The word "smooth" may seem overused to some whiskey drinkers. It's alright. You have the right to your own view. Other terms that sound a little less cliche are subtle, mellow, creamy, velvety, or even sophisticated. However, none of these terms evoke the same feelings as smooth. You may understand exactly what someone means when they say that a bourbon is smooth. Or at least that's how you feel. However, what is a smooth bourbon? To put it simply, a smooth bourbon is one that was produced with premium ingredients, distilled by skilled distillers using well-maintained equipment, and aged for several years in barrels made of charred American oak. It has no overpowering flavors, scents, or adjuncts. The guys over Men's Journal have compiled a list of what they think is the smoothest bourbons - let's dive in.
This Wyoming Bourbon, which is distilled and aged in Kirby, Wyoming, where temperatures range from below freezing in the winter to over 130 degrees in the summer, is aged for at least five years in charred, white oak barrels. Buy it now!
Five "Whiskey of the Year" awards have been given to Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage 2013 Bourbon Whiskey. Buy it now!
The mash bill of this wheated expression has a comparatively large amount of wheat (45%). As a result, the whiskey is generally sweeter and softer. Buy it now!
Bottled at 100 percent, this Knob Creek is matured for 12 years. Buy it now!
Only one of Four Roses' unique bourbon formulations is used in this expression, which was curated by Master Distiller Brent Elliott. It highlights the individuality of each barrel from which it is extracted and is bottled at 100 percent. Buy it now!
This Kentucky straight bourbon, which has been aged for at least ten years, was awarded the title of "Best Bourbon" at the 2013 International Wine and Spirits Competition and took home a gold medal from the 2017 World Whisky Masters. Buy it now!
Pappy Van Winkle's original bourbon recipe is honored in this whiskey, which is a combination of six to twelve-year-old bourbon. Buy it now!
Garrison Brothers, founded in 2006 (though production may have begun earlier), is one of the first distilleries outside of Kentucky to produce authentic, handmade bourbon. Each bourbon expression is made from a sweet mash bill and aged in the Texas heat, which results in multiple aging seasons per year, and a bourbon that is darker, richer, fuller, and bolder than most others on the market.The bourbon itself is amber-crimson, handcrafted from a sweet mash of premium, #1 food-grade corn, soft red winter wheat from local farms, and two-row barley. Garrison Brothers doesn't source whiskey from elsewhere and never will. This bourbon is made – from corn-to-cork – in Hye, Texas, one barrel at a time. Buy it now!
Jim Murray's Whisky Bible named this bourbon the "Best Bourbon Aged 10-12 Years" after it was aged for about twelve years. Buy it now!
New charred American white oak barrels are used to age Michter's 10 Year Bourbon, which is beautifully created. Each single-barrel release, which has been aged for more than ten years in Kentucky's perfect climate, offers outstanding quality and unmatched craftsmanship in every drink. Buy it now!