Outstanding Bourbons $50 and Under

Partly due to bourbon’s strict federal regulations (made with at least 51 percent corn, for instance, and aged in new, charred oak barrels), newcomers to the category sometimes suspect that bourbon is bourbon and one bottle tastes like the next. But spend some time sipping through a range of styles and price points, and nuances emerge, as fans of the spirit know well. A bourbon that complements the corn content with wheat (like Maker’s Mark) displays a distinctly different fingerprint than a high-rye bourbon (like Bulleit).

Spend even more time, and you’ll start ranking bourbons based on subcategories. There’s the bourbon that you reach for when you want an old-fashioned or the one you want to sip around a campfire.

These ten bottles are each worthy of starring in a different role, and all weigh in at an affordable $50 or under. (Note: This list includes suggested retail prices when available, but expect some variations by state and store.) When it comes to bourbon, $50 appears to be the new $30. While you can still find outstanding bourbons around $30—and you’ll see a few cited here—boosting your budget by $20 opens doors you might not know existed.

Photo: Four Roses

All bourbon fans have a workhorse whiskey—the bottle to reach for when they feel like coming home. Four Roses Single Barrel fits that to a tee, with its soft and creamy underlying profile built upon with dried pear, bright vanilla, and a slight peppery kick that reveals its rye content. Nice for sipping, perfect for mixing.

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Photo: Jim Beam

This is what your actual grandfather might actually have sipped. The venerable Old Grand-Dad, produced by Jim Beam, offers the rare combination of boldness and affordability. It’s made with 27 percent rye, which adds a deep, nutty layer that complements the comfort-food notes of caramel and brown sugar. The higher proof 114 will defy any mixer you throw at it, and it stands up to a large ice cube until the end.

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Photo: Hard Truth

Hard Truth is distilled in Indiana from (mostly) Indiana grains, and every sip comes at you from multiple directions. There’s a buttery underlayer that supports edgier flavors such as toasted pecan and toffee, and then…is that cola? Many bourbons work well as a precursor to a good meal; this one I reserve for dessert with its abundant mouthfeel and outsized flavors.

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Photo: Redwood Empire

Distilled in Northern California from Sacramento Valley grains, this is the middle child in the Pipe Dream series, straddling the gap between the 90-proof standard bourbon ($35) and the cask-strength offering ($60). The distillery names its whiskeys after notable trees; Pipe Dream, a 367-foot-tall redwood, is the fourteenth largest tree in the world. This is also a big bourbon, full of baking spice notes that make it especially inviting around the holidays.

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Photo: Buffalo Trace

Easier to find than it was five years ago, Weller’s entry-level 90-proof offering is gradually making its way back into the category of everyday bourbon. (My local liquor store in Texas currently has 1.75L handles for $55.) The wheated mash bill makes this notable for being soft and accessible, without the bite of more aggressive bourbons. Expect hints of butterscotch and vanilla ice cream but with enough oak to remind you that it’s very much a bourbon.

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Photo: Evan Williams

It’s hard to go wrong with this favorite. The bonded version of the familiar Evan Williams brand meets the specifications of the 1897 Bottled-in-Bond Act—which means at least four years of aging and bottling at 100 proof—at a remarkably friendly price point. While not as complex as other whiskeys on this list, it builds upon a base of homespun caramel and honey with fleeting undertones of roasted peanuts and black pepper.

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Photo: Michter’s

Bourbon drinkers invariably have friends not yet bitten by the whiskey bug. Lure them to the bright side with a dram of Michter’s flagship bourbon, widely available at under $50. While the Louisville distillery’s rare offerings can sell for hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars, this 91.4 proof bourbon punches well above its weight class, with a rich, robust profile that suggests overripe cherries, toasted walnut, and dark brown sugar varieties. Share the wealth with a friend.

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Photo: Green River Distilling Co.

If you can’t find Weller Special Reserve in your neighborhood, look for this high-wheat bourbon as a worthy substitute. Made by Green River Distilling Co. in Owensboro, Kentucky, it has the “roundth” of the Weller but with added intensity, which can in part be attributed to the 109.3 barrel-proof bottling.

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Photo: Willett

This Willett-produced bourbon is widely distributed but not widely stocked. Watch for it, and grab a bottle if it surfaces in the wild, or ask your favorite liquor store if they can order you one. It’s bottled at a robust 107 proof and has so many layers of flavors that the profile practically extends into the next county.

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Photo: Heaven Hill

Okay, technically this isn’t a bourbon since it’s aged in once-used bourbon barrels rather than new oak. But this Heaven Hill straight corn whiskey, made with 80 percent corn, is bonded (aged at least four years) and surprisingly delicious, with hints of buttered popcorn, toffee, and a touch of peanut brittle. For the money, it’s a steal.