The 13 Best Bourbons To Pair With Steak

Carving into a high-quality steak demands a bourbon that's equally impressive. The Henry McKenna Single Barrel 10-Year Bottled-In-Bond is one of Heaven Hill Distillery's longest-aged selections, spending an entire decade in the barrel prior to being unleashed in a glass. It carries warm notes of vanilla, oak, and caramel and bears a strong, woodsy finish that takes its sweet time on the tongue. Case in point, it's going to go exceptionally well with the dry-aged beef on your plate. 

"Bottled-In-Bond" refers to the Bottled-In-Bond Act of 1897, which stipulated specialized production methods to block imitations and ensure the spirit stayed true to its roots (via Gear Patrol). By all counts, Henry McKenna deserves its status among the best of the best. Bourbon Banter recommends sipping this one with a New York strip, which has a rich flavor and rugged bite that would seamlessly align with a simple shot. Plus, its 100-proof label makes it a great pick for sipping neat or mixing into cocktails since the spirit won't dissipate under the pressure of other liquids. Kentucky mules, anyone?

Pairings can be a transformative experience on behalf of the steak and the bourbon, but not every combination has to be a dazzler. Sometimes, it's more important to make compromises so that each nuance of flavor has its time to shine. To put this dilemma to rest, heed Whisky Advocate's advice and head straight towards Maker's Mark. The Kentucky straight bourbon is a pleasant spirit brimming with the scent of caramel and wheat, followed by comforting notes of sweet vanilla and vibrant fruit. This brand uses soft red winter wheat, which bears a gentler hand in the mash bill as opposed to rye (per Maker's Mark). 

Other features include pure Kentucky limestone water and double-barrel distillation for a smooth consistency, while a blast of fire to the barrels lends its trademark smokiness. Despite some of its harsher elements, Maker's Mark rounds itself out with a pleasurable burn, described by The Whiskey Shelf as "mellow and smooth." An easy-to-drink spirit is the way to go with a steak dinner, especially where a peaceful ambiance is concerned. If wine and dines are anywhere in your future, a bottle of Maker's Mark will certainly fit the bill. 

For a bourbon that won't strip your throat raw, and that tastes great with a perfectly cooked steak, look to those made with wheat. Offerings such as Larceny's Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon go well with marbled steaks, as the fat swirled throughout intensifies the richness found in the whiskey, per Whisky Advocate. The brand's name pays tribute to John Fitzgerald, a treasury bond agent whose exploits purloining barrels of booze out of the rickhouses he was assigned to cover established him as a bourbon legend. Its mash bill leans heavily on wheat instead of rye, fermenting anywhere between 6 to 12 years in open-air surroundings (via Larceny Bourbon). 

VinePair notes its mouthfeel is caramelized and full-bodied, as many wheated bourbons tend to be, with slight hints of bread and butterscotch taking it all home. What's more, Larceny doesn't just craft any old wheated bourbon. Each bottle is infused with 25% more wheat than other bourbons of its kind on the market, so this is a good choice for going beyond the typical rye-based varieties. Between its coppery hue and yeasty sweetness, you'll find savoring anything else with your filet mignon just plain wrong. 

There's great debate over how bourbon should be enjoyed with steak. Do you drink it neat, with no distractions? Diluted with a scoop of ice? Or mixed into a cocktail? Thankfully, Elijah Craig's Small Batch Bourbon is versatile enough to satisfy all steak lovers' preferences, on top of being easy to find. It's a smokier rendition of the spirit due to the distillers charring the oak barrels during the aging process which showcases the toasty flavors present upon first taste. 

Highly rated and reviewed, there's no doubt this bourbon would be a hit in any of the forms mentioned above with sturdier steaks. Boston Common echoes the suggestion of going big on flavor both in bourbon and beef: Think an illustrious American Kobe cap or rib eye, something expensive and rich. It's a little fiery, a little spicy, and bold enough to meet a fleshy hunk of beef on its own level. Take it from Snake River Farms Marketing Manager David Yasuda, who recommended the pairing for an exclusive collaboration with the distillery. "A rib eye is more luxurious...it delivers a mouthfeel of fat and really deep beef flavor," he said on Elijah Craig's website, adding that the bourbon "is able to cut through that nicely." 

If you are planning a decadent steak meal with all the fixings — marinades, sauces, the works — why not invest in a quality bourbon while you're at it? Eagle Rare 10-Year-Old is a crowd-pleaser in just about every way, from its indulgent finish to its seductive blend of toffee, orange peel, and rugged leather. It's also a collector's item for bourbon enthusiasts. Gear Patrol notes its impressive decade-long fermentation process and limited supply make it a highly-coveted bottle for booze collectors. Liquor stores can't seem to keep it on the shelves or out of the hands of price-gouging resellers, for that matter (per Malt Review).

Hype aside, there's a lot to love about Eagle Rare. It's bold and brash like a bourbon should be while remaining approachable to the newly initiated. The Whiskey Shelf recommends it for first-timers wanting to get their toes wet, just as much for booze aficionados who prize good taste. Thanks to its citrusy, toasty mouthfeel, you won't find a better bourbon to have by your side, especially where steak is concerned. 

To steak purists, pairing filet mignon with anything but a bottle of red is considered gauche. In some circles, it's borderline criminal. But before completely writing it off, allow Broken Barrel Whiskey Co. to break the rules, if only momentarily. Vine Pair recommends California Oak Bourbon for wine lovers, and it isn't hard to understand why. As Broken Barrel's website explains, the fermentation process takes a page out of the Sonoma County playbook by aging in both virgin French Oak staves and California Cabernet Sauvignon staves, giving the bourbon a candied feel that's sumptuous in the nose and mouth. Total Wine seconds this, highlighting the persimmon and cranberry overtones present. 

Certainly, California Oak Bourbon boasts the spirit's distinct weightiness, but with enough sugar to cut through the sturdiness holding it together. Give this bottle a spin if you're open to tossing that glass of merlot (not literally) the next time steak is on the menu. It's an easy one to find at most liquor stores, letting you focus on the meat of the matter (i.e., the steak). 

At the end of the day, we gravitate to the familiar, the things we can trust. For a traditional pairing like bourbon and steak, sticking to the classics will never let you down. Wild Turkey's 101 Bourbon seems like an obvious choice only because it's so ubiquitous in the liquor arena. It's the brand's top-selling selection, according to Forbes, and boasts a rich rye base and signature copper shade developed through extensive barrel-aging — about 6 to 8 years, according to Wild Turkey. Its 101-proof signals strength, but its flavor profile is surprisingly low-key. There's an essence of caramel, orange peel, vanilla, and cinnamon. Basically, all of your favorite baking spices mingled with sturdy notes of oak and wood. 

Clearly, Wild Turkey goes great with steak. But how about putting it in steak? The fact that there are endless recipes for steak sauces and marinades made with Wild Turkey's bourbon, including from Kentucky Living and WonderHowTo, shows that its popularity with the classic cutlet goes beyond any doubt.