20 Best Sweet Bourbon Brands Listed (2023 Updated)
Last Updated on August 22, 2023 by Lydia Martin
Bourbon is one of the most well-loved distilled spirits because of its versatile and complex flavor profile. However, some people find the complex flavors intimidating and settle on drinking it on the rocks or as a cocktail.
If you want to try bourbon with the sweetest taste possible, here’s the best sweet bourbon that you should not miss out on.
Top 20 Sweet Bourbons You Should Try
20. Horse Soldier Signature Small Batch Bourbon
Average Price: Roughly $65.99 (Drizly)
Alcohol Content: 47.5%
Why We Like It:
Horse Soldier Signature Small Batch is one of the smoothest bourbons we have tasted, and if you are looking for a nice sipping bourbon, you can never go wrong with it.
It is surprisingly sweet, and despite its alcohol content, you can enjoy the bourbon straight.
It gives a sweet palate of caramel and vanilla, but it goes deeper and will give you some hints of spicy ginger and butterscotch.
Fruity notes are evident on every sip, but it has an impressively smooth and mellow finish.
19. Early Times Bottled-in-Bond
Average Price: Roughly $24.99
Alcohol Content: 50%
Why We Like It:
Early Times Kentucky Straight bourbon whiskey is BiB bourbon, and even though it boasts such high proof, you can expect sweetness and rich dried fruit notes on the drink.
Early Times is a good bourbon that will give you reminiscent of baked goods.
While it is not as popular as other bourbons in the market today, it gives surprisingly great notes in every sip.
The BiB whiskey provides interesting fruit notes like sour cherry and pomegranate, as well as a fair amount of chocolate, oak, and nuts. It is best to be enjoyed straight or on the rocks.
18. Black Eagle Honey Bourbon
Average Price: Roughly $13.49 (Total Wine)
Alcohol Content: 35%
Why We Like It:
Black Eagle Indiana bourbon is one of the smoothest bourbons available today. It is an old-style hand-crafted drink distilled from premium quality ingredients for a full bourbon character.
The sweet Southern honey flavor blends perfectly with the oak character of the bourbon.
It is easy to sip and enjoyable to drink as a cocktail because it is full of sweet oak flavor.
17. Blanton’s Single Barrel
Average Price: Roughly $129.99 (Drizly)
Alcohol Content: 46%
Why We Like It:
Blanton’s Single Barrel is a pride of Buffalo Trace, one of the highly limited sweet treats that bourbon drinkers would be lucky to get their hands on.
Blanton’s is one of the best bourbons with satisfying sweetness and delicious punch.
The limited-edition blend features an interplay of vanilla, nutmeg, and honey notes. We also find some nutmeg and spice that gives plenty of character to the whiskey.
16. Double Oaked Woodford Reserve
Average Price: Roughly $59.99 (Drizly)
Alcohol Content: 45.2%
Why We Like It:
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked is one of the best bourbons you can enjoy neat and on the rocks. The deep amber whiskey has rich notes of caramel, dried fruit, and toasted oak.
Woodford Reserve Double Oaked has a rich mix of dark caramel, apple, baking spice, dark chocolate, and creamy vanilla in every sip.
It is sweet, but it has multi-layers of flavor which is why you should not miss out on it.
Read: Our Favorite Bourbons With Vanilla Notes
15. Four Roses Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Average Price: Roughly $24.50 (Drizly)
Alcohol Content: 40%
Why We Like It:
Four Roses Kentucky Straight is perfect for bourbon beginners because it has a mellow and smooth finish.
You can savor the unique flavors and aromas of Four Roses bourbon neat, on the rocks, or as a cocktail.
On the nose, Four Roses has floral essence and a sweet and gentle aroma, while the great bourbon has a smooth and soft profile on the palate.
The fresh fruit, pear, apple, and sweet honey notes of Four Roses are evident in every sip.
Read: Popular Four Roses Bourbon Variants
14. Jefferson’s Reserve Very Old Small Batch
Average Price: Roughly $52.99 (Drizly)
Alcohol Content: 41.15%
Why We Like It:
Jefferson’s Reserve Very Old Small Batch is a fresh honey-forward drink with nice toffee and caramel flavors throughout every sip.
It is best consumed neat because you will get lots of sweet and autumn spices like cinnamon, tobacco, and nutmeg.
Jefferson’s Reserve can be one of your go-to sweet bourbons because it has an accessible flavor combination that works well neat and in cocktails.
Jefferson’s Reserve has a nice flavor and character thanks to its premium mash bill ratio and the aging process.
13. Redemption High Rye Bourbon
Average Price: Roughly $44.99 (Drizly)
Alcohol Content: 46%
Why We Like It:
You may wonder what a high-rye whiskey does in the lineup of best sweet bourbons, but Redemption pulled off a nice blend of flavors.
While it gives a robust spice, the bourbon gives out well-placed cherry notes, brown sugar, oak, vanilla, and fresh honey.
Redemption bourbon is supremely sippable because it has a balance of sweetness and spiciness.
The rye gives spiciness to the bourbon, but you will still get plenty of dessert action, so it is great for bourbon beginners.
12. Rabbit Hole Dareringer
Average Price: Roughly $84.99 (Drizly)
Alcohol Content: 46.50%
Why We Like It:
Rabbit Hole Dareringer is one of the best sweet bourbons in the whiskey world.
Aside from its sleek design, the bourbon makes a bold statement because of its bold profile and remarkable sweet taste.
Rabbit Hole has a playful balance of caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, and cocoa. It has a luxe sherry nose and flavor profile because it is finished in a sherry cask after the liquor matured in oak barrels.
11. Garrison Brother’s Cowboy Bourbon
Average Price: Roughly $249.99 (Drizly)
Alcohol Content: 67.4%
Why We Like It:
Garrison Brother’s Cowboy bourbon is one of the best sweet bourbons you should not miss out on.
The high-octane booze has an unabashed sweetness with touches of pepper, caramel, oak, and citrus.
Garrison Brother’s is best served neat and on the rocks. We noticed loads of chocolate, molasses, rich brown sugar, and dates on our first sip to round the flavors. But how much sugar is in bourbon?
10. Firestone & Robertson TX Straight Bourbon
Average Price: Roughly $48.59
Alcohol Content: 45%
Why We Like It:
Firestone and Robertson TX Straight bourbon is a wheated bourbon, resulting in a dessert-like and well-balanced drink.
It brought home different awards from various spirits competitions [1] for its floral, maple, all-spice, fig, and sugary taste.
The candied fruit and vanilla note is evident in every sip. You can compare it to Maker’s Mark, which uses wheat as a secondary grain for the drink.
9. Elijah Craig Single Barrel
Average Price: Roughly $288.88 (Drizly)
Alcohol Content: 45%
Why We Like It:
Elijah Craig Single Barrel is one of the smoothest bourbons versatile enough to be consumed neat, on the rocks, or as cocktails.
It is robust, bold, and incredibly complex bourbon with amazing sweetness.
Elijah Craig is a well-aged bourbon, which is evident on the palate profile of the bourbon. It has rich corn, toffee, caramel, vanilla, apple pie, sweet oak, and candied fruit hints.
8. EH Taylor, Jr. Small Batch
Average Price: Roughly $82.49
Alcohol Content: 50%
Why We Like It:
E.H. Taylor Jr Small Batch is bourbon from the same distillery as the Blanton’s, and it is one of the best sweet bourbons we tasted.
It is a Bottled-In-Bond bourbon [2], and when we tasted it, there was plenty of luscious butterscotch paired with slight licorice and pepper.
E.H. Taylor Jr Small Batch by Buffalo Trace has an interesting palate profile that starts with caramel, corn, tobacco, and vanilla and ends with a faint hint of leather.
E.H. Taylor Jr Small Batch is a gem with harmonious flavors of mint and rye. While it has a dessert-like taste, it does not overpower other characteristics of the small-batch bourbon.
7. Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Average Price: Roughly $54.99
Alcohol Content: 43.3%
Why We Like It:
Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight bourbon is a sweet bourbon that you can enjoy neat. It has an impressive golden reddish hue, and since it is finished in port wine barrels, it has distinct flavors.
On the nose, it has subtle vanilla, maple syrup, toasted nuts, and raisin notes.
We appreciate the vanilla, ripe fruit, bitter chocolate, toffee, and citrus hints on the palate. Also, it is the best bourbon for Old Fashioned and Bourbon Sour.
6. Belle Meade Honey Bourbon
Average Price: Roughly $56.99 (Drizly)
Alcohol Content: 53%
Why We Like It:
Belle Meade Honey Bourbon is a dessert-like drink that remains natural tasting even though it is sweeter than other bourbon brands.
If you are into dessert-like whiskey but not a fan of artificial flavorings, get your hands on this best bourbon.
It is spiked with locally-sourced honey that gives a regional significance and unique tasting notes to the whiskey.
Aside from its gorgeous waves of honey, it comes with flowery notes, cinnamon, rich caramel, and vanilla flavors.
5. Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon
Average Price: Roughly $33.99 (Drizly)
Alcohol Content: 47%
Why We Like It:
Elijah Craig Small Batch is an award-winning gem well-accepted because of its sweet and spicy tasting notes.
Elijah Craig Small Batch bourbon is amazing for beginners because it combines the traditional flavor of bourbon-vanilla, caramel, and oak with creamy marzipan, cinnamon, and wildflower.
4. Evan Williams Single Barrel
Average Price: Roughly $32 (Drizly)
Alcohol Content: 43.3%
Why We Like It:
Evan Williams is one of our go-to sweet bourbons because it has the right balance in terms of texture, taste, and appearance.
It is sweet bourbon, but unlike other distilled spirits, it is lush and spicy.
The dark caramel and charred wood aroma are remarkable on the drink. The finish of Evan Williams is graceful, long, and relaxed, which is why it is not surprising that it is an award-winning bourbon.
3. Old Forester 1910
Average Price: Roughly $59.99 (Drizly)
Alcohol Content: 46.5%
Why We Like It:
Old Forester is not your ordinary bourbon because after it was matured in a barrel, it underwent a secondary barrel for a delightful and remarkable whiskey.
The second barreling of the drink grants an exceptional character with a smooth, sweet, and clean finish.
It is smooth and well-rounded with flavors of milk chocolate, toffee, vanilla, a raisin cookie, and evolving spices.
2. Eagle Rare
Average Price: Roughly $49.99 (Drizly)
Alcohol Content: 45%
Why We Like It:
Eagle Rare is masterfully crafted and aged for a minimum of ten years by Buffalo Trace, and every barrel is carefully selected for consistent flavors.
It lives up to its name and will give you a distinctive taste experience, thanks to its low-rye mash bill [3].
The taste is complex, with a touch of orange peel, herbs, leather, and oak. It is bold with a slight spiciness, but the delicate candied almonds and rich chocolate linger longer.
1. Widow Jane Decadence
Average Price: Roughly $105.99 (Drizly)
Alcohol Content: 45.5%
Why We Like It:
Widow Jane is a dessert-forward bourbon heavily infused with bakery flavors like rich shortbread, brown sugar, and a pleasant root beer bite.
Maple syrup is the dominant flavor, but the combination of flavors gives a nice drinking experience.
Widow Jane Decadence can be consumed neat or drizzled on a delicious vanilla ice cream. It is a versatile drink; you may want another glass once you taste it.
FAQs
What brand of bourbon is the sweetest?
Widow Jane Decadence is the sweetest bourbon brand. As the brand name suggests, the drink is dessert-forward, heady, and rich with baking spices, making it the sweetest.
Is there such a thing as sweet bourbon?
Yes, there is such a thing as sweet bourbon. Corn is the dominant grain of bourbon, and since the grain affects the bourbon taste, it gets sweeter when combined with wheat.
Is bourbon the sweetest spirit?
No, bourbon is not the sweetest spirit, but it has a sweet taste. The sweetest spirit is rum because it is distilled from a type of sugar, commonly molasses or sugar cane.
Is bourbon sweeter than cognac?
No, bourbon is not sweeter than cognac. Cognac is sweeter and lighter than bourbon because it is a distilled spirit made from grapes [4].
Final Thoughts
The best sweet bourbon is the Widow Jane Decadence because it has a dessert-like taste and well-balanced tasting notes.
It can be more expensive than other bourbons on the list, but it is decadent, creamy, rich, and boasts a mouthful whiskey profile.
What’s your go-to sweet bourbon that made it through our list? Comment it down below.
References:
- https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190805005498/en/Pernod-Ricard-Announces-Acquisition-of-Firestone-Robertson-Distilling-Co.-Owner-of-the-TX-Brand-of-Premium-Whiskies
- https://www.gearpatrol.com/food/drinks/a36466533/what-is-bottled-in-bond/
- https://www.pastemagazine.com/drink/whiskey/buffalo-trace-bourbon-rye-buying-guide-prices-brands-value/#buffalo-trace-kentucky-straight-bourbon
- https://www.eater.com/drinks/2015/11/17/9747068/what-is-cognac
