Unearthing the best bourbons is no simple task, especially when elusive releases and modern market challenges keep the rare gems just out of reach. Yet, this journey led us to an interesting range from $25 to $5,000, where timeless classics meet new and unique discoveries.
This guide isn’t an invitation to splurge but a curated exploration for enthusiasts eager to deepen their palate. While the research demanded persistence from me amid scarcity and shifting prices, the result is a selection that encompasses a great ‘to try’ list—whether you’re gathering with friends, relaxing at your local bar, or on the hunt for that perfectly priced bottle.
Wild Turkey 101
BUY NOW: $22
I can’t begin this list without mentioning my favorite bottle of affordable bourbon ever. I recently wrote an article on the best value bourbons available around the world, and this one tops it—not literally, but it’s definitely on the list. There’s some other excellent stuff in there as well.
Wild Turkey exudes class, style, and drinkability. Bottled at 50.5% ABV and priced under $30 is simply brilliant—at least from a British point of view, as it’s creeping up to nearly £40 per bottle over here. Still, I never hesitate to buy another when it runs out.
Consider the richness of brown sugar, butter, Stroopwafels, sweet espresso, and subtly drying wood influences, all wrapped up in an attractive price point with nearly constant availability. It’s an absolutely unbelievable product from the folks at Wild Turkey that deserves to be celebrated forever. Can you tell I like it?
Four Roses Single Barrel
BUY NOW: $38
This is the only single barrel product on the list, and much like the rationale for including Wild Turkey 101, it’s both excellent and widely available.
The beauty of single barrels lies in the unique flavors they offer as a one-off experience. Despite the range of flavors produced at Four Roses Distillery, this single barrel offering is delicious every time.
Four Roses products always remind me of butter—everything delicious and sweet, enveloped in rich brown butter that becomes ever nuttier and slightly savory. It’s an unheard-of achievement to keep a single barrel project so consistent and available. Hats off to the folks at Four Roses; you’re brilliant, so please keep on doing what you’re doing.
Booker’s Bourbon
BUY NOW: $100
The Jim Beam Distillery is the focus for the next two bottles. When it comes to cask strength offerings, it’s hard not to mention Booker’s Bourbon. Named after the great Booker Noe, Booker’s Bourbon is released in several batches throughout the year, but they all share a few key traits—uncut, unfiltered, and all-natural.
The first time I ever tasted it, I was reminded of the raw power of Kentucky lightning. Aged between six and seven years, this bourbon has the power and drive to make you race through the Appellation mountains in top gear without breaking a sweat.
Originally reserved for family and friends, it has now become a cornerstone of cask strength Kentucky bourbon and a benchmark for what cask strength whisky around the world should aspire to be.
Knob Creek 18 Year Old
BUY NOW: $154
This one is a real treat to write about, as we can’t get it in the UK. However, a friend kindly brought a bottle back, and we shared it a few months ago. Old bourbon is a recurring theme on this list; given the high prices for many bottles, age becomes a significant factor—even though MSRP is nearly impossible to obtain.
This Knob Creek 18 Year Old is widely available in the States across several batches over the years. Made with the classic Knob Creek mash bill of 77% corn, 13% rye, and 10% malted barley, it delivers an explosion of deep, dark aromas and flavors. It’s packed with notes of licorice, tobacco, caramelized wood, brown sugar, sugared almonds, and hints of heavily charred wood, transporting you through the layers of flavor developed by extended aging in the Kentucky heat.
Later in the list, you’ll find some high-proof bottles, but here at 50% ABV, the alcohol integrates effortlessly with the aged character. Not a hint of harsh ethanol is present on the nose—only rich, dark, indulgent flavor profiles.
Widow Jane 20 Year Old Black Opal
BUY NOW: $420
I’m a fan of Widow Jane’s 10 Year Old bourbon. I know it’s an expensive purchase for bourbon that has only just reached a decade, but every glass has been memorable. I have yet to try this new release, yet on paper, it looks impressive.
This release is a blend of bourbon whiskies with a minimum age of 20 years, finished in Mizunara (Japanese water oak) casks. These casks are very porous and often leak, so to extract their full flavor, the stock must be aged for an extended period.
Mizunara imparts an unusual flavor profile—adding notes of pepper, subtle smokiness, and even hints of miso and saltiness. Considering these characteristics in a two-decade-old bourbon is truly remarkable. If you’ve never experienced bourbon finished in Mizunara oak, this would be an intriguing introduction. And even if you have, this release offers a flavor profile unlike any other bottle of bourbon I’ve encountered, yet remains as memorable as regular Widow Jane.
I’m unsure of how many bottles were produced in this batch, so if you’re after further information, it’s best to get in touch with the distillery.
George T. Stagg 2024 Release
BUY NOW: $799
There’s a theme among the next few bottles of great bourbons—they’re no longer available at MSRP. It’s a genuine shame, but if you have the opportunity to try them at a bar, a friend’s house, or even in a sample swap, it’s entirely worth it.
Introducing the George T. Stagg 2024 bottling. Aged just over 15 years and bottled at 68.05% ABV, this is one of the best examples of the brand I’ve ever tried. While it’s generally not difficult to find good Stagg stock, there have been a few off years.
This bourbon is loaded with flavors of cherry cola, old leather, tobacco, caramelized vanilla, and even chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven. Remarkably, even its nearly ‘hazmat’ ABV does not compromise its smooth character. I adore these bottles, and it’s a shame that scalping and auctions have made it harder for people to acquire them at retail. For those fortunate enough to have secured a bottle, it’s a real treat.
However, do not despair—check your local bars and retailers regularly for this offering. I’m not suggesting you overpay; simply pay what you consider acceptable, even if it’s just to try it out.
Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 18 Year Old Bourbon
BUY NOW: $1,000
Produced from 133 barrels of the distillery’s Elijah Craig mash bill, this is one of the most outstanding bottlings of well-aged bourbon ever released. Aging older bourbon releases is a tricky thing to master, but the folks over at Heaven Hill have taken it in their stride and delivered an absolute stunner!
Bottled at 60% ABV and enriched by generous oak influence, this is a chocolate-, cherry-, and fig-rich bourbon that drips with complexity, class, and style. Standard Elijah Craig 18 Year Old is always an okay release, but its price is beginning to climb. I’m not saying this is cheap—I believe the original MSRP was $330—but it will be very difficult to find for that price in today’s market.
Despite its age and high ABV, the subtlety with which this bourbon delivers its flavor can rival bottlings like William Larue Weller and George T. Stagg. It’s a call for Heaven Hill to produce more bottlings like this one, as it could convert even the most anti-bourbon drinker to the fold of rich, corn-driven goodness.
Colonel E. H. Taylor 18 Year Old Marriage
BUY NOW: $2,500
Colonel Taylor is a recurring theme for these final two bottlings. This particular bottle, which was never released in the UK, was a surprising find on some websites—something I’d never seen before.
It’s a blend of three of Buffalo Trace’s four mash bills, combining casks from mash-bill #1 (7% rye), mash-bill #2 (12–15% rye), and mash-bill #3 (15%+ wheat). This combination brings together some of the most incredible and sought-after core flavors from the distillery.
These bourbons have been aged for a minimum of eighteen years, enduring intense Kentucky evaporation and heat, yet they still unite into an incredibly rare, sought-after, and expensive bottling. This product showcases both the distillery’s quality and the expertise of master blender Drew Mayville.
Bottled at 50% ABV (Bottled in Bond strength), this release reveals outstanding notes of strawberry shortcake, butter, vanilla cake, and rich, softly drying oak.
O.F.C 2005 Vintage Bourbon
BUY NOW: $4,300
Named by E.H. Taylor as the Old Fashioned Copper Distillery in 1870—and eventually renamed to Buffalo Trace in 1999—this bottle showcases the world’s first style of ultra-premium bourbon developed by the man himself. An industry leader in the late 19th century, Old Fashioned Cooper pioneered the use of copper fermentation vats, column stills, and a heating system that remains in use at Buffalo Trace today.
This release highlights some of the older stocks from Buffalo Trace’s extensive warehouses. The 2005 vintage has been aged for nearly two decades and features a flavor profile of cherry cordial, subtle barrel smoke, leather, and black pepper. It aligns closely with the character of the distillery’s older bottlings—such as Eagle Rare, George T. Stagg, and select offerings from the E.H. Taylor ranges.
For any fan of Buffalo Trace, this expression epitomizes their commitment to replicating the vintage whiskies of their early days as one of the world’s most awarded distilleries.
Read the full article at The Best Bourbons From $25 To $5,000