Small Batch Bourbon

Unlike bottled in bond, "small batch" has no legal definition, so each distillery decides how many barrels make a batch. Some blend a handful, others a few hundred. What they share is intent: the master distiller chooses barrels from preferred spots in the warehouse and blends them for a specific flavor profile.

Small batch bottlings are the workhorses of a serious whiskey shelf. They're consistent enough to buy again and again, complex enough to sip neat, and sturdy enough for an Old Fashioned. If you want each bottle to be one of a kind instead, explore single barrel bourbon. For more proof, see barrel proof bourbon. Building a bar on a budget? Start with bourbon under $50.