I've tested 100+ bourbons and the best is a $25 bottle that shares the same recipe as Pappy Van Winkle

To determine my favorite bourbon, I asked my wife to administer a blind taste test featuring four highly regarded 90-proof bourbons: 

• Russell's Reserve 10-Year, the top overall pick in our best bourbon guide
• Eagle Rare, my favorite bourbon from my trip on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail
• Weller Special Reserve, a bourbon that uses the same recipe as Pappy Van Winkle
• Buffalo Trace store pick, from a single barrel of Buffalo Trace bourbon hand-selected by a local liquor store

While all four bourbons tasted excellent, the Weller Special Reserve came out on top. It has a sweet nose, featuring notes of caramel and cherry. The palate offers a perfect balance of sweetness and spiciness. I tasted caramel and honey with hints of oak and butterscotch. The finish was pleasantly long and smooth. In my tasting, the complexity and balance were what set Weller apart from the contenders.

Pappy Van Winkle is one of the most sought-after bourbons in the world. It regularly sells for more than 10 times its retail price. I've tried a couple of Pappy bourbons and strongly recommend picking up a bottle if you find it at a decent price. 

If you can't find Pappy, consider Weller Special Reserve instead. It's made by the same distillery, Buffalo Trace, and uses the same recipe. Freddie Johnson, a popular Buffalo Trace tour guide featured prominently in "Neat: The Story of Bourbon," told me that everything is the same between the two bourbons. The only differences are "where we age it in the warehouse and how long we leave it there," he said. Pappy bourbons are aged at least 10 years, but Buffalo Trace won't disclose how long it ages Weller Special Reserve.

Fred Minnick, the author of "Bourbon Curious," also acknowledges the similarities between the two bourbons but notes that Weller hasn't had the time to develop the complexity of Pappy. 

If you can't get your hands on Pappy, try Weller and these other Pappy alternatives.

Buffalo Trace Distillery is having a moment right now. Most of its bourbons are "allocated," meaning bars and stores can only get a limited number of bottles. Consequently, they sell out quickly at retail and garner high prices on the secondary market.

Weller Special Reserve retails for $25, but I've never seen it for sale at that price in Michigan, where I live. Instead, I had a friend pick it up when he was in Ohio, where you can track availability. He got it for the MSRP, but had to ask employees to find it. As is common with rare Buffalo Trace offerings, it was kept behind the counter or in the back of the store.

If your local liquor store doesn't carry Weller, you might be able to get it delivered to your area using an online retailer. However, expect to pay more than retail.

There are seven Weller bourbons (retail price):

• Special Reserve ($25)
• 12 Year ($40)
• Full Proof ($50)
• C.Y.P.B. ($50)
• Antique 107 ($50)
• Single Barrel ($50)
• William Larue Weller ($100)

The bourbons vary based on proof and how long they were aged. Visit the Buffalo Trace website to learn about the specific differences.

Special Reserve is the easiest Weller to find. Some of the expressions may cost you more than $1,000 on the secondary market. The only other Weller I've tried is the 12 Year. I found it tasted great, but I'll take the Special Reserve for my money. I look forward to trying other Wellers down the road. I just need to figure out where to find them at a reasonable price.

If you find any Weller in a liquor store at retail, I highly recommend giving it a try. Weller Special Reserve punches well above its price tag and is comparable to high-end options like Old Rip Van Winkle 10-Year. After tasting more than 100 bourbons, it's my personal top pick