What are the best brands of Bourbon?
In the Drinks International 2025 bar poll, Michter's is the top-selling American whiskey, then Bulleit (second for the third year), Maker's Mark and Woodford Reserve. By US law bourbon must be made from a mash of at least 51% corn and aged in new charred oak barrels; 'straight' bourbon is aged at least two years. 'Best' depends on your taste.
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In this article
The short answer: bar polls put Michter’s first among American whiskeys in 2025, followed by Bulleit, Maker’s Mark and Woodford Reserve. For a whiskey to be bourbon it must meet US rules, listed below. Which is best for you comes down to taste.
Contents
The brands bars sell most
Drinks International‘s 2025 American whiskey report ranks bestselling brands in 100 leading bars. Michter’s is first, Bulleit is second for the third year running, Maker’s Mark is third and Woodford Reserve is fourth.
| Rank | Brand |
|---|---|
| 1 | Michter’s |
| 2 | Bulleit |
| 3 | Maker’s Mark |
| 4 | Woodford Reserve |
Sales in bars do not measure taste. See other styles in our guide to whiskey brands.
What makes bourbon bourbon
The US federal standards (27 CFR 5.143) require a fermented mash of at least 51% corn. The spirit is distilled at 160 proof or less and put into charred new oak barrels at 125 proof or less.
The word “bourbon” may not be used for whisky that was not distilled and aged in the United States. The rules do not name Kentucky.
Types of bourbon
- Bourbon whisky: meets the rules above.
- Straight bourbon whisky: the same, aged in charred new oak for a minimum of 2 years.
- Whisky distilled from bourbon mash: a different category with its own rules (the standards also list corn whisky, rye whisky and others).
Calories and units
USDA lists 86-proof (43%) whiskey at 250 kcal and no sugar per 100 g. A 1.5 oz shot is about 105 kcal.
Volume: 44 ml
x ABV 45% = 19.8 ml of pure alcohol
19.8 ml / 10 ml per unit
= 2.0 UK units
The NHS advises no more than 14 units a week. Want the numbers for your own bottle? Use our calories, sugar and units tool, the units calculator or the ABV and proof converter.
Conclusion
Michter’s, Bulleit, Maker’s Mark and Woodford Reserve are the bourbon names bartenders sell most. Check the label for “straight” if you want at least two years in the barrel, and choose by taste.
General information, not medical advice. The WHO says no level of alcohol is free of health risk. This page is not an invitation to drink, and it is not a guide to whether you can drive.
People also ask
What are the best bourbon brands?
Bar polls name Michter's, Bulleit, Maker's Mark and Woodford Reserve as the top four American whiskeys sold in 2025. Taste decides which is best for you.
What makes a whiskey a bourbon?
US rules say a mash of at least 51% corn, distilled at no more than 160 proof, aged in charred new oak barrels entered at no more than 125 proof.
What is straight bourbon?
Bourbon aged in charred new oak for a minimum of two years (27 CFR 5.143).
Does bourbon have to be made in Kentucky?
No. The federal definition does not require Kentucky; the word bourbon may not be used for a whisky not distilled and aged in the United States.
Sources
- Drinks International: Brands Report 2025, American whiskey (bar poll)
- US eCFR / Government Publishing Office: 27 CFR 5.143 Whisky (standards of identity, 2025 edition)
- USDA FoodData Central: Alcoholic beverage, distilled, whiskey, 86 proof (174819)
- WHO: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (4 January 2023)
- NHS: Calculating alcohol units (14 units a week)
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