10 Best Double Oaked Bourbon Brands Ranked (2023 Updated)
Last Updated on August 22, 2023 by Lydia Martin
Exceptional double-oaked bourbons call for a premium over your usual pour, but if you want to enjoy more oak, they’re well worth the price.
Double-oaked expressions, or double-barreled for some, let rye and bourbon drinkers experience more of what they enjoy– delivering bold woody notes with a balance of flavors.
If you’re interested in exploring these expressions, here are the best double-oaked bourbons that will turn your drinking moment into an extraordinary experience.
Top 10 Double-Oaked Bourbons (Must-Sip)
10. Old Forester 1910 Very Fine Whisky
Average Price: around $54.99/750ml (MSRP)
Alcohol Content: 46.5% ABV
Why We Like It: Old Forester 1910 is a part of the brand’s Whiskey Row series, produced at the Brown-Forman facility in Kentucky.
Unlike the standard barrels, taking around 22 seconds to fire, this Very Fine Whisky takes 50 seconds.
It’s charred to the point where it can barely hold liquor, then aged in the barrels for at least six months.
9. Michter’s Toasted Barrel Bourbon
Average Price: around $55/750ml (MSRP)
Alcohol Content: 47.5% ABV
Why We Like It: The first release of Michter’s Toasted Barrel Bourbon was three years in the making.
While this bourbon is first aged in white oak barrels, the finishing involves lightly toasted barrels.
Charred barrels bring out the burnt sugar and oak flavors, while the second one adds a bit of spice to this impressive spirit.
8. Ragged Branch Double Oaked Bourbon Bottle in Bond
Average Price: around $49.95/750ml (MSRP)
Alcohol Content: 63.12% ABV
Why We Like It: The aroma of oak and toasty malt is very enticing. The flavors then develop on the tongue with hints of sweet tobacco and vanilla bean.
After a few drops of water, this bourbon [1] shows hints of dark chocolate and caramel, followed by a smooth and full-bodied finish.
7. Hidden Still – David E. Double Oaked Bourbon
Average Price: around $42/750ml (MSRP)
Alcohol Content: 48.5% ABV
Why We Like It: Hidden Still – David E. Bourbon Double Oaked delivers a medium finish. We like the smooth and creamy palate, highlighted by stone fruit and brown sugar.
The oak bite lingers, and the small amount of burn has hints of soft cinder on the throat.
Overall, this is a good expression — satisfyingly delicious.
6. Kentucky Peerless Double Oak
Average Price: around $85/750ml (MSRP)
Alcohol Content: 54.9% ABV
Why We Like It: Kentucky Peerless Double Oak is a rich pour filled with oak flavors and enhanced by its dark-chocolate color.
Due to its savory notes, we recommend this expression if you’re into drinking intense and flavorful bourbons.
There are a few lower-priced double-barreled brands similar to this, but this one is likely to be the most intense of them all.
5. Tom’s Town Double Oaked Bourbon
Average Price: around $37/750ml (MSRP)
Alcohol Content: 45% ABV
Why We Like It: Tom’s Town Double Oaked Bourbon is a spicy and warm expression with notes of honey, maple, and butterscotch.
This is a great crowd-pleaser that’s perfect for any cocktail.
The wood stave finishing process is carried out in white American oak barrels.
After that, the barrels are filled with American and French oak staves, adding notes of caramel without the bitterness that can occur with aging.
4. Prichard’s Double Barreled Bourbon
Average Price: around $50/750ml (MSRP)
Alcohol Content: 45% ABV
Why We Like It: The quality flavor of this Prichard’s Double Barreled Bourbon is due to its unique labor-intensive process that produces a high-proof expression.
“A classy, effortless delivery. The corn-rye integration oozes sophistication, and the vanilla-themed oak offers the perfect background. Immediate bittersweet character celebrates both a raisin-fruity juiciness and a much firmer, burned-honeycombed middle; complex, classy and challenging; thuddingly firm with limited yield.”
— Jim Murray, Journalist.
We totally agree with what Jim Murray stated in his 2009 Whiskey Bible; the spices on this bourbon is a Kentucky thoroughbred, but with a distinct flavor– different from typical expressions.
3. Noble Oak Double Oak Bourbon
Average Price: around $31.99/750ml (MSRP)
Alcohol Content: 45% ABV
Why We Like It: We find Noble Oak Bourbon rich and complex, with aromas of caramel corn, kola nut, and circus peanut.
It has a bright and dry finish with hints of sweet corn, cherries, cinnamon, and black pepper. This is a great everyday bourbon that’s perfect enough to be sipped.
2. Jim Beam Double Oak
Average Price: around $22.99/750ml (MSRP)
Alcohol Content: 43% ABV
Why We Like It: This expression blends Jim Beam’s various characteristics with a twist. It will surely appeal to fans of other corn-forward brands.
The nose features creamy vanilla, old oak, and milk chocolate with a hint of cardamom.
It has an oaky flavor on the palate, followed by waves of vanilla ice cream, finishing with a touch of charred oak toastiness.
1. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked
Average Price: around $54.95/750ml (MSRP)
Alcohol Content: 45.2% ABV
Why We Like It: The unique combination of charred oak barrels used in making Woodford Reserve Double Oaked creates a rich and bold flavor.
The aroma features dark fruit, chocolate, and sharp honey.
The palate offers a full-bodied blend of dark caramel, vanilla, and fruit, followed by lingering hints of honeyed apple on the finish.
FAQs
What makes a bourbon double-oaked?
Bourbon double-oaked expressions are uniquely aged in two separate charred oak barrels [2].
The second charred oak used is deeply toasted before light charring, producing an extra smooth and sweet character.
How do you drink double-oaked bourbon?
You should drink double-oaked bourbon neat with a splash of water to enjoy its powerful flavor balance.
Also, you can add ice to tone down the alcohol for a nice combo of aroma and flavors.
Final Thoughts
While double-oaked bourbons might be too tannic for some, more drinkers prefer these expressions’ oak intensity and bold flavors.
For anyone into high-proof bottles with flavorsome notes, we suggest trying these double-oaked expressions that will satisfy your tastebuds and the bourbon spirit within you.
References:
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/food-science/bourbon-whiskey
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/oak-barrels
Jim Beam double oak is the best of the budget Beams, but it is not second on this list good. Woodford is definitely the best!