7 Whiskey Barrel Aged Wines, Ranked

In case you missed it, using whiskey barrels is a popular technique when producers want to instill a smoky, oaky, bourbon-like quality into whatever beverage they're making. Starbucks' Reserve Roasteries sell whiskey barrel-aged cold brew, some beer is aged in bourbon barrels, and wine is an obvious beneficiary of this method too. Though the practice of aging wine in bourbon barrels is contested by some consumers — naysayers say the process diminishes the flavors that come from thoughtfully growing and sourcing the grapes, thus undermining the farmers — others are staunch fans of the finished product.

As for me? After tasting seven bourbon barrel-aged wines, I could go either way. I see the potential flaws in the practice, but I won't deny its advantages, either. Many of these wines benefited from the infusion of notes like spice, vanilla, and caramel. However, all were mellowed out with regard to the astringency and complexity I expect from some red wine varieties. I appreciate the smooth quality the wines took on — they were easily drinkable and palatable enough to go with many a pairing (I ended up enjoying some alongside Trader Joe's Porcini Mushroom & Truffle Ravioli). If you're new to the world of bourbon barrel-aged wine, this may provide you with a good place to start. I ranked the following wines based on astringency, how notable their whiskey characteristics were, and flavor complexity as a whole. 

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

Beringer Bros. Bourbon Barrel Aged Cabernet Sauvignon is generally sold in the $12 to $13 range, and even though it's technically the bottom-ranking bottle on this list, I won't deny that it's a good offer for the price. It claims to boast notes of black cherry, toffee, hazelnut, and dark chocolate — a delightful sounding description on paper, but not one that I felt was particularly accurate. 

I didn't rank Beringer Bros. bottle last because it has any egregious flaws — it definitely doesn't. Rather, I just found that it didn't impress, and this is a bottle that I could see the aforementioned bourbon-barrel-aging naysayers being pretty nitpicky about. It smells lightly candied and displays a slight sweetness, but it was also the most astringent of the bunch. I didn't find much in the way of barrel appeal, save for subtle hints of vanilla at the end of the sip. Ultimately, the aging numbed the wine's appeal rather than amplifying it. It could boast a more complex flavor profile, but still, I can't call it bad. 

Up next we have Robert Mondavi's expression, another Bourbon Barrel-Aged Cabernet Sauvignon that's particularly wallet-friendly, with a bottle typically costing just over $10. As with the previous option, it's a good value for the price. The company claims this bottle has notes of dark cherry, cocoa, spice, blackberry, and smoke, a very robust claim for what again proved to be a relatively simple wine.

Less astringent than the last, Robert Mondavi's expression was almost floral in its appeal, and I was surprised to taste that over some of the bolder notes claimed by the label. It's fruity and gentle, but it doesn't really linger at the end, and I didn't get enough bourbon barrel appeal to identify it as such — again, it just seemed to mellow out the wine rather than adding anything impressive to it. The wine is easy to drink and gets points over the last, both for its lower cost and subtler astringency (something I appreciate in particular), but at the end of the day, it couldn't hold up to the following. 

Not placing 1000 Stories' bottle of Bourbon Barrel-Aged Zinfandel higher on this list may be a hot take. I know that zinfandel is prized by many consumers, but I've never been its biggest fan — call me basic, but I usually go for a cab sauv or a red blend. That said, I did like the zin from 1000 Stories quite a bit, but I wasn't as wholly endeared to it as I was to the following wines on this list. 

I definitely got ample berry appeal here and plentiful spice notes, alongside hints of vanilla. This bottle is more complex than either of the previous, which gave it some brownie points. It's pretty light and sweet, with the spice and vanilla hinting at its bourbon barrel aging. I'd call this one of the most unique bottles of the bunch. I did find the higher-ranked ones to have a greater depth of flavor, but fans of zinfandel who want to try a bourbon barrel-aged expression wouldn't go wrong with this one. 

I regularly get Josh Cellars wines, and the Barrel-Aged Cabernet Sauvignon claims to display notes of cedar, caramel, and hints of bourbon. I like Josh Cellars' cabernet sauvignon, so I was excited to try the bourbon barrel-aged expression, and the aging process did make this unique from the standard bottles I've had from the brand. 

I got baking characteristics in the aromas of this wine, with a light cocoa quality showing up proudly. When tasting it, I found it to be sweet and dark, with an almost fig-like appeal of dark fruit. That made it particularly punchy, and thin ribbons of caramel and vanilla were also present throughout the sip. The bottle also boasted a low astringency. I quite liked this one — it was nice and complex, though it didn't linger on the palate as long as the following bottles, which made me unable to rank it higher than fourth place. 

Up next is The Federalist, whose Bourbon Barrel-Aged Cabernet Sauvignon is yet another expression I expect a breadth of consumers would be pleased with. When comparing this bottle to Josh Cellars' version, I was pretty torn on which to rank higher. Both were very similar expressions. I did, however, like the smooth caramelization and smoke present, which lent to the complexity of this glass. 

I found this to be a particularly well-rounded bottle. Aromatically, it's pretty bright and fruity, while on the palate it boasts fruit along with some leather and caramel notes. The ample caramelization lent the bottle its bourbon appeal, but I still don't know that I'd have recognized it as such if I didn't know this wine was aged in the barrels. It's smooth, not too punchy, and very low in astringency. Both this and the previous would be good entry points if you want to start exploring bourbon-barrel-aged wines, and neither will turn off many consumers. 

Cooper & Thief's Bourbon Barrel-Aged Cabernet Sauvignon sounds relatively simple on paper. It claims flavors of dark cherry and plum alongside vanilla, spice, and caramel, the latter three of which come from the aging process. However, I don't think the description does this wine justice. I enjoyed it a lot and found it to be quite the punchy offering. 

This bottle had ample whiskey appeal both on the nose and on the palate. The first flavor to come through was a delightful, robust dark cherry that I often find in cabernets. Behind that came an oakiness that opened up into vanilla aromas and a full caramelization. This is a very sturdy wine that will hold its own against an array of other expressions, and it's full-bodied without being astringent. There's a lot to love about this bottle. At the end of the day, though, the following won my heart. 

I promise, I wasn't unduly swayed by the sophisticated appearance of this bottle, which boasts an old-timey vibe with an irresistible handle to boot. That said, 1924's Whiskey Barrel Aged Red Blend is certainly an attractive expression that you'll find at the front and center of my bar cart in the future. It has plenty to brag about beyond its aesthetic, though. The company has a lot to say about this wine, claiming notes of vanilla, berries, maple, and whiskey characteristics — fortunately, it doesn't speak beyond what the wine actually features.

I loved this bottle for several reasons. To start with, it's very fruity and impeccably smooth (and, yes, like other top-ranked bottles, the astringency was barely there). I found it to be relatively thin-bodied, but the flavors built as the sip went on, leading to quite the tasting journey. The beginning of the sip is characterized by an almost candied berry appeal, while the end brings forward vanilla and subtle spice that hints at the whiskey barrel aging. The biggest aspect I loved about this bottle, though, was its long finish — that candied, maple sweetness carries throughout the sip and lingers after it's over, which made this an easy top spot contender. 

To rank these wines, I aerated them first before smelling and tasting each selection, evaluating their flavor profiles and aromas. I paid attention to the flavor complexity of each wine, ranking those with more to talk about higher than wines that felt numbed by their barrel aging processes. However, I also wanted to find hints of the barrel throughout the sip, and bottles that displayed these characteristics did so in various ways. At the end of the day, my top bottles are smooth with low astringency and ample depth to them.