America’s Best Blended Bourbon, According To The Beverage Testing Inst
📝 usncan Note: America’s Best Blended Bourbon, According To The Beverage Testing Inst
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Once a mainstay of the American whiskey scene, blended bourbons—expressions crafted from multiple producers—nearly vanished from shelves in the decades after Prohibition. Today, they’re enjoying a spirited comeback, fueled by a new generation of independent bottlers eager to push boundaries in flavor, sourcing, and aging innovation. From ultra-aged Mizunara oak finishes to bourbons that have sailed the high seas, these modern blends combine heritage with creativity. Below are the top-rated examples from the 2025 Beverage Testing Institute judging, each offering its own story in a glass.
Widow Jane Black Opal 20-Year-Old Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 49.5% ABV, 750 ml. 96 Points, Platinum Medal. $499
Crafted by Widow Jane Distillery in Brooklyn, this is their oldest bottling. It blends bourbons aged at least 20 years and finishes them in rare Mizunara oak casks. These air-seasoned, lightly toasted casks impart unique spicy, sandalwood, and floral notes. This expression was the highest-rated blended bourbon.
The whiskey is elegant and complex, featuring delicate floral and spicy aromas along with Mizunara sweetness and seasoned oak. The palate is flavorful and robust with a layered complexity showcasing flavors of dried dark fruits, marzipan, and a whisper of fragrant sandalwood, enveloped in seasoned oak notes. The finish is long and sophisticated, with lingering notes of dried fruit, spice, and Mizunara’s unique sandalwood signature.
Jefferson’s Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 41.2% ABV, 750 ml. 93 Points, Gold Medal. $34
Produced by Jefferson’s Bourbon, this blend marries their base bourbon with up to three other straight bourbons of varying mash bills and ages to create approachable expressions that retain consistency and a layered complexity.
The whiskey features aromas of caramel, vanilla, toast, and hints of seasoned oak. It’s velvety and complex on the palate, showcasing flavors of corn sweetness, caramel, vanilla, and wood spices. The finish is smooth and subtly layered, with lingering notes of caramel, vanilla, corn bread, and subtle spices.
Mayor Pingree 2024 6-Year-Old Desoto Blended Bourbon Whiskey, 47.5% ABV, 750 ml. 92 Points, Gold Medal. $50
Produced by Valentine Distilling in Michigan, the Mayor Pingree line honors Detroit’s reformist mayor, Hazen S. Pingree. These expressions are small-batch, non-chill-filtered creations, featuring triple-pot distilled bourbon aged a minimum of five years. The “Desoto” variant blends barrels aged 6 to 9 years.
The whiskey features aromas of dark cherry syrup, buttered popcorn, charred orange peel, and honey, with a touch of savory salinity. The palate features flavors of wood spices, especially anise, clove, and allspice, balanced by eucalyptus, citrus zest, seasoned oak, and savory notes. The finish is long and earthy, with lingering notes of anise, citrus zest, seasoned oak, and a slight saline/savory note.
Blending whiskey is as much science as it is art.
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Widow Jane Baby Jane Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 45.5% ABV, 750 ml. 92 Points, Gold Medals. $49
Another Widow Jane expression, “Baby Jane,” is a more accessible blend of younger sourced straight bourbons. It showcases Widow Jane’s characteristic sourcing and blending expertise.
The whiskey features aromas of orchard fruit, honey, and subtle baking spices. It’s smooth and balanced on the palate, showcasing flavors of vanilla cream, caramel, along with subtle notes of stone fruit and cooked cereal/grain. The finish is long and silky, with subtle caramel and gentle wood spice notes.
Widow Jane The Vaults Straight Blended Bourbon Whiskey – Batch #4, 49.5% ABV, 750 ml. 92 Points, Gold Medal. $209
Also from Widow Jane, The Vaults series features ultra-aged blends. Batch #4 is likely a blend of 15–20-year-old sourced bourbons, possibly utilizing exotic cask finishes.
The whiskey features aromas of buttery biscuit, chocolate, and vibrant lemon zest. On the palate, the whiskey showcases flavors of hazelnut, caramel-pancakes, vanilla, and warm spices. The finish is long and gentle, with lingering notes of honey-topped biscuit and clove.
Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea Voyage 31 Blend of Straight Bourbons, 45% ABV, 750 ml. 91 Points, Gold Medal. $79
Part of Jefferson’s innovatively radical Ocean series, this bourbon is aged aboard a ship traveling through extreme climates. Termed “kinetic aging”, the process relies on wave motion and widely fluctuating temperatures to accelerate aging, infusing savory, briny, and caramelized complexity.
The whiskey features flavors of caramel, apples, pear, and roasted pecans. It’s complex on the palate, showcasing flavors of spiced pecans, brown sugar, dried apple, cornbread, and black tea. The finish is long and sweet, with lingering notes of roasted nuts, wood spices, and herbal tea notes.
Widow Jane Lucky Thirteen Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 46.5% ABV, 750 ml. 90 Points, Gold Medal. $99
“Lucky Thirteen” refers to Widow Jane’s small-batch, 13-year blended straight bourbon. The whiskeys are sourced from a variety of sources.
The whiskey features aromas of sugar-glazed biscuit, caramel, vanilla, and lemon zest. It’s rich and spicy on the palate, showcasing flavors of poached stone fruit, sweet pralines, and subtle baking spices. The finish is long and sweet, with lingering notes of clove, honey, and freshly baked biscuits.
The resurgence of blended bourbons proves that innovation can thrive alongside tradition. By sourcing exceptional barrels and experimenting with cask finishes, aging environments, and mash bill combinations, producers are crafting expressions that rival—and often surpass—single-distillery offerings. Whether it’s Widow Jane’s meticulous blending artistry or Jefferson’s globe-trotting Ocean series, these bottlings showcase the depth, complexity, and versatility that make bourbon an enduring American icon.
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