The 10 Best High Age Statement Bourbons (2026)

Like for all whiskeys, oak aging is a crucial part of the bourbon production process. All bourbons must age in charred, new American oak barrels to be labeled as such, with the time spent in barrel imbuing the spirit with its signature color and vanillin-rich flavor profile. And while bourbon is only required to age for a minimum of two years, most brands take things a step (or two) further.

Many bourbons on the market tend to fall in the four- to eight-year age range, which was general category wisdom for about a century. In the past couple of decades, though, drinkers have reached for older and older bourbons, and brands have engaged in somewhat of an arms race to deliver spectacular, aged expressions — but not all high-age-statement bourbons are created equal.

There is fierce debate regarding the ideal age for bourbon, as distillers run the risk of their whiskeys turning tannic and over-oaked should they be left to mature for too long. That’s precisely why it’s important to ensure a bottle is worth your while before purchasing — especially because lengthy maturation periods often lead to high price points.

Here, we’ve rounded up 10 superb bourbons carrying a minimum age statement of 10 years. From a newly introduced Buffalo Trace-distilled expression with a decade under its belt to a two-decade-old whiskey from a beloved legacy producer, keep reading to check out the 10 best high-age-statement bourbons.

Knob Creek 21 Year Old

Launched in October 2025, Knob Creek 21 Year Old is the oldest expression Knob Creek has released since its founding in 1992. Bottled at 100 proof, the whiskey opens with aromas of caramel, vanilla, and charred oak that, in part, transfer onto the palate. Despite the lofty age statement, the bourbon has no signs of being over-oaked, with pleasant notes of toffee, leather, spice, and soft wood on the palate.

Average price: $250
Rating: 91

Eagle Rare 12 Bourbon

First rumored to be a possibility in February 2025, Eagle Rare 12 hit the market as a permanent expression just a few months later. The new addition to the famed Buffalo Trace lineup builds on the flavor profile of its 10-year-old counterpart but comes in at 47.5 percent ABV as opposed to 45 percent. On the nose, expect aromas of chocolate-covered cherries, almond extract, and sweet oak that transfer onto the palate where they’re accompanied by hints of red apple, cola, and caramel.

Average price: $50
Rating: 93

Pinhook Vertical Series Bourbon 10-Year

Established in 2010, Frankfort, Ky.-based Pinhook Bourbon was founded with the goal of producing bourbon more like fine wine than whiskey. The Vertical Series, for example, is Pinhook’s ongoing experiment analyzing how age influences the same base spirit. The project started a decade ago when the team acquired 1,350 barrels of MGP-distilled bourbon and decided to bottle a small batch of it each year. This 10-Year is the seventh  vintage in the series. Crafted from just 75 barrels and bottled at 57.95 percent ABV, the bourbon wafts aromas of Mexican Coke, orange, and Italian amaro before a dessert-like palate takes over with notes of toasted meringue and well-integrated oak.

Average price: $100
Rating: 93

Baker’s 13-Year-Old Single Barrel Bourbon (2024)

Beam Suntory’s Baker’s 13 first hit the market as an allocated release in 2019 as a premium counterpart to the widely available Baker’s 7. After a four-year pause, Baker’s 13 returned in 2023 and has been released as a limited-edition expression every year since. Given its single barrel nature, each bottling will likely have some barrel-to-barrel variation. The one we tasted, #000141315, was bottled at 53.5 percent ABV. The bourbon opens with aromas of chocolate-hazelnut spread, roasted peanuts, and vanilla syrup before a viscous palate takes over, delivering notes of crisp almond cookie, cured tobacco, and dark chocolate espresso.

Average price: $150
Rating: 93

Ampersand Opimus

This 15-year-old bourbon from Nevada-based Ampersand Whiskeys is rumored to begin with a highly sought- after Buffalo Trace distillate made from a prized Wild Turkey mash bill. The juice was likely distilled sometime between 2006 and 2009 and aged at Wild Turkey while the Buffalo Trace Distillery underwent renovations, adding to its allure. It’s finished for nine months in Hungarian Tokaji barrels at the Nevada facility and bottled at 58.85 percent ABV, making it a truly unique bourbon. Expect a more tannic bourbon balanced by decadent notes of dates, figs, and bramble with a long, spicy finish.

Average price: $150
Rating: 94

Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged (2025)

For the first 70 years of its existence, Maker’s Mark did not have an age-stated release, but that changed in 2023 with the launch of Cellar Aged. While initially bottled as a blend of 11- and 12-year-old bourbons, each subsequent release has crept up in age. 2024’s expression, bottled at 59.56 percent ABV, is a blend of 12- and 13-year-old whiskey, while 2025’s is the oldest yet, containing a blend of three bourbons aged between 11 and 14 years. Aromas of baked orchard fruit, cocktail cherry, and cocoa leap out of the glass followed by an apple pie- and cherry cobbler-like palate. Bottled at a slightly tamer 56.45 percent ABV, you can expect a nice, round finish with pops of dried raspberry and bittersweet chocolate.

Average price: $175
Rating: 94

Four Roses 2025 Limited Edition Small Batch

Four Roses is lauded for its 10 distinct recipes made from two mash bills and five yeast strains, lending themselves to the producer’s extensive blending techniques. Its Limited Edition Small Batch bottling (or Four Roses LE, as it is fondly nicknamed) blends several of these recipes together for what is considered one of the brand’s most sought-after releases. The 2025 edition features three bourbons — OBSV, OBSK, and OESV — aged for 13 years and one made from OESV aged for 19 years. The result is a blend bursting with stewed orchard fruit, tobacco, and crème de menthe aromas followed by a similar palate with lingering pops of baking spice, oak, and orange oil.

Average price: $250
Rating: 95

Russell’s Reserve 15 Year Bourbon

This limited-edition expression from Wild Turkey’s father-son distiller duo Jimmy and Eddie Russell is the much anticipated follow-up to the cherished Russell’s Reserve 13. Each of the barrels used to craft this 15-year-old whiskey, bottled at a thoughtful 117.2 proof, was aged in Russell’s Reserve’s famous Camp Nelson rickhouses. Expect dense aromas of leather, damp tobacco leaves, and dark molasses on the nose with considerable spicy oak heat. On the palate, notes of blood orange, black raisin, and cherry dominate, supported by pops of mocha, spearmint, and umami.

Average price: $250
Rating: 97

Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 18-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Released every spring, Heaven Hill’s Heritage Collection celebrates whiskey tradition and longevity, with each expression carrying a minimum 15-year age statement. This 18-year-old bottling, launched in 2024, was distilled from Heaven Hill’s standard mash bill recipe, 78 percent corn, 12 percent malted barley, and 10 percent rye, and batched from just 133 barrels aged on the third floor of Rickhouse 1I. The 120-proof spirit’s nose presents candy bar notes of caramel, nougat, and semi-sweet chocolate followed by toasted nuts, cedar wood, and hints of lavender. The palate is more surprising, delivering orange gummy, strawberry candy, and confectioners’ sugar sweetness before delving into layers of clove and oak. With a long, peppery finish, this is a bottle worth savoring.

Average price: $300
Rating: 97

Michter’s 20 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon

It’s challenging to age a Kentucky bourbon for two decades, and Michter’s didn’t just succeed — they knocked it out of the park. Produced from what is believed to be whiskey sourced from Brown-Forman’s Kentucky distillery, this release is bottled at 57.1 percent ABV, but you wouldn’t know by sipping it. Mellow and lush, the bourbon has soft aromas of vanilla and butterscotch while the palate leans more indulgent with notes of dried fruit, dark chocolate, and barrel spice. While the bottle doesn’t come cheap, it’s truly one of the most impressive whiskeys we’ve tasted.

Average price: $1,200
Rating: 97

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