Five Bourbons to Get You Through the Trump Presidency

These also apply to every President you do not like.

Let’s get some stuff out of the way: For one, very few things are more American than bourbon. In 1964, Congress declared bourbon to be a “distinctive product of the United States,” officially raising the American-ness level of the spirit to baseball and apple pie. Bourbon is produced in the United States and in the United States alone, and that’s pretty neat. Even if you don’t drink at all, you can at least be proud of it. The other thing we should all remember: Despite the provocative title of this piece, everyone is going to disagree with the actions of a current (or former) president, and some of those people are going to need a few drinks to help them get through it. To that end, let’s celebrate both how great America is and also how bad politicians can be.

One piece of advice I will give before we get into the actual whiskey selection: The only way to truly enjoy bourbon is to do it sober. When you get drunk/drink too much, your taste buds dull your ability to pick up any sort of nuance associated with a bourbon’s flavor profile. You can’t appreciate all of the subtlety of a 15 year-old bourbon if the room is spinning. Stay sober!

Another final thing I’ll say before we get into the whiskey: I’m excluding certain bourbons from this list because the average person is not going to pay $200, let alone $1,600 for a bottle of bourbon (Pappy Van Winkle), or are so rare they are almost impossible to find (W.L. Weller 12 Year).

Now, let’s do this:

5. Larceny ~$25

I have a lot of friends who ask me about bourbons like Maker’s Mark and Bulleit. Those are not what you’d call “sipping” bourbons (i.e., bourbons you can drink straight or on the rocks), but they do the job in a cocktail. Larceny is a great alternative to both of them.

While it is perfectly acceptable to drink in a cocktail, it’s also good out of the bottle. It’s pretty sweet (not quite as sweet as Maker’s), so if you do use it in an Old Fashioned or Sazerac, it’s best to hold back a little on the sugar/simple syrup.

Overall, you’re getting a great deal for your money. It’s usually about $5 cheaper than both Maker’s and Bulleit (on average). While it’s a little bit more expensive than some of the “bargain” brands like Jim Beam and Old Grandaddy, any good bartender will tell you: Good cocktails start with good ingredients. Larceny meets that criteria better than any other bourbon at its price point.

4. Eagle Rare ~$30

I know the heading here says around $30, but you should interpret that in the most liberal way possible. I’m in Denver currently, and my local liquor store is selling bottles of Eagle Rare for $30. But back in New York (where I’m from originally), I’ve seen bottles sell for $40, twice the price of what my buddy originally paid for it when he gave it to me as a gift a few years ago.

All that said, Eagle Rare is probably an under-priced bourbon. Like Larceny, feel free to put it in a cocktail, but it is a perfectly fine sipping bourbon. From a visual standpoint, its caramel color is exactly what you’d expect out of a whiskey. On the other hand, the complexity of its taste rivals a lot of the higher-end bourbons. You’ll probably see the regular “Kentucky Straight” version floating around your local liquor store, but if you see the 17 year sitting on a shelf, grab it quickly; it retails for around $70, but goes for $200+ amongst connoisseurs searching for the rare bottle.

3. Hudson Valley Baby Bourbon ~$45

There is a myth floating around that says “bourbon” can only be Bourbon™ if it’s distilled in Kentucky. Obviously, New York’s Tuthilltown Spirits is disabusing that notion. Their Baby Bourbon has won several awards over the past few years.

If you want to know how bourbon was originally supposed to taste, Tuthilltown Spirts can get your pretty close to the real thing. At 100% corn, to call it “corn-forward” would be an understatement, and if you want a real hit of that flavor, drink it on the rocks. The brilliance is that despite this, the smokey vanilla and molasses hints normally associated with bourbon do not get lost. The distillery is also only a couple hours outside of NYC and worth visiting. They semi-recently introduced a 750ml bottle, which is a no brainer at $50, vs. 375m at $45.

2. Colonel E.H. Taylor ~$45

A couple things people should know about the bourbon industry: 1. It is steeped in American History. 2. A lot of that history is made up by the bourbon industry. Though its designed to look like an independent product, Colonel E.H. Taylor is actually put out by a huge distillery, Buffalo Trace. Like other distilleries, they have taken to appropriating the name of an American frontiersman associated with the early whiskey industry and slapped it on one of their bourbons. That doesn’t take anything away from the taste here; E.H. Taylor has fruit notes, spice from its rye content, and chocolate. The only issue is the price point. While its fancy packaging makes it a great party gift, a lot of vendors use this to increase their asking price. In turn, it can run from anywhere between $40 to $65. If you see it on the higher end, it’s best to shop around. However, if you see the “Cured Oak” bottle selling for $65, pick it up; it’s currently going for $735 amongst collectors.

1. Knob Creek Limited Edition 2001 ~$160

While the price on this bourbon might turn some people off, it was one of the finest bourbons to come out last year. It’s Knob Creek’s very first limited edition and it’s a smooth 15-year old that tastes like honey and vanilla. 90% of the bourbons you see on a shelf will not be aged for this long. A lot of the time, this is the reason for the price difference between scotch and bourbon. Again, it’s $160, but if think about it buying bourbon is supporting the corn industry which is good for the environment (?).

Honorable Mention: Breckenridge Bourbon

Breckenridge Distillery gets a mention mostly because this is actually a great bourbon, but also because Colorado deserves a shoutout. The bonus here is actually the price point: It’s pretty easy to find for $35 in Colorado, but you may be paying $45 if you’re picking this up somewhere else.

One final note:

It’s finally spring, which means you should be drinking spring cocktails with bourbon. The best in that regard? The Brown Derby.

Recipe is here.