Buying guide: How to find premium Kentucky bourbon and avoid online scams

There are lots of ways to enjoy good bourbon. In a bar, you can either go with a straight pour, add some ice or a little water to open it up. Or go for a classic cocktail that elevates the bourbon with a bit of citrus or a cherry.

If you’re buying in a store, look at the labels. Don’t feel like you have to look for a high-proof bourbon: You’re after flavor, not lip-numbing kick, right?

How can you tell where your bourbon is made? The label will have clues. Sometimes it will say “distilled in Kentucky.” If it says “bottled in Kentucky,” that may mean it was produced in another state but shipped here for bottling. If it says nothing … look for a different bottle.

What does “barrel pick” mean on a bottle? That means the store, the bar, the bourbon club had the joy of selecting the whiskey inside. It’s a way of getting a slightly different twist on a perhaps familiar bourbon. Many distillers allow barrel picks and fans get the chance to go behind the scenes and sample to pick out just what they like. And maybe you’ll like it too.

How to buy premium bourbon

Keep in mind what tastes good to you might be different than what tastes good to anyone else. If you find a brand you like, look for ways to take it deeper: If you like Woodford Reserve, maybe branch out and try Woodford Reserve Double Oaked. Then, keep your eyes peeled for the one day a year (usually in the winter) when they release Double Double Oaked at the distillery and plan a day trip.

You can do something similar with every distillery: Start with Four Roses and step up to Small Batch; start with Maker’s Mark then try a barrel pick in a restaurant.

If you’re determined to try Blanton’s, check out Buffalo Trace’s web site. The Frankfort distillery puts one of its allocated premium releases (think Blanton’s, Weller, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch, Eagle Rare) on shelves each day and you can stand in line to buy a bottle (one every 90 days.) The distillery posts daily what will be in the gift shop, which opens 9 a.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. on Sunday.

If you really want to taste Pappy Van Winkle, your best bet is through a raffle, such as a charity event or through a liquor store. Many stores, including sometimes Kroger, will hold a drawing for the opportunity to buy a premium bottle.

Tips for online bourbon shopping

Never buy bottles blind online. Buffalo Trace/Sazerac has warned customers in particular about whiskey scammers, who can be surprisingly inventive.

Bottles of these bourbons are in high demand and low supply, commanding huge prices on secondary (often illegal) markets.

In the past, Buffalo Trace says it has been contacted by disappointed fans who ordered premium whiskeys online, were charged for the transactions, then received nothing. Or, in some cases, the buyers got empty bourbon bottles, “many of which were counterfeit,” the distillery says. Some even included plastic toppers rather than Buffalo Trace’s metal toppers.

Sazerac also warns of prices that seem too low, the old adage of “if it looks too good to be true, it probably is,” applies here.

And even if you do order and receive a filled bottle, there might be other issues. The contents may be fake and even dangerous.

If you want to see the lengths that some will go to scam bourbon buyers, check out Herz’s Serious Whiskey Info; it’s a Facebook page devoted to finding and exposing the latest tricks.

Fans who have been duped are advised by the distillery to report the site to the Better Business Bureau, your state Attorney General and to your contact credit card company about fraud protection.

This story was originally published November 7, 2023 at 8:32 AM.

Janet Patton

Lexington Herald-Leader

859-379-5233

Janet Patton covers restaurants, bars, food and bourbon for the Herald-Leader. She is an award-winning business reporter who also has covered agriculture, gambling, horses and hemp. Support my work with a digital subscription