When you hit the $75 mark in bourbon, you’re right in the middle of the special bottles. These bourbons are often for special occasions and typically have something special about them. They’re also still easy to find… for the most part. This is the sweet spot before you start getting into the stuff that’s harder to find and rarer in general (also the stuff that starts getting marked up by retailers).
Below, I’ve called out 20 great-tasting bourbons that you can get for under $80. As I mentioned above, these are a bit more special than your average bottle of bourbon. That means that some of these will be a little harder to find. Some of them will be regional or distillery-only releases while others will be very available. The throughline is that they’re all tasty bourbons that are worth $70 to $80.
Naturally, I did rank these whiskeys. They’re all good, sure. But some are freaking amazing while others are just really, really good examples of bourbon from people who care deeply about their product. Let’s dive in!
- The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2023, Ranked
- The ‘Smoothest’ Bourbons Under $100, Blind Tasted And Ranked
- The 100 Best Kentucky Bourbons, Ranked
- The Absolute Best Tasting Bourbons Under $50, Ranked
- The Absolute Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
20. Peerless Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 54.65%
Average Price: $74
The Whiskey:
Kentucky Peerless Distilling takes its time for a true grain-to-glass experience. Their Small Batch Bourbon is crafted with a fairly low-rye mash bill and fermented with a sweet mash as opposed to a sour mash (that means they use 100% new grains, water, and yeast with each new batch instead of holding some of the mash over to start the next one like a sourdough starter). The barrels are then hand-selected for their taste and bottled completely un-messed with.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Expect notes of blackberry next to worn leather, rich toffee, vanilla oils, and wet tobacco leaves on the nose.
Palate: The taste holds onto the toffee and vanilla as the tobacco dries out and spices up with touches of cedar bark and a few bitter espresso beans.
Finish: The end is long and holds onto the vanilla and tobacco while touching back on the berries as it fades through your senses.
Bottom Line:
This is a great crafty Kentucky bourbon, especially if you’re looking for something from the smaller producers on the scene. Overall, you’ll want to taste this one neat and then experiment. Add rocks, and water, and then try it in your favorite cocktail for the best results.
19. Rock Town Single Barrel Cask Strength Arkansas Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: Varies
Average Price: $72
The Whiskey:
Rock Town is all about using Arkansas ingredients to make Arkansas whiskey. The mash (82% corn, 10% wheat, and 8% malted barley) is made with local corn and wheat that’s grown right outside of Little Rock. Every step of the process happens on site from the milling of the grains to the aging of the juice. After four years, barrels are hand-selected for single-barrel bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a hint of minerality on the nose next to fresh honey, dark cherries, peaches, pie crust, and a touch of maple syrup.
Palate: The palate has a sense of tangerine next to bran muffins with a whisper of green grass and vanilla wafers.
Finish: The end is full of soft toffee and mild woody spiciness with a clear vanilla-orange foundation.
Bottom Line:
This is a really solid all-around bourbon with a nice balance and depth. It works wonders in cocktails. It’s also a great example of the whiskey coming out of Arkansas right now.
18. Brother’s Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey Original Cask Strength
ABV: 57.9%
Average Price: $78
The Whiskey:
This release from actors Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley is an evolution of their brand. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of three bourbons which create a four-grain bourbon. That blend was then bottled as-is, creating a deeply classic bourbon experience from founders who truly care about whiskey.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with a balance of old leather boots and freshly cracked black pepper next to a hint of walnut shell, vanilla pod, and orange zest.
Palate: The palate leans into what feels like star fruit as orange marmalade, salted butter, and fresh honey drip over rye bread crusts.
Finish: The end comes with a good dose of peppery spice and old leather as those walnuts and oranges combine with a handful of dried fruit and a dusting of winter spices on the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a very solid whiskey. It’s a great sipper over a big rock and makes a hell of an old fashioned.
17. Jefferson’s Ocean Aged At Sea Straight Bourbon Whiskey Very Small Batch Special Wheated Mash Bill
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $74
The Whiskey:
Jefferson’s Ocean is deeply skilled at crafting unique and very tasty drams. This expression uses a wheated mash bill (instead of high rye) that’s aged for six to eight years on land. Barrels are then loaded onto a ship and sailed around the world where the spirit and wood interact the whole time thanks to the choppy seas, creating an incredibly unique whiskey in the process.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has a very subtle nose, with hints of vanilla, dark salted caramel, and mild eggnog spice drawing you in.
Palate: The palate holds onto those flavors fairly well, while adding a touch of popped corn to the salted caramel as the vanilla becomes more of an eggnog-spiced pudding that remains very airy and light.
Finish: The end is slightly nutty with a touch of cedar as the spice and svelte vanilla slowly fade away.
Bottom Line:
Jefferson’s has expanded its line of whiskeys drastically. This wheated bourbon is one of the top expressions that you can get right now. It’s subtle yet runs deep with a varied but classic profile. The low ABVs also mean that you can enjoy this neat all day long.
16. Jeptha Creed RWB Heirloom Mash Bill Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $74
The Whiskey:
This whiskey was released for Veteran’s Day late last year. The mash is a mix of 25% Bloody Butcher corn, 25% heirloom white corn, 25% Bruce’s Blue corn, 20% malted rye, and 5% malted barley. That juice is aged for at least four years before blending, proofing, and bottling for this special once-per-year release.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with hints of wicker, old leather, apple and pear cider, and a good dose of burnt orange and old oak.
Palate: The palate has a salted caramel vibe that leads to pecan waffles with plenty of maple syrup and butter next to burnt orange tobacco leaves and a touch of holiday spices.
Finish: The end leans into those woody holiday spices with a sense of caramel candies and allspice-spiked apple cider with a hint of old apple orchard wood and bark.
Bottom Line:
This is another great example of crafty Kentucky bourbon. There’s a real distinction here and this whiskey feels fresh, new, and fun. I really dig sipping this one with a little water or ice to see what new flavor notes surface. There’s always something new lurking just beneath the surface.
15. Heaven’s Door Cask Strength “Homesick Blues” Minnesota Wheated Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 61.35%
Average Price: $79
The Whiskey:
This whiskey from Bob Dylan’s brand celebrates the singer’s home, Minnesota. The whiskey is a Minnesota bourbon made with Minnesota grains and distilled in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The massive temperature swings — up to 116F in the summer and -80F in the winter — make for a very unique aging experience. Still, this whiskey was ready after seven years of rest and bottled in a small batch as cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Creamed honey and salted caramel draw you in on the nose with a sense of prunes and dates mixed with rum raisin and brandy-soaked pears kissed with rich vanilla and freshly ground nutmeg.
Palate: That creamy vibe remains on the palate as creamy vanilla buttercream cut with equally creamy honey dances with soft sweetgrass and smudging sage next to a hint of old oak staves soaked in brandy and just touched with old cellars.
Finish: The musty old cellar vibe accents the sweetgrass and sage with rich pipe tobacco laced with marmalade and brandied pears before the lush vanilla takes back over on the very end.
Bottom Line:
Minnesota is another state to keep an eye on when it comes to great whiskey. This new-ish expression from Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door is a stellar example of the great juice coming out of the Land of a Thousand Lakes. It’s a quality sipper
14. Lux Row Four Grain Mash Bill Double Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 57.5%
Average Price: $79
The Whiskey:
This new Lux Row release is a very unique “double” single barrel. What does that mean exactly? The four-grain (corn, wheat, rye, and malted barley) whiskey was aged twice for five years at a time in two different barrels. The second barrel was then bottled with a whisper of water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark winter spices, old boot leather, and cigar humidors greet you on the nose with a sense of old vanilla pods, dark stone fruit, and a fleeting sense of freshly ground black peppercorns.
Palate: That spiciness translates to rich and creamy cinnamon frosting on the palate as vanilla sheet cake with caramel drives the sweet taste toward warming apple cider spices and nutty candy.
Finish: The cinnamon is joined by clove and allspice on the warming finish as a hint of cedar and tobacco round things out.
Bottom Line:
This is just good whiskey. It’ll shine in any application you want from poured neat to complicated cocktails, and all stops in between.
13. Henry McKenna Single Barrel Aged 10 Years Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $73
The Whiskey:
This very affordable offering from Heaven Hill is hard to beat at its price. The juice utilizes a touch of rye in the mash bill and is then aged for ten long years in a bonded rickhouse. The best barrels are chosen by hand and the whiskey is bottled with just a touch of water to bring it down to bottled-in-bond proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens slightly tannic with rich orange zest and vanilla cream next to woody winter spice, fresh mint, and wet cedar with a hint of gingerbread and burnt cherry.
Palate: The palate hits on soft vanilla white cake with a salted caramel drizzle and burnt orange zest vibe next to apple/pear tobacco leaves dipped in toffee and almond.
Finish: The end has a sour cherry sensation that leads to wintery woody spices, cedar bark, and old cellar beams with a lush vanilla pod and cherry stem finish.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the whiskeys that rang the bell of the current bourbon boom. That made it very hard to find (especially at MSRP) for a very long time. Well, that bell toll has faded and this whiskey is back on shelves for its real price. That’s great in that this is still a great bourbon that hits “classic” from top to bottom as a sipper or cocktail base.
12. Mary Dowling Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Tequila Barrels
ABV: 46.5%
Average Price: $74
The Whiskey:
This new whiskey celebrates Mary Dowling, who helped create and then save the whiskey industry in Kentucky back in the early 20th century. The whiskey in the bottle is a three-year-old bourbon from Rabbit Hole. Those barrels are batched and the whiskey is rested again, this time in reposado tequila barrels, until just right.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Floral honey and soft black licorice lean toward fresh and real root beer on the nose with a light moment of white pepper and roasted agave that’s accented by bold winter spice barks and berries with a whisper of orange rind.
Palate: That orange drives the bright palate toward a moment of smoked winter spices (smoldering barks if you will) before creamy eggnog and vanilla buttercream drive the palate back toward warming winter spice and a fleeting note of pepper.
Finish: That pepper builds towards sharp black peppercorns on the finish with sharp winter spice, a hint of buttermilk, and softly spoken notes of roasted agave attached to candied orange and vanilla paste.
Bottom Line:
This is where we really start getting into the special stuff. This is a deep and fresh whiskey that goes beyond the expected and delivers … just more. Take your time with the flavor profile and it’ll reward you with great flavor notes that build toward a crescendo on your senses. It also makes a mean whiskey sour.
11. Still Austin Cask Strength Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 59%
Average Price: $79
The Whiskey:
The folks at Still Austin have spent the last six years perfecting their grain-to-glass whiskey experience. The juice is rendered with grains from Texas and water from the ground beneath their feet, all imbued with a crafty Texas vibe in every sip. The actual whiskey is a two-year-old high-rye bourbon (25% Elbon rye grown in Texas) that’s batched to highlight the bright fruits of the new and crafty whiskey.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is really fruity. Think of a tropical, hazy IPA with clear notes of pineapple, lemon-lime, and maybe a slight hint of savory papaya next to more typical bourbon notes of vanilla, holiday spices, and caramel.
Palate: There’s a clear sense of those spices on the palate with a hint of dark chocolate leading back to all that fruit, a touch of marzipan, and a dash of vanilla cream pie.
Finish: The end warms a bit with the fruitiness waning towards a spicy, choco-tobacco end.
Bottom Line:
This whiskey blends the worlds of craft (beer and whiskey) to create something bigger. It’s a whiskey that feels classic but then goes beyond with a great fruity depth and freshens. It works so well in sours and fruity seasonal cocktails. But don’t sleep on sipping this one over some rocks either.
10. Redwood Empire Bottled In Bond Grizzly Beast Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $77
The Whiskey:
California’s Redwood Empire is made with a unique mash bill of 68% corn, 20% rye, 5% wheat, 5% malted barley, and 2% triticale. That whiskey was left to mellow for years in California before it’s small batched and proofed with pure water from the Russian River Valley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Raspberry crumble with a big dollop of vanilla buttercream mingle with spiced nut cakes, salted caramels, and orange chocolates with a hint of buttermilk biscuit.
Palate: Rich dark molasses leads the palate toward more spiced nut cake with an almond oil edge and a hint of lemon, like a good sugar cookie, before soft buttery biscuits and Graham Crackers hipped in honey arrive.
Finish: The end leans into woody spices and a hint of sweetgrass before veering back toward fresh dark fruit and nuttiness.
Bottom Line:
This is another whiskey that just delivers. Sometimes it’s as simple as that.
9. Wyoming Whiskey National Parks No. 3 Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 52.5%
Average Price: $79
The Whiskey:
This year’s Wyoming Whiskey Fall 2023 release is the third edition of the National Park series. This year Grand Teton National Park is the star of the show with a minimum five-year-old batch of bourbon aged in the plains of Wyoming as they descend from the Rockies.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Wyoming Bourbon’s signature orange creamsicle opens the nose with a sense of wet brown sugar, fresh unsalted butter, and little cups of toffee pudding before a hint of dry black tea leaves arrives.
Palate: The orange attaches to floral honey on the palate with a sense of coffee cake, Nutella, and soft vanilla pudding swimming in caramel sauce.
Finish: Pecan waffles with pancake syrup sweeten the finish before that black tea sneaks back in with a mild sense of leathery tobacco and the stick from an orange creamsicle.
Bottom Line:
Wyoming Whiskey has really dialed in their identity and these special releases are a shining example of that. The orange running through the profile is accented by fun, exciting, and iconic bourbon notes that help elevate it beyond the ordinary. Sip it slow and enjoy the ride.
8. Penelope Architect Straight Bourbon Whiskey French Oak Staves
ABV: 52%
Average Price: $77
The Whiskey:
This bourbon is all about precision blending. The MGP barrels create a four-grain whiskey that’s finished in oak staves from Tonnellerie Radoux in France. Those staves are added to the barrels to create a unique finish that’s part Kentucky and part France.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This starts fairly familiar with notes of sugar pie and vanilla cream with orange spice and a hint of dried florals that then veer into dried mushrooms and firewood bark with a bit of black dirt.
Palate: The palate circles back to the sweetness with a big pile of pecan waffles covered in vanilla/maple syrup before soft orange-infused tobacco leads back to that wet firewood and black dirt on the backend of the sip.
Finish: The very end has a touch of charred oak that’s more like singed red-wine-soaked-oak staves.
Bottom Line:
This is a great pairing bourbon for a big meal. The flavors are deep and so varied but all make sense as a whole. Pour this over some ice and serve it the next time you sit down with your crew for a feast.
7. Frank August Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $73
The Whiskey:
The first whiskey from Frank August is a sourced bourbon. The whiskey is made in Kentucky, where it’s also aged. The team at Frank August then takes roughly 10 to 15 barrels per batch and builds this bourbon painstakingly to fit their desired flavor profile. The whiskey is then lightly proofed down to 100 proof before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is pure classic bourbon with hints of salted caramel with a twinge of soft grains next to spicy cherry syrup, a whisper of sour apple, and a touch of aged oak staves soaked in mulled wine.
Palate: The palate moves on from the soft grains towards rum-soaked raisins with a warm winter spice matrix — cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice — before a brown sugar/rock candy sweetness takes over on the mid-palate.
Finish: The finish is long and sweet with a nice dose of sharp cinnamon and soft nutmeg that leads to a supple vanilla cream with a thin line of dry cedar and tobacco spice just touched with dark cherry on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is an excellent example of the amazing bourbon barrels still hiding in Kentucky barrel houses. While you can easily sip this any old time, you really want to make your favorite whiskey-forward cocktail with this one. It’ll pop as brightly as a firecracker.
6. McTavish Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $75
The Whiskey:
This brand-new whiskey brand from Graham McTavish (Outlander, House of the Dragon, etc.) is a lovely built batch of whiskey. The whiskey is made from a classic mash of 75/21/4 (corn/rye/barley) that’s left to rest for seven years. Those barrels were proofed down to bottled-in-bond standards and bottled as-is otherwise.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Caramel chocolate candies and vanilla cake with sprinkles drive the nose toward cinnamon and clove heavy nutcake, eggnog, and a soft layer of burnt orange zest.
Palate: The vanilla creates a lush buttercream on the palate as dark Black Forest Cake with spicy stewed cherry and very dark chocolate leads to more nutmeg and cinnamon with a fleeting sense of pipe tobacco and smoldering marshmallow.
Finish: The end leans into old oak and a light sense of fall orchard leaves, more stewed cherry, and creamy vanilla with a line of spiced winter bark warmth.
Bottom Line:
This is a shockingly good bourbon for a first foray from the label. It’s everything you could want from a quintessential Kentucky bourbon and more — this one goes deep. Pour it neat, take your time, and then add it to your rotation.
5. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch A124
ABV: 59.5%
Average Price: $71
The Whiskey:
2024’s first Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a unique one. The batch is made from barrels that averaged out to 10 years and nine months old, which is on the young side for these releases. Moreover, the ABVs are much lower than usual as well, coming in under 60%.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich salted caramel, apple fritters, cherry pie, winter spice, old leather tobacco pouches, and deep oakiness drive the nose with a touch of rye bread crust and nutty … I want to say granola covered in dark chocolate.
Palate: The sweetness really gets buttery on the palate with rich toffee and salted caramel ice cream next to creamy cinnamon chews, vanilla malt, dark and smooth chocolate sauce, and a counterpoint of sharp oak spices with a touch of old spicy tobacco.
Finish: That tobacco and oaky spice sharpen on the finish before the creamy caramel, vanilla, and chocolate base returns for a soft and lush end.
Bottom Line:
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a must-have for anyone looking to take bourbon seriously. It’s essential, delicious, and palate-expanding while still feeling deeply Kentuckian.
4. Knob Creek Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 12 Years
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $74
The Whiskey:
This is the classic Beam whiskey. The whiskey is left alone in the Beam warehouses in Clermont, Kentucky, for 12 long years. The barrels are chosen according to a specific taste and mingled to create this aged expression with a drop or two of that soft Kentucky limestone water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with clear notes of dark rum-soaked cherry, bitter yet creamy dark chocolate, winter spices, a twinge of a sourdough sugar doughnut, and a hint of menthol layered with smudging sage and orchard barks.
Palate: The palate leans into a red berry crumble — brown sugar, butter, and spice — with a hint of dried chili flake, salted caramels covered in dark chocolate, and a spicy/sweet note that leads toward a wet cattail stem and soft brandied cherries dipped in silky dark chocolate sauce.
Finish: The end holds onto that sweetness and layers in a final note of pecan shells and maple candy before leaning into a creamy vanilla cream spiked with tobacco and stewed prunes, dates, and figs.
Bottom Line:
This is the Knob Creek to buy. It’s a fantastic sipper, an amazing example of Kentucky bourbon, and one of the best whiskeys to make simple whiskey-forward cocktails with out there. The best part is that you can generally get this at this price at most places where good liquor is sold.
3. Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Bottled-In-Bond Double Oaked Bourbon Whiskey Toasted Series
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $79
The Whiskey:
This starts with Starlight’s high-corn bourbons that are four to six years old. Once batched, the whiskey is refilled into new toasted oak from France for an additional six to eight months.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a sense of soft apricot leather next to dark fruit layered with dry spice barks and berries, toasted oakiness, and fluttering moments of woody tobacco imbued with red chili pepper spice.
Palate: A clear dry cedar kindling vibe leads to creamy eggnog, plenty of moist winter spice cakes, and black tea cut with creamed honey on the palate.
Finish: The dark fruit darkens on the finish as dry kindling, sweet oak, and rich chewing tobacco dance with dates, figs, and plums with a distinct almond shell nutty/woody feel that ends on a warm hug of a fireplace on a cold fall day next to a fallow orchard.
Bottom Line:
This is a phenomenal example of the craft whiskey coming out of Indiana right now. It’s deep, delicious, and delivers far beyond any standard bottle of bourbon. It’ll be a little harder to come by but worth the effort once you nose and taste it.
2. Pursuit United Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Toasted American and French Oak
ABV: 54%
Average Price: $74
The Whiskey:
This release from the Bourbon Pursuit team is a blend of four to six-year-old bourbons. The three bourbons involved are a Finger Lakes whiskey (70/20/10 corn/rye/malted barley), an MGP bourbon (60/36/4 corn/rye/malted barley), and an undisclosed Tennessee whiskey (80/10/10 corn/rye/malted barley). Those whiskeys were finished in both American and French toasted oak barrels before batching and bottling with a touch of Kentucky water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark chocolate nut clusters (pecan and walnut heavy) mixed with burnt orange, a hint of mulled wine, and rum-raising with an echo of fresh cedar on the nose.
Palate: The palate has a sense of Nutella over scones with a Cherry Coke on the side while singed cedar and cherry bark mingle with clove-studded oranges and a hint of freshly cracked black pepper.
Finish: The end has a nice spicy warmth and a touch more of that singed wood next to spicy cherry tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is a great sipper. Get some. You’re sure to savor it!
1. Jack Daniel’s 10 Years Old Tennessee Whiskey
ABV: 48.5%
Average Price: $73
The Whiskey:
This age statement released from Jack Daniel’s is a throwback to a bygone era in Tennessee Whiskey. The whiskey is aged for at least 10 years before batching. During that time, the barrels spend time in the “Buzzard’s Roost” at the top of the rickhouse. Once they hit the right flavor profile, those barrels are moved to the bottom floors of other warehouses to slow the aging down. Finally, the whiskey is batched, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with a rich matrix of cherry syrup, apple cores, sticky toffee, vanilla ice cream, and a bold line of wet and sweet oak with a mild earthiness.
Palate: The palate opens up towards the dark fruit but dries it out and marries it to a woody and spicy tobacco leaf alongside toasted cedar soaked in salted caramel paired with dry corn husks that are just singed.
Finish: The finish really takes its time as the cherry attaches to an old cinnamon stick and the tobacco takes on a sticky chewiness with an almost smoked oak woodiness.
Bottom Line:
Normally, this whiskey would be on a much pricier list. But this whiskey is about to hit shelves and you will be able to find it for MSRP this year. That makes this the best whiskey at this price point kind of by far. This is one of the best bottles of Jack Daniel’s released in the modern era. Buy a case if you can.