The Best-Tasting Bourbons You Can Get For Under $50

When it comes to specific categories, it doesn't get much hotter than bourbon. The Kentucky-born spirit has skyrocketed in popularity since the late aughts, with sales expected to increase 6.5% to 7% by the end of the decade. Unfortunately, this surge in popularity — coupled with the amount of lead time needed to actually make the liquid — has also created scarcity in the market that has driven up the cost and resulted in plenty of expensive bourbons that aren't worth the price.

But despite the public's clamoring over sought-after releases, there are still plenty of worthwhile bottles to be had that won't break the bank. As a New York City bar owner for more than a decade, a spirits expert, and a spirits tasting note writer, I've been able to taste whiskies from across the spectrum. Besides helping me cut through all the hype, it's also made it abundantly clear that there are plenty of truly delicious options for all tastes that don't cost an arm and a leg. Here are some of the best bottles you can score for under $50.

The great bourbon blow-up of the past decade and a half has made it easier to appreciate some of the more nostalgic pours out there. For me, that's long been this entry-level aged release from Knob Creek. While some of its earlier peers have become unattainable, inconsistently stocked, or straight-up overpriced, it remains a consistent soft spot behind the bar.

Even though it's been a personal favorite of mine for years, I don't think it should be hard to see why. This delectable bourbon has a flavor profile that punches above its price point with a medium-bodied mouthfeel and subtle richness that's hard to find in bottles three times its cost. But then again, I also have a bit of a professional edge when it comes to gauging the market's reaction: Interestingly, it's one of the few I've found whiskey snobs will turn their noses up at by name, but will gush about when they sip it during a blind tasting. I find it's great to sip neat or on the rocks (so long as you're not ruining your bourbon with the wrong ice). And don't worry having to empty out your bank account to get your hands on some: You can get a bottle for around $36 (and it's likely to be in stock, too).

There's no denying that the Michter's lineup is one that straddles the value line. Yes, scarcity has driven up the cost of some of the top-tier releases to multiples well above what I would ever consider paying for them. However, this secondary market greed doesn't change the fact that the liquid in the bottles is still some of the best rolling out in the category. And as I've said before, this is especially true of their entry-level products like the US 1.

A benchmark whiskey by any standards, this stunningly well-balanced bourbon is able to combine the full-bodied sweetness of corn with the spice of rye, resulting in a memorably complex sipping spirit. This unique recipe helps set it apart from some of the more mundane or repetitive bottles that tend to dominate the market. Just as I look for Plymouth Gin on the back bar, this bottle can serve as a bellwether that an establishment's buyer knows exactly what they're doing. Despite all this, you're still more likely to find it on the shelf at your local liquor store — and it only costs $40 to $45 on average.

There are few brands with as much of an understated reputation among the general drinking public as Four Roses. To those of us in the hospitality industry, the brand has long been known as the bartender's best friend as a crowd-pleasing pour that still has complexity at a good price (especially when it's served in the right glass). In fact, there's a good chance you've tried it without realizing, as it often finds its way into the well of most well-run establishments.

While the entire Four Roses lineup is worthy of sipping, this one-tier-up bottle remains a remarkable standout from a home collector's perspective. Even though a bottle still retails for only about $40 on average, it has a much more complex flavor profile than the price tag suggests. Expect rich ripe stone fruit notes along with hints of coffee, baking chocolate, and a suggestion of tobacco with each pour. For this reason, it will never not have a space in my home bar cart or as an offering at one of my get-togethers.

Even with fairly ubiquitous placement at bars and liquor stores across the United States, it's always surprised me that this well-rounded, complex spirit hasn't become more of a household name by now. Under the same umbrella as Jim Beam and Knob Creek, I've found that this copper band-bound bottle plays as a slightly fuller and more approachable pour to its more assertive siblings, all without sacrificing balance. Part of this has to do with the relatively "low" ABV, which clocks in at 40% and thereby saving the palate from that aggressive burn most drinkers need to warm up to over time. Personally, I also appreciate how the higher percentage of rye in the mash bill provides a subtle grainy spice in its place, helping to round out the fuller oakiness that comes through early on the palate.

Because of its approachability, this has become my go-to housewarming bottle (now that Blanton's is impossible to source at a reasonable price). It's also my first pour when someone tries to tell me they will never enjoy bourbon. And why not? At $35, it's hard to think of many better values on the shelf.

Elijah Craig has become one of the household names of the bourbon community, and for good reason. The iconic brand is one of the many that rolls out of Heaven Hill Distillery (even though it could be considered something of a flagship), alongside other standouts such as Old Fitzgerald, McKenna, and Rittenhouse. Ask any bourbon drinkers who've been interested in the category for more than a decade and they'll likely cite the label as one of their most nostalgic picks.

But even as some of the more limited releases remain elusive, Elijah Craig has managed to create an approachable and complex spirit with one of its most entry-level bottles. The Small Batch has a remarkably evolved palate for a whiskey without an age designation on the label, bringing hints of maple, clove, toffee, prune, and ginger with each sip. In my opinion, this kind of complexity makes it just as good for sipping as it does in the base of bourbon cocktails. The best part? A blind pour of this might have you convinced this spirit runs for well over $100 on the shelf, while in reality, it's just $23 to $30 per bottle to take it home.

There's nothing new about the Wild Turkey brand, which has been a stalwart of the bourbon category for well over a century. But when this iconic age-denominated whiskey took a bit of a hiatus in the 1990s and was only served abroad as an export product, its return in 2025 to the stateside market received a warm welcome from the bourbon community that reinvigorated an immediate interest (and dare I say an early cult status) for the liquid.

If you have any doubts about it, pouring yourself a taste should help explain what all the fuss is about. Despite its 50.5% ABV, it drinks remarkably smooth neat or on the rocks, with a medium-full bodied mouthfeel and an intriguingly long finish. While tasting the whiskey upon its reentry to the American market, I found that it had up-front notes of vanilla bean, caramel, and cracked peppercorns, before a slow, meandering finish with hints of brown sugar and subtle spices that cling to the palate. It's a true standout as an entry-level aged bottle, but don't expect to shell out too much despite all the hype: It only costs around $45.

Those of us who were young, wide-eyed, broke, and living in New York City during the depths of the Great Recession will remember Evan Williams by name. But even for those who weren't, there's a decent chance the spirit has ended up in your glass at one point or another. The value-priced bourbon has long been a Bulleit or High West "dupe," making its way into bar wells across the United States for decades.

But the truth is that pros know this step-above-its-entry-level-product is a true value pour. The Jack Daniel's bottle similarities notwithstanding, it has a uniquely peppery flavor profile underscored by subtle caramel sweetness and a truly smooth finish. All said and done, this is not the quality you might expect from a bottle that costs about $39 on average (and is very easy to get your hands on). Bring this in for your next house party: Not only does the price point justify using it with bourbon mixers or as a cocktail base, but I promise your guests will assume you're breaking out the good stuff when you pour them a glass.

While plenty of the legacy labels have certainly prospered, the popularity of the bourbon category has also attracted plenty of new brands trying to capitalize on the craze. And even with the years-long lag between laying down the first barrels and the inaugural release, some upstart whiskey makers have already proven they don't need decades of experience to put out delicious spirits. That's certainly the case with this fledgling distillery, which opened in 2013 and takes advantage of the temperate and consistent Northern California climate to help age its products while focusing on preserving the beloved ecosystem that gives them their name.

Without the added benefit of name recognition, this well-made whiskey is becoming one of the hottest young upstarts of the bourbon world. With a smooth medium-bodied mouthfeel and a long, complex finish, it stands out among the younger brands as a truly memorable pour. The company also bucks the trend of upstart distilleries trying to make their money back before their first decade of operations has passed, as you can typically pick up a bottle for about $43 despite it's smaller output (sometimes even alongside the rare bourbons at Costco). It's worth tracking this down to sample if you haven't yet.

If you close your eyes and picture a production facility in Bourbon County, there's a good chance your mind will immediately conjure up images of an aging brick storehouse jammed with racks of oak barrels. But while tradition may be the name of the game in Kentucky, there are still plenty of distilleries that are still taking an innovative approach to their products while still respecting the past. Bardstown Bourbon Company represents a relatively rare opportunity to stray off the well-worn path a bit without ending up on the road to disappointment. Partly serving as a contract distiller, the company also puts its impressive modern facility to use for its own label's releases. Barely more than a decade into operations, they've managed to rack up coveted awards and earn the respect of open-minded bourbon drinkers everywhere.

One exhibition of this impressive ability lies in the brand's Bottled-in-Bond option. The mash bill's inclusion of wheat helps round out the body and add layers of complexity to this stunning pour, smoothing the edges on the 50% ABV to create a surprisingly velvety mouthfeel and finish. In my opinion, it also tastes much older than the six years it sees in barrels, thanks to this flavor profile. And while the sleek digs might suggest a staggeringly high price tag, this bottle runs for just about $44.