Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

At 80 proof, this is an easy pour. Caramel and vanilla lead, soft and sweet, with toasted coconut sitting just behind them. Baking spice keeps it from turning flat, and dried fruit shows up late alongside the oak. It takes ice well without washing out, and it mixes cleanly into an old fashioned or a highball.

Seven years in ex-bourbon barrels is what gives the whiskey its color and its gentle sweetness. That is a real stretch of time for a bourbon at this strength, and it shows in how rounded the barrel character is rather than sharp or green.

Nothing is added after maturation, so what reaches the bottle is the whiskey and the barrel and nothing else. The 750 mL bottle is a straightforward Kentucky straight bourbon to keep on hand for weeknight drinking, and it holds up equally well on its own or in a glass with a cube.