For the nearly three-quarters of a million people who’ve spent time with us here on the Bourboneur Blog—thanks for drinking with us. We don’t take that lightly. There’s a lot coming in the year ahead (more on that at the end), but first: bottles.
Last year around this time, we put together a short list of bourbons we wanted to spend meaningful time with—not just chase, flip, or photograph. In a category that keeps getting louder, setting intention matters.
With more great bourbon than any one person could reasonably drink, the goal isn’t more—it’s better.
Below, in no particular order, are the bottles currently sitting at the top of our 2026 Bourboneur Bucket List.
My resolution this year? Fewer impulse pours. More deliberate ones.
A 12-barrel blend of 12-year MGP bottled in bond, this is structured, polished, and expressive without being precious. Orange cream, baking spice, and a finish that lingers just long enough to remind you this wasn’t rushed. The Bourbon Blue Book® has this listed at $244 at present.
A cult favorite for a reason. High proof, unapologetic, and textured, Swing Juice leans into its Bardstown roots with viscosity and swagger. This isn’t subtle bourbon—and it isn’t trying to be. Think locker-room pour energy, executed with real intent. According to the Bourbon Blue Book® you’re looking at $413 to add this to your shelf.
The Huber family has been distilling for generations, but this 10-year age statement marks a turning point. It’s proof that given time and restraint, craft distilleries can go toe-to-toe with legacy producers—and sometimes outclass them. Current pricing on Bourbon Blue Book® is $418 on average.
Selected by Gordon Hue, this is a high-rye bourbon that wears its age well. A full-throttle cherry bomb with depth, balance, and just enough restraint to keep it from tipping over. Liquid history, but still very much alive. Don’t be fooled by what some sites are suggesting on price, at the moment the Bourbon Blue Book® value on these is sitting at $1,190. Don’t expect to pay much less.
Bowman’s experimental Oak Series continues to show why curiosity still matters in bourbon. The Hungarian Oak finish brings dark chocolate, smoky stone fruit, and a profile that simply doesn’t exist in traditional American white oak. Not better—different, and deliberately so. The only bourbon listing that includes the word “Hungarian” in the nearly 9,000 some odd bottles on the Bourbon Blue Book®, which has the current price on these at $710.
A revived pre-Prohibition brand with real substance behind the name. At 126 proof, this 16-year bourbon is dense and complex—leather, tobacco, and old rickhouse funk—lifted by a surprisingly bright fruit note that keeps it from feeling heavy. The average going rate on the Bourbon Blue Book® is $394 as we write today.
Rare Character remains the “barrel nerd” brand to watch. Old Cassidy is a curated, high-proof blend that showcases what happens when sourcing is done with discipline instead of desperation. Honey barrels, blended with purpose. Expect to pay around $402 according to Bourbon Blue Book®.
To celebrate nine decades, Heaven Hill kept it simple—and effective. Nine-year bourbon aged in heavy #4 char barrels that drinks well beyond its age statement. Rich, balanced, and quietly confident, it echoes some of the best Michter’s 10 releases without trying to imitate them. The Bourbon Blue Book® suggests the current pricing at $222 at present.
In a market that moves faster than a 120-proof finish, your tools need to keep up.
We’re currently proofing the 2026 version of the Bourboneur app—a complete reimagining of both interface and utility. You’ve told us what matters, and we listened.
At the center of this evolution in the Bourboneur Market Index™ - a new way to understand secondary pricing that focuses on observed market behavior, not hype or one-number certainty. Instead of chasing "fair value" the Index provides pricing context over time, highlighting trends, volatility, and where real transactions are actually landing.
The Great Migration is coming. Soon, you’ll be able to seamlessly move your collection from other platforms into Bourboneur. We’ve expanded our data architecture to let you track inventory status and acquisition cost alongside our proprietary market analytics—so you’re not just collecting bottles, you’re managing liquid assets.
Same price. More power.
Because being Whiskey-Wise™ means having the right data when it counts.
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If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that the bourbon market doesn’t pause. Drop season is now year-round, bottles hit the secondary before receipts cool, and the gap between hype and heritage has never been wider.
Navigating that requires more than instinct—it requires truth in numbers. The same approach that recently earned Bourboneur recognition from Forbes.
That’s why we built the Bourbon Blue Book®. With live, verified secondary sales data on over 9,000 bottles, it exists to help you avoid overpaying for shelf noise—or missing the undervalued gems hiding in plain sight.
Inside the Bourboneur app, you get:
• Real-Time Market Data – No guesswork. Just what bottles are actually selling for.
• The Blue Book Advantage – At $3/month or $25/year, it pays for itself the first time you walk away from a bad deal.
• A Growing Community – Thousands of collectors using data—not hype—to stay Whiskey-Wise™.
Whether you’re hunting a 16-year Old Commonwealth or pricing a fair trade, don’t fly blind in 2026.
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That’s Bourboneur.
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