and cask types shaping bourbon today, along with the ability to find excellent quality across a wide range of styles and price points." Essentially, award-winning bourbon spans well beyond rare and expensive bottles, so yeah, we should all keep the seven upcoming brands on our radars.

The Buffalo Trace Distillery is responsible for bringing us a whole line of fantastic bourbons, many of which you've likely heard of before. Everything from Eagle Rare to Blanton's to Van Winkle and beyond is proudly produced by the brand. Of course, there's the self-titled Buffalo Trace Bourbon as well. Is it any good, though? According to our whiskey expert Chris Walster, you bet it is. In fact, as a brand, it has won more than 40 distillery titles since 2000. Impressive, right?

Walster decided to highlight Buffalo Trace distillery in this round-up of outstanding brands because it recently took top honors in the Single Barrel Bourbon category at the New York World Spirits Competition with its Blanton's Gold recipe. However, he also noted that this is just one fantastic example among many brought to us by the award-winning company. In fact, Walster even went so far as to say that Buffalo Trace is "one of Kentucky's most respected distilleries, celebrated for its rich history, consistent quality, and wide range of expertly crafted bourbons that appeal to both enthusiasts and newcomers." If that doesn't sound like a solid recommendation, I don't know what would. 

So, if you want to stick to a tried-and-true brand with all the star power a person could want to back it up, look no further than the highly respected, well-known Buffalo Trace Distillery. Of course, that doesn't mean we should not do some exploring as well. Moving on ...

This next Chris Walster recommendation for award-winning bourbon to keep your eye on gets a little complicated. Why? Well, technically, it comes from an unnamed distillery. However, Walster revealed that it is widely believed to be produced by the George Dickel Distillery. To make matters worse, when you go to the George Dickel website, the business is called the Cascade Hollow Distilling Co., so ... the plot thickens, but those are just details.

What we do know is that our expert, Walster, recommends the Peg Leg Porker Label 8 Year Old because it was recognized at the New York World Spirits Competition. However, he also admitted that the name alone was enough to win him over. All jokes aside, though, Walster told me, "The brand owner is Carey Bringle, a renowned American barbecue pitmaster and owner of the Peg Leg Porker BBQ restaurant in Nashville, Tennessee. Their bourbon is filtered through hickory charcoal, hence the link that Bringle uses in his barbecue smokers."

A bottle of Peg Leg Porker Label 8 Year Old will likely run you between $85 and $110. With this in mind, it doesn't come at the most approachable price point, but you know what? It's okay to splurge on an award-winning bourbon from time to time, especially when it comes so highly recommended by several sources (the competition judges and our expert). Still, if that's not in your wheelhouse, a bottle of George Dickel won't cost you nearly as much, and it's widely recommended as well.

Another notable bourbon our expert Chris Walster recommends is Green River Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon. It was also recognized at the New York World Spirits Competition, and as he puts it, "is a great reminder that an affordable bottle doesn't have to mean a poor pour." That's right, a bottle only costs between $30 and $38. For an award-winning bourbon that's not bad at all. Actually, I'd say it's pretty ideal.

Green River Wheated Bourbon is, in fact, a wheated bourbon, as the name suggests. As a result, it has a softer, rounder flavor and mouthfeel. Its mash bill consists of 70% Kentucky-grown corn, 21% wheat, and 9% malted barley. If you decide to give it a try and like it, keep that in mind. It will help you track down other similar bourbons you're likely to enjoy, but I digress.

Back to what Walster had to say about Green River. He told me that the company has been distilling on the same site since 1885, making it one of America's oldest distilleries. He also said: "Once considered medicinal and dubbed 'The Whiskey Without a Headache,' it remains known for high-quality, approachable bourbon." Wow, that's quite the longevity and story, huh? No matter how you feel about the brand's past, though, you can't argue with the price. The fact that it continues to get such recognition on the awards circuit seems like more of a bonus.

Next up on our list of award-winning bourbon brands every whiskey lover should know is Starlight Distillery. Our expert, Chris Walster, brought my attention to it because it received the coveted award for Best Overall Bourbon at the World Spirits Competition in San Francisco. While the brand is far from a one-trick pony, the bottle to take home gold was Starlight Distillery's Mizunara Reserve Finish Bourbon, and it truly impressed. Walster told me earning this award is "a major achievement and a reflection of how exciting cask finishes have become in American whiskey."

As a whole, Walster also said, "This distillery is gaining a reputation for its expertly finished bourbons that push the boundaries of flavor while respecting classic techniques; it is both innovative and adventurous in its creations." It's interesting, too, because in another recent conversation I had with Walster, he also included knowing about special cask finishes as one of the rules to follow when buying bourbon. Seems like he was onto something, huh? No surprises there, though. He is the expert, after all. Regardless, the award for Starlight Distillery's Mizunara Reserve Finish Bourbon basically speaks for itself, and if it's any indication of the other spirits the brand produces, which Walster confirms it is, we could all benefit from paying the company's spirits a bit of well-earned attention.

If you've never heard of Wild Turkey, can you even consider yourself a whiskey lover? My vote is no. As a company, the brand recognition is out of this world. However, one of the reasons for this, aside from excellent marketing, is that the company pumps out several high-quality spirits. They come at reasonable prices as well.

As our expert Chris Walster told me, Wild Turkey Distillery "is celebrated for its consistency, boldness, and commitment to traditional distilling methods, offering something for every bourbon lover." If you are looking for something more on the affordable side of the spectrum, Wild Turkey Rye 101 is one of several bottles under $35 that are worth a try. The straight-up Wild Turkey 101 also punches above its weight.

While there are lots of good options under one name, Walster brought the distillery to my attention this time for its Wild Turkey Rare Breed. He said it has been popping up in the award circuit this year, and it's been "a consistent favorite for its depth, bold flavor, and exceptional value at its price point." A bottle hovers around $50. What more could you want?

Heaven Hill Distillery is another heavy-hitter in the bourbon world that you'd be wise to get acquainted with. For starters, whiskey connoisseur Chris Walster mentioned that the company's Elijah Craig Barrel Proof has been recognized as of late on the award circuit and "continues to earn top honors for offering huge complexity without compromising balance."

In addition, Walster said he met up with the people from Heaven Hill at a recent event in the U.K. (see The Cask Connoisseur interview on YouTube). During their conversation, they told him that "they have 2.4 million barrels aging right now in Kentucky, so they are clearly doing something right, particularly as they have 30 brands covering most types of bourbons." Well, call me impressed. I guess sometimes the numbers, and in this case, awards, speak for themselves.

Interestingly enough, not so long ago, Walster also told me the Heaven Hill Bottled-In-Bond is one of several bottles you might want to leave on the shelf. While it is a good product overall, it's priced a bit too high for his liking. Instead, he recommends going for the brand's seven year bottle because it offers the same quality at a reduced price point. Regardless, with 30 brands under one name, you still have plenty of outstanding picks to try from Heaven Hill.

Last up on our list of bourbon brands to know is Four Roses. And you know what? From its least expensive bottles to its pricier ones, the brand has it going on. Let's start with what our expert Chris Walster specifically pointed out about Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon. He told me it is "a perennial award-winner celebrated for its high-rye profile and remarkable consistency from barrel to barrel." I also know from previous conversations with Walster that a high-rye profile means outstanding flavor, so even if the niche terms don't sell you, that should. Plus, a 750 ml bottle only costs about $40, and that sounds like a winning price to me.

A bottle of Four Roses Kentucky Straight Bourbon is also a purchase worth considering. Actually, it's thought of as one of the bottom-shelf bourbons worth buying. A 750 ml bottle only costs about $20 — that's a steal — and it's also a bartender favorite. I should know; I was a server and bartender for 20 years. With this in mind along with what Walster said, Four Roses is more than deserving of a place on our list of bourbon brands to know. Now, if we could just figure out the real difference between whiskey and bourbon, we'd be all set, am I right?