Cheap Bourbon That's Actually Worth Buying

When you reach for a bottom-shelf bourbon, there's a chance you plan to use it for something other than drinking it straight or on the rocks. Lower-priced liquor of all kinds has a bit of a reputation, to say the least. Sure, you might be planning on using some bourbon to give your mayonnaise a boozy twist (and seriously, trust us when we say you need to try this on a burger), and we believe that using your slow cooker for a bourbon peach cobbler is a dessert that everyone can get on board with. While that's all fine and dandy, we're here to say that there are some ultra-affordable bourbons that also absolutely deserve a space in your home bar. There are some that you can definitely even enjoy straight or on the rocks, and some have a profile that makes them great for cocktails.

Before we get into that, let's clarify how these were chosen. We started by using the national average price to find the bourbons that were under $30 for a 750-milliliter bottle. However, do keep in mind that because we're using the national average, your precise numbers might be different. Once narrowed down, this writer chose brands based on personal experience, both behind the bar developing delicious cocktails for price-savvy customers and catering numerous events — many of which were for budget-conscious hosts. With that said, let's talk about cheap bourbon and why you shouldn't automatically write off any of these affordable bottles.

Larceny Kentucky Straight Bourbon Small Batch comes out of the Heaven Hill Distillery alongside brands such as Elijah Craig and Evan Williams. For what you're getting, it's almost shockingly affordable. At the time of writing, the average national price hovers somewhere around $25. That's for a multi-award-winning, 6-year-old small-batch bourbon — a combination that sounds almost too good to be true. 

We're recommending this particular bourbon for anyone who doesn't like that kick that comes with rye. Larceny's Small Batch is a wheated bourbon, which means it's smoother. That's particularly noticeable if you're drinking it straight, on the rocks, or even in the kind of cocktail that only has a few ingredients. It's more on the sweet side, with heavy notes of butterscotch and caramel, and it's just downright easy-drinking.

Because it's so affordable and so approachable, it's the perfect bourbon to stock if you're looking to make some bourbon-based cocktails for your next summertime cookout. Those who prefer their drinks on the rocks will be happy with it, and it also makes an outstanding Old Fashioned that's the perfect drink to serve on those evenings when you've pulled out the smoker for some brisket and ribs. We love it because it's smooth enough for non-bourbon drinkers, too, and a party is only a party when everyone's happy.

There are a few reasons why Coopers' Craft Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey might be your new drink of choice, especially if you like lighter bourbons. For starters, it's incredibly smooth, making it a great choice for new bourbon drinkers.

The Coopers' Craft name is a reference to the fact that this distillery has its own cooperage and makes its own barrels. The barrels are a huge part of what goes into making this bourbon, and the Kentucky Straight Bourbon coming out of Coopers' Craft has a very apple- and oak-forward flavor that is a great way to experience how important barrels are in the bourbon-making process. That flavor brings with it an appreciation for the craft, and it even comes through in any cocktail you might want to make with this — especially something like the autumnal-tasting Apple Old Fashioned. It also has a very strong nose, which means it's a great way to show someone the best parts of bourbon.

And yes, it's incredibly affordable. At the time of writing, a 750-milliliter bottle will set you back somewhere around $35 for a bourbon that's great on the rocks, straight, or in any cocktail. That makes it a great option for a casual kind of bottle you might always want to keep on hand.

Four Roses is one of the heavyweights in bourbon, and the distillery's story is pretty amazing. It survived Prohibition and actually dates back to 1888, making it something of a rarity. It has a worldwide popularity and is often lauded for being a stellar example of everything that bourbon should be. If you're looking for an affordable bottle to keep on hand at all times, you don't need to break the bank — just reach for Four Roses Yellow Label.

Although exact pricing will depend on your area, this Four Roses incarnation generally sits at around $22 for a 750-milliliter bottle, which makes it a great option for cocktails. There's no age statement on this particular bourbon, but it's typically made by blending other Four Roses bourbons sourced from up to 200 different casks. 

We would say that this one is particularly good for a Paper Plane, a cocktail named after a classic pop song. This cocktail traditionally calls for bourbon, lemon juice, Amaro Nonino Quintessentia (a bittersweet, grape-based liqueur), and Aperol, which is also known for being bittersweet. Four Roses Yellow Label has sweet, fruit-forward flavors, a hint of honey and caramel, and a smooth finish that balances the bittersweet flavors of this cocktail pretty perfectly for a light and refreshing drink.

At the time of writing, the most expensive bourbon whiskey on the market is the "Van Winkle Special Reserve" Corti Brothers 20 Year Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which costs in the eye-watering neighborhood of $54,000 per bottle. Just the idea of spending that much on a bottle makes us want to go have a little lie-down. On the flip side of that is Evan Williams Black Label, which currently retails for around $16 for a 750-milliliter bottle. Guess which one we're drinking? 

Evan Williams Black Label is a perfectly respectable bourbon that's won a ton of awards. This is the kind of bourbon that you can comfortably enjoy without feeling like you need a special reason to treat yourself. It's just a straightforward, non-pretentious bottle. Sure, some people may say that it's not as complex as some other bourbons, and you know what? That's fine. It's got a light, mild nose and sweet flavors of caramel and sugar, and even though it might not be complex, it still stands up in a cocktail. We'd even say that its light sweetness is great in a Pollen Drone, a spicy twist on the Gold Rush that interestingly also uses hot honey and bee pollen. The hot and sweet notes of the cocktail blend pretty perfectly with Evan Williams Black Label, and we love it because it just shows that a cocktail doesn't have to be expensive or complicated to be tasty.

Jim Beam is one of those polarizing brands about which some people have strong feelings. We get that some might think the only place for a bottle of Beam is as a boozy ingredient for a marinade, but we're here to say that Jim Beam Devil's Cut is a perfectly fine bourbon, even if you like sipping it on the rocks.

That's especially true if you prefer bourbons that are heavy on smoky, charred flavor. That's the case with this one, and you'll be able to smell it as soon as you open the bottle. It's fine alone, but that strong smokiness also makes it pretty outstanding as a mixer in a cocktail where you actually want to taste the liquor. Devil's Cut is an outstanding bourbon to mix with cola, as the sweetness of the soda mellows but doesn't overpower the char. 

Everything about this is a woody bourbon, and while that may be a love or hate thing, this is also a great way to see if it's a profile you like. Not only has it won a handful of awards, but at an average price of around $24 for a 750-milliliter bottle, it won't break the bank. It's also versatile enough that there will most likely be some way you'll like to drink this, making it an all-around winner.

Wild Turkey is another big name in the world of bourbon, and there's a very good reason for that. Simply put, Wild Turkey knows what it's doing and puts out a series of reliably good products at affordable prices. One of these falls under our $30 cutoff for affordable bourbons, and that's the Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. (Wild Turkey 101 also gets an honorable mention for being both excellent and — at the time of writing — having a national average price that's right at $30.)

Its lower-priced sibling is also perfectly acceptable and costs around $24 for a 750-milliliter bottle. We especially like this one because it's another great introductory bottle for bourbon. It's not too complicated, has enough sweetness that it can ease someone into the bourbon world, and still has some of the classic wood and smoke flavors that help this particular spirit stand out. It's also about as mild as you can get in a bourbon — it's bottled at 81 proof, and 80 proof is the lowest the spirit can be. 

Once you try a few in the Wild Turkey line, you'll start to notice some similarities. That's because the distillery uses a No. 4 char in the barrels, which basically means the aging spirit is exposed to the most amount of char possible. That's also true of this affordable version of Wild Turkey.

Rebel has been around for a really, really long time — and yes, it's the same bourbon that used to be called Rebel Yell, with its branding and image overhauled in 2020. There are two Rebel bourbons that fall under our $30 cutoff. First up is the Rebel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, an award-winning wheated bourbon bottled at 80 proof — the lowest proof at which a bourbon can be bottled. Since it's made with wheat instead of rye, that makes it much smoother and much sweeter than a rye-heavy bourbon. If you know someone who doesn't like bourbon, there's a good chance that they don't like that kick from the rye. Try this, and you might have a convert on your hands. 

Rebel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey averages about $20 for a 750-milliliter bottle, while Rebel 100 is just a dollar or so more for the same size bottle. So, what's the difference, and which should you choose? They're very similar, but the latter has a little bit more of a spicy kick. It all comes down to personal taste, of course, but we'd suggest that the flavors of either of these bourbons — and the affordability of each bottle — make them perfect for experimenting with bacon fat-washed cocktails. The mild, smooth flavor of a wheated bourbon is perfect for the silky mouthfeel that comes with fat-washed cocktails. Besides, everything is better with bacon, right?

A 100 proof bourbon is towards the upper end of bourbon strength. Old Forester 100 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey currently hovers at a national average price of $25 per 750-milliliter bottle, and it's highly rated, favorably reviewed, and award-winning. The signature on the bottle belongs to George Garvin Brown, who made the first bottled Old Forester bourbon way back in 1870. The idea was that bourbon stored in glass would lead to a more consistent product, which is why his signature is still on Old Forester bottles today.

There are a few affordable versions of Old Forester, but we're partial to the Old Forester 100 Proof. It has a bit of a unique aroma and taste — one that departs from the oak- and fruit-forward profile that you'll find in many of the bourbons that feature on this list. Here, you'll get coffee, chocolate, and some of the most recognizable holiday spices. That's why we love this one for one very specific use: making eggnog.

Culinary guru Alton Brown says that the best way to make eggnog taste better is to take a booze-filled eggnog and age it. You'll need a high alcohol content to keep everything else from spoiling. Old Forester 100 Proof not only helps with that but brings some delicious holiday spices into the mix that blend perfectly with everything else that goes into your favorite eggnog.

No conversation about cheap bourbon is complete without Fighting Cock. A 750-milliliter bottle of this liquor from the Heaven Hill Distillery goes for an average of about $20. Here's the thing: You're not going to be getting a high-end, top-shelf taste here. But that's all right. Instead, you can expect a 103 proof bourbon that — as the name suggests — has a massive kick from a high-rye mash bill. That means that it's not for everyone, but it does have its uses.

Stick with us here, but one use involves chicken broth cocktails. While you might be more familiar with sweet and sugary cocktails, chicken broth cocktails have been a warm-you-from-the-inside winter drink for a long time. It's basically spiked broth, and if that sounds weird, just imagine taking a sip after you've been wading through knee-deep snow, shoveling the sidewalk. Doesn't sound so weird now, does it?

There is something of an art form to making cocktails with broth, but for anyone who likes strong, savory flavors, it's super fun. Fighting Cock's high rye kick and strong flavors mean that you'll be tasting the bourbon when other brands might get lost among all the salty, savory goodness in these cocktails. Don't knock it until you've tried it — and at this affordable price point, you've got nothing to lose and everything to gain.

When it comes to stuffy-sounding liquors, Old Grand-Dad has to be at the top. That — coupled with an affordable price point — might mean you overlook it in the hunt for quality bourbon, but you shouldn't. This is especially true for Old Grand-Dad Bonded 100 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which currently retails at around $24 for a 750-milliliter bottle.

If you look at what's in that bottle, it looks too pale to be filled with much flavor. But you know that old saying about judging a book by its cover? The Old Grand-Dad is actually Basil Hayden Sr., and he had a preference for high-rye bourbons. Today's Old Grand-Dad isn't far removed from the spirits he used to make, and it's been around since 1882. In other words, nothing lasts that long without having some fans. 

Because it's a high-rye bourbon, that means it's going to have a super spicy kick. If you love that, then you'll love Old Grand-Dad — especially when it's mixed in the right cocktail. The spiciness means that it can be used in complex cocktails while still being able to taste the bourbon. We would suggest using it in Alton Brown's favorite cocktail, the Boulevardier. As this is typically made with rye whiskey, using Old Grand-Dad allows you to stay true to the original idea of the cocktail. Add Campari and sweet vermouth, and you have a very in-your-face sort of cocktail, but there are some days when that might be exactly what you need.

In order to put together a list recommending the best affordable bourbons, we started with our personal experience with various bottles. This included experience crafting cocktails and eggnog with these and other brands. We also took into consideration various awards, such as those given at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the SIP Awards, as well as feedback and reviews from other customers.

Finally, we also want to share what we consider "cheap" bourbon. We used the national average price for a 750-milliliter bottle at the time of writing and limited our choices to those under $30. That meant that a few — like those made by Buffalo Trace Distillery and Bulleit Bourbon — didn't make the list, even though they're downright delicious. Depending on your location, you may be able to find them for less than our cutoff.