You may see this headline and think I’m going to recommend a bunch of Pumpkin Spice-flavored bourbons, and listen: I may be a basic boy and yes, of course, I enjoy a PSL. I’m a sucker for cider, mulled and otherwise. I have a long list of horror movies I watch over the course of October, and I love the crunch of leaves under my feet and the sight of my breath in the crisp autumn air. But no, despite the fact that they do exist, I have never tried any of the pumpkin-inspired bourbons on the market (yes, there is more than one).
I love fall, and I love bourbon. Really, I love all whiskeys (especially the budget-friendly bottles at Costco), but bourbon has held a special place in my heart for almost as long as I’ve been drinking. It’s sweeter than most whiskeys, and typically has tasting notes that I can’t get enough of: toffee, caramel, vanilla — yum.
Fall also happens to be my favorite season (in case you glossed over me waxing poetic in that opening paragraph). And yes, believe it or not, I have a couple of bourbons I especially enjoy drinking during those precious months. If you need a new go-to bourbon to sip or pair with some fall drinks and eats, here are a few of my favorites.
1. Lost Lantern Far-Flung Bourbon III
Autumn fills me with a need to have cozy gatherings with friends. (I suppose it doesn’t hurt that fall is really the start of the big holiday season.) Lost Lantern’s Far-Flung Bourbons do something similar by bringing multiple distilleries together to create unique blends.
This batch, the distillery’s current iteration of Far-Flung, blends bourbons from six different distilleries in six different states, all with different climates. The resulting blend happens to be filled with flavors I associate with fall (also the start of prime baking season): spices like ground cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom. There are hints of apple, caramel, vanilla, toasted nuts, and, naturally, warm oak.
It’s a wonderful bourbon for group hangs — a beautiful addition to a mug of hot cider and packs plenty of complex flavor you can enjoy sipping neat.
Buy: Lost Lantern Far-Flung Bourbon III, $100 for 750 mL at Lost Lantern
2. Redwood Empire Grizzly Beast Straight Bourbon
Where Lost Lantern’s Far-Flung bourbon is heavy on spicy, oaky notes, Redwood Empire’s Grizzly Beast is a little more fruit-forward. On the nose, it has a toasty sweetness, like a toasted marshmallow, and on the palate, it’s got wonderful dried fruit notes and a full-bodied richness that, to me, screams DESSERT — but don’t worry, it’s not overly sweet. It has some of the same spicy notes you’d expect from a bourbon.
3. Taffer’s Browned Butter Bourbon
For this final recommendation, I called in a ringer. Steve Orlando, former Upstate Sales Manager for PM Spirits turned comic book author. This is one of his favorite fall bourbons, and I can see why. You may be familiar with the concept of fat-washing liquor (a type of infusion where you mix liquor with liquid fat, let it infuse, then remove the fat) — folks do this with bacon fat, olive oil, and yes, browned butter.
Taffer’s has gone ahead and done the work for you to create this delicious bourbon. “It has a powerful brown butter flavor without being cloying,” Orlando says. “Nor is it syrupy. It maintains its bourbon characteristics, bitterness, and spice, which balances the richness.” His favorite way to have it is shaken with iced coffee, a splash of cream, and sugar or simple syrup. I imagine it would do just as well in a hot coffee.
Buy: Taffer’s Browned Butter Bourbon, $32.99 for 750 mL at Total Wine
Did your favorite fall bourbon make the list? Tell us about it in the comments below.
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