Ranking Kentucky’s best distillery is damn difficult, but what if we limited it to just one bottle?
Practically every distillery out there has a plethora of great offerings that could be considered “most representative” of what they do. Whether that bottle nails the “house style” of said distillery, is their most iconic offering, or is simply the best juice they’re putting out, there are a lot of ways to judge each one’s overall output. How about this simple test: What’s the best bourbon under $40?
While it may seem arbitrary, the $40 price point is a scope broad enough to include some of the Bluegrass State’s newer distilleries who aren’t yet able to take advantage of the economies of scale to put out a <$20 product, yet narrow enough that there are very few well-aged, premium products sneaking into the category. In short, it’s perfect for rounding up and ranking the best of the best.
Now for the parameters: The brand must be currently distilling in Kentucky, and 100% of the bottle in question must be composed of that distillate. Next, the bottle must be less than $40 on the shelf to qualify as a “budget bottle”, which we already touched on. Finally, it has to be the distillery’s absolute best bottle that fits the criteria. Sounds fair?
Let’s dive in and rank Kentucky’s distilleries by their best budget-friendly bottle of bourbon.
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- We Put Buffalo Trace’s Best Bourbons To A Six-Flight Blind Taste Test Against Its Biggest Competitors
- The Best Full-Flavored Bourbons Under 100-Proof, Power Ranked
- Ranking The 20 Sweetest Bourbons We’ve Ever Tasted
- Breaking Down The 24 Bottles That Every Bourbon Fan Needs In Their Collection
15. Lux Row Distillery: Ezra Brooks 99 Proof Port Cask Finished Bourbon
ABV: 49.5%
Average Price: $30
The Whiskey:
Ezra Brooks is one of the more established names in bourbon, with a history that traces back to its founding in 1957. In 2024, however, this port-finished bourbon represents the newest lineup extension for the respected brand.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Aroma notes of candy cane, rich cherries, warm vanilla, and wood chips greet the nose at first before accents of tobacco leaf and clove enter the fray.
Palate: The ripe cherry note rushes in at first with nectarines and bananas, chocolate chips, and vanilla, painting the palate with a lush layer of sweetness. This whiskey has a lot of grip on the palate, punching well above its weight proof-wise and delivering a sipping experience more in line with whiskey in the 110 range.
Finish: The finish is lingering, marked by vanilla, oak, and milk chocolate. At the very end, this whiskey reintroduces the cherry note found early in each sip. This is surprisingly tasty stuff.
Bottom Line:
Ezra Brooks’ entire brand portfolio is full of incredible value bourbons, capable of delivering outstanding quality for a wallet-friendly price. This brand-new expression delivers the most flavor of the bunch thanks to its artful deployment of delicious Port wine casks, which help to drive even more depth into the distillery’s already rock-solid base bourbon.
14. Four Roses: Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $30
The Whiskey:
Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon blends four of the brand’s recipes: OBSK, OESK, OBSO, and OESO, to create one product. The whiskeys are aged for six to seven years before being blended, cut with soft Kentucky water, and bottled.
The Whiskey:
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Four Roses Small Batch bourbon opens with a nice, inviting wave of honey, torched orange peel, and apricots, before revealing a hint of black pepper spice. There are some slightly sour notes, with red berries featuring prominently in this regard, and some clove and nutmeg in the mix as well.
Palate: Once on the palate, this whiskey is all red berries (think ripe raspberries), and salted caramel. On a second sip, there’s a bit of red apple flavor to go with faint citrus tones, a splash of dilute honey, and youthful oak. Some sweetgrass notes, allspice, and sage start creeping in as it transitions to the finish.
Finish: The finish on this whiskey is fairly succinct, but it features a balanced, dialed-down display of the bourbon’s most prominent notes. That means reserved honey, apple chips, and allspice are the last partygoers on your palate.
Bottom Line:
Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon is a damn good pour that does a great job of exemplifying both the quality of the distillery’s base liquid, and the blending prowess of their team, led by Master Distiller Brent Elliott. While I tend to spring for the brand’s single-barrel expression, which sits just a few singles above our $40 limit, when it comes to the budget-friendly options in their portfolio, this is undoubtedly the one you need.
13. Wilderness Trail Distillery: Wilderness Trail Single Barrel Wheated Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $35
The Whiskey:
Wilderness Trail Distillery is one of the newer outfits on this list, but they’re already keeping pace with the big boys thanks to their tremendous head start. Founders Shane Baker and Dr. Pat Heist initially gained experience in the industry as “yeast guys,” troubleshooting problems for much larger distilleries before deciding to venture out on their own. When it was initially launched, this wheated bourbon was the first bottled-in-bond wheated sweet mash bourbon released since the end of Prohibition.
Notably, this is one of the few “lower-proof” bourbons that isn’t chill-filtered, which preserves a bit of flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dried raspberries and black pepper kick things off on the nose, with oak and leather encroaching as you inhale more deeply. There are also intriguing additional layers of cream cheese, allspice, and lemon zest uncovered after swirling the glass with some bubblegum lurking underneath.
Palate: Black pepper and bubblegum hit the palate at first before rich oak tones make their presence known, along with a tasty semi-tart dose of the dried raspberries from the nose. The liquid itself has some elbows, pricking various parts of your tongue with a punctuation of flavor and a grainy, honeycomb-like texture.
Finish: On the finish, this whiskey introduces butterscotch and vanilla custard before the black pepper notes seize control and coast into the sunset after a moderate length.
Bottom Line:
Wilderness Trail is one of those unique distilleries where there isn’t really a consensus around what their best bourbon is. Their first expression to market, this Wheated Bourbon, is a prime candidate, but its rye-recipe bourbon is equally flavorful, with a touch more bite. Ultimately, it comes down to personal preference.
Electing this one as the distillery’s best budget-bottle makes sense, though, given the fact that wheated bourbons are a bit rarer, and thus it offers better insight into what sets the brand apart: They care a lot about production practices. It’s evident every step of the way, and the “clean” mouthfeel of this sweet mash wheated bourbon is the proof in the pudding.
12. Maker’s Mark: Maker’s Mark Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $30
The Whiskey:
Maker’s Mark features an iconic bottle design, the same one they’ve been utilizing since their founding in 1953, and a mash bill that’s been used for just as long. This wheated bourbon is one of the best-selling whiskeys in the entire world, making it a ubiquitous sight on liquor store shelves.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, you’ll find a bit of corn pudding, vanilla extract, and indistinct red berry aromas wafting out of the glass. There’s also a bit of graham cracker sweetness and white pepper.
Palate: On the palate, Maker’s Mark greets the tongue with a bunch of honeyed graham cracker notes that soon make way for vanilla pod and cornbread. A second sip morphs the vanilla pod into a custard note, complete with caramelized sugar and some red berry compote.
Finish: The finish of Maker’s Mark features some mellow spice and more red berry compote, as those natural sugars fuse with vanilla notes to quickly dissipate from the palate.
Bottom Line:
Despite its modest proof point, Maker’s Mark has a ton of sweet flavors, meaning you won’t blow out your palate or scare off bourbon novices if you decide to sip this one neat. It’s ubiquitous on liquor store shelves and should be a staple on your bar cart, especially if you aim to offer guests a smooth bourbon they can enjoy at their leisure.
11. Woodford Reserve: Woodford Reserve Bourbon
ABV: 43.2%
Average Price: $40
The Whiskey:
Woodford Reserve Bourbon is frequently cited as one of the best bourbons for beginners for two main reasons: it’s bottled at a relatively low proof and has an assortment of rich, balanced, and crowd-pleasing flavors. Woodford Reserve is owned by Brown-Forman, which also includes Jack Daniel’s and Old Forester in its portfolio.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Plums, rich oak, and sticky toffee notes are immediately evident on the nose of this whiskey, and the aroma of vanilla pods, clove, and cinnamon bark joins them.
Palate: The palate of this whiskey introduces the toffee note from the nose right off the bat, and that’s joined by a surprising yet welcome splash of citrus to go with the additional flavors of vanilla, mellow oak, and gentle black pepper spice. The mouthfeel is lean, but rather than contrasting with the richness of the flavors, it helps to make them more pronounced while maintaining the whiskey’s general agreeable smoothness.
Finish: The finish is brief but marked by more vanilla and sweet oak, with a final kiss of sticky toffee and candied walnuts.
Bottom Line:
Woodford Reserve deserves all the praise it receives for being a fantastic beginner bourbon, but it’s also so much more. Sure, its proof point might make bourbon snobs turn up their noses. However, there’s absolutely no denying that this whiskey still manages to pack a ton of sweet, oak-driven flavor, free from any jagged edges, making it one of the best, easy-sipping whiskeys of any category on the market.
10. Bardstown Bourbon Company: Bardstown Origin Series Bourbon
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $37
The Whiskey:
Bardstown Bourbon Company launched its Origins Series in 2023, and since then, it’s been a total hit for whiskey enthusiasts looking for full-flavored, polished expressions at a reasonable price. This expression in particular uses a 36% high-rye mashbill and is bottled at 96 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Stone fruits, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and butterscotch chews are the most readily apparent aroma notes on the nose of this whiskey. It has an almost dusty quality, like the aroma of a library or well-aged leather, which adds depth.
Palate: On the palate, I’m getting the flavors of dried raspberries and butterscotch chews right off the bat. At midpalate, I’m picking up some mineral water as it opens up to reveal its rich texture. There’s a clean delineation between flavors, with the sweetness sitting at the tip of the tongue while hints of oregano and some gentle baking spice are evident on the back of the palate.
Finish: The moderate finish has a bit of earthiness with hints of peppermint and rye spice to remind you that this is a high-rye bourbon, after all.
Bottom Line:
The Bardstown Origin Series lineup has so many bangers, it’s easy to hone in on your favorite and forget the rest. While my personal favorite is the High Wheat Bourbon, revisiting this low-proof bombshell, I find myself blown away by the incredible balance of flavors. It has a significant spice kick, courtesy of its high-rye content, which allows it to “drink above its proof.”
Point-blank: This is a delicious whiskey with the familiar “bite” that many bourbon enthusiasts love.
9. Bulleit Distilling Company: Bulleit Bottled In Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $40
The Whiskey:
Bulleit’s brand-new bottled-in-bond bourbon really hits the sweet spot for fans of the brand who love their classic flavor profile but would love a little extra flavor even more. What makes this one so special is the fact that it’s comprised entirely of Bulleit’s own distillate — a first for the brand.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with floral notes accompanied by black currants, fresh hazelnuts, juicy clementines, caramel, and nutmeg.
Palate: On the first sip, it’s clear that this whiskey has a really clean mouthfeel, with distinct notes of fresh hazelnuts, sweet, gooey caramel, and fresh red apples coating the tongue at first. It has very well-defined albeit limited layers of flavor, and it’s very tasty; you’ll want to take repeat sips.
Finish: The finish is medium length, surprisingly, but relatively mild, with black pepper and seasoned oak joining red apples before sage emerges as it fades off.
Bottom Line:
Bulleit has made a resounding splash in each of the last two years, first with the return of its celebrated 12-year rye and now with a bottled-in-bond line expansion that is entirely comprised of its own distillate. This new expression deserves praise as it strikes a nice balance of flavors and indicates a ton of promise for future tasty offerings.
8. New Riff Distillery: New Riff Bottled In Bond Straight Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $39
The Whiskey:
New Riff Distillery, located in Newport, Kentucky, which is situated about an hour and a half north of Louisville, has been releasing some incredible and incredibly inventive bourbons since its founding back in 2014. Now, with over a decade under its belt, they’ve expanded into age-stated and experimental products. Still, the best of their budget bottles remains the bourbon that started it all: This high-quality Bottled in Bond offering.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on New Riff’s flagship bourbon is surprisingly “clean,” which is to say there’s a clear delineation among the aromas, and they all smell fresh. We’re talking about ripe apples, organic honey, peppercorns, juicy orange notes, and just a smidge of woodchips. It’s all well-balanced, restrained, but pleasantly fragrant.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey delivers on all of the promise of the nose. That means that it’s full of honey-roasted peanuts, orange rind, peppercorns, and youthful woodsy notes. It also has a strong presence of nutmeg, apple chips, and faint caramel. Similar to the nose, each of the layers of flavor is clearly defined, which makes it easy to appreciate each of them on their own merits.
Finish: The finish is fairly short, but it features more black pepper and caramel notes, with a fresh infusion of ripe apricots and cloves.
Bottom Line:
New Riff’s flagship bourbon is the perfect example of what the brand does. Delicious, sweet mash bourbon is their calling card as-is, using the bottled-in-bond standard for their core releases. The sum of those parts makes for an excellent entry-level bourbon that proves New Riff, despite an initial splash in the industry, might still be underrated ten years in. Don’t overlook this outstanding everyday option.
7. Buffalo Trace: Benchmark Full Proof
ABV: 62.5%
Average Price: $27
The Whiskey:
Benchmark Full Proof was first released last year and is now the premier expression in the Benchmark lineup. Always bottled at 125 proof, it is the highest ABV offering from the Benchmark brand.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of cinnamon Red Hots, peanut shells, caramel, and oak. It’s a pretty straightforward medley of flavors, but despite that knock, they all work well together and come across boldly on the nose.
Palate: On the palate is where the brashness of those flavors really runs wild as it drinks a bit hot and is marred, rather than aided by, the simplicity of its flavor wheel. You get peanuts, cinnamon, caramel, oak, and…nothing else. That said, the flavors are fairly well-developed, and because of their distinctiveness and the clear delineation between each note, they’re easy to appreciate one by one.
Finish: The finish is flush with black pepper, more oak, and charred green pepper skin. It’s medium-length, which is a plus if you appreciate its brashness but a distraction if that boldness is overwhelming.
Bottom Line:
When it was first launched, many Buffalo Trace fans posited Benchmark Full Proof as a sort of “Stagg Jr., Jr.” The hope was that it would present similar flavors in a much easier-to-find and affordably priced expression. How’d that turn out? Well, it would be an oversimplification to call it such, but it contains a few flavor notes that make Stagg so beloved. As long as you temper your expectations and are in the market for a bold, uncomplicated bourbon, there’s plenty here to enjoy at a killer price.
6. Heaven Hill: Evan Williams Bottled In Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $20
The Whiskey:
Evan Williams Bottled in Bond is often named as one of, if not the best, bourbon under $20. Aged for at least four years, per the Bottled in Bond regulations, this 100-proof bourbon is almost as readily found around the country as Evan Williams ‘black label.”
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes open with honey, lemon zest, and a distinct peanut note on this bourbon. From there, the periphery aromas are faint — a touch of brown butter, apricots, and cumin, but otherwise nondescript.
Palate: In the mouth, those initial three notes make the most substantial impression, along with a piquant texture that slightly prickles the tongue and adds a bit of pop to the citrus flavors in the liquid. One thing I love about this whiskey is how well-balanced its flavors are, with none of them overpowering the others.
Finish: On the finish, you’ll find some black pepper spice and youthful oak that curtail the peanut and lemon zest flavors. The finish is short to medium, providing just enough room to make a satisfying impression on the palate before encouraging repeat sips.
Bottom Line:
Two things need to be said upfront: One, this might be the dollar-for-dollar best bourbon on the list, and two, Heaven Hill probably has the most excellent budget bottles of any distillery in Kentucky. I went with this one because Evan Williams’ Bottled in Bond Expression is a masterclass in delivering a high-quality, no-frills, wallet-friendly bourbon.
At 100-proof, it can stand tall in cocktails, bringing an abundance of flavor to classics like an Old-Fashioned, but it has just enough depth to perform well on its own, making for a delicious, cost-friendly, everyday sipper.
5. Old Forester: Old Forester 100-Proof Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $37
The Whiskey:
Old Forester’s Signature 100 Proof Bourbon takes the brand’s flagship 86-proof offering and significantly kicks up the flavor. This bourbon is made with a grain recipe of 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Old Forester 100 Proof greets the nose with a slightly medicinal cherry note that sets the stage for a layer of complementing aromas like caramel, barrel char, hazelnut spread, and moderate oak.
Palate: The medicinal cherry note from the nose of this whiskey shows up in a big way on the palate, streaking across the tongue and laying a foundation for accenting notes like oak, black pepper spice, and toasted almonds to blossom. The texture in the mouth is fairly robust and slick, which rewards repeat sips as the liquid begins to coat your palate.
Finish: The finish features black cherry and caramel notes and hangs on for a medium length, making this a great sipping whiskey for enjoying neat.
Bottom Line:
Old Forester 100 Proof is perfect because it’s robust enough to stand up to your palate, thanks to its backbone of black cherry and sweet oak notes, while being sufficiently spice-laden to hold its own in mixed drinks. The price is right, but the high-quality sweetness that comes with this affordable cost is what makes it a real hero of the bottom shelf.
4. Michter’s Distillery: Michter’s US*1 Bourbon
ABV: 45.7%
Average Price: $35
The Whiskey:
Michter’s was recently voted the World’s Most Admired Whiskey Distillery and its flagship bourbon is the most readily available example of why. For this expression and the rest of its whiskey lineup, Michter’s uses a proprietary filtration process to optimize the flavor coming from its barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Michter’s US*1 Bourbon has a dense aroma bouquet that immediately appears well-refined. Notes like honeysuckle, brown sugar, raisins, and youthful oak fill the air, with each well-developed layer greeting the olfactory senses warmly.
Palate: On the palate, what’s immediately remarkable about this bourbon is the texture, as it gently coats your tongue with moderate warmth, and before you know it, the taste of brown sugar, raisins, and walnuts is suddenly everywhere on your tongue. That deceptively viscous texture works well here and is a credit to Michter’s proprietary filtration process and their atypical proof-point.
Finish: The finish here is brief, with brown sugar and cinnamon coexisting harmoniously alongside new oak and clove, making for a gentle send-off after every sip.
Bottom Line:
It never ceases to amaze me how flavorful Michter’s whiskey is, even at a relatively lower proof. Michter’s US*1 Bourbon perfectly threads the needle of being sweet and well-rounded. Free from any harsher elements, your palate will take to this whiskey like a fish in the water as those enchanting, mellow notes wash over your tongue and coat your mouth with a remarkable range of flavors that make this one of the best values in the bourbon world.
3. Willett Distillery: Old Bardstown Bottled In Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $20
The Whiskey:
Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond Bourbon is one of those IYKYK expressions from the Willett Distillery. It is sold exclusively in Kentucky on the bottom shelf of liquor stores. This bottled-in-bond offering is not to be confused with the 101-proof small-batch variant available nationwide.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: It begins with a really round butterscotch note with some intriguing menthol and tobacco leaf aromas that make you dig deeper in the glass to uncover additional layers of Brooks cherries, pecans, and vanilla extract.
Palate: Old Bardstown Bottled in Bond Bourbon is dense and full-bodied on the palate despite the proof, and it opens with sticky toffee and Brooks cherries while a touch of the menthol from the nose streaks up the middle of the tongue and introduces some dark chocolate at midpalate.
Finish: The moderate finish sees the blossoming of dark chocolate flavor with some fresh hazelnuts, caramel, and white pepper notes rounding things off.
Bottom Line:
This one is a bit of a dark horse in the race, but Willett’s most unassuming bottle packs a real wallop with a substantive mouthfeel and a dark, rich flavor profile that will have you double-checking your receipt to be sure you didn’t steal this bottle at roughly $20 USD. Rest assured, your receipt is correct; hell, all is right with this sweet, fruit-forward bourbon in your glass.
2. Jim Beam: Jim Beam 7-Year Black Label Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $40
The Whiskey:
The new and improved Jim Beam Black Label is the result of tireless tinkering from Master Distillers Fred and Freddie Noe. New for 2024, the long-standing Jim Beam expression now has an age statement and a slightly altered flavor profile designed to optimize the distillery’s 7-year-old bourbon profile.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Peanut brittle, bubble gum, and caramel are all featured prominently on the nose of Jim Beam’s 7-Year Black Label on the first pass. A second sniff introduces accenting notes of orange rind and leather.
Palate: The dense, substantial texture hits at first before a clash of peanut brittle, butter, and hazelnuts dances across the palate. There are notes of lemon zest and honey that take root on the roof of the mouth before the flavor of barrel char and black pepper usher in the transition to the finish.
Finish: Nutmeg and honey roasted peanuts show force on the finish along with some chocolate truffle dust as it warms the entire mouth and hangs around for an impressively long time.
Bottom Line:
Jim Beam Black Label boasts the perfect blend of sweetness, spice, flavor, and wallet-friendly price to be a game-changer for your whiskey collection. The recent reemergence of an age statement on this bottle is enough of a reason to welcome it into your collection, but that number on the front required a lot of fine-tuning on the back end by Fred and Freddie Noe, a task they’ve admirably knocked out of the park.
1. Wild Turkey: Russell’s Reserve 10 Year Bourbon
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $38
The Whiskey:
Russell’s Reserve’s 10-Year Bourbon was initially released in 2001 as an age-stated, 101-proof expression. In 2005, much to the chagrin of Wild Turkey fans, the ABV was brought down to its current level, making this a 90-proof expression.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Russell’s Reserve 10-Year-Old Bourbon contains varying vanillas, from ice cream to vanilla extract. There are also pastry notes and the aroma of brioche buns, along with a touch of salted caramel, warm oak, and fresh nutmeg.
Palate: The palate on Russell’s Reserve 10-Year Bourbon is distinctly earthy at first, with toasted walnuts, apple leather, and mature oak leading the charge. As you chew the bourbon, you’ll notice that those notes grow in prominence with the oak and walnut flavors outpacing the restrained fruitiness, and baking spices like clove and cinnamon become more pronounced. The mouthfeel is middle of the road, which serves well to carry all of those earthy flavors without being overly slick and distracting from them.
Finish: The finish is marked by more vanilla tones, think vanilla pod more so than vanilla extract, and there’s more hazelnut flavor to be discovered alongside oak and red apple skin. It’s a medium-length finish that works well because it fades before that mature oak begins to dry out the back of your palate.
Bottom Line:
Wild Turkey is absolutely crushing it with affordable bourbon right now, as they have the classic 101-proof, a brand-new 8-year alternative to that classic, and this criminally underrated 10-year Russell’s Reserve Bourbon all floating around, or well under, the $40 mark. Simply put, it’s impossible to go wrong with well-priced Wild Turkey whiskey, but if you want to get the best feel for what the Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, powerhouse is doing right, look no further than Russell’s Reserve 10-Year Bourbon.