13 Bourbons To Try If You Like Woodford Reserve

The world of bourbon is a massive one, and there's something nice about having a go-to, dependable favorite that you can keep on the shelf and know it'll never disappoint. If that describes your relationship with Woodford Reserve, you're certainly not alone. You'll hear it mentioned in conversations about the best bourbons under $100, and it's also one of the smoothest bourbons you can get at Costco. If there's one thing we like more than having a favorite bourbon, it's one at a great price point.

We also love finding the next favorite, and if you're a fan of Woodford Reserve, we can help with that. The standard Woodford Reserve boasts hundreds of flavor notes and a well-balanced profile that's heavy on sweetness from vanilla, toffee, and caramel, while still adding a pop of depth from warm spices. It's incredibly smooth, great alone or in a cocktail, and very accessible. It's not the most complex bourbon out there, but no one's going to be disappointed if you give them a bottle.

That's the starting point. Now, let's talk about other bourbons that are similarly sweet and lightly spiced, but are different enough to help you start branching out. These recommendations come from my experience as I'll further detail below. I've spent time behind the bar, talking to customers and learning not only about bourbon, but bourbon drinkers. I can tell you what you might like and why, but only you can decide to give any of these a try.

There are a few different options available to anyone who's reaching for a bottle of Angel's Envy, and we'd like to talk about the one that's finished in Port wine barrels imported from Portugal. This second part of the aging process helps impart notes that will be familiar to those who love Woodford Reserve, specifically the overtones of dark fruits and vanilla. (If you're not familiar with Port wine, we fully recommend picking up a bottle alongside this Angel's Envy, as it'll be a neat side-by-side comparison of flavors.)

Angel's Envy also has a pretty unique connection to Woodford Reserve. The two were developed by the same distiller, Lincoln Henderson. He had actually retired but went back to the drawing board to create Angel's Envy, which ended up being his swan song. The bourbon was released in 2011 and work began on a dedicated distillery in 2013, but sadly, Henderson died soon after. 

Today, there are other bourbons in the line, and while you're not going to go wrong with any, we'd still suggest the original Port-finished for a particularly outstanding flavor. Prices vary by location — and we're going with a national average at the time of our writing — but you should expect a bottle to set you back around $45.

Woodford Reserve is known for being incredibly smooth, so it makes sense that some of the bourbons we're going to be talking about here are double barreled. That means they've spent time aging in two different barrels, which generally makes for a smoother, less harsh bourbon with a sweeter profile. Old Forester 1910 is barreled twice, and it's a pretty neat story as to why. Back in 1910, a fire broke out and interrupted bottling. An entire vat of whiskey was re-barreled, and by the time things were up and running again, the distillers realized that magic had happened. 

It was such magic that they kept doing it and continue to do it today. It just goes to show that sometimes there can be a bright side to tragedy, and in this case, that bright side is a bourbon known for being sweet, rich, complex, and incredibly smooth. It's the kind of bourbon that makes itself known with a smoky-sweet whiff, and you should be able to pick up a bottle for around $50.

When we here at Mashed asked a number of whiskey experts for the best bottles under $50, Four Roses Yellow Label was among the recommendations. It's likely you'll be able to pick up a bottle for somewhere around $20, but don't let the low price point convince you that it's better left on the shelves. Four Roses Yellow Label has won a slew of awards at competitions like the American Whiskey Masters and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and there's a lot to love about it.

Like Woodford Reserve, it's incredibly accessible. The hints of spice aren't overwhelming, there's a delightful, fruity sweetness, and it's smooth, too. There's another benefit to this particular bourbon and its affordable price point. Yes, you can absolutely sip this one on its own, but it's stellar in all kinds of cocktails, too. You might hesitate at conducting mixology experiments with a pricier bottle, but this all-around workhorse is perfect for honing your cocktail-making skills.

Full disclosure: Eagle Rare is one of my personal favorites. (In fact, when I ranked Buffalo Trace's bourbon brands from worst to best, Eagle Rare took the top spot.) Depending on where you are, it can be the sort of pricey that makes it a once-in-a-while treat, but it's absolutely worth keeping an eye out for. At the time of this writing, it's sitting at a national average of right around $60 a bottle, but those bucks are going to get you a bottle you're going to want to stretch, savor, and enjoy.

Since we're comparing everything to Woodford Reserve today, we'll say that yes, Eagle Rare is vastly more complex — it's still a bottle that'll please longtime bourbon fans, while introducing newcomers to bourbon in a really wonderful way. A full 10 years aging in ultra-charred barrels yields notes that include candied almonds and toffee, but there's a richness that's a step above Woodford Reserve, without being too much.

Aging bourbon in two barrels results in an extra-smooth final product, and Peerless's Toasted Bourbon does it a little differently. The first aging is done in a charred barrel and the second in a toasted barrel. You might ask, what's the difference? Simply put, it's a matter of time and temperature. Charred barrels are exposed to hotter temperatures for a shorter amount of time than toasted barrels. The process releases sugars and impacts the sweetness in different ways, and this particular Peerless bourbon comes out defined by a sweet vanilla and honey profile.

The Peerless brand itself has a pretty neat story that started in the late 19th century and was reborn in 2013. Fans of Woodford Reserve will like this one for its sweet accessibility, albeit it's on the pricey side. Average prices at the time of this writing are hovering around $85 a bottle, and this is one you're going to want to sip neat.

We're leaning into the soft, sweet, and smooth side of Woodford Reserve with Penelope Wheated Bourbon, which is a pretty delicious example of the style. In order to be called bourbon, the mash bill has to have at least 51% corn. The other components vary, and when wheat is added, it steers the profile toward something softer and sweeter. (If you're familiar with that spicy, clear-your-sinuses bite that rye can have, it's the exact opposite.) Penelope Wheated is incredibly sweet, thanks to a mash bill that's a whopping 74% corn and 16% wheat. Sweet sugars like honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and corn come through, too.

The price point is perfectly reasonable at around $32 a bottle. If that strikes your fancy, we'd also like to mention that Penelope has a Toasted Series, too. The toasted barrels give the finished product an extra layer of vanilla goodness, and interestingly, it's a little bit of an experimental line — which makes it perfect for anyone who likes a pleasant surprise lingering in their glass at the end of the day.

We're getting a little outside of our Woodford Reserve profile with this one, but it's a neat and accessible offering from Maker's Mark that is more than worthy of a recommendation. Maker's Mark 46 French Oak Bourbon stands out from the standard Maker's Mark because it's aged in barrels along with French oak staves.

The resulting bourbon has all the sweetness you've come to know and love, along with a slightly spicier kick. It's isn't overwhelming though, and presents a nice balance that will guide die-hard Woodford Reserve lovers outside of their comfort zone. 

Baking spices are front and center on the nose and palate, and they linger there in the best possible way. Imagine walking into someone's house after they've been baking gingerbread and cinnamon cookies all day, and you're on the right track. That makes it a brilliant bourbon to start transitioning from the sweet-forward Woodford Reserve to a more complex, spicy profile, and it's on the more affordable side of things, too. Expect to pay around $36 a bottle.

Full disclosure: I'm a huge fan of Buffalo Trace's flagship bourbon, and I may or may not have a bottle on my desk right now. (I definitely do.) I would argue that there are no faults to be found with a bottle of Buffalo Trace, and anyone who reaches past it for Woodford Reserve needs to hold on for a moment. Is it considered an entry-level bourbon? Sure, but not everything has to be complicated and buzzworthy to be darn good; there's a reason it has won 139 awards at the time of this writing. The vanilla and toffee is there, the deep fruitiness is there, and so is the smoothness.

At somewhere around $28 a bottle, it's perfect for keeping on the shelf, sipping on ice, or adding to a cocktail. The complexity won't get lost in said cocktail, and you won't feel guilty about using a $100-bottle for mixology experiments. Buffalo Trace is the bourbon that I always recommend to newcomers or uncertain gift-givers, because no one is going to be disappointed when this makes it onto the table.

What might keep someone coming back to Woodford Reserve is its accessibility, and Michter's Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon is right there in that same wheelhouse. You'll hear it mentioned in conversations about the best bourbons for beginners, as it very nicely walks the lines between smoky, spicy, and sweet without straying too far into any particular area.

The fact that it's a small batch bourbon is notable, too. Before being bottled, barrels are batched — that basically means they're selected and added to a tank to mix and get the desired flavor profile and notes at the end. Tanks for Michter's Small Batch can only hold 20 barrels — or 1,060 gallons, give or take. A 10,000-gallon batch tank isn't unheard of for larger distilleries, and that gives the big guys a little more wiggle room when it comes to the contents of each barrel. The smaller the batch sizes, the better each barrel needs to be — and Michter's prides itself on putting out a high-quality product at a surprisingly affordable price point of about $40 a bottle.

Redemption is known for putting out some of the best rye whiskeys on the market, a style that tends toward the very, very spicy. It can be a love or hate thing, so it might be a little surprising to see Redemption making an appearance on our list of Woodford Reserve-adjacent bourbons. It's here for its Wheated Bourbon, which has a mash bill of 45% wheat, 51% corn, and 4% barley, for a final product that is unlike the standard, rye-heavy offerings.

That said, this bottle is a little heavier on the smoky and spicy side than devout fans of Woodford Reserve might be accustomed to, with notes that include allspice, winter baking spices, cedar, and a little malty smokiness. More of the sweetness comes out with a bit of water, as you might expect from an offering with a higher wheat content than most other wheated bourbons. 

That's why we would suggest this as a great option for anyone looking to explore something a little different, while still holding onto that smooth sweetness they're used to. Expect to spend around $40 a bottle, and keep in mind that this is a great option for cocktails — especially ones that lean toward the tart side.

There's a saying that it's all about location, and Wyoming Whiskey is pretty unique — the state of Wyoming might not be where you'd expect bourbon to come from. The distillery boasts an environment that plays a pivotal role in the creation of something special, from limestone-filtered water, carefully-curated, locally-sourced grains, and extreme temperatures that impact the aging process.

Reactions to this straight bourbon whiskey have been pleasantly favorable. While this generally isn't a highly-complex, ultra-fancy sort of sip, it's a perfectly respectable, everyday kind of option — particularly with its price point of around $40 a bottle. That accessibility makes it ideal for the Woodford Reserve lover, although this one does stand out in a big way. 

In addition to the sweetness, there are some floral overtones that add something a little fun and funky here. There's a little more of the spiciness that comes through, and notes that are appropriately reminiscent of the wide Wyoming grasslands. Think sweet, grassy, flowery, and rich, and you're heading in the right direction.

Weller Special Reserve is another wheated bourbon, and along with Woodford Reserve it's celebrated for being some of the best bourbon to pair with steak. It comes out of Buffalo Trace Distillery, and it has won a slew of awards, accolades, and high praise over the years. Experts have even mentioned it in the same breath as the coveted — and ridiculously expensive — Pappy Van Winkle, saying that the identical mash bill means that Weller Special Reserve is basically a younger, less mature sibling. 

And we can absolutely get on board with that, given that you can find it easily for around $60 — as opposed to the headaches of tracking down Pappy, along with its approximately bajillion-dollar price tag (give or take). It might not have the maturity, age, and reputation, but we'd argue that it's a completely legit option. As you'd expect from a wheated bourbon it's on the sweeter side, lauded for being light, a little apple-forward, and full of caramel and vanilla. It's absolutely the kind of bottle that you can keep on the shelf and turn to when the day needs something to make it just a little better.

Larceny might not have the name recognition that something like Woodford Reserve has, but there's no denying the fact that it's one of those underrated bourbon brands you'll wish you knew about sooner. Fans of Woodford Reserve should start with the award-winning Small Batch, which is a wheated bourbon that checks in with a honey and caramel forward profile. While it can hold its own in a cocktail, you'll definitely want to try it neat first — yes, it's that good. 

This one comes in with just a touch of spice on the finish, which is another reason it's pretty perfect for anyone looking to explore outside of a Woodford Reserve favorite. Also? We honestly love the price point, as you're likely to find this one on the shelf for an average of just around $25. We do love an affordable bourbon that you're not going to think twice about using in a cocktail on those days when you're feeling just a little fancy, and it gets bonus points for being good enough to go solo.

In order to make recommendations as to what bourbon lovers of Woodford Reserve should try, I started by considering the sweet, smooth, and slightly spicy flavor of this clear fan favorite. From there, I used considerable personal experience behind the bar recommending bourbons to choose some options that will appeal to those who find themselves returning to Woodford Reserve for a variety of reasons, whether it's the smoothness, the easy and accessible drinkability, or the versatility of being a cocktail-friendly bourbon as well as perfectly acceptable neat.