Bourbon: Big vs. Small

With over 1,000 distilleries in the US now, most of them making whiskey along with other spirits bringing faster returns on investment, the choice offered to you, Bourbon lover, is immense. And confusing. Loads of bottles land on liquor store shelves from these small guys with origins as diverse as Texas, Ohio, Virginia or…New York! In the meantime, large producers are revamping their lines, updating packaging, changing age statements, inventing new styles and altogether breaking the codes of Good Ol’ Bourbon. Artisan distilleries can be very interesting, often surprising us, and the mainstream brands still present great values…Far from falling behind the Craft wave, Majors hold their grounds firmly. Is this really a David vs. Goliath battle? What can explain the astronomical prices demanded by both small and big players in the American Whiskey industry? It is time for us to assess what makes a Bourbon great. The bottles shown are examples of a past offering of this class.  Actual lineup will vary.