12 Expert-Recommended Bourbons To Enjoy With Your Next Steak Dinner

No meal is complete without a drink, including a steak dinner. Now, some may believe wine is the only way to go when enjoying a superb steak, while others prefer to forgo wine altogether and opt for a nice cocktail and steak pairing instead. But every so often, neither a mixed drink nor a glass of wine will do. In fact, sometimes, the only thing you want with your steak is a glass of bourbon.

Of course, with so many different bourbon options out there, selecting the right one can be difficult. Do you want a small batch bourbon, or something that's been aged a few extra years? Is a sweeter whiskey the way to go, or does something spicier work in certain instances? For help with those answers, we reached out to several experts from across the country to find out which bourbons go best with a luscious cut of beef.

These experts discussed which types of bourbon go best with various cuts of steak, and revealed their recommendations for specific bottles to consider when pairing. If you're a bourbon fan who loves steak, read on to discover which expert-recommended bourbons you should consider the next time you order or prepare a steak dinner.

Founded by Bourbon Hall of Fame member Lincoln Henderson and his son, Wes, Angel's Envy got its name from the small amount of alcohol that evaporates during the aging process, which is known as the angel's share. The father and son figured that if the angel's share is what disappears from the barrel, then the angel's envy is what remained.  More than that, the secondary finishing technique used to distill every bottle of Angel's Envy is what makes it unique, as well as a top choice for pairing with steak.

After going through the standard bourbon aging process in charred oak barrels, the distillers at Angel's Envy transfer the liquor to a second set of finishing casks, which imparts the whiskey's enjoyable flavor. According to Meredith Donnan, bar manager of Baltaire Restaurant & Steakhouse in Los Angeles, "Angel's Envy bourbon has lovely vanilla notes from barrel aging, which I love for standing up to savory steaks." She added Angel's Envy pairs well in particular with the Wagyu steaks sold by Baltaire.

Another bourbon from the famed Buffalo Trace Distillery, Blanton's Single Barrel Bourbon is a top choice for Meredith Donnan. "Blanton's is always a crowd favorite at Baltaire," Donnan exclaimed, adding it's "a quintessential Kentucky bourbon." Donnan also mentioned she likes to drink Blanton's over a large ice cube and pair it with any of the steak fillet cuts sold by the establishment.

Additionally, Nick DiLullo, director of operations for The Arthur J in Manhattan Beach, California, told us this classic bourbon (which is aged between six and eight years on average) offers notes of sweet molasses, brown sugar, and mild heat. Though he believes the elusive nature of Blanton's Single Barrel has driven up the price, it's still well worth the cost if you're able to find and afford a bottle or glass.

DiLullo also mentioned one season in particular is the best time to pull this bottle off the shelf and savor the bourbon alongside a nice cut of beef. He suggested you "pour this one on a beautiful summer evening while resting any steak of your choosing."

Given there are only a handful of expressions offered by Eagle Rare, when multiple experts recommend it? We take note. This bourbon whiskey is aged for 10 years at the Buffalo Trace Distillery, which brings out a variety of flavors that help make it a great companion to a nice steak. More than that, Cheryl Lassen, corporate trainer and mixologist at Mastro's in Beverly Hills, believes that aging time takes away some of the bourbon's harshness.

"The decade of age on this really mellows out the whiskey and is a great pairing for a filet," Lassen told Tasting Table, who also highlighted the bourbon's citrusy, toasty notes. Meanwhile, celebrity chef and former "Top Chef" contestant Bryan Voltaggio said he appreciates the subtle caramel and oak notes he gets from this bourbon, which he likes to sip over ice for a bit of dilution.

Nick DiLullo noted "the additional aging of this bourbon evokes a deeper and lush expression of oak, vanilla, and cherry." He also agreed that it's best to enjoy Eagle Rare bourbon slightly diluted with your steak dinner, stating it "opens up to a more rounded and honeyed crowd pleaser" alongside your meal as a result.

If you like a bourbon that's a little harsher on the palate, Andrea Scuto, general manager of The Musso & Frank Grill in Hollywood, recommends the straight bourbon offered by Laws Whiskey House. The unique flavors of this bourbon come from two farms: one in the San Luis Valley, and the other situated on Colorado's eastern plains. Both of these farms grow the necessary corn, as well as the heirloom varietals of wheat, barley, and rye used to make this special whiskey.

Of course, it's not just the ingredients that make this bourbon unique (or a good match for steak) — it's also the location. Unlike a lot of other bourbons on the market (which are produced in Kentucky), Laws comes out of Colorado. The thin air from the higher Colorado elevation — coupled with the hot days and cool nights — stress the grains just enough to really enhance the unique flavors.

Additionally, Scuto described Laws as "rougher on the edges" than some other bourbons, and recommended pairing it with a ribeye or ribeye cap steak when dining. He also noted the best type of beef for this whiskey is a fattier cut, and added the best bourbon pairings depend on how fatty a cut of steak is.

Though a lot of bourbons come from distilleries they are named after — think Old Forrester, Heaven Hill, and Bulleit (to name a few) — there are several distilleries that produce whiskey for brands beyond the namesake products. Now, Buffalo Trace may be the most well known of these. But Willett Distillery is another that produces additional bourbons on top of its Willett brand, including Noah's Mill. While the history of Noah's Mill doesn't trace back centuries like Willet bourbon, it's one of the bottles made at Willett, and one of the best bourbons to pair with a steak dinner, as well.

With a whopping 114.3 proof, Noah's Mill is the highest proof bourbon on this list — but you wouldn't know it, according to Nick DiLullo. After all, DiLullo believes Noah's Mill isn't as harsh as other high-proof bourbons on the market, and he enjoys the whiskey for its nutty flavor that's reminiscent of caramelized figs. More than that, as DiLullo told us, "Noah's Mill is an ideal companion for dry-aged beef of any cut."

While several bourbons on this list were recommended by multiple experts, only one brand has the esteem of having two different expressions included: W.L. Weller. Another member of the Buffalo Trace Distillery family, W.L. Weller has been around since the 1800s, when William Larue Weller started selling and distilling bourbon. However, what made his whiskey different was the decision to mix wheat with his corn mash base instead of the more common rye. This resulted in a bourbon that had a smoother, softer flavor — one that pairs nicely with a steak dinner.

This bourbon's easy flavor is precisely why Nick DiLullo described it as "the perfect entry into the realm of quality bourbon" and a great choice with leaner cuts of steak. Even though it's a 90 proof bottle, both DiLullo and Cheryl Lassen think it's an ideal option for pairing with leaner steaks such as filet mignon. DiLullo noted the whiskey is "nimble and lean on the palate." Meanwhile, Lassen believes the "slight citrus notes really give this whiskey character," with the honeysuckle, vanilla, and butterscotch meaning it's "extremely approachable and won't overpower a filet."

No bottle of bourbon may be more recognizable than Maker's Mark. Between the bottle's square shape and striking red wax-dipped neck, you can immediately spot one of the many bourbons made by Maker's Mark from behind any bar. Given it's such a well-known bourbon, we weren't surprised when Andrea Scuto recommended pairing it with a steak dinner, or described it as "a great entry level" option. But Scuto didn't simply recommend the brand's classic bourbon — he singled out Maker's Mark 46.

Maker's Mark 46 is aged longer than the distillery's standard bottle, and uses a barrel fitted with 10 French oak staves for its final maturation. In fact, this bottle's name was chosen because the company where the staves are purchased from files them as "Stave Profile No. 46." The final product is a bourbon that Scuto singled out when considering stellar choices for a steak dinner.

"We love Maker's Mark," Scuto declared. "It's a very classic filet mignon bourbon that really adds to the smokiness of the meat." In fact, the folks at The Musso & Frank Grill are such big advocates of Maker's Mark that the prominent distillery made a bottle especially for the eatery on its 100th anniversary. The bottle came with a picture of the restaurant's entrance on the front, as well as the master distiller's signature.

Rabbit Hole has made its presence known in a fairly short time. Created by Kaveh Zamanian — who went down the rabbit hole, so to speak, when he decided to devote his life to the craft of bourbon making — Rabbit Hole is made with original recipes and mash bills developed by its founder. While the relatively newer whiskey brand has a variety of available options (including several limited edition cask strength bourbon whiskey bottles), one particular expression was recommended by Nick DiLullo for pairing with a steak dinner: the Dareringer.

"This is one of our newer favorites with enough muscle to stand up to a juicy wood-fired tomahawk," DiLullo explained. Inspired by Zamanian's wife, this bourbon is made up of 65% corn, 25% wheat, and 10% malted barley. That grain combination may create a sweeter bourbon, but it's the finish that makes this one of DiLullo's favorites. "It is finished in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks," he said, "giving it a rich, chocolatey character laced with dark black fruits." Sounds like the perfect beef compliment to us.

The second W.L. Weller bourbon to appear on our list is the brand's Antique 107. Adorned with a striking brick red label, the 107 in its name comes from the bourbon's proof — making it one of the higher proof bourbons offered under the W.L. Weller moniker. Regardless of its alcohol by volume percentage, Meredith Donnan told us it's a worthwhile option. More than that, it's the ideal bourbon to sip when served on the rocks, as well as a top-notch option "to wet your whistle for a steak dinner."

Just like the Special Reserve, the Antique 107 follows the Weller theme of using a wheated mash bill as its base. But similar to several other well-known bourbons produced at the Buffalo Trace Distillery, this bottle is also becoming increasingly difficult to find. If you do manage to get ahold of a bottle, be prepared to spend a pretty penny (as much as several hundred dollars in some cases).

Given the high cost, if you want to sample this bourbon, your best bet may be to order it the next time you head to your favorite steakhouse. If you're unsure which steak to pair it with, Donnan had several suggestions, noting W.L. Weller Antique 107 goes well "with the richness of a ribeye, porterhouse, or tomahawk."

Another bourbon finished in sherry casks, Joseph Magnus goes the extra mile and uses not one but three different casks. While it uses Pedro Ximenez sherry casks like Rabbit Hole Dareringer, Magnus also utilizes Oloroso sherry and cognac casks. The final result is a bourbon that Andrea Scuto described as complex, while retaining the classic vanilla and caramel flavors so common in this type of whiskey. With notes of orange and lemon peel present — thanks to the trio of finishing casks – Scuto believes Joseph Magnus is a great compliment to a steak meal.

Interestingly, we almost didn't get to enjoy this bourbon in any capacity. Originally created by its namesake back in the 1800s, this whiskey was a winner among patrons and barmen until Prohibition hit. It wasn't until Magnus's great-grandson discovered a 122-year-old bottle of Murray Hill Club whiskey hidden away that Joseph Magnus bourbon was reborn in the modern era.

Upon tasting it, and discovering a bourbon worthy of saving, the distillery's master blender, Nancy Fraley, took up the mantle. Following Magnus' original blending and finishing techniques, this bourbon is as close to that 122-year-old bottle as you can get — and it pairs quite well with a rich and savory steak, according to Scuto.

If there's one bourbon that seems to be in every grocery store, bar, and restaurant, it's Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon. From its classic flavors,  uniquely shaped bottle, and the fact that it's been the premiere sponsor of every Kentucky Derby since 1999, this is a bourbon that's both well-known and tasty. Woodford Reserve is mixed, aged, and bottled in one of the oldest operating bourbon distilleries in Kentucky, and offers flavor notes of tobacco, chocolate, and dried apricot. This makes it a nice choice for pairing with steak, according to Cheryl Lassen.

Now, in order to qualify as a bourbon, the spirit must be made with at least 51% corn. Woodford Reserve goes above and beyond that minimum by using a mash bill comprised of 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley. This results in flavors that Lassen feels go well with a hearty steak, and she mentioned several cuts of steak as potential options. "[I] love this with porterhouse," Lassen told us, adding it "has the perfect acidity to cut through the marbling side of the New York, and perfect sweetness to add to the flavor of the fillet side."

Beverly High Rye is slightly different from the other bourbons recommended on this list because it's not just a bourbon whiskey. In fact, it's a blend of bourbon and rye whiskey. This blend of straight bourbon and straight rye has a significantly spicier finish than other entries on this list given its unique mash bill. Consequently, while Cheryl Lassen recommended it, she doesn't suggest sipping the whiskey with just any cut of steak.

Lassen noted this bourbon and rye whiskey "pairs amazing with Midwest beef" — an unsurprising suggestion given the whiskey is blended in Iowa. While there's a healthy dose of spice on the finish, it's coupled with flavors of caramel and toffee, which makes it one of her favorites. Additionally, according to Lassen, the whiskey's spice nicely compliments the flavor of the meat, meaning this whiskey is worth seeking out if you're looking to stray slightly from a straightforward bourbon and steak combo.