Kentucky bourbon buying guide: Tips on what to buy and not get scammed online
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Get to know Kentucky bourbon
Click below to help you navigate all things bourbon, whether you’re a beginner or you want to dig deeper.
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Beginners guide: How to drink Kentucky bourbon whiskey
Tips: How to buy Buffalo Trace premium Kentucky bourbon at the best price
Kentucky bourbon buying guide: Tips on what to buy and not get scammed online
Guide: Tips on how to properly pour, drink Kentucky bourbon
Recipe: Instructions for how to make the best Kentucky bourbon slush
There are lots of ways to enjoy good Kentucky bourbon. And this buying guide is here to help.
In a local 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 for example.
If you’re buying in a store, look at the labels on the bottle. 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, then it’s time to 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. They are very popular with bourbon enthusiasts.
Tips: How to buy premium Kentucky bourbon
Remember that what bourbon tastes good to you might be different than what tastes good to someone 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. The bottle is one of the Kentucky distiller’s most coveted annual releases.
You can do something similar with every Kentucky 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 the much sought-after Blanton’s, check out Buffalo Trace’s website. The Frankfort distillery puts one of its allocated premium bourbon 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 available 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 Kroger, will hold a drawing for the opportunity to buy a premium bottle.
Tips for online bourbon shopping: Watch for scams
Never buy bottles blind online. Buffalo Trace/Sazerac routinely warn 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 iconic metal toppers.
Sazerac also warns of prices for bottles 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. The Facebook page is devoted to finding and exposing the latest tricks by scammers.
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 March 18, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Kentucky bourbon buying guide: Tips on what to buy and not get scammed online."
