13 Best Bourbons Of 2025 (So Far)

Bourbon whiskey is as American as apple pie. To such an extent that Congress recognized bourbon as a distinctly American product in 1964. While not America's first liquor, rum holds that title, bourbon is widely considered America's native spirit. Also, it's a spirit that has to be made in the U.S.

Bourbon's popularity has boomed over the years as whiskey lovers are drawn to the sweet, nutty, and toasty oak flavors of the corn-based spirit. The popularity is particularly true as distilleries release new products. New portfolio editions send bourbon hunters camping out at stores and distilleries before release days or entering sweepstakes for the opportunity to garner a bottle of the sweet elixir. 

I utilized my skills and training as a Certified Sommelier, wine and spirits writer, and long-time bourbon lover to make the selection of best bourbons in 2025. Some of these labels undergo extended aging, employ unique blending techniques, or incorporate different types of oak to age or finish the bourbon, but each offers something more than you will find in the distillery's flagship expressions. And, each has a 2025 release date. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by distillers.

While Eagle Rare's history doesn't date back generations, its parent distillery is doing great things with this quality bourbon. The brand debuted in 1975 with its flagship expression, Eagle Rare 10-year. Subsequent releases include a 17-year-old, a high-priced Very Rare 20-year-old bourbon, and a very high-priced 25-year-old. Eagle Rare's new 12-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon delivers much more than expected for $50, which is the suggested retail price. However, although only released in June 2025, you would be hard-pressed to find a bottle still available at that price. 

A new, permanent part of the collection, Eagle Rare 12 uses Buffalo Trace's low-rye mash bill No.1 and ages in new, charred oak barrels for 12 years. The result is a 95-proof spirit rich with sweet, spicy characteristics. The bourbon opens with toasty oak and vanilla that meld with cigar box, roasted almond, and earthy leather. These characteristics show on the palate as well, melding with baking spice, toffee, and flambeed cherries. There is a density to the whiskey, more so than in Eagle Rare's 10-year-old, which fans of concentrated bourbon will appreciate. The overall balance proved pleasing to my taste buds.  

King of Kentucky Bourbon was founded in Louisville, Kentucky in 1881. Though Brown-Forman, owner of big names such as Old Forester and Woodford Reserve, acquired the brand in 1936, the production was stopped by 1965. However, in 2018, Brown-Forman revived King of Kentucky with the desire to honor the brand's legacy.

King of Kentucky 8th edition, released in early October 2025, is a 17-year-old blend of whiskey produced on two separate production dates in 2007. With a mash bill of 79% corn, 11% rye, and 10% malted barley, and a suggested retail price of $399, this limited release lacks heavy oak dominance, which is surprising for a 17-year-old whiskey. Although oak is an obvious flavor and aroma contributor, it does not overwhelm; instead, it brings nuance to the well-balanced whiskey.

The aromas in this high proof bourbon are also surprisingly soft, without the expected burn of ethanol on the nose. The palate shows more of the bite, while not stripping it with an overwhelming burn. Aromas of butterscotch, roasted nuts, and buttered popcorn give way to a palate of creamy flan, caramel, and toasty oak. In addition to the balance, sweetness, and overall approachability of this lovely sipper, it's the texture that caught my attention. The non-chill filtered bourbon has an unctuousness that envelops the palate in a welcoming robe of richness.

Although we found Old Forester's 2024 Birthday Bourbon to be lackluster, I found the 2025 batch to be a sweet, rich, and inviting gift that keeps on giving, even with a relatively short finish. The 92-proof selection has a heavy oak-forward aroma of vanilla, with sweet caramel, black tea, and toffee. The distillery typically includes the use of a setback during fermentation. However, this production run did not. 

The setback is a nutrient-rich slurry obtained from previous distillations that feeds a new fermentation's yeast. Instead, Old Forester employed a laborious sweet mash fermentation technique without a setback. While much more time-consuming, the result is a silky whiskey with distinct character. Although the oak's influence is prominent, it is not dominant in this whiskey. Instead, the bourbon is sweet and fruity, with notes of cooked orchard fruit. These flavors mingle with tea leaves, vanilla, and four-spiced Dutch apple pie.  

The 2025 release is a 12-year-old bourbon, aged in Brown-Forman's heat-cycled, K warehouse in Louisville, Kentucky. Heat cycling helps to control warehouse temperatures, ensuring consistency during the aging process. The result is a more concentrated bourbon with full-bodied flavors and a smooth profile. Old Forester annually releases the bourbon in September to honor distillery founder George Garvin Brown. To purchase, fans must enter an annual sweepstakes to win a chance to buy a limited-release bottle for $199.99.

Oaklore is a boutique spirits producer in North Carolina that is quickly making a name for itself with its four-grain bourbon and multi-dimensional rye. The latest offering from the brand is a new chapter in its Story Series, Oaklore Oloroso sherry cask bourbon. To craft the robust whiskey, Oaklore begins with its four-grain bourbon, which is distilled in 24-inch vendome copper columns in sister distilleries in North Carolina and Kentucky. The base uses best 5- to 6-year-old barrels of wheated bourbon and rye bourbon mash bills that are batched together and then aged for six to eight months. 

The brand then finishes the whiskey in Oloroso sherry casks for 12 to 18 additional months to create this limited-edition offering, which consists of only 750 bottles. The resulting 95 proof, $99.95 bourbon is a multi-layered melange of dried orange peel, cigar smoke, dried cherry, and pecans that blends with raisins, Mediterranean olives, and slightly bitter dark chocolate. The finish is long and dry, with deep, abundant flavors that linger in harmony. There was a balanced approachability throughout the palate, ensuring drinkability.

Booker's 2025-03, labeled Jerry's Batch, is more than a Kentucky straight bourbon as the label honors master distiller Jerry Dalton. Primarily his friendship with Booker's Bourbon founder Booker Noe, the mentorship he provided to Fred Noe, and the meticulous dedication to craftsmanship he brought to the bourbon business. Dalton was the only non-Beam family member to become master distiller, and in 2023, he was inducted into the Bourbon Hall of Fame. 

To ensure the proper balance and character, the bourbon is made from nine barrels sourced from three different floors of nine 7-story warehouses. Bottled at 124.7 proof, this bourbon is aged for seven years, four months, and 21 days. It is robust and full-flavored, without being brash, showy, or overbearing. This bourbon showcases the man it honors, delivering balance, sophistication, and precision. It features sweet, oaky, vanilla, molasses, and spice aromas, a full-bodied palate, and a bold character expected from a Booker's bourbon. 

Available with a suggested retail price of $99.99, this small-batch bourbon is bottled straight from the barrel uncut and unfiltered. The flavors showcase creamy vanilla, caramel, honeycomb, graham crackers, and butterscotch, ending with fruity green apple, roasted almond, and toasted oak. Beyond its elevated taste, the whiskey has a well-rounded viscosity that brings depth and texture.

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of Angel's Envy, the distillery is releasing its first-ever 10-year-old Cask Strength Kentucky straight bourbon on October 10, 2025. With a suggested retail price of $249.99 for a 750-milliliter bottle, it is the first age-stated cask strength bourbon from the distillery, bottled unfiltered at 122.6 proof, straight from the cask. With a mash bill of 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% barley, the decade-old bourbon spent time in newly charred American oak before it was finished in port wine barrels, creating a whiskey that is brimming with complexity, structure, and velvety texture. 

A nose of brown sugar, cinnamon, marzipan, and creamy nougat gives way to a palate of honey, toasted vanilla, pastry, and spiced oak, with dried red fruits and mulled wine flavors. The finish is creamy and spicy, reminiscent of toffee and cinnamon. Though the alcohol is high, the bourbon shows the refined nuance that lovers of Angel's Envy will appreciate. The limited-edition bourbon blends elegance with personality, creating a bourbon that you will want to befriend. It isn't the type of bourbon to use in an Old Fashioned. The new release should be sipped neat, possibly with a single large ice sphere if that is your preference, but with nothing more that would mask its angelic beauty. I would sip the new release daily, if only my budget would allow.

Birthday label wasn't the only new release from Old Forester this year. In June 2025, the distillery released Old Forester President's Choice Bourbon and President's Choice Rye, each with a suggested retail price of $225 for a standard 750-milliliter bottle. This year's release included single-barrel bourbon aged for seven to nine years and bottled at 110 to 125 proof. My sample had a high proof of 120.5, derived from a mash bill consisting of 79% corn, 11% rye, and 10% barley. 

You would never guess by the nose or palate that this bourbon's age is younger than some of this year's new releases, or previous President's Choice releases. It is spicy, oaky, and attention-grabbing. An initial nose-tickling burn of ethanol gave way to aromas and flavors of toasted hazelnut, dried apricot, ripe cherry, caramelized brown sugar, and warm baking spice. In addition to the flavor, the finish was one of the whiskey's most engaging elements. It was complex yet soft, with a palate engulfing length, ending with a caramelized honey note.

The fifth edition of limited release Garrison Brother's Guadalupe Texas straight bourbon made its annual debut in July 2025. With a beautiful presentation, including a hand-dipped copper wax finish, each of the numbered 8,600 bottles available this year has a suggested retail price of $159.99. The 107-proof bourbon, with Texas corn, red winter wheat, and barley making up the mash bill, uses rainwater harvested on Garrison's Hye, Texas, ranch to proof the whiskey. It ages for four years in American oak casks before it spends additional two years in port casks. 

The use of tawny port casks gives the bourbon toasty, sweet, aged wine characteristics of red berries and dried cherries, which melds with shortbread, creamy honey, and soft vanilla aromas. The full-flavored palate of caramel, roasted coffee, freshly grated cinnamon, dried red fruits, and smoky charred oak danced across the tongue with ease, showing only the slightest bite of alcohol. 

When you think of products from Washington State you may think of apples, salmon, or wine, and likely not bourbon. However, Woodinville Whiskey Company aims to change that with its single-batch, pot-distilled bourbons and ryes. For its newly released, $129.99,  9-year-old straight bourbon whiskey, the boutique producer follows a grain-to-glass philosophy using locally grown, non-GMO grains and well-seasoned barrels. 

The process that includes seasoning the barrels for 24 months, heavily toasting, and lightly charring ensures that the resulting bourbon attains plenty of oak influence, which is especially evident in this 9-year-old selection. With a mashbill of 55% corn, 35% rye, and 10% barley, and a proof of 100, the first sip reveals robust toasted spice, heavy oak, pipe tobacco, and oak-forward flavors, which coat the palate with more rusticity than smooth silkiness. A single ice cube softens the power, yielding a full-flavored palate of toffee, dried fruits, freshly grated cinnamon, and cloves, with an underlying and ever-present layer of smoky, toasty oak. It is not a bourbon for the faint of heart. Woodinville 9-year-old is for the whiskey drinker who is seeking a product that makes its presence known when it arrives at the party.

Sometimes you are in the mood for a quality whiskey that delivers everything you expect, and maybe a little more, for a reasonable price. Enter, Old Grand-Dad. A part of the Suntory Global Spirits, this brand pays tribute to Basil Hayden Sr., a Catholic from Maryland who led a group of fellow believers to a new settlement in Bardstown, Kentucky in 1785. There, Hayden became a farmer and distiller, favoring high-rye whiskey. He also helped establish the first Catholic church in Kentucky. Old Grand-Dad 7-year-old Bottled-in-Bond Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey is a step up from the brand's four-year-old bonded bourbon, revealing more complexity on the nose and palate than the original. 

The new bourbon, which will be released annually, is from the 2018 distillation season. With Old Grand-Dad's classic high-rye mash bill, the bourbon exhibits earthy, spicy characteristics. As expected with this mashbill, the palate was drier than those with a low-rye mash bill, showing spicy flavors of baking spice, cracked pepper, with dried pit fruit flavors and a hint of toasted marshmallow. With a suggested retail price of $40, the 100-proof whiskey is a solid option for high-rye fans wanting a well-priced bourbon.

High West delivers this spicy and fruity Bottled In Bond straight bourbon whiskey. The production utilizes three different types of yeasts that impart layers of complex flavors. As the bourbon isn't aged as long as others, it did not exhibit the robust char and smoke typical for decade-long whiskies. Though not as toasty, the palate still delivered power, punching in at 100 proof. Instead of char, the bourbon offered a creamy, candied, fruit-forward character reminiscent of warm baking spice, peach cobbler, and green apple Jolly Rancher candies. 

High West's high-rye mash bill comprising of 36% Idaho rye and 64% Colorado-grown, non-GMO corn lends an earthy spiciness to the whiskey, balancing the sweetness and coating the palate from front to back with notes of cloves, allspice, and nutmeg. Brown butter cake lingers on the palate. The release is available for $79.99, which is somewhat pricey for a four-year-minimum aged whiskey. Still, lovers of sweet, fruity bourbon will appreciate the selection.

Summer 2025 saw the re-release of Russell's Reserve 13 Year Old Kentucky straight bourbon. Russell's Reserve introduced the label in 2021 with a barrel proof of 114.8. While not an annual release from the distillery, as Russell's prefers to release its whiskey when it is ready instead of following a date on the calendar, this is the sixth bottling of the 13-year-old since the inaugural release — five batches were released from 2021 to 2023. Each bottling is unique as it includes a mix of barrels that have aged for a minimum of 13 years, along with some aged considerably longer, some up to 20 years.

The new, non-chill-filtered bourbon is from hand-selected barrels by Master Distiller Eddie Russell. This year's $200 release includes a slightly higher proof of 123.8, which, upon taking the first sip, sits on the tongue with a high ethanol burn. Allowing the whiskey to breathe lets the alcoholic bite dissipate, revealing a mix of cinnamon bark, vanilla, cherry cobbler, molasses, and dusty leather. The spiciness carried on through the finish, adding ginger, clove, black pepper, and charred oak. While adding a splash of water to whiskey can help dilute the burn in high-proof whiskey and reveal hidden nuances, I preferred the product neat. Adding water washed out some of the attractive complexities in this bourbon.

Brown-Forman started Woodford Reserve in 1996. In the short time since its creation, it has established its name, crafting quality bourbon with character, as displayed with the latest edition of the brand's Master Collection: Woodford Reserve Sweet Oak Bourbon. Using the Woodford Reserve mash bill of 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% barley, the new release ages 100% in chinkapin oak for nine years. Legally, all bourbon must age in charred oak barrels. However, regulations do not regulate the type of oak or location where the oak trees must grow.

In bourbon production, I found that chinkapin oak imparted a slow-cooked, deep, dark, sharp, spicy flavor. Bottled at 110.4 proof, the first sips showed the presence of alcohol, with a more robust, tannic palate than in some of Woodford's other offerings. The nose is soft, without the high proof burn. It opens with notes of black tea, dried dark fruits, dried tobacco, and oak that meld with sweet notes of dark chocolate, toffee, and almond brittle. The $180 bourbon is the 21st edition in the Master's Collection. Though it has more intensity than you'd typically expect from the brand, it is ideal for those who enjoy robust whiskey with a unique edge.

In deciding which 2025 bourbons are the best, I chose these selections based on 2025 releases I have tried this year. As I am a Certified Sommelier, wine and spirits writer, and whiskey enthusiast, the releases I've tried have been numerous. From a mix of many excellent labels comes this list of the best bourbons I've had in 2025 — so far. Though many are expensive, each unique bourbon delivers premium quality, definitive character, and above all, delicious, discernible taste.