The Best Bourbons Under $75

Written by Brian Donnelly, CSS, WSET III

July 26, 2021

The Rules

My primary criteria was the following:

1. Does this product have a unique flavor, or is it muted or generic?

2. Does this product deliver a depth of complexity with its flavor?

3. Finally, what kind of finish and length does this product have?

As I have mentioned in my previous articles, the number one deciding factor for me is value. Which expressions are delivering tremendous value far above their asking price? In this tasting, as in my three previous tastings, I set a few rules.

• No Allocated Items

• No Rye or Tennessee Whiskey, Only Bourbon

• No Wine Cask Finishing (Eg. Sherry, Port, Madeira, etc.)

• No Limited Releases, Store Pick Single Barrels, or Distillery Exclusives

Overview

I selected fourteen Bourbons to represent this price range. In my four previous tastings, I focused on $10 price ranges. Still, for this tasting, I included four Bourbons over $60 because I noticed there wasn’t a vast selection of “every day” available Bourbons above $60. The Bourbon category shines between $50 and $60, and there was a massive jump in flavor and complexity from the previous price range. Throughout this series, I have sampled 71 different Bourbons in five different price segments. This segment was hands down the most difficult because there were so many incredible options from many great brands. I knew going into this tasting that finding a clear winner(s) would be a challenge, so I asked two of my distributor co-workers, with years of experience in the spirits industry, to judge the options. Not only did they make the tasting a lot more fun and engaging, but their veteran insight was essential in determining the top picks.

All three of us interdependently chose the same category winner, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, which should be a clear sign of just how great this product is. We also almost all chose Old Forester Statesman as the runner up pick, except for the fact that I couldn’t make up my mind, which Bourbon I liked more, Old Forester Statesman or Baker’s 7-year-old Single Barrel. I just called it a draw because they’re both fantastic bourbons and worth the asking price. The only difference came in our “Connoisseur’s Pick.” I have always judged these tastings based on what I thought would appeal to the average whiskey drinker. For the Connoisseur’s Pick, I wanted an expression that appealed to the experienced Bourbon drinker. Someone knowledgeable about their Bourbon would understand production differences and genuinely appreciate the subtle nuances in flavor and complexity. I am very appreciative of their participation, and I’ll include their picks at the end. I want to make a couple of comments about some of the products I sampled before diving in-depth into my top picks.

I included Blanton’s Single Barrel in my tasting just for reference, and it was not factored into the top three picks. As any casual Bourbon drinker already knows, Blanton’s can be tough to find depending on which market you live in. I will concede that Blanton’s is a delicious product, but I wanted to compare it with some of the other options, which are not allocated and available every day.

The Old Forester 1920 and 1910 are fantastic products that deliver a lot of value for around $55 - $60. The Old Forester 1920 does not drink like 115 proof (57.5% ABV) and has a big and bold flavor profile. I would have liked to see a longer finish on this one, though. The Old Forester 1910 uses two heavily charred barrels and delivers a robust wood-forward flavor profile. There’s still enough finesse here to make this an excellent option for the experienced Bourbon drinker.

I am a massive fan of the Smooth Ambler Contradiction, a blend of their in-house wheated Bourbon and a sourced high-rye Bourbon. The Big Level is their first expression of this entirely in-house wheated product. I hate to say it, but this expression is a disappointment and not worth the money. I’ve always been critical of expensive wheated Bourbons because I believe they do not gain considerable complexity with more extended aging without the small rye grain.

I enjoy everything from Rabbit Hole, especially their rye and barrel-aged gin, but unfortunately, neither of their Bourbon expressions are worth the high price. I am very confident that there is nothing but upside to this brand, and their expressions will continue to evolve and improve as the aging whiskey gains maturity. The Basil Hayden 10 year-old, bottled at only 80 proof, is proofed too low and has a watery mouthfeel. It is not worth the money.

I love the premise behind the Jefferson’s Ocean series, and the primary Ocean expression (I sampled Voyage 17) is a tasty Bourbon, but still, somewhat one dimensional and not worth $70. Garrison Brother’s is a wheated Bourbon from Texas’ first legal distillery. The Small Batch expression is highly drinkable, with rich tobacco and leather flavors, but at $70+ it is not worth the price. Finally, I included Kentucky Owl Confiscated in this tasting because I had a bottle on hand, even though it is $100+. This expression was perhaps the biggest disappointment of any Bourbon in this range. I did not enjoy drinking the Confiscated, and it would be hard-pressed to compete with Bourbons at half it’s price point.

Book & Product Recommendations

For recommendations on Spirit and Cocktail books, products, and accessories please visit The Spirits Educator store! Thank you!

The Ultimate Connoisseur’s Bourbon

Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel, Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

This brand is named for the legendary father and son duo, Jimmy and Eddie Russell, who both work side by side as current Master Distillers at Wild Turkey. This expression is matured in new White American Oak, which have received a deep #4 “alligator char,” before being bottled from a single barrel which was handpicked by the master distiller. This expression show cases the unique personality that single barrel Bourbon exhibits, and is non-chill filtered.

Parent Company: Campari Group, Milan Italy

Mash Bill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley

Proof: 110 (55% ABV)

Retail Price: $54 (750 ml)

For more information about the history of Russell’s Reserve, click here.

Support The Spirits Educator

If you would like to support the content here, please click the button below to buy me a cocktail or neat pour through PayPal. You can also use Venmo @thespiritseducator.

Thank you for your support!

Tasted and Reviewed in December of 2020

Affiliate Disclosure

The links for product recommendations in this post are affiliate links. At zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase. This helps support this channel so that I can continue to bring you new content.