Best bourbon under $50

These are the bottles we’d recommend at $50 or less, based on what we actually paid, including a few sale and closeout scores. We’ve put our strongest recommendations first, with everyday sippers and more qualified buys farther down.

Our picks, in recommendation order

The ratings below are our tasting verdicts, not a separate ranking scale. BUY is our latest Whiskey on the Fly bottle-revisit verdict.

1. Old Dominick Cask Strength

We paid $49.99 in New York, at MSRP, for Old Dominick Cask Strength.

Why it’s a good value: Balanced flavor at 120 proof without the ethanol burn makes this a roughly $50 bottle we said we’d consider worth $100.

This is one worth seeking out, although it wasn’t available in Maryland when we reviewed it.

2. Evan Williams 250th Anniversary Single Barrel

We paid $42 plus tax at Fishpaws in the Annapolis area for Evan Williams 250th Anniversary.

Why it’s a good value: Big bourbon flavor, a viscous mouthfeel and a long finish back up that 117.76 proof without pushing the price past our budget.

One of us called it delicious neat, and we both said to grab it if you see it.

3. Penelope Wheated

At $30 a bottle, Penelope Wheated has become one of our favorite daily drinkers. We’d gone through three bottles by that Friday-night hangout.

Our tasting ratings were Tom: blue; Steve: double blue.

Why it’s a good value: It delivers an approachable wheated profile with enough flavor to keep us buying another bottle, rather than just admiring the price.

4. Four Roses Single Barrel OESK

We paid $37 at Walgreens in Annapolis. In our 2025 year-end livestream tasting, we both still gave Four Roses OESK a high recommendation.

Why it’s a good value: Its tea-leaf character and ability to stand up to heavier pours make it much more interesting than a basic budget bottle.

It finished fifth for both of us in that particular blind lineup, but we still called it delicious.

5. Blue Note Juke Joint

We found this one in Georgia. In our budget tasting of Blue Note Juke Joint, I.W. Harper Cabernet Cask Finish and the 1792 Bottled-in-Bond pick, Blue Note was our number-one flavor pick.

We discussed about $30, although one of us thought it might have been closer to $50.

Why it’s a good value: It’s a delicious, high-proof pour whose flavor actually meets the expectations set by the proof.

6. Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond

Our latest purchase figure was $32 after everything was said and done at Costco, for a full liter.

Why it’s a good value: Great flavor, a sweet finish with walnuts and dark fruit, and more whiskey in the bottle made this our best-value pick.

Kirkland, Early Times and Bulleit Barrel Proof all earned BUY in our Whiskey on the Fly bottle revisit.

7. Penelope Architects of Golf Hole 3

We paid $50 for Penelope Architects of Golf Hole 3, a six-year-old bourbon at 94 proof.

Why it’s a good value: Rich, balanced toasted flavors and oak that stays present without becoming bitter give it enough complexity to justify the $50.

We’d especially recommend it to regular Architect fans. It’s less compelling if you want barrel proof or a traditional Kentucky profile without finishing influences.

8. Wild Turkey 101 8 Year

We paid $45 in Washington, D.C., for Wild Turkey 101 8 Year, and we’d pay that again.

Why it’s a good value: It keeps the classic Wild Turkey flavors while adding fruit and a sweeter, more refined finish that drinks smoothly for 101 proof.

In our comparison, it finished behind Rare Breed and Jimmy Russell 70th Anniversary, but ahead of standard 101.

9. Early Times Bottled-in-Bond

We paid about $25 in South Carolina on a road trip.

Why it’s a good value: We called $25 a steal for an affordable daily drinker that doesn’t drink like a 100-proof whiskey.

Our original tasting verdict was solid blue from both of us, and our latest revisit was BUY. This is an easy bottle to share with dinner guests.

10. Bulleit Barrel Proof

We paid $35 at a Virginia ABC Store closeout.

Why it’s a good value: Plenty of flavor at roughly 120 proof made that closeout price an easy repeat purchase.

It earned BUY on our latest revisit. We also liked the idea of using it in a freezer-door Old Fashioned, but that $35 was a closeout score, not a regular shelf-price promise.

11. Daviess County Straight Bourbon

We paid $10 at AD Liquors in southern Maryland for Daviess County Straight Bourbon.

Why it’s a good value: Traditional bourbon notes and a little rye spice make it a good starter pour, and at $10 it was especially hard to argue with.

We also thought it was solid at its usual about $35, but wouldn’t pay more than that.

12. First Call Cask Strength

We paid $32 at Total Wine and Liquors in Myrtle Beach, during a road trip, for First Call Cask Strength.

Why it’s a good value: It’s an approachable entry into cask-strength bourbon, with cinnamon-forward flavor and a price that works for a daily drinker.

Steve called it a daily drinker outright. We also liked it as a palate warmer before something stronger or more complex.

13. Jack Daniel’s Bottled-in-Bond Travelers Collection

We paid about $32 after a discount at the duty-free shop in Aruba, for a one-liter bottle of Jack Daniel’s Bottled-in-Bond.

Why it’s a good value: At that price, it’s a flavorful middle ground between Old No. 7 and the single-barrel offerings, with enough character for neat sipping or mixing.

We’d buy another bottle on a future trip.

14. 1792 Cognac Cask Finish

Jeff picked up 1792 Cognac Cask Finish for us in Maryland for $39.99.

Why it’s a good value: We liked the flavor enough to recommend putting it on the shelf at $40, even though it was less complex than Sweet Wheat.

One of us called it a high-end double blue. Neither of us would chase the secondary-market price.

15. Weller Special Reserve

We paid $45 for Weller Special Reserve in our Weller Special Reserve and 1792 Sweet Wheat comparison.

Why it’s a good value: Its balanced oak, honey, butterscotch and baking spice make it approachable for sipping and sharing without paying the local hype price.

One of us preferred it to Sweet Wheat for its oakiness and value.

16. 1792 Sweet Wheat

We paid $40 at MSRP.

Why it’s a good value: Its softer, sweeter profile delivers vanilla, fruit and honey in an approachable pour that’s easy to share.

One of us rated it red and the other double blue, although one of us didn’t think it was a better buy than Weller Special Reserve.

17. 1792 Bottled-in-Bond store pick

Our bottle was a Pux and Wine and Spirits store pick at about $40.

Why it’s a good value: The sweetness and 100-proof character made it a standout store pick for one of us.

We enjoyed its extra spice and lingering flavor, although Kirkland won our earlier head-to-head value comparison.

18. I.W. Harper Cabernet Cask Finish

We paid $20 on Black Friday, compared with its regular about $40 price.

Why it’s a good value: The wine-cask character makes this a delicious sleeper, and the Black Friday price made it particularly appealing.

This is a finished pour for someone who enjoys wine notes in their bourbon.

19. Bulleit ’87

We paid $28 at Fred Liquors in St. Mary’s County, Maryland, for Bulleit ’87, a bourbon-and-rye blend.

Why it’s a good value: Its balance of bourbon sweetness and rye spice works as a neat daily sipper or in an Old Fashioned at a very practical price.

Both of us gave it solid blue.

20. Bulleit Bourbon Smoked Malt Whiskey

We paid $47 plus tax, about $50, for Bulleit Smoked Malt.

Why it’s a good value: A distinctive sweet-and-savory mesquite-smoke profile gives you something genuinely different for under $50 before tax.

One of us thought it was worth chasing; the other was more inclined to buy it for barbecue or a big meal.

21. FEW × Smashing Pumpkins, Madame ZuZu’s Midnight Rose Tea

We paid $45 at Nick’s of Caliber for FEW × Smashing Pumpkins.

Why it’s a good value: The rose tea adds an unusual flavor we enjoyed, at a price we thought was pretty low.

This flavored option makes the list because we thought it was great neat, not just something to hide in a cocktail.

22. Evan Williams Single Barrel

We paid $39 at Nix of Caliber for Evan Williams Single Barrel.

One of us gave it solid blue; the other gave it solid green, verging on blue.

Why it’s a good value: Good aroma and flavor make it a useful daily pour whether you drink it neat, over ice or in a Manhattan.

23. Widow Jane Baby Jane, Batch 2

We paid $50 for Widow Jane Baby Jane, the 2024 Batch 2.

Why it’s a good value: Sweet corn and buttery-popcorn flavors make it a distinctive, smooth bottle for beginners or small-batch whiskey fans.

We liked it at $50, but would prefer it closer to $40 and under. One of our double-blue votes was partly influenced by its rarity.

24. Green River U.S. Army 250th Anniversary

At $50, Green River Army 250th Anniversary was a flavorful bargain at 111.1 proof.

Why it’s a good value: It gives you plenty of proof and flavor for $50, especially if you enjoy a spicier fall-and-winter pour.

Our blue ratings were near the lower end of that tier, with one of us almost giving it green. The spice muted some of the complexity.

25. Old Grand-Dad 7-Year Bottled-in-Bond

We paid $35 at Specs in Texas for Old Grand-Dad 7-Year Bottled-in-Bond.

Why it’s a good value: The extra flavor and oak made us prefer it to the regular $19 Bottled-in-Bond for an easy-drinking sharing or mixing bottle.

We called it mid-tier, not a knockout, but still said to buy a bottle.

26. Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star

We paid $20 at a Virginia ABC Store in southern Virginia, for a plastic handle of Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star.

Why it’s a good value: Smooth, beginner-friendly whiskey in a $20 handle left us satisfied even though one of us wanted more flavor.

One of us could see it as a daily sipper. The “10 Star” name isn’t a ten-year age statement; the label says aged at least 36 months.

For local shopping context, our Maryland bourbon hunting guide covers more of the stores we visit. Our top whiskeys page goes beyond this $50 budget.

Bottles we wouldn’t buy at inflated shelf prices

• Weller Special Reserve and 1792 Sweet Wheat: Weller was usually around $100 locally; one of us would pay $60 to $80. Sweet Wheat was usually $100+, including $120 to $150 up our way; one of us would pay $80 to $100.
• 1792 Cognac Cask Finish: Secondary listings around $200, and as high as $250, were a pass. We’d pay $40.
• Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond and Wild Turkey 70th Anniversary: We’d seen both at $150. We cited about $42 as the right price for Heaven Hill and said we’d buy the Wild Turkey at $50 all day.
• Knob Creek 18 Year: We’d seen it in the high $200s and would wait for $120. Delicious, but not a $200 bottle.
• Knob Creek Blender’s Edition 2026: At about $55 including tax, we’d choose Knob Creek 12 Year instead. The Blender’s Edition would be more appealing at $40 to $45.
• Old Grand-Dad 114 Single Barrel, 7 Year: We paid $53 plus tax and wouldn’t buy a backup. We’d pay $50, although we’d prefer other bottles at that price.