Jack Daniel's whiskey has a familiar kind of comfort to it: caramel sweetness, vanilla, oak and that unmistakably smooth finish. For drinkers who like that softer side of American whiskey, wheated bourbon is an easy next stop, with wheat replacing rye to create a rounder, sweeter profile. From W.L. Weller Special Reserve and W.L. Weller 12-Year-Old to Rebel 100, Larceny Small Batch and Old Fitzgerald 7 Year Bottled-in-Bond, these bottles offer different takes on the style, from honeyed and approachable to rich and oak-driven. Below, we look at the 5 best wheated bourbons for Jack Daniel's whiskey lovers, including their tasting notes, prices in India and availability too.
The entry point into the Weller range, and the same wheated recipe that eventually built Pappy Van Winkle's reputation. W.L. Weller Special Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey is bottled at 90 proof, with caramel, honey and a burnt-orange sweetness and that makes it a natural, easy alternative to Jack Daniel's whiskey.
W.L. Weller Special Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Price in India: Rs 2,500 to Rs 4,500, depending on state.
W.L. Weller 12-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey has the same wheated mash bill as the Special Reserve, but is aged over a decade longer. It's currently the oldest age-stated bourbon whiskey sold in India, with notes of almond, creamed corn and vanilla built for sipping neat rather than mixing.
W.L. Weller 12-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Price in India: Rs 5,400 to Rs 7,750, depending on state.
Rebel 100 Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey is Distilled by Lux Row on a wheated recipe dating back to 1849, with roughly 20% wheat in the mash bill. Bottled at 100 proof, it brings caramel, vanilla and dark fruit with a dry, spicier finish than the Wellers, more backbone, and the same lack of rye bite.
Rebel 100 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Price: $25 to $35 (US retail; not currently available in India).
Made by Heaven Hill and rooted in the Old Fitzgerald lineage, Larceny Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey runs about 20% wheat, bottled at a slightly punchier 92 proof. Fresh bread and toffee on the nose, buttery caramel on the palate, with a touch of black pepper on the finish that keeps it from feeling one-note.
Larceny Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Price: $26 to $30 (US retail; not currently available in India).
The more accessible sibling to Heaven Hill's ultra-allocated Old Fitzgerald Decanter Series, aged seven years and bottled at a legally mandated 100 proof. Old Fitzgerald 7 Year Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon whiskey comes with buttery oak, apricot and tobacco notes along with a dry, spicy finish, proof that wheated bourbon does not have to mean soft across the board.
Old Fitzgerald 7 Year Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon Whiskey Price: $50 to $60 (US retail; not currently available in India).
Note: These whiskey prices in India are approximate and vary by state; US prices reflect standard retail.