10 Bottles People Reach for Instead of Jack Daniel’s
10 Bottles People Reach for Instead of Jack Daniel’s
Are you sick of consuming the same old alcoholic beverages whenever you go out or meet up with friends? Do you want to try something new but don't want to risk buying a pricey but unknown bottle? Do not be concerned. After comparing numerous web lists compiled by various whiskey reviewers and experts, we were able to identify the brands that typically rank in the top 10. As with any product, some will do better in one category than another, but we chose whiskeys that were generally rated higher than Jack Daniel's for our list. We are certain that you will appreciate a glass of any of these a bit more than you usually do, even though we did not rank them according to price or quality.
George Dickel
George A. Dickel was born in a little eastern Tennessee village forty years after the Declaration of Independence was signed. Dickel was a well-known trader in Nashville by 1867, but he relocated his family to Tullahoma, which is in south-central Tennessee, and bought the Cascade Hollow Distillery there. Dickel, who adopted the Scottish custom of spelling whisky without a "e," declared that his spirits were on par with the best scotch after putting in endless hours at the distillery. Shop George Dickel Whisky!
Old Forester
A young Kentucky pharmaceutical salesman named George Garvin Brown recognized the need in 1870 for a premium whiskey that would not be tampered with after distillation. In order to create Old Forester's consistent flavor profile, Brown and his brother saved $5,500 and established J.T.S. Brown & Bro. They then started batching barrels of bourbon from respectable Louisville distilleries. Old Forester was the first bottled bourbon available because Brown, in contrast to other bourbon manufacturers at the time, bottled his whiskey in sealed glass bottles to guarantee authenticity and quality. Old Forester has been available for purchase continually from its launch in 1870, even throughout the Prohibition era when it was still being marketed for medical purposes. It is the only bourbon that the founding family has consistently produced and sold prior to, during, and after Prohibition. Shop Old Forester Whiskey!
George T. Stagg
Located in Frankfort, Kentucky, near the Kentucky River, Buffalo Trace Distillery gets its name from an old road that buffalo used to migrate west. Pioneering settlers eventually used the trail, which was well-known among Native Americans, to bridge the Ohio River and follow the buffalo trace to the Western frontier. The oldest distillery still in operation in the United States is Buffalo Trace Distillery, which has a long history thanks to master distillers including George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, Elmer T. Lee, and E.H. Taylor, Jr. The distillery, which has been in operation for more than 200 years on the same 130 acres of land next to the Kentucky River, is still family-owned today. Shop George T. Stagg Whiskey!
Michter's
A Swiss Mennonite farmer named John Shenk established his family close to Pennsylvania's Blue Mountain Valley in the 18th century. Shenk was gathering additional crops to sell at the neighborhood market after a few years of arduous labor and long hours. Consequently, Shenk bought a still and started turning the extra grains he collected into whiskey. His distillery became the first distilling enterprise in the United States and was later renamed Michter's. Shop Michter's Whiskey!
Buffalo Trace
Buffalo Trace Distillery, which is situated on the Kentucky River in Frankfort, Kentucky, gets its name from an old road that buffalo used to migrate west. Eventually, pioneering settlers who crossed the Ohio River and followed the buffalo route to the Western frontier traveled the trail, which was well-known among Native Americans. The rich traditions of master distillers like E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee are preserved at Buffalo Trace Distillery, the oldest distillery still in continuous operation in the United States. Operating on the same 130 acres of land next to the Kentucky River as it has for more than 200 years, the distillery is still family-owned today. Shop Buffalo Trace Whiskey!
Weller
William Larue Weller came home to Kentucky after serving in the Louisville Brigade during the Mexican-American War. In the late 18th century, his family had contributed to the settlement of Kentucky, and in 1800, his grandpa, Daniel Weller, bought a distillery in Nelson County. (Daniel Weller's estate was inventoried after his death, and it was reported to have three barrels of whiskey, two stills, a mash kettle, and several dry kegs) Shop Weller Whiskey!
Colonel E.H. Taylor
Taylor acquired a tiny distillery on the Kentucky River's banks in 1869. Taylor started updating and modernizing the distillery after naming it O.F.C. Distillery (OFC stood for Old Fire Copper). He bought copper fermentation tanks, new grain grinding machinery, and distinctive columnar stills. Taylor also used a number of cutting-edge distillation methods during his time there, such as maturing bourbon in climate-controlled rickhouses. The vast majority of distilleries at the time had yet to age their whiskey. Some distillers and retailers sweetened their bourbon with juices and syrups to make it more drinkable, while others added tobacco and acid to give the whiskey its distinctive amber color. Shop Colonel E.H. Taylor Whiskey!
Woodford Reserve
In the 1800s, Elijah and his son Oscar Pepper established a historic distillery on which the Woodford Reserve Distillery now stands. The distillery transformed the ideas of sour mash and yeast propagation, and years later, under the direction of Oscar and Master Distiller James Crow, it underwent a transformation and modernization to produce whiskey in the United States. The distillery is currently one of the smallest and oldest bourbon distilleries in Kentucky. It is the only location where bourbon and horses are aged together, and it is tucked away in the center of the Commonwealth's thoroughbred heartland. Additionally, it is one of the few alcohol companies in the world that owns a cooperage and crafts own barrels, which allows for extremely precise toast and char standards. Shop Woodford Reserve Whiskey!
Van Winkle
The W.L. Weller & Sons Company in Louisville, Kentucky, hired Julian Pappy Van Winkle Sr. as a traveling salesman in 1893. As a wholesaler of whiskey, Weller & Sons offered bourbon under several brands, including as Rebel Yell and Old Fitzgerald. Van Winkle bought Weller & Sons Co. and the Stitzel Distillery, which made the majority of the bourbons the distributor sold, after the year 2000 and combined the two businesses. Van Winkle was given permission to keep running his distillery and making whiskey for medical use, even though most distilleries were forced to close during Prohibition. Van Winkle was the nation's oldest active distiller when he passed away in 1966 at the age of 91. Shop Van Winkle Whiskey!
Wild Turkey
The Ripy Brothers returned to their home state of Kentucky after the American Civil War ended, and they established a distillery together on a hillside in Lawrenceburg. Before the 18th Amendment, which forbade the sale of alcoholic beverages in the US, was enacted, the distillery ran continuously for about 50 years. A distillery executive called Thomas McCarthy received samples of aging whiskey from the Ripy Brothers Distillery while hunting turkeys with a group of friends after the company reopened after Prohibition ended. The new name of the distillery came about after his companions asked him to bring "some of that wild turkey whiskey" on their next hunt the following year. Master Distiller Jimmy Russell and his son Eddie Russell, who have over 90 years of combined bourbon-making experience, are currently in charge of Wild Turkey Distillery. "I was born and raised in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky," Jimmy explains. "I grew up in a small town, but there were four bourbon distilleries here, and family members worked in every distillery." You desired to enter the industry. My father, my grandpa, myself, and now my kid have all worked in the industry. Shop Wild Turkey Whiskey!
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