Great Value Bourbons in 2024
With such a huge variety of bourbon and other whisky available in the modern market, it’s hard to know what to spend your hard-earned money on. At spirits shops or big box retailers, you’re faced with hundreds of options - which bottles present the best value, the best bang for your buck?
There’s lots of value to be found in the more affordable end of the spectrum, but there’s also premium whisky that’s worth tasting. Now, in 2024, in a market full of inflated prices and endless variety, we’ve chosen our top 10 bourbons that are budget friendly and present some of the best value propositions in the whisky world:
One of the best known and best selling Kentucky Straight Bourbons - we get an elevated proof of 101, compared to the 80 to 90 proof that a lot of competitors use. This bourbon from Wild Turkey has gained some notoriety in the whisky community for having solid character and great value pricing ($21 in our area).
Some flavors you can expect: Brown sugar and some drying oak; dusty grains and hints of peanuts; pepper, clove, sweet vanilla and cinnamon.
Jim Beam's 'Old Grand-Dad' brand is named for Basil Hayden Sr., who made his bourbon using a high-rye recipe: 63% corn, 27% rye, and 10% malted barley. For a bourbon that costs under $30, the bottling strength of 114 proof (57% ABV) makes this a good deal.
Some flavors you can expect: Baking notes like caramel, cinnamon and a hint of cherry; there’s leathery oak, peanut brittle, and spicy pepper, as well.
Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon
The first wheated bourbon entry on our list - Maker’s Mark, out of Loretto, Kentucky, uses 16% red winter wheat to add a softer, sweeter side to its bourbon. This bottle and brand are famous for the red wax seal on the top of the bottle - each is dipped at the distillery, making each bottle slightly unique.
Some flavors you can expect: Mellow, toasty, and oaky, with baking notes of vanilla, caramel, and clove. A little earthy at times, with brown sugar, more drying oak, and maple syrup.
With a mashbill of 70% corn, 25% rye, and 5% malted barley, this Texas bourbon uses grain entirely grown in the state. In fact, all of Still Austin's whiskies use Texas-grown grains, a part of the distillery's core values. This cask strength bottling comes in at an even 59% ABV (118 proof), and its complexity easily exceeds the two year age statement.
Some flavors you can expect: Rich and sweet, with lots of dark sugar flavors - molasses, chocolate, malt. There’s also a spice side, adding cinnamon, paprika, and cardamom; later, chocolate cake and oak star.
Check out our full review of Still Austin Cask Strength here.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
Each year, three batches of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof are bottled: A1XX, B5XX, and C9XX, with the final two digits corresponding to the year of release. These are generally in the 120+ proof range, and while the standardized 12 year age statement has been dropped as of 2023, the batches still have all been 10+ years old. These are powerhouse bourbons, and at $65 to $80, they offer great value for a barrel proof whisky with a higher age statement.
Some flavors you can expect: Dark and rich, molasses and caramel; red fruits of cherry and strawberry; aged notes of tobacco and leather; sometimes, a bit of orange fruit or baking spice.
Check out our full reviews of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batches here:
Review #298 - Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch A122
Review #297 - Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch A121
Heaven Hill 7 Year Bottled-In-Bond
While this bottle initially garnered a little bit of criticism, as it replaced Heaven Hill’s previous iteration of their ‘bottled-in-bond’ bourbon and came with a substantial price increase; we think this still presents great value in today’s market. With the bottled-in-bond designation, we get a guaranteed strength of 50% ABV (100 proof), and there’s a 7 year age statement; prices are generally $40 to $50.
Some flavors you can expect: A decent amount of oak, but nicely balanced: leather, dusty notes, some nutty flavors like pecan, spiced caramel; wood spice, brown sugar, and hints of orange arrive in time.
Check out our full review of Heaven Hill 7 Year Bottled-in-Bond here.
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon hardly needs any introduction - this is one of the most sought after distilleries in the modern market. This standardized entry-level version of their bourbon should cost $25 to $30, and if you can get it around that price, it’s a good value - be careful overpaying, though, as this can command some higher prices at certain stores and on the secondary market.
Some flavors you can expect: Lots of sweet flavors - cherries, brown sugar, vanilla, molasses. Hints of wood smoke and leather add age, and at times, the cherry can be slightly medicinal.
New Riff Single Barrel Bourbons
As with all single barrel products, this New Riff SB Bourbon will vary a bit from bottle to bottle, barrel to barrel; that said, it’s a high quality, reasonably priced product from a relatively new distillery. There’s no chill filtration, and this is bottled at barrel proof, so maximum flavor delivery can be achieved.
Some flavors you can expect: Lots of baking notes - brown sugar, vanilla bean, cardamom, nutmeg, and cookies. There’s a decent amount of oak in most of the bottles, more than you might expect for a 4 year old bourbon; occasionally, hints of fruit pop up, too.
One of Jim Beam’s flagship brands, Knob Creek - in general, the brand offers very good value across the board. Here, with their 12 year age-stated bourbon, we get plenty of mature flavors and their typical 100 proof presentation. In our area, this goes for about $60.
Some flavors you can expect: Oaky flavors and baking flavors, with cinnamon, brown sugar, caramel corn, and hints of licorice spice. There’s some leathered and barbecued oak, and nice accent flavors of dusty oak and smoke.
Jim Beam 7 Year
A new release in 2024, this 7 year aged bourbon from Jim Beam is bottled at 45% ABV (90 proof), and it’s price ($27 in our area) is very fair. It’s great to see a new, budget-friendly, age-stated bourbon arriving from one of the biggest producers in the industry!
Some flavors you can expect: Nutty, with toasty oak and soft fruit undertones; bread crust, a peppery rye kick, and oats add more drying flavors. Nicely rounded, with some creamy vanilla in the finish.
Full review of Jim Beam 7 Year Black coming soon!
