When the George T. Stagg distillery first released Blanton’s in 1984, it was priced at a then-jaw-dropping $30—double or triple the cost of most other bourbon on the shelves. At the time, the industry was still in the midst of a decadeslong tailspin, a glut of barrels accumulating in Kentucky warehouses as Americans focused their attention on vodka, wine coolers and any cocktail made with peach schnapps. So why release a luxury product?
“[Elmer T.] Lee had nothing to lose,” claimed The New York Times in its 2013 eulogy of the legendary master distiller. By then, however, his distillery was known as Buffalo Trace and Blanton’s was on the verge of becoming a unicorn, with a market price of $300—that is, if you could actually find it. Today, the idea of a world-class bourbon for under $50 seems downright laughable.
And yet, there is a lot more out there than you might think.
If the focus of bourbon enthusiasts, especially “taters,” today seems exclusively homed in on allocated LEs (limited editions) that sell for hundreds if not thousands of dollars, MSRP be damned, the industry stalwarts continue to release plenty of exemplary bourbon at a great price. There is simply an economy of scale that allows the massive, multinational conglomerate–owned distilleries like Wild Turkey (a Campari subsidiary), Jim Beam (Suntory) and Four Roses (Kirin) to continue to offer top-shelf liquid at bottom-shelf prices. As one of our tasters bluntly figured:
“If you’re aging a spirit, you’re not going to spend all that time just to make something shitty.”
Nonetheless, this was a fairly challenging tasting due to an overriding sameness from bourbon to bourbon. Unlike, say, single malt whiskeys, rum or agave spirits, bourbon has a much narrower profile for what it can actually taste like. Strict production rules dictate that it be predominantly corn-based and aged in new charred oak, and the next thing you know, you find yourself swimming in a sea of caramel, vanilla and baking spice sameness.
Of course, there were a few standouts.
We tasted 15 unlabeled bourbons, almost exclusively from Kentucky’s largest distilleries, though a few economically priced craft options were also included. Below are our top five picks.
High West Bourbon
Drawing on the same blending prowess that has made this brand so popular since its launch in 2006, High West Bourbon (formerly known as High West American Prairie Bourbon) is made from a blend of whiskeys aged at least two years and up to 10. It’s a bright, light take on the category. With 21 percent rye in the mash bill, this bottling has a subtle spice on the palate, backed by rich butterscotch notes that support the caramel on the nose.
- Price: $41 (750 milliliters)
- ABV: 46%
Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Aged for nine years and bottled at 100 proof, Knob Creek is full-bodied and weighty, and one of the best values on the market year over year. It’s a bourbon with no sharp edges, thanks in part to its low-rye mash bill, and could easily slot into any number of bourbon classics, like a Manhattan or Whiskey Sour, or even an Averna Smash.
- Price: $43 (750 milliliters)
- ABV: 50%
Maker’s Mark 46 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
The first new major expression from the brand since 1958, Maker’s Mark 46 takes the classic Maker’s wheated bourbon and further ages it with charred French oak staves in the barrel. It has all the trappings of a classic bourbon: rich, round body and notes of caramel, vanilla and baking spice, plus an appealing dusty funk.
- Price: $38 (750 milliliters)
- ABV: 47%
Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Whiskey
Founded by Fawn Weaver in 2017 and named in tribute to Nathan “Nearest” Green, the enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel how to distill, Uncle Nearest has quickly made waves as the fastest-growing whiskey brand in the United States. The 1856 bottling is a blend of sourced whiskeys aged between eight and 14 years, that come together with notes of caramel corn and a pronounced wood character and pleasant salinity. (NB: Though it can be found at several large retailers for less than $50, this bottling does occasionally drift above the $50 mark.)
- Price: $48 (750 milliliters)
- ABV: 50%
Wild Turkey 101 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
The best bang for your buck on this list, Wild Turkey 101 feels like a throwback to an era when good bourbon was easy to find around the $30 mark. The brand has remained a stalwart on backbars and home bars alike for its consistency. Taking its name from its higher proof, this bottling does not read as hot or astringent; rather, the tasters found it almost archetypal in its full-bodied, balanced profile and ID’d it as a great gateway bourbon for sipping. Even in small doses, Wild Turkey shines in cocktails, too, perfect for an Old-Fashioned, Gold Rush or Jeffrey Morgenthaler’s Amaretto Sour.
- Price: $31 (750 milliliters)
- ABV: 50.5%
