In the world of bourbon, plenty of hype surrounds rare, highly allocated, and expensive bottles. This is understandable. After all, it’s fun to brag about the bottle of Pappy 23 you snagged at a charity auction or that you landed the long-elusive final bottle needed to complete your Blanton’s horse topper collection. It’s even more delightful to share these gems with other whiskey fans.
Yet excellent bourbon can be both accessible and affordable. The market contains scores of delicious expressions typically retailing for $50 or less. These bottles inadvertently come with a secret: Much like their pricey counterparts, drinking them with whiskey aficionados can produce a sense of joy that only comes from sharing something delightful.
While bourbons under $50 are much easier to find than unicorn bottles, the abundance of bourbons within the price range make finding the right one challenging. To help out, we asked 11 bartenders to share their thoughts on the best $50-or-less bourbon currently on the market. Their responses may inspire you to pick up a new bottle, and the bourbons’ reasonable price points may nudge you toward picking up two different expressions.
The Best Bourbon Under $50, According to Bartenders:
- Tamworth Dunce Whiskey
- FEW Bottled in Bond Bourbon
- Woodford Reserve
- Michter’s Straight Bourbon
- Great Jones Distilling Co. Wheated Bourbon
- Pinhook Bourbon
- Benchmark Bonded Bourbon
- Wild Turkey 101
- J. Rieger Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Evan Williams Bourbon
- Elijah Craig Small Batch
“My current pick is Tamworth Dunce Whiskey, which retails at around $39.99 a bottle. It’s playful in name, but seriously well-crafted, with warm notes of charred oak, vanilla, and a little spice that makes it incredibly versatile. As a mixologist, I love how it holds up in cocktails without losing its character. I use it often in riffs on Old Fashioneds and sours, where its depth really shines through. It’s a sleeper gem I always keep on my back bar.” —Ryleigh Bouchard, bartender, Chang Thai Cafe, Littleton, N.H.
“For under 50 bucks, my go-to whiskey is FEW Bottled in Bond Bourbon. Notes of cherry and cinnamon buns, with a nice long earthy finish, make it a great sipper, but at 100 proof it works just as well in classic cocktails that need a little punch. It sings in an Old Fashioned or even an old-school Whiskey Sour, whereas a lighter or less flavorful whiskey would get lost in the mix. It is a staple at OsKar and in my home bar.” —Eric Slater, lead bartender, OsKar, Evanston, Ill.
“My favorite bourbon is Woodford Reserve. It’s smooth with a hint of that desirable heat. It’s refined enough to sip on, but isn’t too swanky for a mixed drink. It’s my go-to under-$50 bourbon.” —Bernadette James, certified sommelier, Stages at One Washington/The Living Room, Dover, N.H.
“My favorite bourbon currently on the market under $50 has got to be Michter’s. Michter’s has a variety of whiskeys in its line, and they’re all delicious, but if you’re looking for something under $50 that can be drunk on its own or in a cocktail, the Straight Bourbon takes the cake for me. It has slightly sweet notes of caramel and a hint of vanilla, while being full-bodied with a taste of the oak that it is aged in. The bourbon is 91.4 proof, so it’s not too hot to drink on its own (though personally I prefer it on a large cube of ice), and it lends itself well to a variety of cocktails.“ —Lexi Parker, beverage manager, Poka Loka Social Club, Denver
“Great Jones Distilling Co.’s Wheated Bourbon is easy to work with and is incredibly smooth. The softer wheat notes give it a buttery texture that really shines in an Old Fashioned or a Whiskey Sour. It’s approachable without losing depth, and the fact that it’s made with 100 percent New York ingredients gives it a real sense of place. At $44.99, it’s one of the best values you’ll find for a well-made, locally distilled bourbon.” —Bridget Ramsey, bar manager, Judy & Harry’s, Asbury Park, N.J.
“Pinhook is the best bourbon under $50 because it delivers exceptional quality, character, and craftsmanship at an affordable price. Each release is vintage-dated and named after Kentucky race horses, offering unique flavor profiles, ranging from bright and spicy to rich and smooth. It’s approachable for newcomers but nuanced enough for more refined palates. Plus, its transparency and dedication to small-batch production make it standout in a crowded field.” —Dee Acosta, beverage director, Golden West Cafe, Baltimore
“Benchmark Bonded. It’s heads and tails above their 80 proof [bourbon] and perfect for shaken cocktails. Plus it’s a good choice for a Boilermaker. At Mister Tiger, we mix it with lemon, Demerara syrup, and Branca Menta for our Grandma’s Tiger Balm cocktail. It has plenty of flavor to stand up and balance the Branca Menta.” —Alex Barbatsis, lead bartender, Mister Tiger, Chicago
“Wild Turkey 101 is the best bang-for-your-buck bourbon out there. It’s great neat, stirred, with a beer on the side, mixed, or straight out the bottle. Always flavorful, with a slight vanilla note to start and a heavy spice finish. The heavy char and high proof help this bourbon mix really well in a Black Manhattan or an Old Fashioned. The Russell Family still is in charge of quality and makes sure that with Wild Turkey every shot is smooth, and its affordability makes it even smoother.” —Tony Jimenez, bartender, Almanac, Philadelphia
“I really like J. Rieger Straight Bourbon Whiskey. It’s a firm build with a sunny, citrusy disposition, and that makes for an intellectually satisfying sip. At 90 proof, that generous complexity is driven by enough chutzpah to carry through in cocktails, but not so much as to dominate the proceedings. It’s especially good left open on a table among friends in a darkened room, passed around while the vinyl hisses and the dice crackle. Or so I’ve heard. At around $35, it’s a great price for a bourbon of this quality.” —Lukas B. Smith, director of food and beverage, The LINE DC, Washington, D.C.
“Evan Williams. I don’t think I’ve ever seen an Evan Williams bottle on a liquor store shelf for more than $39.99, and that’s in multiple states! The smoothness of the juice and complexity of the flavor of bourbon for the price is one of the most competitive in the market. The fact that they kept that same price point despite their five-figure barrel loss in the fire of 1996 is remarkable.” —Kortnee Leigh, bartender, Sugar Monk, NYC
“Elijah Craig Small Batch retails for $20 to $30. While their other batches can range in price, the Small Batch packs such a punch, it makes it a great bang for its buck. I think in today’s bourbon market, so much is lost in the process and is saturated by the sheer volume of choices. Because of this, their slogan, ‘The spirit of tradition, refined for the modern palate,’ holds true to me in a lot of ways. It’s a nod to craftsmanship, heritage, and balance. I believe it’s a master class in bourbon making and for the price point, I haven’t found something else that I’d like to drink neat.” —Michael Rader, bartender, Granville, Pasadena, Calif.
