Sourcing whiskey isn’t a new practice. Many distillers purchase whiskey to sell, and the mega-distillery MGP is one of several supplying wholesale stocks. The trend of combining sourced liquid with house-made whiskey is emerging at more and more distilleries, and the results are varied and inventive. These four bottles showcase the range of possibilities that encompasses craft blending.

4 inventive blends to seek out

Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series #1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon—91 points, $60
A blend of 60% house-made 2 year old wheated and high-rye Kentucky bourbon and 40% 11 year, 7 month sourced Kentucky bourbon.
Notes: Cooked dark fruit, cola, chocolate, nuts, well-integrated spice, espresso, and oak

Smooth Ambler Spirits Contradiction Bourbon—86 points, $40
A mixture of 27% house-made wheated bourbon and 73% Indiana-made rye-recipe bourbon.
Notes: Oak-driven, herbal licorice, beeswax, dried peaches, forest floor, autumn leaves, and cut grass

Spirits of French Lick The Wheater Straight Bourbon—84 points, $45
A blend of two straight bourbons comprised of 60% house-made 2 year old bourbon and 40% 7 year old bourbon made with identical mashbills: 70% corn, 20% wheat, 10% malted barley.
Notes: Bitter orange, black tea, clove, baking spices, bitter chocolate, and baked apple

WhistlePig FarmStock Rye (Crop 003)—84 points, $73
Combines 52% straight rye whiskey made at WhistlePig farm from rye grown there, with 48% straight rye sourced from Canada.
Notes: Herbal, with hints of vinous fruit and spices and an abundance of oak