Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon Named Best in the World, Sold at Costco for Under $50

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The World Whiskies Awards named its top American bourbons for 2026, and one of Kentucky's most recognizable labels, the Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch bourbon from Buffalo Trace, took the small-batch crown. The bourbon pays homage to Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr., a foundational figure in modern bourbon production who helped standardize quality and influenced the passage of the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, which the E.H. Taylor Jr. line continues to follow.

Why it matters

In an increasingly crowded premium whiskey landscape, the bottled-in-bond designation functions almost like a built-in certification, signaling consistency and authenticity to drinkers navigating shelves filled with limited releases, finishes, and experimental blends.

The details

The World Whiskies Awards named the Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch bourbon from Buffalo Trace as the 'Best Kentucky Small Batch Bourbon' during a gala at Louisville's Brown Hotel. The bourbon pays tribute to Colonel E.H. Taylor Jr., a key figure in the standardization of bourbon quality in the late 19th century who influenced the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, which the E.H. Taylor Jr. line continues to follow. To qualify as bottled-in-bond, bourbon must be exactly 100 proof, aged at least four years in a government-supervised bonded warehouse, produced in a single distilling season, and contain nothing beyond water to adjust proof.

• The World Whiskies Awards ceremony took place in 2026.