Top 10 Bourbons For Under $35

By Richard Thomas

My first round-up of bargain bourbons was in 2016, and how things have changed since then. That was before the Trump trade war rocked commodity markets and started the supply chain disruption; before pandemia sparked a run on the liquor store and disrupted world logistics even more; long before shortages and recovery sparked inflation; and way before the Russo-Ukrainian War knocked two of the world’s top grain suppliers for a loop. In 2016, I set the line for bargain bourbon at $20 or less. Now I wouldn’t consider drawing the line south of $35.

One feature of the changing times that is a positive, though, is that the continuing Bourbon Boom has brought many more options onto the market since the mid-2000s. Some of these may cost more than they did six years ago, but there are more worthy options than there were in what feels like yesteryear.

The following top ten list is ordered alphabetically, not by any kind of precedence. Prices are set by an average of retail points.

Early Times Bottled in Bond ($25): Until this bonded expression was introduced, * Early Times was weighed down by it’s reputation as a “Kentucky Whiskey.” That is to say, it’s otherwise bourbon-standard new make was aged in used barrels, and is therefore quite inexpensive (even now a bottle costs about $12). This stuff is a proper bourbon, aged in new oak barrels. Adding a gold star to it’s bargain buy status is that it comes in 1 liter bottles, increasing the amount you get for your money relative to a regular 750ml bottle by 33%.

Fighting Cock ($20): Often overlooked because its garish styling suggests a whiskey that is cheap in substance as well as price, Fighting Cock is one of the great overlooked gems in bourbon today. It’s a nice, pleasant enough example of a corn-and-vanilla sweet bourbon, but what makes it such a budget winner is its bold 103 proof (51.5% ABV). It’s not just the strongest whiskey on this list, but it also stays well below the $35 price point.

Four Roses Yellow Label ($25): This bourbon was the standard bearer of the now-legendary Four Roses comeback in America, from rotgut blended whiskey to bourbon heavyweight. Yellow Label was the stuff that made Four Roses the top selling bourbon in America before the Second World War, the stuff that survived as an export-only brand even as the American version sank into disrepute. A blend of all ten possible combinations of mash bills and yeasts used at Four Roses, it reflects both the spicy and the floral sides of what Four Roses does in a balanced package.

Knob Creek 9 Year Old ($35): This classic of the early-to-mid 1990s Small Batch era is part of a class of bourbons that, in my opinion, set the dividing line between mass market and premium expressions. That is why I drew the line exactly at $35; Knob Creek and it’s peers all float around that price point now. As for what is in the bottle, it’s great, bold, flavorful bourbon from the same company that makes the benchmark of bourbon, Jim Beam White Label.

Maker’s Mark ($23): Contrary to what the Black Hole of Pappymania has led many to believe, Buffalo Trace is not the maker of classic wheated bourbon. Old Rip Van Winkle 15 Year Old wasn’t introduced until 1989, years after Maker’s Mark began positioning itself as a premium product in the whiskey wasteland that followed the Great Crash of the 1970s. Don’t believe the hype: if you want wheated bourbon, look first to Loretto. The price is right and you will actually be able to find a bottle when you want one.

Old Forester Signature ($32): In our old piece, Old Forester 86 was the first choice of outside experts and readers. Signature is 100 proof and even better.

Old Grand-Dad Bottled in Bond ($25): All the dry, high-rye goodness found in Old Grandad, but at a guaranteed minimum of four years old and dialed up to 100 proof. Ever since Basil Hayden became a no age statement (NAS) bourbon, I have been telling people to buy Old Grand-Dad Bonded instead.

Redemption High Rye Bourbon ($26): Speaking of spicy and high-rye, you rarely get a spicier bourbon than one made with a 36% rye mash bill. Even Four Roses uses a slightly lighter 35% rye mash bill, and that is just one of two mash bills. Sourced from the MGP-made high rye bourbon stock, this is one of the few ways to get at just that stock, as opposed to seeing it mixed in with other bourbons. If you what you want from a bourbon is a little kick on the front and a long, spicy finish, this is your bottle.

Wild Turkey 101 ($22): “The Bird” is the classic ballsy bourbon, just a point over the bonded, 100-proof line, slightly older than its peers, and priced at a point that is hard to beat. It was, is and will go on being the best balance between quality and cost that exists in Kentucky bourbon, underlining the phrase “bang for your buck.”

Woodford Reserve ($31): Like Knob Creek, this is another classic of the Small Batch era. Compared to it’s peer, it’s mellower, more approachable and easier sipping, and a few bucks less.