5 Underrated American Whiskey Brands You Need to Try in 2024
We’re very much in the much-discussed “bourbon bubble,” and as a result, the U.S. has spawned a massive number of whiskey producers. Some are not so great, some are just fine, and some are really good. A lot of them, however, are flat-out awesome. And let’s be honest: A lot of whiskey enthusiasts don’t give brands they’re not familiar with a fair shake for fear of being disappointed. It’s not a crime to know what you like – and, few things are more of a bummer than buying a bottle, cracking it open and realizing it’s not for you, so we understand sticking to your guns. However, there’s a great way to try new brands and eliminate (or at least strongly cut down) the chance of not liking what you buy: Do your research! To save you some time, we’ve compiled a list of five underrated whiskey brands that are making stellar American whiskey and won’t let you down.
15 STARS Fine Aged Bourbon
Underrated Whiskey
Few young brands have come out of the gate firing as red-hot as 15 STARS. Founded in April 2022 by the father-and-son team Rick and Ricky Johnson. The brand conducts its distillation and bottling at the venerable Bardstown Bourbon Company in Bardstown, Kentucky. 15 STARS may just be turning 2 years old this month, but its bourbon and rye whiskeys stand up to those from brands decades its senior. And despite its youth, 15 STARS has certainly gotten to work quickly. The company has released upwards of 10 whiskeys already, and we can vouch that every one we’ve tasted has been excellent. From Platinum Bourbon to the “Best Bourbon of 2023” winner, Sherry Cask Finish Bourbon, to the Fine Aged Bourbon and Rye releases, 15 STARS is absolutely crushing it, and we can’t wait to continue monitoring the budding brand’s growth. Check out and order 15 STARS’ products on the brand’s website.
Still Austin Whiskey
Underrated Whiskey
One of the best, if not the best, distilleries in Texas, Still Austin was founded in 2015. The brand’s everyday bourbon and rye expressions are great and reasonably priced, and the cask-strength versions of each are total rockstars that make for lovely sippers on a rock, sublime bases for cocktails or a great neat pours for the fan of high-proof pours. Still Austin’s best work, however, has been its Bottled in Bond collection, which comprised four whiskeys released seasonally: Red Corn Bourbon in summer 2023, High Rye Bourbon in fall 2023, Blue Corn Bourbon in winter 2023 and Straight Rye Whiskey in spring 2024. Each expression in the Bottled in Bond series was layered, rich and absolutely delightful. Following Still Austin’s journey thus far has been a joy, and if you’re late to the party, make sure you hop on the Still train now. Click here to find Still Austin whiskeys near you or here to shop for their products online.
Hard Truth Distilling
Underrated Whiskey
With names like Starlight and Hard Truth, Indiana is beginning to build a reputation as a whiskey destination beyond MGP. Hard Truth is known for its sweet mash whiskeys – whiskey made fresh without using backset from a previous batch. Hard Truth made a name for itself with its rye whiskeys – if you had a chance to try any of the four ryes from the Hard Truth Barrel Finish Reserve series, you know just how high this brand can soar. For that series, Hard Truth finished its sweet mash rye whiskeys in Cognac, Sauternes, PX Sherry and PX Brandy barrels. In February, Hard Truth unveiled its first three homemade bourbons, and no surprise, they’re excellent. If you haven’t tasted Hard Truth’s bourbons and rye whiskeys, you should change that ASAP. Click here to find Hard Truth near you. We especially recommend the new Four Grain Bottled in Bond Bourbon and Wheated Bottled in Bond Bourbon if you can track ’em down. They’re tremendous bourbons, and frankly, both are an absolute steal at $59.99 and $54.99.
High Bank Distillery
Underrated Whiskey
Between the hidden gem that is High Bank and Middle West, Columbus, Ohio, has a sneaky great whiskey scene. High Bank Distillery opened in 2018 and is best known for its lineup of Whiskey War blended whiskeys, which are made from a delicious rye-heavy recipe. From the basic Whiskey War to the Barrel Proof, Double Oaked and Double Double Oaked, High Bank has proven it has a rye-forward blend recipe that can hold its own against just about any producer around. Weather it’s more Whiskey War releases or something else entirely, we can’t wait to see what’s next for High Bank. If you live in Ohio, click here to find High Bank near you. If you’re elsewhere, click here to order High Bank products from Seelbach’s.
K.LUKE Whiskey
Underrated Whiskey
Another very young brand – founded in 2021 – K.LUKE was co-founded by Jonathan Maisano – a sommelier with a wealth of experience selecting barrels – and his wife, Jennifer. According to K.LUKE, Jonathan Maisano had tasted thousands of barrels by the time he decided to start his own whiskey company. The K.LUKE name is a tribute to the Maisanos’ children, Kaitlyn and Lucas. Jonathan Maisano tastes each barrel he considers using for K.LUKE blind, not wanting to have his judgment clouded by information like age, warehouse location or proof. K.LUKE bottle small-batch blends sourced from various distilleries in Kentucky and Indiana. To this point, K.LUKE has released four batches of its 100-proof Small Batch Bourbon, eight batches of its Small Batch Barrel Strength Bourbon, two batches of its Toasted Barrel Rye, two batches of its Single Barrel Barrel Strength Bourbon, two batches of its Toasted Barrel Bourbon and one batch of its Cabernet Barrel Finish Bourbon. K.LUKE might just be the most under-the-radar brand on this list, so we can’t blame you if you aren’t familiar. Give this one a shot, though; the Maisanos are bottling awesome whiskey. Check out our review of K.LUKE Barrel Strength Bourbon Batch 5 here. Click here to buy K.LUKE whiskey via Seelbach’s. To learn more about these whiskeys and what Whiskey Raiders Chief Spirits Critic Jay West thinks of each one, check out the below video and be sure to subscribe to the Whiskey Raiders YouTube Channel to stay up to date with all of our video content!
