The phrase “cheap bourbon” doesn’t quite mean what it used to. Before the category’s 21st-century boom — and probably during the first few years of the boom itself — it was a put-down that always connoted a lack of quality. But today, this is no longer the case. There are some absolute bangers that typically retail for $30 and under, and when there are bourbons out there going for thousands of dollars, “cheap” is relative, anyway.
Low-cost, high-quality bourbons get plenty of love from enthusiasts and the bartending community alike. It’s a subcategory stuffed with tried-and-true labels and buzzy emerging brands, but there are some splendid bottles that fly under the radar — and this collection of underrated gems is thrilling to explore on its own merit. To help with such brown spirit spelunking, we asked 16 bartenders to share their thoughts on the most underrated cheap bourbons on the market. Here’s what they had to say.
The most underrated cheap bourbon, according to bartenders: Old Forester 86 Proof Jim Beam Black Label Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond J.W. Dant Bottled in Bond Kentucky Bourbon Elijah Craig Small Batch Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond Wild Turkey 101 Russell’s 10 Year Buffalo Trace Old Grand Dad 114 Proof Old Forester 100 Proof Signature Basil Hayden Four Roses Small Batch
“Old Forester 86 Proof delivers everything that a $20 bourbon can, and has done so since before Prohibition. The mash bill contains 18 percent rye and 10 percent malted barley to flesh out
