The 8 Best Cheap Bourbons

Best Overall

Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon

$34 at Reservebar $13 at Minibar Delivery View on Totalwine.com

Region: Kentucky | ABV: 47% | Tasting Notes: Vanilla, Caramel, Oak

For Jose Gill, senior bar manager at American Social, Heaven Hill’s Elijah Craig brand is the best cheap bourbon you can find. “It has a nice roundness to its mouthfeel which makes it a joy to sip,” he says. “It has a perfect sweet vanilla flavor mixed with oaky notes to hit from the first sip you have, making you want to take another sip. It's not like other bourbons that try to give you an array of flavors to keep you wondering what you aren't noticing. Elijah Craig is straight to the point for what you are looking for in a bourbon.”

Best Kentucky Bourbon

Old Forester 100 Proof Bourbon

$17 at Drizly View on Flaviar $27 at Wine.com

Region: Kentucky | ABV: 50% | Tasting Notes: Chocolate, Cherry, Coffee

While bourbon can be made anywhere in America, the majority is made in Kentucky, including this bottle. “Old Forester 100 Proof has always been a staple of good bourbon,” says Gill. “I believe from a beginner to an experienced bourbon drinker, the flavors are richer and bolder than most bourbons that are priced higher.” “It’s nicely balanced… with flavors of cinnamon, orange zest, caramel, dark fruit, wood and leather,” says Pascal Pinault, director of restaurant & bars at The Confidante Miami Beach. “Add a bit of water to bring out butterscotch, vanilla, and caramel flavors.”

Best Wheated Bourbon

Maker's Mark Bourbon Whiskey

View on Amazon $18 at Drizly $37 at Reservebar

Region: Kentucky | ABV: 45% | Tasting Notes: Vanilla, Stone fruit, Brown sugar

A wheated bourbon is made using wheat as the secondary flavoring grain after corn, as opposed to most bourbon which uses rye. Maker’s Mark is a fantastic example of a budget wheated bourbon. “Red winter wheat, along with corn and malted barley, give this bourbon a fantastic balance between the vanilla sweetness, cinnamon, toasted oak, spicy notes, and hints of fruit,” says Pinault. “Add a few drops of cold water to smooth out the palate.”

Related: The Best Whiskey Glasses

Best Single Barrel

Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon

$21 at Drizly View on Flaviar $33 at Wine.com

Region: Kentucky | ABV: 43.3% | Tasting Notes: Honey, Oak, Vanilla

Single barrel bourbon comes from just one barrel as opposed to a marriage of many casks, so each one will differ in flavor. Many single barrel bourbons are expensive, but Evan Williams is a sometimes overlooked budget option.

“It’s an amazing sipping bourbon and shines through in a cocktail,” says Javelle Taft, head bartender at Death & Co, NYC. “When I’m looking for a bourbon, I’m looking for something lucious in taste with a subtle hint of ground spice. A nice delicate honeyed linger on the palate is a solid notion that the whiskey is tastefully sweet but not over-oaked.” Pinault also recommends this bottle for its prominent notes of caramel, toasted cinnamon, and pepper.

Best 80 Proof

Heaven Hill White Label

$12 at Minibar Delivery View on Totalwine.com

Region: Kentucky | ABV: 40% | Tasting Notes: Grain, Vanilla, Cinnamon

40% is the lowest ABV that whiskey can be bottled at, and many bourbon drinkers prefer something a bit stronger to bring out more flavors in the spirit. But a good 80-proof option comes in this white label bottle from Heaven Hill, which is also one of the cheapest you can find. “Sadly, the 100 proof version does not make it to New York City,” says Mike Vacheresse, owner of Travel Bar in Brooklyn. “But the 80 proof is a helluva value for simple cocktails."

Best For Cocktails

Four Roses Bourbon

$16 at Drizly $26 at Wine.com View on Flaviar

Region: Kentucky | ABV: 40% | Tasting Notes: Caramel, Butterscotch, Oak

Four Roses is a unique bourbon because it’s a blend of ten different recipes that the distillery makes using different mash bills and yeast strains. It also is a great cocktail bourbon. “Although Four Roses is very inexpensive, it carries prestige and people appreciate it as a quality bourbon with a lower price point,” says Manuel Gonzalez, director of operations at AC Hotel Fort Lauderdale Sawgrass Mills/Sunrise. “I have made Old Fashioneds and Bourbon Sours with Four Roses, and have been asked for another round!” He also enjoys it neat or on the rocks.

Related: The Best Whiskeys for Whiskey Sours

Best High Proof

Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon Whiskey

$15 at Drizly $31 at Reservebar $30 at Wine.com

Region: Kentucky | ABV: 50.5% | Tasting Notes: Spice, Vanilla, Char

Wild Turkey 101 is well known for its intense flavor, budget price, and higher ABV of 50.5%. While not barrel strength, this still packs a punch.

"Working in many hotels, I have always seen this bourbon at the bars right up there with other well-known brands,” says Gonzalez. “Not too many people ask for it, but the ones that do, know what they are getting and understand its value. It is very smooth, and for the price there is nothing to envy from more expensive bourbons."

Best Outside of Kentucky

Woodinville Bourbon

View on Drizly $49 at Wine.com View on Bevmo.com

Region: Washington | ABV: 45% | Tasting Notes: Vanilla, Caramel, Plum

Woodinville Whiskey started out as a craft operation, but it is now owned by drinks giant Moet Hennessy. The quality of this bourbon is very good, especially in a field of much higher priced options. The whiskey is made using local grains at the distillery, and then shipped to warehouses in central Washington State to age. The result is a bourbon that tastes as good as anything you will find in Kentucky.