The Absolute Best Bacon Brand Has A Smoky Bourbon Flavor (Without The Booze)

Whether you're looking to have some breakfast, add it to baked goods for a savory element, or use it to top your favorite sandwiches, having the best bacon on hand is key to an unforgettable dish. The thing is, not all bacon is created equal, so we set out to find some of the best options out there. When Food Republic's taste-tester ranked 8 bacon brands from worst to best, they discovered that the winner's bacon was True Story's uncured applewood smoked bacon.

One of the most surprising things about this bacon was that our tester swore that it must have been infused with bourbon, as it possesses a unique smoky bourbon flavor. Upon further investigation, though, we found that there's not an ounce of bourbon involved, and instead, it's simply pork, water, salt, turbinado sugar, and celery powder that's meticulously smoked with applewood. Applewood itself gives the bacon a sweet and fruity flavor mixed with smokiness. Since the most common notes in bourbon are vanilla, caramel, and oak, it's not too surprising that the sweetness of applewood could be mistaken for bourbon. All in all, though, this bacon is absolutely delightful.

While enjoying bacon and eggs is a no-brainer, there are other ways to use it that we think you'll love (especially given the unique taste of it). For example, incorporating bacon into ice cream can bring a sweet-and-salty flavor bomb to the party. Since this bacon has subtle hints of smokiness, we think using it as a crumbly topping would bring some nice balance to classic vanilla. To take it a step further, drizzle some caramel sauce on top, too. The applewood bacon will go beautifully with caramel.

Another way to enjoy this is to make candied bacon — aka when you coat bacon in brown sugar and bake it until it's gorgeously sticky and caramelized. You can either enjoy this as is, or you can crumble it up and use it to top cheesecake or glazed donuts. Other flavors that we think will complement this bacon variety include pecans, apples, and peaches. Not only could you use bacon alongside grilled peaches for a smoky peach cobbler, but it could also work as a textural element to a grilled peach and mozzarella flatbread.