LONDON (Parliament Politics Magazine) – The native spirit of America is an exceptional way to keep warm in autumn and tastes great as a companion of a whiskey cocktail or neat. Below are the top five bourbons available in markets of the UK.
1. Kings County Bourbon
The oldest (and largest) whiskey distillery still in operation in New York City and the first after prohibition is the King’s County distillery, which produces this New York bourbon. It is brewed with English Golden Promise barley and 80% New York organic maize from the Finger Lakes, and it is then aged for three to six years in virgin American charred oak barrels.
Kings County Bourbon has overtones of dark berries as well as strong aromas of vanilla and caramel. On the famous culture website Uproxx, whiskey specialist Christopher Osburn hiskey wrote, “Give this whiskey a proper nosing and you’ll find scents of maraschino cherries, vanilla beans, freshly-brewed coffee, and toffee. It ends with a warming, final kick of cinnamon sugar and caramel.”
2. Never Say Die (Bourbon Barrel Strength)
This premium bourbon, which was created in the US but aged in Britain, was influenced by the illustrious racehorse of the same name that was born on co-founder Pat Madden’s family property in Kentucky. The distinctive bottle was inspired by the colours jockey Lester Piggott wore riding Never Say Die in 1954. He won the race before a huge crowd of about 250,000 which Queen Elizabeth and Winston Churchill were a part.
The whiskey is distilled in Kentucky, aged on an ocean voyage across the Atlantic for six weeks, and then matured in barrels in the Derbyshire peaks. This process gives the whiskey a distinctive flavour with vibrant spice and citrus notes that blend into leather, vanilla and caramel with a smooth lasting finish.
3. Small Batch Select
The first permanent addition to the brand’s collection in the UK in 13 years, Small Batch Select, has just been launched by Four Roses, a 133-year-old bourbon distillery based in Kentucky. The six distinctive recipes that make up Small Batch Select have all been matured for between six and seven years. On the scent, it has hints of nutmeg, clove, and raspberry. On the tongue, it has lively apricot, vanilla, and oak flavours. The finish has hints of a pinch of cinnamon and bright spearmint.
Small Batch Select can be mixed into drinks like a Manhattan or Mint Julep or consumed neat.
4. Bourbon Bourbon Candy Cane
Have you ever wondered what bourbon whiskey and bourbon biscuits would taste like together? You may now truly taste this divine mix thanks to Bourbon Bourbon, which is produced in the UK. Throw in a candy cane and you have a delicious holiday beverage made with Kentucky bourbon, vanilla, peppermint, dark chocolate, authentic bourbon biscuits, and real candy canes.
Bourbon Bourbon Candy Cane is the ideal spirit for a year-end party because it may be enjoyed neat or mixed into a cocktail for Christmas. Reviewer Master of Malt said it was “absolutely delicious in an old fashioned”. “Was worried that this might be cloying but the sugar is in check and the flavours blend perfectly.”
5. Howler Head
This autumn, Howler Head, a high quality premium spirit with a distinctive natural banana flavour, was introduced in the UK. The liquor is produced at the Green River Distilling Company in Owensboro, Kentucky. They use premium grains, a proprietary yeast, and water that has been filtered through Kentucky limestone to increase its mineral content.
The spirit is first distilled in a 100-year-old Vendome column still made entirely of copper, and it is then matured for two years in barrels made of American white oak in conventional wood rick houses. Banana flavour is then added to the whiskey, giving it a gentle sweet kick at the end. You can sip Howler Head with a beer, use it in a whiskey cocktail or take it neat.
