The Best Cheap Bourbons to Drink Right Now – All Under $30

The value of affordable spirits is twofold. For one, you can enjoy sipping them neat or on the rocks. On the flip side, you don’t have to stress about using the liquid for mixing into cocktails either. Considering the preponderance of premium and limited-edition bourbon whiskeys in recent years, it may be tough to find your favorite bottles for the price tags they used to have. Bourbon has been booming in the past decade or so. And if you recall from your high school economics class, a booming industry can often indicate price increases. Where you used to be able to get a bottle of your favorite premium liquor for under $50, now you often have to settle for your third or fourth favorite if you’re strapped for cash. 

No need to fear because we’ve got you covered. We’ve taken it upon ourselves to highlight the best cheap bourbons on the market, using a $30 price limit. But first, let’s surmise why these prices have gone up to begin with.

What’s Up With These Prices?

Although bourbon has always been a popular liquor choice, the hobby has been growing over the past few years especially. Likewise, it’s melded with our modern interests in minutiae as it pertains here to the intricacies of the distillation and aging processes. It’s not only an increase in knowledge around the subject of bourbon but access to that knowledge that’s likely a big factor for why prices continue to go up. Consumers now know what’s going into their spirits and are willing to pay more for premium and experimental products. 

Enthusiasm for more innovative distillation and aging techniques both pique the interest of hobbyists and have now become a way for distilleries to release limited-edition expressions as well. On the plus side, these limited editions have enabled the brands to tame the prices of their core lines down below.

Evan Williams White Bottled-in-Bond

Best Bonded: Perhaps synonymous with cheap bourbon, Evan Williams is still widely known for a reason. While several of the distillery’s bottles could fit the bill here, we wanted to include one on the lower end just to show you how good an ultra-cheap bottle of whiskey could actually be. Even more impressive, this bourbon has gone through the rigorous bottled-in-bond process, yielding a 100-proof whiskey that’s been aged at least 4 years under U.S. government supervision. Perhaps better for mixing into old fashioneds than sipping, this liquid will still do the trick for the latter as well.

Maker’s Mark

Best Wheated: During a time when names like Jim Beam and Wild Turkey were ubiquitous, Maker’s Mark felt like the new, hip kid on the block upon its debut in 1958. Despite a tagline claiming, “It tastes expensive…and is,” the label has long been synonymous with high-quality bourbon at reasonable prices. Proofed to 90 and featuring its signature red wax seal, the Kentucky-based favorite gets by with its unique profile of warm vanilla, brown sugar, and caramel, stemming from its wheated mashbill.

Wild Turkey 101

Best for Cocktails: There’s nothing like having a favorite bourbon and knowing that wherever you go, whatever liquor store or bar you wander into, you’ll be able to find it. Easily the most legendary expression on this list, Wild Turkey’s flagship 101 high-rye bourbon has been made the same way for six decades. Whether you’re mixing it into a cocktail or drinking it neat, the rye spice profile makes this 101-proof whiskey quite special but also dynamic, with extra notes of cinnamon, clove, and caramel. 

Elijah Craig Small Batch

Best Small Batch: Heaven Hill Distillery isn’t just one of the oldest bourbon makers but the largest family-owned and operated distillery in the country. Named after the 18th-century preacher who reportedly invented bourbon whiskey as we know it, Heaven Hill’s brand Elijah Craig was launched in 1986 and offered a 12 Year Small Batch as its entry-level expression. However, that was replaced with this non-age statement Small Batch a few years back, but still contains a blend of 8- to 12-year-old liquid. A steal at just over $20, Elijah Craig hits with classic notes of caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, and a touch of spice.

Four Roses Straight Bourbon

Best Overall: It’s almost unbelievable the number of whiskeys from this Kentucky distillery that are still around or under the $30 mark. One of the best bourbons in the game any way you slice it, Four Roses has always had a high perceived value at a cheap price tag, and this Yellow Label is a case in point. The Kentucky staple is behind nearly any credible bartender you’ll meet, and a go-to whether you’re mixing or sipping neat. Bottled at a light 40%, this award-winning straight bourbon whiskey offers notes of honey, apple, vanilla, and some spice.

Buffalo Trace Straight Bourbon

Runner-Up: Even though it wasn’t named Buffalo Trace until 1999, the brand has been making bourbon continuously for over two centuries and is the oldest to do so on the planet. A Steady Eddy of the bourbon world, Buffalo Trace Straight Bourbon has no fluff or theatrics. It just does its job and does it exceptionally well. The brand has gone from underdog favorite to one of the most renowned whiskeys in the country, and at an incredibly fair price. Aged for 8 years, this flagship expression tastes of caramel, butter, and fruit notes.

Ezra Brooks

Best for Parties: What’s remarkable about this sub-$30 bourbon from Ezra Brooks is that the bottle is more than double the size of an average container. Often compared to Jack Daniel’s — which doesn’t market itself as a bourbon — Ezra Brooks had a two-decade hiatus before being revived in 1993. Using charcoal filtering for a smoother flavor, this entry-level expression is a non-age statement sour mash Kentucky bourbon whiskey bottled at 45% ABV. The profile features caramel, chocolate, and vanilla notes alongside spice and toffee notes.

Redemption High Rye Bourbon

Best High-Rye: Following Prohibition, bourbon drinkers just didn’t want as much rye in their whiskeys as they did before. However, in recent years, in part thanks to brands like Redemption, rye is making a big comeback. While known for its straight rye (non-bourbon) whiskey, the Indiana-based brand also has one of the most assertive high-rye bourbons in the nation, boasting a whopping 36% rye mashbill makeup to add to the 60% corn and 4% malted barley. This foundation gives the bourbon some style and character, with classic rye spice on the palate, but also some black pepper and fennel.

Knob Creek 9 Year Small Batch

Best Age Statement: While other premium labels are doubling in price, Knob Creek’s 9 Year is staying staunchly at the $30 mark. Launched in 1992, the Kentucky-based favorite still manages to represent the top shelf while maintaining its accessibility all these years later. However, the brand still has several expressions that are more expensive than this one. One of the oldest on this list, this small-batch bourbon has been aged for 9 years and features a reliable profile of oak, vanilla, caramel, dark chocolate, and black pepper, giving way to a long, spice-filled finish.

Woodford Reserve

Best for Sipping Neat: Kentucky Derby fans may know a thing or two about Woodford Reserve. Since 1999, the historical distillery has been supplying whiskey to make the horse racing event’s official cocktail, the mint julep. For just around $30, you can make your own affordable mint julep at home. However, this straight bourbon expression is perhaps one of the few on this list that we’d recommend sipping neat exclusively. Either way, you’ll have a beautiful bottle sitting on the shelf when you’re done. This award-winning bourbon whiskey has incredible value for the price, with an oaky profile that includes notes of vanilla, toffee, and black pepper.

Bulleit Bourbon

Using the same high-rye mashbill recipe as his great-great-grandfather, Tom Bulleit launched his namesake distillery back in 1987, becoming a Kentucky favorite and having a strong hand in popularizing the spicier style ever since. This flagship bourbon features an oak-filled profile balanced with vanilla, honey, and assertive rye spice. While most fans might favor Bulleit’s Barrel Proof, this 45% ABV version is totally serviceable for those on a budget, and at one-third the price. 

Larceny Very Special Small Batch

In just the past decade, Larceny has become beloved by wheated bourbon fans for showing us that a cheap alternative to Pappy’s doesn’t have to taste cheap at all. In fact, you’d never guess it was under $30, and you can throw it in a cocktail without feeling a tad bit remorseful. From Heaven Hill Distillery, Larceny’s flagship Very Special Small Batch carries no age statement, with a mashbill that also features rye and malted barley along with the corn and wheat, offering notes of caramel, honey, and butterscotch.

Old Forester 100 Proof

For those who like a little extra punch in their bourbon but can’t quite venture up to cask strength on a nightly basis, a 100-proof whiskey will be as close to perfect as you’ll get. Some swear that it’s the sweet spot for sipping neat. When it comes to Old Forester, we can’t argue at all. Operating in Kentucky since 1870, the brand was the first to put its bourbon in bottles during a time when consumers were still drafting straight from the barrels themselves. This 100 Proof iteration uses a high-corn mashbill, offering notes of toffee, vanilla, and cacao.

The Best Cheap Mezcal to Add to Your Bar Cart

If you’re looking to save money in other spirits categories as well, check out our guide to the best cheap mezcal you can buy right now.