The World’s Best Whiskey—According To The Authors Of Bourbon Lore

Mason Walker and Clay Risen know a few things about legendary whiskey. The former holds claim to one of the world’s most expansive collections of vintage bourbons and ryes. The latter is one of the world’s preeminent authors on those classic categories of spirit. Together the duo have collaborated on Bourbon Lore, a new book highlighting the history of their beloved liquids as told through 100 of the most culturally significant expressions ever entered into bottle.

And it’s more than just a photogenically rendered tome for your coffee table. Bourbon Lore is also the name of the ongoing project Walker and Risen cofounded to provide high-end tasting experiences in epic locales across the United States. Given their breadth of collective knowledge—amassed from exposure to thousands of exemplary pours, embodying over a century’s worth of production—you’d think the experts would require lengthy deliberation when asked to name their unequivocal favorites.

We asked them to do just that. Imagine our surprise when they revealed their top tipples with next to no hesitation, whatsoever. “Well, that’s easy: Rathskeller Rye,” said Risen. “This is a whiskey that’s not only absolutely legendary, but it’s one of the first truly transcendental whiskies that I ever tasted. So it’s really personal for me.”

Sadly for the rest of us, the label in question—originally distilled at the Old Bernheim distillery in 1983, and brought to shelf by the Willett family some 24 years later—is excruciatingly rare. Only 211 bottles were ever released and almost all of them were allocated to the Seelbach Hotel in downtown Louisville.

The lucky few who have sampled the spirit speak of an ethereal balance of spice and sweet; supernatural swirls of maple syrup and port wine, which slowly evolve into lustrous tendrils of cinnamon and clove. So scant is the stock that remains in the wild that a single 750ml offering of the expression sold last year at Sotheby’s auction for a whopping $37,500.

As for Risen’s partner in crime, Walker is partial to this pour because he actually owns a bottle of the juice. He doesn’t hesitate to call it his favorite rye of all time, though he thinks it owe to share the honor with another unicorn—the 2011 release of Michter’s 25 Year Rye. “These represent chapters of American whiskey that absolutely speak to my heart and soul,” says Walker.

He’s also acutely aware of how elusive liquids like these are to overwhelming majority of whiskey enthusiasts. Which is why Bourbon Lore classifies its selections on a three-prong rarity scale, ranging from Foundational (everyday pours) to Rare to Legendary. The juice mentioned above sits squarely in that last camp. But if you’re looking for something awesome and attainable, he suggests getting your hands on anything from the Russell’s Reserve portfolio of American whiskies. And since he doesn’t even bother calling out any one in specific, why not play it safe and get your hands on five separate expressions in one convenient combo pack? It’s way cheaper than that one bottle of Rathskeller Rye.