12 Bourbon Bottles RANKED From Worst to Best

📖 Get The Bourbon Buyer eBook. My 60-page field manual: https://caskritual.com In blind tastings of eighty-seven Kentucky straight bourbons, a twenty-five dollar bottle of Wild Turkey 101 outscored seventy-one of them, beating bottles like Buffalo Trace and premium pours that cost triple the price. This is twelve bourbon bottles you can find on any American shelf in 2026 ranked from worst to best, every placement backed by blind tasting data, real proof numbers, and value per dollar spent. You will learn why Wild Turkey 101 at twenty-five dollars and a hundred and one proof earned the number one spot after outscoring seventy-one of eighty-seven bourbons in blind tastings while Jimmy and Eddie Russell have been making it the same way for decades from their rickhouse operations in Bardstown, Kentucky with no gimmicks, no limited releases, and no allocated bottle hype, how Basil Hayden's at forty dollars and eighty proof lands at number ten because it shares the same mash bill as bottles costing half the price while delivering less flavor and lower proof than options at twenty-five to thirty dollars on the same list, and why Elijah Craig Small Batch at thirty dollars and ninety-four proof ranks number two by occupying a rare space where it is bold enough for experienced drinkers and smooth enough for newcomers while delivering consistency that most brands at twice the cost struggle to maintain. The video covers Jim Beam White Label moving over ten million cases a year as the best-selling bourbon on the planet while every bourbon above it on the list offers more depth and complexity for the same money or less, Old Crow carrying one of the most historic names in American whiskey after Dr. James Crow helped pioneer the sour mash process in the 1800s while the modern version delivers noticeably less than Evan Williams Black Label at the same twelve dollar price, Four Roses Yellow Label using ten distinct bourbon recipes from two mash bills and five proprietary yeast strains at twenty-two dollars, Larceny Small Batch as Heaven Hill's wheated bourbon delivering warm honey and caramel corn notes in the same wheated category Pappy Van Winkle made famous, Evan Williams Black Label at fifteen dollars ranking five spots higher than Basil Hayden's at forty while meeting bottled in bond qualified standards, Knob Creek nine year at thirty-six dollars and a hundred proof earning number three as the bottle people reach for when they are ready to move past entry-level bourbon, and Old Forester 100 Proof at twenty-five dollars combining history as the first bourbon sold exclusively in sealed glass bottles with proof and layered richness most bottles at this price cannot match. Cask Ritual breaks down the bourbon and whiskey industry so you can drink smarter and spend with confidence. #BourbonRanking #Bourbon #WildTurkey101 Chapters and key moments: 00:00 Twelve bourbons ranked by blind tasting data not price tags 00:54 #12 Jim Beam White Label 02:00 #11 Old Crow 03:14 #10 Basil Hayden's 04:21 #9 Bulleit Bourbon 05:25 #8 Four Roses Yellow Label 06:32 #7 Larceny Small Batch 07:43 #6 Maker's Mark 08:55 #5 Evan Williams Black Label 10:06 #4 Old Forester 100 Proof 11:30 #3 Knob Creek Nine Year 12:59 #2 Elijah Craig Small Batch 14:18 #1 Wild Turkey 101 15:50 Price does not determine quality Want to verify the facts in this video? Here are some of the sources we used for our research: https://www.fastcompany.com/91532211/... https://thewhiskeywash.com/whiskey-ar... https://thebourbonculture.com/whiskey... Contact: [email protected] Facebook:   / caskritual   Instagram:   / cask.ritual   Pinterest:   / caskritual   X: https://x.com/caskritual TikTok:   / caskritual   Threads: https://www.threads.com/@cask.ritual Disclaimer: This video and channel (Cask Ritual) are intended exclusively for individuals of legal drinking age in their jurisdiction (21+ in the US, 18+ or 19+ in many other countries—check your local laws). We do not promote or encourage excessive or irresponsible alcohol consumption. Always drink responsibly, know your limits, and never drink and drive. If you have health concerns, consult a medical professional before consuming alcohol. All reviews, tasting notes, recommendations, and opinions shared in these videos are subjective, based on personal experience, and for entertainment/educational purposes only. Taste preferences vary widely—what I enjoy, you might not, and vice versa. No sponsorships, affiliate links, or paid promotions are implied unless explicitly stated in the video/description. Cask Ritual is not providing medical, financial, or legal advice. Viewer discretion is advised. Cheers responsibly!