12 Small-Batch Bourbons Every Whiskey Lover Should Try

There's something inherently appealing about small-batch bourbon. The title suggests that the bottle has greater attention to detail in regard to a particular style. There is more of a romance and nuance to it. But as you'll see, the reality is a little more complicated. 

To talk about the best small-batch bourbon, it's important to define what small-batch bourbon is. Unfortunately, it has no definition. There's no legal requirement for how small a batch has to be or whether or not you can legally display it on the bottle. It makes comparing small-batch bourbons surprisingly difficult, but I've decided to simplify the process. Every bourbon listed here is one that its producer specifically markets as small-batch bourbon.

While that doesn't necessarily mean they're all produced in similarly sized batches, it does mean the designation is an intentional part of how each whiskey is presented. Using my decades of whiskey expertise and experience, I've also focused on bottles that are genuinely worth seeking out, rather than simply collecting every bourbon with the words "small batch" on its label. The result is a selection covering a range of styles, price points, and flavor profiles, giving you plenty of options when you're choosing your next small-batch bourbon.

I start with what is my personal favorite small-batch bourbon. This expression from Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. is an easy bottle to recommend, thanks to its beautiful balance and deep flavors. Despite the style not being legally defined, this bottle has what I consider to be key characteristics of a good small-batch bourbon — a distinct personality, concentrated tasting notes, and at least a decent level of complexity. If this is why you like the idea of small-batch whiskey, this Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. expression ticks all those boxes. 

Created by the Buffalo Trace distillery, it has a lovely sweet nose that hints at some of its deeper flavors. Those flavors first present as a rich caramel and toffee. Underpinning this is a strong thread of toasted oak, on which you'll also enjoy some cinnamon and nutmeg spice. It's not the type of whiskey that will hit you with a million different flavors, but instead, excels in the classic bourbon profile it provides. The 100-proof gives it a satisfying and robust warmth, but its richness stops it from ever being overwhelming. If you can find it anywhere near retail price, then it remains a top-shelf brand that's always worth buying due to its exceptional consistency and craftsmanship.

Bomberger's Declaration is made by Mitcher's Distillery, and its name comes from a piece of fascinating history. The story of Mitcher's can be traced back to 1753, making it one if the oldest bourbons still available today. It wasn't always known by this name, though, and for a period was known as Bomberger's. This bourbon is a tribute to that history, and what a worthy tribute it is. It's a yearly release, with each batch being slightly different from the rest. One common theme it does have is being matured in Chinquapin oak casks, imparting a few unique flavor notes.

These whiskeys are usually rich with plenty of spice, but, as I've come to expect with the Mitcher's Distillery, Bomberger's Declaration is perfectly balanced with elegantly deep sweet notes. Regardless of which yearly release you get your hands on, you can usually expect plenty of dark fruits, a strong thread of chocolate, and a hint of nuttiness. There's satisfying depth here, but without simply throwing intense flavors at you. It's the most expensive whiskey in this list at an average price of around $180, but it's a fantastic showcase of small-batch bourbon if you're seeking out a premium option.

Booker's Bourbon is another of the more expensive options here, usually coming in around the $100 mark. As with Bomberger's, it's also a limited release that changes from one batch to the next. Booker's is as far from a beginner's bourbon as you can get, being robust, high proof, and intense. Anyone new to whiskey could easily find themself overwhelmed, but if you can handle strong spirits, you'll quickly find out why I see it as such a great small-batch bourbon. Each batch is bottled uncut and unfiltered, allowing the whiskey to retain much of the character it developed during years of maturation.

Each batch of Booker's will vary, but you can expect a powerful combination of caramel, vanilla, and brown sugar contrasted by cinnamon, black pepper, and toasted oak. Additional depth often comes from cherry and dark chocolate, with the heat of the alcohol bringing plenty of weight to the experience. Despite its strength, Booker's isn't simply a bourbon designed to overwhelm you, but adding a few drops of water can help reveal sweeter flavors while making the whiskey a little easier to handle. If you're relatively new to bourbon, it's perhaps best to try a few others here first, but if high-proof bourbon is your thing, this deserves serious consideration.

If you wanted a balanced and affordable regular release from Michter's Distillery, the US*1 Small Batch comes to the rescue. This is a bourbon that seemingly prioritizes refinement over sheer intensity. You'll enjoy a polished and approachable style of small batch, but one that still has plenty of deep flavor. That richness is immediately apparent on the nose, as it's easy to pick out its caramel along with some toasted oak and fruits. It's a lovely aroma that's matched by the tasting experience to follow.

You're not going to be greeted by anything too challenging in the flavor notes of Michter's US*1. Instead, you'll find sumptuous butterscotch, laid on a foundation of elegant cinnamon and oak, with an enjoyable thread of red fruits for additional layers of flavor. At 91.4 proof, there's enough weight here but without approaching anything close to hot or difficult to drink. It may lack the punch of some other bottles here, but that may well suit your tastes. For something well-rounded and beautifully balanced, it's hard to beat. Whether you're new to small batch or an experienced whiskey drinker, Michter's US*1 Small Batch never disappoints.

For those who enjoy tasting bourbon from outside Kentucky, Smoke Wagon Small Batch is one of the more intriguing releases here. Made in Nevada by H&C Distilling Co., it's a whiskey that's rich and full-bodied. A part of the reason for that is that it's a high-rye bourbon, helping to give it a noticeably spicier character than many other bottles here. That rye influence doesn't overwhelm the whisky, but it may provide a lot more heat than you're used to if you're not an experienced drinker.

While the rye may have its say, you'll find plenty of oak and sweetness here to keep things balanced. That sweetness mainly comes from a lovely caramel, ably supported by vanilla. The spice quickly follows, with you being able to pick out individual notes such as cinnamon, clove, and pepper. There's also, perhaps, a hint of cherry, but this is mostly an earthier bourbon for those who prefer their whiskey a little more grounded. The 100-proof helps to give it plenty of power, but the creamy mouthfeel keeps it easy enough to drink. If you want a small batch that's bold without being overbearing, Smoke Wagon makes a strong case here, away from the traditional names.

As I mentioned before, I feel the essence of small-batch bourbon is in those expressions that have a distinct personality, and Knob Creek 9-year certainly does. Knob Creek has a fascinating personality and an intriguing history, with this seemingly reflected in the glass. Produced by Jim Beam, this is a full-bodied whiskey that comes with a 9-year age statement along with its small batch designation. As with Smoke Wagon, it's a bourbon that has sweetness but excels more with its earthy flavors, with a personality that's hinted at in the nose, as you'll enjoy some aromas of roasted nuts and cinnamon.

The nuttiness in the flavor is present on the palate and gives it uniqueness that would allow any experienced drinker to immediately guess what they were drinking in a blind taste test. Oak adds to the earthy foundation, as do cinnamon and black pepper, and there's still plenty of classical bourbon sweetness here, along with hints of chocolate and dried fruit. It's the type of whiskey where you'll enjoy finding new notes with each sip. It isn't overly robust or complex, but it is distinctly Knob Creek. If you enjoy this classic whiskey, it can open you up to many similarly great bourbons to enjoy.

Another fantastic expression that comes from outside Kentucky is this small batch from Garrison Brothers. Produced at its distillery in Texas, it's a bourbon that's heavily influenced by the climate in which it's matured; whiskey matures more quickly in warmer temperatures, allowing the barrels from Garrison Brothers to have greater interaction between the whiskey and its oak barrels. This produces a rich, concentrated profile despite the relatively young age of the whiskey. The result is a bourbon that feels considerably more mature and intense than its age might suggest.

The nose gives you a nice initial wave of caramel and vanilla sweetness, along with toasted oak and a hint of fruit. As you take your first sips, you'll notice how its sweet notes are both rich and warming, with some brown sugar entering the equation. There's a notable oak influence, with cinnamon and dark fruits helping to give it even greater depth. This is a fascinating whiskey with plenty of sweetness, but those earthy notes stop it from being too dessert-like. Meanwhile, the oak and spice are also tempered, allowing it to have balance, despite its big and bold flavors. A bottle will usually set you back around $80, but with that, you're paying for something genuinely different with excellent quality.

I've looked at a few expensive small-batch bourbons in this list so far, but Elijah Craig Small Batch is much more budget-friendly at around $30. Despite that lower price, you'll still get an excellent bourbon. This one sits in that middle ground between lighter, easygoing bourbons and more powerful high-proof expressions. 

Bottled at 94 proof, the whiskey has a flavor profile that's rich but balanced, with butterscotch, toasted oak, nutmeg, and hints of dark fruit. The oak is noticeable without dominating the sweeter elements, while a gentle peppery spice and smoky char add some extra depth. The finish also lingers for an impressive amount of time, giving you a lovely warmth on the tongue. It has enough character to work well on classic bourbon cocktails, but it's more than good enough to work on its own. 

Perhaps the biggest strength of Elijah Craig Small Batch is its consistency. There are more complex and intensely flavored bourbons available here, but few offer such a reliable combination of depth, balance, and accessibility. If you're new to small-batch bourbons and are wondering about the easiest place to start, you can't go wrong with Elijah Craig.

The Peerless name may go back to the 1880s, but the modern distillery produced its first batch of whiskey in 2015. Since then, it's been able to create an impressive range of bourbons in a short space of time, including this small batch. Part of the reason this bourbon is so interesting is because the distillery uses the sweet mash process, instead of the much more common sour mash. This allows Kentucky Peerless to have greater control over the process, as it's making a fresh batch every time instead of using a portion of leftover mash for the next batch.

This is a slower process, but one that can often give a whiskey that's full of character, even at a young age. This bourbon is built around a high-rye mash bill, giving it more spice and character than you might expect from a sweeter, traditional Kentucky bourbon. It's also bottled at 108 proof, so there's plenty of strength behind the flavor, without the whiskey feeling unnecessarily aggressive. You still get that classic sweetness, especially with rich caramel. That's contrasted by a mix of spice, especially from cinnamon and pepper, with toasted oak, brown sugar, and a hint of chocolate adding to a distinctive personality. Peerless has the richness you'd expect from a well-made bourbon, but the high rye content and proof give it enough edge to make it stand out from the crowd.

Produced at the Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, the brand takes its name from the year Kentucky officially became a state. Its small-batch bourbon is a great introduction to 1792's range of whiskeys. This whiskey strikes a comfortable balance between flavor and approachability. Its high-rye mash bill gives the whiskey a noticeable peppery spice, but there's also a delicious butterscotch sweetness, along with toasted oak, to provide plenty of character. That oak lays a nice foundation for the other flavors without it being dominant.

What I like about the 1792 Small Batch is that it doesn't feel overly polished. That may sound like a downside, but I feel that having some attitude should be part of the charm of small-batch bourbon. That said, it's still easy to drink, with a moderately long finish that allows you to enjoy its spicier notes, along with a lingering caramel. At around the $30 mark, it's a bourbon that offers an impressive amount of complexity for its affordable price.

This may not currently be the biggest name in whiskey, but Frank August Small Batch Bourbon was voted best in the world in 2025. It's also one of the pricier options here, as it usually sits in the $70 to $80 range. This is an intriguing brand in many ways, because while many whiskeys lean towards bourbon history for their branding, Frank August takes a much more modern approach. The bourbon itself is bottled at 100-proof and allows it to have a substantial flavor profile without being overly hot.

There's a warmth on the nose, with hints at the rich and spicy bourbon that's soon to follow on your taste buds. This whiskey has an elegant sweetness, especially with its caramel flavors, which are balanced by more robust notes. This all comes from touches of toasted oak, dark fruit, and orange. There's plenty of spice in the form of cinnamon and black pepper, with these notes lingering on a nice, warm finish. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of this bourbon is the smooth and creamy mouthfeel these flavors are carried on. Overall, Frank August proves itself as a modern small-batch bourbon worthy of standing up against the bigger brand names.

I'm ending this list with a worthy option if you're simply looking for an affordable small-batch bourbon. As with Knob Creek above, Four Roses is one of the most fascinating brands in the whiskey industry, but most importantly, it combines its quirky history with brilliant whiskey. Four Roses Small Batch provides a great insight into the trademark taste you'll enjoy from this distillery. One quirky aspect of Four Roses is how it uses 10 different recipes for its whiskey. Four of those go into this one and it helps to create an expression with more complexity than you may expect from its price point under $40.

While it doesn't dominate the palate, the trademark taste I referred to above comes from Four Roses generally being much fruitier than most other bourbons. That mainly presents as deep red berry flavors, such as cherry. Alongside this, you'll get lovely vanilla and caramel notes, carried on a smooth mouthfeel. Depth is added by cinnamon and pepper spice, but with only a faint hint of oak. It's one of the more approachable bourbons here, as it doesn't have intensity like Booker's or deep earthy flavors like Knob Creek. Instead, it's well-balanced, with that fruity influence giving the type of unique personality you want from great small-batch bourbon.

I have extensive experience with bourbon, which includes enjoying whiskey from major producers, independent bottlers, and smaller distilleries. This experience has given me the expertise to look beyond the words "small batch" and dig a little deeper to only focus on the bourbons that are both worthy of this designation and deserve recommendation here. The only rule I had was the producer's own designation, but it's far from a list of producers that happen to use that term.

I believe every selection here has something to offer to anyone looking for the individual charm and personality that should come with a small-batch bourbon. The result should be a collection that gives you a great introduction to the category along with plenty of useful information that can aid you in your whiskey journey.