Crafting the Perfect Pour: The Dream Bourbon According to The 3 Bourboneers

Hey there, whiskey friends. We’re The 3 Bourboneers - just three thirty-something buddies from western Wisconsin with a shared love for great bourbon, questionable hunting stories, and long nights around the fire pit.

Over the years (and many bottles), we’ve had plenty of late-night debates about what makes the perfect bourbon. Is it the proof? The age? The char? The bottle that looks cool on the shelf when your buddies come over for poker night?

Eventually, we decided to put pen to paper and dream it out. So here it is - if we had our pick of the barrel, this is how The 3 Bourboneers would craft our perfect bourbon.

Age: 12 Years of Patience

We’ve tasted enough bourbon to know that 12 years is where the magic happens. Not too young, not over-oaked - it’s the sweet spot. After 12 full years in the barrel, you get those rich vanillas, deep caramels, a little tobacco, and all that oaky goodness without it tasting like you’re chewing on a stave. Anything younger feels like it's still figuring itself out. Anything older can get too woody. For us Bourboneers, 12 is the Goldilocks zone.

Proof: 110 - Bold but Smooth

We’re big fans of a pour with some kick - but not something that singes your eyebrows. 110 proof is where we land every time. It's got enough heat to keep things interesting, but still smooth enough to sip neat after a long day splitting wood or shoveling snow. We’ve found that 100-120 proof bourbons are what we call “crushable” - full of flavor, just the right amount of burn, and always worth a second pour.

Mashbill: Beam Meets Heaven Hill

Flavor-wise, we tend to gravitate toward what Jim Beam and Heaven Hill are putting out (although Michter’s is in the running lately). There's something about that sweet nuttiness from Beam mixed with the spicy rye-forward kick of Heaven Hill that just hits right. If we were designing a mashbill, it’d blend the best of both worlds. Something corn-heavy with a decent rye backbone and just enough malt to smooth it out. A true Wisconsin blend if there ever was one - traditional, bold, and just a little spicy.

Barrel Char: Level 4 - Go Big or Go Home

We’re not here for subtle flavors. We want richness. We want depth. We want the bourbon equivalent of a smoked brisket that’s been on the pit for 18 hours. That’s why we’re going with a Level 4 “alligator” char. It brings out all those rich, dark sugars from the oak and layers in that toasted caramel, chocolate, and spice that keeps you coming back. It’s the deep-end of the flavor pool - and that’s where we like to swim.

Aging Location: Kentucky Heat, High in the Rickhouse

Look, we love Wisconsin - but when it comes to bourbon, Kentucky is king. They’ve got the limestone water, the seasons, and the history. But more importantly, they’ve got the rickhouses.

If we had our way, we’d age our barrels high up in a Kentucky rickhouse, where the temps swing big and the barrels sweat hard. The more heat and interaction with the oak, the more concentrated the flavor. We’re talking full-send aging.

Bottle Design: Stand Tall and Pour Proud

If you’re going to make a bourbon you’re proud of, you’ve got to dress it up right. We’d go with a tall, elegant wine-style bottle, something along the lines of Eagle Rare or Colonel Taylor.

There’s just something about a bottle that stands taller than the rest on the shelf. It says, “Hey, I’m special,” without yelling it. Plus, it just looks better when you gift it, or pull it out at deer camp to show off a little.

Final Sip: A Dream Worth Distilling

Will we ever actually distill our own bourbon? Who knows. We’re just three guys from Wisconsin who love a good pour and a better conversation. But if we ever do, this is what we’d make - something that reflects who we are: bold, balanced, and built to be shared.

Until then, we’ll keep sampling, sipping, and dreaming - and bringing you along for the ride.

Cheers from The 3 Bourboneers 🥃

- Western Wisconsin’s finest (and only) bourbon philosophers

Follow the 3 Bourboneers on Instagram