The onset of autumn brings with it no shortage of great pairings. With every year comes the changing of the seasons, often felt before they’re official, and a climate many herald as the best whiskey drinking weather of the year. For every occasion that finds its way onto your calendar, there’s thankfully no shortage of great whiskey to accompany it. Here are our selections that feature the best that American Whiskey has to offer, not only as the weather cools down, but for every moment you might need to celebrate.
Rabbit Hole
A brand that’s writing their own heritage story, Rabbit Hole stands for the distillation of creativity into whiskey. With their doors first opening in 2012, it didn’t take long for great whiskey to follow.
By creating original expressions of bourbon, each with their own unique recipe, Rabbit Hole elevates American whiskey to its rightful place among the world’s best spirits. With a range of distinct, flavorful, complex bourbons, Rabbit Hole continually shows you how much taste matters. Their gracious Cavehill whiskey is a Four Grain Triple Malt Bourbon that offers creamy flavors of orange, honey, mint, and toasted grain. Equally alluring is Heigold, a High Rye Double Malt Bourbon that excites the palate with notes of butterscotch and bursts of citrus. Dareringer completes their impressive lineup of bourbons. Finished in Pedro Ximénez Sherry Casks imported from Spain, this delightful whiskey incorporates cherries, currants, raisins, almonds, and vanilla for a taste that is truly enticing.
Bringing a bottle of wine to dinner, whether you’re joined by friends or colleagues, is a tradition as old as time itself. Recently, we’ve made the switch to bring a bottle of whiskey instead, and the move couldn’t be more popular. Perfect for those new to bourbon and old-school fans alike, Rabbit Hole whiskeys are an easy and noteworthy substitute for the traditional bottle of wine presented at dinner parties. With a bottle as graceful and unique as the liquid, it is sure to leave a lasting impression.
TX Whiskey
TX Whiskey is a brand that’s all about Texas just as much as it’s all about the whiskey. Many forget that all 50 states bear the right to make bourbon whiskey, not just Kentucky. Thankfully, TX Whiskey makes this clear to any who will listen with their bold packaging that never fails to capture your gaze.
TX Bourbon stands out because they incorporate yeast that is famously derived from a Texas yeast found on pecans. They then add #2 Dent Corn, winter wheat, and exceptional barley to the bill and pair them with proud Texas water. It’s hard to find whiskey with as much character and flavor as TX Bourbon, and it’s the perfect accompaniment to fall activities and celebrating bourbon.
A bold and char-driven bourbon, TX Bourbon pairs perfectly with evenings by the fire, any dessert under the sun, and a Sunday afternoon Old Fashioned while prepping a feast in the kitchen.
Smooth Ambler
A short road trip away, Smooth Ambler is nested in the countryside of West Virginia. Few distilleries have a modern story with as many chapters as Smooth Ambler, who have long been known to source some of the best whiskey in the game. They made the pivot to tackling their own distillation and recently overhauled their outlook on whiskey, and their bottle reflects the same.
With a lineup of whiskeys that span the gamut — Blended Whiskey, Bourbon Whiskey, Rye Whiskey — it’s hard not to find something enticing from Smooth Ambler. We’re particularly in love with their new Founder’s collection: a cask strength re-envisioning of their most popular whiskeys in the past. There’s always room for a bit of experimentation, and replacing your favorite rye with Smooth Ambler in a Manhattan is one of the safest bets.
That said, there’s an elephant in the room. A departure from an uncomfortable conversation yet to happen, Smooth Ambler literally has an elephant in the room. With their Contradiction expression, they present their take on blending bourbon mash bills which gives drinkers access to a beautiful combination of wheated bourbon and high rye bourbon. Much like the intersection of summer and fall, Contradiction provides a sweet, crisp bourbon flavor on the nose, with a touch of heat poking through rich caramel and oak character on the palate — just like a fall afternoon.
Jefferson’s
A return to Kentucky is only fitting to close out an ode to Bourbon, and few whiskey-makers have as interesting a story (and whiskey) as Jefferson’s.
Jefferson’s ‘aged at sea’ process has become a cornerstone of their most popular and innovative whiskey offering: Jefferson’s Ocean. Some other smaller brands have taken notice and are giving the technique a shot as well. Wheated Bourbon and Rye have joined their standard bourbon mash bill at sea, and the results have our attention, to say the least.
The Louisville-based bourbon company has a wide portfolio beyond just their ocean-going casks, and it makes them one of the easiest choices to recommend. With versatility like this, it’s hard to go wrong. Jefferson’s Very Small Batch bourbon is the perfect easy sipper and great for cocktails. Aged At Sea Ocean Wheated brings complexity and sweetness with just a touch of salted caramel on the finish. For wine lovers out there, Jefferson’s partnered with Chappellet Winery to bring us Pritchard Hill Cabernet Cask finish, finishing their quintessential Reserve Bourbon blend in French Oak wine casks that once held their famous Cabernet Sauvignon.
In Closing
While the catalog of whiskey is deep and sometimes easy to get lost in, there’s truly a whiskey for every occasion. From a quiet night in, to a raging bonfire or hearty dinner party, you can’t go wrong with a whiskey from one of the incredible American Whiskey brands above. Take our advice on subbing out a bottle of red for a bottle of whiskey, too; it’ll be a hit!
