The Best $200 Bourbon*
Yes, that’s an asterisk. We’ll explain in a minute.
W.L. Weller, made by Buffalo Trace, is a wheated bourbonmeaning that in addition to the 51 percent required corn, youll find wheat on the mash bill instead of the more typical rye. The 12-year used to be easy to find, laments Susan Reigler, but then Julian Van Winkle let slip that he chooses barrels of Weller to make Pappy Van Winkle.” If you’ve been drinking whiskey at all in the last 15 years or so, you know Pappy as the once-cult, now-impossible-to-find status bourbon.
The Flatiron Room’s Young Kim agrees that W.L. Weller is a solid fallback if you want Pappy flavors but don’t have an in with a distributor who gets an allocation . Pappy Van Winkle and W.L. Weller are the same liquid with the same mash bill, Kim adds. Of course theyre different if you try them side-by-side, but they have a similar flavor profile.
Now, technically Weller 12-year has a list price of only $40but the association with Pappy means it’s impossible to find anywhere near that number. If that means the W.L. Weller 12 is too rich for your blood, then Weller’s Special Reserve, available for around $50 bottle, is a worthwhile consolation prize.
Black Velvet Reserve $14
Black Velvet ages their Reserve Canadian whiskey a minimum of eight years, which has aided the blends persistent popularity since the first batch was distilled in 1991. Although listed at $14, dont be fooled by the price this is still a great go-to among the best whiskeys from our neighbor to the north. With powerful and complex notes of roasted nuts, pear, slight spice, and pepper among others, the medium-bodied spirit sports a smooth, mellow grain taste on its smokey finish.
Best Reserve: The Glenlivet Founders Reserve
Courtesy of Total Wine
Region: Highlands | ABV: 40% | Tasting Notes: Sweet orange, Pear, Apple
Smooth and creamy with an orchard fruit sweetness and an edge of zesty citrus, this special reserve bottle pays tribute to the 1822 founder of The Glenlivet, George Smith, who designed the distillerys distinctive, genies lampshaped copper stills.
Back when Smith was first distilling, age statements were not a part of the scotch game, so Smith blended barrels of all sorts of ages. The Founders Reserve continues that tradition, with the addition of first-fill American oak casks for honeyed caramel undertones.
Recommended Reading: Chattanooga Whiskey 1816 Reserve Review
Great Taste Doesn’t Always Come With A Hefty Price Tag
Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the bestproducts youcan learn more about ourreview process here.We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.
Some whisky lovers might say the words cheap” and “Scotch” dont belong in the same sentence. Its pretty hard to argue with the sentiment, as making a good Scotch whisky requires quality ingredients and timelots of time.
Rather than cheap, aficionados should look for value. The old expression “you get what you pay for” mostly holds up, but the goal in shopping for a quality bottle is to seek out every hard-earned pennys worth of flavor to maximize enjoyment to the last drop.
Whether youre browsing for classic blends or rich single malts, there are modestly priced bottles to be found online or in your local shop, and there should be no trouble finding the good stuff without breaking the bank. That’s right! You don’t have to empty your wallet for a decent dram.
Here are the best cheap Scotch whiskies to drink.
Sure, its ubiquitous, but there’s a reason you can find Johnnie Walker Black Label at just about every airport, bar, and liquor shop in the world: It’s iconic. It’s also reasonably priced, featuring a blend of single malts and grains aged for at least 12 years. Vanilla, tropical dark fruits, creamy toffee, and a good dose of smokey char make this bottle a classic.
Crown Royal Apple Canadian Whiskey
For those looking for a refreshing twist on their favorite tipples, you can try making a DIY infused bourbon whiskey at home. But if you want a quicker route, just buy a bottle of Crown Royal Regal Apple Flavored Whisky!
Its made with Canadian whisky and flavors from apples grown in the Regal Gala orchards. Crown Royal is very aromatic with light vanilla and caramel notes. You’ll smell a pleasant bouquet as Crown Royal offers no alcoholic burn. The undertones of pound cake and lemon zest make for an elegant but gentle scent.
The crisp, tart flavor of the apple shines through in this drink! Its a great mixer for highballs as well! The sweet taste is hardly noticeable when mixed with other ingredients but stands out nicely on its own or when diluted to your liking.
Read Also: Jagermeister And Ginger Ale
Zevia Zero Calorie Soda Rainbow Variety Pack 12 Ounce Cans
as of January 8, 2022 12:42 am
Features
- Taste Every Zevia Soda Flavor: Cola, Ginger Root Beer, Ginger Ale, Cream Soda, Grape, Black Cherry, Lemon Lime Twist, Orange, Mountain Zevia, Dr. Zevia, Caffeine Free Cola, and Grapefruit Citrus
- Better For You Alternative: Sweetened with plant-derived stevia leaf extract and available in 15 delicious flavors, Zevia sodas are naturally sweetened for you and your entire family to enjoy
- Real Ingredients: We use only real, plant-based ingredients, so all of our beverages are Non-GMO Project Verified, gluten-free, Kosher, vegan, and free of added color, artificial sweeteners and sodium
- Zero Sugar, Zero Calorie: Zevia offers a platform of naturally sweetened products that include a variety of flavors across Soda, Energy Drinks, Organic Tea, Mixers, Kidz drinks, and Sparkling Water
- Zevia’s Mission: We feel strongly about the global health challenges from excess sugar intake and address it with a broad portfolio of delicious zero sugar, zero calorie, naturally sweetened beverages
Woodford Reserve Bourbon Distiller’s Select
For an excellent basic whiskey under 50 dollars, Woodford Reserve is a solid go-to. The distillery is built on top of history the first distillery in the location started in 1780. The distillery is also home to a heat-cycled barrelhouse, which means every drop of precious bourbon gets as much contact with the oak barrel as possible.
This bourbon is nice to drink neat, but it shines when you use it as a cocktail base. The flavor profile of the bourbon works well with any number of mixers, so try this with a Boulevardier or Manhattan.
Don’t Miss: Best Mixers For White Rum
Jack Daniels Old No 7 Tennessee Whiskey
Jack Daniels Old No. 7 is ubiquitous throughout the world as the best-selling American whiskey. Theres a reason this Tennessee whiskey is so popular its incredibly easy to drink, with a mellow flavor due to the Lincoln County process in which its filtered through charcoal before bottling. Banana notes lead the way, with complementary flavors of vanilla, toffee, and caramel joining the party.
Best For Cocktails: Bowmore 12
Courtesy of Drizly.com
Region: Islay | ABV: 40% | Tasting Notes: Tropical fruit, Black pepper, Vanilla
With scotch cocktails, says Chasse, you want to feel like youre enhancing the spirit with other ingredients, but you dont want those ingredients to overwhelm the whisky. Bowmore has the right amount of smoke, with sweetness and layering, so whatever other flavors youre pairing it with have enough to bounce off of, she says. Tropical fruit, vanilla, plenty of black pepper and other spicesall of these things it delivers are very easy to incorporate with other flavors in a cocktail.
Nevertheless, its particularly great with a classic cocktail thats not too fussy, like a wintery and warm Rob Roy. You dont need a lot of extra ingredients because youre getting all that flavor from spirit itself,” says Chasse.
Read Also: Jim Beam Apple Whiskey Calories
$: Redbreast 12 Year Old
Spirit: Irish whiskeyProof: 80Approx. cost: $65
Irish whiskey gets a bad rap for whatever reason. Bourbon is red hot, rye is hip, Scotch is classy, and Canadian whiskey often comes in a cool purple satchel at the very least. But no one is impressed when you have bottles of Irish whiskey displayed in your pad. Yet, you should have some displayed because, dollar-for-dollar, Irish whiskey is the best value out there. My favorite offerings are from Redbreast in County Cork. Its 12 Year Old is a single pot-still whiskey thats as good as many $80-$120 single malts.
Others: The Balvenie Caribbean Cask, Highland Park 15
Top 10 Best Cheap Bourbon Whiskey : Recommended For 2022
The best cheap bourbon whiskey market is flooded with so many options that it is likely you will have trouble narrowing it down. These are the top ten search terms in 2022. A lot of time and effort went into compiling this list. You’re about to learn a lot!
Disclaimer: We are using Amazon affiliate Product Advertising API to fetch products from Amazon, include: price, content, image, logo, brand, feature of products which are trademarks of Amazon.com. So, when you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.. Read more.
| # |
|---|
Also Check: What Kind Of Alcohol Is Patron
Evan Williams Single Barrel
For those who are after a more traditionally-tasting bourbon, its hard not to like this single barrel expression from Evan Williams. For starters, each bottle clocks in at around 7-8 years old, and they even feature their own handwritten vintage date to designate when the bourbon was put into oak. And when it comes to the spirit itself, youll find that it more than lives up to its premium presentation, leading with sweetened caramel and vanilla and following up with a welcoming mix of aged oak, black pepper, and just the slightest hint of tobacco.
Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey
Jack Daniel’s whiskey is produced using the Tennessee Sour Mash method or the “Lincoln County Process”, which includes a step where the fresh spirit is dripped through a sugar maple charcoal vat. This produces smoother and versatile distilled products.
The smell is a pleasant mix of fruitiness with vanilla, oak, and hints of banana and apricot that build as you take more sips. Then subtle hints of cinnamon, smoke, and maple syrup come through to add some additional nuances that make it more interesting.
Jack Daniel’s is also a well-known cocktail base for numerous whiskey cocktails. It is so famous that they also made a whiskey-flavored sauce using the delicious whiskey.
Also Check: Super Expensive Tequila
Johnnie Walker Blue Label
This amber gem has a peaty aroma that reminded one panelist of maple bacon, and another of crackers and brie. A silky, honey-sweet texture gently ascends to a peppery kick, with tingling spice sticking to the cheeks and lips. This is one to sit with and savor on a crisp night, hopefully with something to celebrate, one panelist said. Average price: $185.
Aberfeldy 18 Year Double Cask
This double-cask single malt whisky is one of Aberfeldys Exceptional Cask Series released in October 2019. Its finished nine years in an oloroso sherry cask, picking up sweet and spicy notes. This is as good with dessert as it is for dessert, one panelist said. A bitter chocolate flavor on the finish ties it up neatly and deliciously. Average price: $200.
Read Also: Absolut Vodka Made From
The Best Cheap Canadian Whiskey Under $20
When it comes to a quality bottle of whiskey, youve probably learned by now that a good bottle doesnt necessarily have to be expensive. Are expensive bottles of whiskey delicious? Youre damn right they are. Are less expensive options also delicious? Not all of them, but many are.
That rule applies across every category of whisky. No matter if you want Scotch, rye, or something else, youll be able to find a good bottle in your price range. In the case of this list, were setting our sights north of the border to see the best Canadian whiskeys under $20.
Related:
Glen Moray Speyside Elgin Heritage 18 Year
Bright amber and almost glistening, this attractive dram reminded one taster of a forest on a fall morning at dawn. Crisp, crunchy leaves, new oak, and a hint of hot toddy float from the glass, while the palate is creamy with a peppery twinge on the tip of the tongue, one panelist said. A great fall sipper for those looking to add a bit of quiet spice to their night or day!, one taster said. Average price: $94.
Read Also: What To Mix With 1800 Tequila Silver
Suntory Toki Japanese Whisky
Suntory Toki whisky is the product of blending whiskies from Suntory’s Hakushu, Yamazaki, and Chita distilleries. The result is an exquisite balance due to a beautifully customized process – just what you would expect from one of the most prestigious and best Japanese whiskies.
Suntory Toki is a blend of single malt and grain whiskies that was created to evoke the taste and feeling associated with time. It has been compared with its sister, Hibiki, but it actually has a different composition. It starts with the nose honey and basil.
Then, the palate follows with green apples before delivering grapefruit for your taste buds to enjoy. There’s no doubt this drink will be enjoyed by all, especially because it finishes so nicely – subtle, sweet yet spicy from vanilla oak wood smoke and ginger.
Old Forester 86 Proof Bourbon
Another best cheap whiskey is Old Forester 86 Proof that has a rich and complex flavor. This well-known staple of the line of Brown Forman offers an affordable price point and high roller levels of consumption. The scent of Old Forester Bourbon is oaky, toasty, and sweet with a touch of smoke.
The first sip of Old Forester 86 Proof Bourbon is inviting and warm, which makes it a great half of a whiskey-cigar pairing. It has candied fruits in the background as well an earthy taste that reminds you it’s not all light flavors here. Theres also some complexity to this drink for your senses.
Initial tastes include burnt sugar, and apple with just enough cinnamon to sharpen the sweetness for an overall taste that can be described as homey but still exciting. The first impression of the finish is light, with honey and toasted grains that eventually turn to banana notes.
You May Like: Tennessee Apple Whiskey Recipes
Best Bourbon: Old Forester 86 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
ABV: 43% | Age: 4 years | Volume: 750 milliliters, 1 liter
Old Forester is an old name in the bourbon world. It is the original brand of what would come to be the liquor industry giant Brown-Forman, which owns some of todays best-known distilled spirit brands. Old Foresters flagship bottle is everything you’d expect from a good Kentucky whiskey: a timeless, reliable bourbon that never disappoints.
A whiskey dating back to 1870, Old Forester 86 Proof survived Prohibition, which forced many distillers out of business. It has remained a figure in bars and a great value in the whiskey industry. Offering a smooth experience, it does start out sharp, but the taste mellows perfectly with hints of oak, corn, and rye. This one can easily become your go-to, and it makes a great whiskey sour. Its nutty spice also shines in highballs like the Presbyterian.
Rd Place Best Rye Whiskey
Introduced in 2012 by the distillers at Beam Global, Knob Creek Rye provides a spicy, full body when enjoyed neat, while providing a present, flavorful foundation when used in a cocktail thanks to its 100 proof. Along with the spice provided by the rye, vanilla and caramel notes end in a peppery finish.
Don’t Miss: Best Gin Rummy Player
Old Forester 100 Proof Signature Bourbon
During the Prohibition Era, Old Forester was one of the few distilleries that received a permit to continue producing alcohol for medicinal purposes, an exception thats since allowed it to become the longest-running bourbon brand on the market. Named in honor of founder George Garvin Brown , this Signature Bourbon is rich and full-tasting thanks to its 100 proof bottling, making it an ideal everyday option for more experienced whiskey enthusiasts.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series #2
The fusion of this bourbons name references its blend of 60 percent wheated and high-rye bourbons, which Bardstown makes itself, along with 40 percent 12-year-old sourced Kentucky bourbon. The end product has an inviting nose that jumps out of the glass. Rye notes are followed by black pepper and just a kiss of caramel. The palate is complex and spicy the bite of rye emerges on top and lingers for an age. Average price: $61.
Recommended Reading: Svedka Vodka Gluten
Heaven Hill Old Style Bourbon
Average Price:$13
The Whiskey:
This is Heaven Hills other gateway bourbon. There are no frills involved. This is standard bourbon thats aged for three years before blending, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This is light, with a sense of cornmeal next to classic bourbon vanilla and butterscotch. That butterscotch sweetness tends to be the defining point as the corn and vanilla fade. The end has a bit of warm spice that works well with the corn syrup sweetness and vanilla.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those bottles that I dismissed for the longest time. Then I tried it in a blind tasting and it popped. Look, its not a life-changing bourbon. Its a really solid mixing bourbon with real nuance for highballs, and thats enough at this price point.