The Unlikely Rise of American Blended Whiskey
American whiskey has exploded in popularity over the past 20 years—in 2023, more than 31 million nine-liter cases of it were sold in the U.S., according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States—but there has remained one dirty word that nobody really wants to talk about: the “blend.” Mention the term to any dedicated liquor aficionado and you’ll probably be met with a dismissive sigh, which is preferable to the more likely option, a pedantic lecture on why blended juice isn’t worth the plastic in which it’s most likely bottled.
Yet these notions have been slowly and steadily evaporating, like the angel’s share, as a new wave of producers elevates the much-maligned American blend. In fact, some of those aforementioned whiskey snobs are now on the hunt for premium expressions to add to their collections—a reversal that many, as they readily admit, never saw coming.
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Produced since the 1800s, American blends saw a surge in demand in the 1960s and ’70s, when high-quality brown spirits fell out of favor as drinkers turned to vodka, with overall tastes in liquor shifting toward lighter and smoother expressions. With countless barrels of aging in warehouses throughout the country, brands discovered that, by blending the whiskey with inexpensive neutral grain spirit and adding color and flavoring, they could create a facsimile of whiskey that clear-spirits drinkers might also enjoy. The quality didn’t come close to blends from other countries, such as blended Scotch, which mixes aged malt and grain whiskies from various distilleries, or Japanese whisky, which is a serious pursuit of combining disparate liquid elements into a unique whole.
So while Seagram’s 7, Kentucky Gentleman, and Philadelphia Whiskey took off, discerning drinkers looked askance at them—and rightfully so. The flavor was usually watered-down and sickly sweet, with an unpleasant alcohol burn and none of the complexity of a straight bourbon or rye whiskey. But over the past decade, legacy distilleries, craft operations, and non-distilling producers have started releasing a new conception of American blends, a mix of straight whiskeys with no neutral grain spirits, color, or flavor added—and whiskey fans have taken notice. According to Aaron Goldfarb, author of Dusty Booze, the sheer novelty of decent American blends is a huge selling point. “If you’ve been collecting bourbon for a long time, at a certain point you get bored with the sameness and repetitiveness: another barrel-proof release, another single-barrel pick,” he says. “With these new blends, though, you get releases that are truly one-of-a-kind.”
Bardstown Bourbon Company has taken this to heart. It distills its own whiskey as well as contract-distills for other brands, but the team also sources barrels to blend into innovative expressions. “We approach the category in a different, modern way, combining premium bourbon, rye, and international whiskey to create a new, singular profile,” explains Dan Callaway, Bardstown’s VP of new-product development. The Discovery Series is an example of the level of quality and attention that the label pays to blending, selecting whiskeys distilled from different mash bills in states such as Tennessee, Indiana, and Kentucky, and blending them into distinctive—and collectible—expressions of standout quality.
“It’s so cool to see a line of guests at the distillery waiting for new rare bottles,” Callaway says. “Exploring blends comes with an inherent level of risk; fortunately, we’ve developed trust with consumers that we’ll deliver exciting liquid with a balanced profile and premium flavor.”
Louisville’s Barrell Craft Spirits, a non-distilling producer founded by Joe Beatrice whose bourbon products are either straight whiskey single barrels or blends of straight whiskeys, is another brand to know. “Today’s whiskey drinkers are significantly savvier than they were just five or 10 years ago,” he notes. “Blending has more to offer than a single-source whiskey pulled from a single barrel: The goal is to express your creativity while finding nuance and balance. It’s a detailed process of trying, tasting, and evaluating and a true art that’s now getting the attention and recognition it deserves.”
Bottles of the Gold Label series have become collectors’ items, with prices reaching upwards of $500 on the secondary market—figures you’d normally associate with Russell’s Reserve 15 or certain bottles of Willett. Beatrice says this is due to the allocation of the product and the higher age of the whiskeys in the blend: “The barrels harvested for these releases are selected for their refined properties and extraordinary flavor profiles. Ultra-premium-whiskey drinkers who are fans of our brand are aware of the work and care that goes into the production.”
And while newer labels including Old Elk, High Bank, and 15 Stars are adding to the buzz around the premium-blend market, it’s important to note that legacy names have gotten into the act, too, with James B. Beam Distilling Co., the home of Jim Beam, releasing high-end blends under its Little Book label, a series overseen by eighth-generation master distiller Freddie Noe. Which means, finally, you can order your American blended whiskey with head held high—and without any side-eye from the spirits geeks.
Jonah Flicker is Robb Report’s whiskey critic, authoring a weekly review of the most newsworthy releases around, and a freelance writer covering the global spirits industry, visiting distilleries from Kentucky to Scotland.
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