American whiskey is built different than its international counterparts. Not only do bourbon and rye age in unused oak and lean heavily on corn and rye as opposed to malted barley, but they’re also available at relatively affordable prices—especially when compared to single malt whiskies coming out of Scotland and Japan.
Finding the best cheap whiskey in the States isn’t some shameful act. Quite the contrary—it’s a point of pride. True, demand for top shelf stuff is soaring towards the stratosphere. In fact, data from the Distilled Spirits Council of the U.S. shows that revenues of high-end premium labels are up 137% over the past five years. Despite this trend, or maybe even because of it, there remains a consensus among whiskey cognoscenti that if you’re paying more than $50 for a bottle of bourbon, you’re doing it wrong.
We collected the best cheap whiskey on shelves today for the 2023 Men's Journal Spirits Awards. Whether you’re craving bourbon, rye, single barrel, small batch, or cask strength selections, you’ll find something to slake your thirst in the list of 15 expressions below. But our top pick, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon demonstrates outsized oomph and complexity at an ideal price.
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Related: Best Rye Whiskeys to Drink in 2023
Why You Should Trust Me
I’ve been a whiskey writer for over a decade, writing columns for magazines, websites, and newspapers across the globe. I’m also a judge for some of the most prominent spirits competitions on the planet. In any given year, I’ll sample upwards of 500 expressions of barrel-aged spirits. I’ve spent plenty of personal time with each and every one of the liquids featured on this list.
What We Look for When Choosing the Best Cheap Whiskey
There's a lot of brown liquor out there. To make the cut for our list of the best cheap whiskey, bottles had to be full of flavor, easy to enjoy on their own or in classic cocktail form, and they had to offer an undeniable value—namely, a price point below $50. Luckily, whiskeys at that cost tend to be widely available and versatile for any occasion.
Best Overall Cheap Whiskey: Buffalo Trace
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The eponymous product of the most revered distillery in all of American whiskey, this everyday offering is often overlooked. After all, Buffalo Trace's older brothers include Pappy Van Winkle, George T. Stagg, and Eagle Rare—some of the most sought after spirits on shelves today. But sleep on this flagship offering at your own peril. It’s creamy, full of caramel and toffee, and punches way above its sub-$30-per-bottle weight class.
Best Cheap Rye Whiskey: Old Overholt Bonded Rye
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Old Overholt Bonded Rye is a bottled-in-bond variation on the classic Old Overholt offering. That means the whiskey ages for a minimum of 4 years and is bottled at an exacting 100-proof. It is the platonic ideal of the category. Sturdy, slightly minty, fresh-baked bread with a touch of savory spice in the fade. The best cheap rye for a Manhattan, without exception.
Best Cheap American Whiskey: Michter’s US*1 American Whiskey
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Michter’s US*1 American Whiskey, a citrus-forward sipper, can’t be considered a bourbon because it ages in barrels that were previously use to age bourbon. By definition, bourbon must be aged in unused barrels. But just because it isn’t labeled as such doesn’t mean it’s lesser than. Complimenting orange zest on the palate is a cornucopia of confectioner’s delight. You might even be able to nose some hints of sticky toffee pudding.
Related: The 15 Best Scotch Whiskies of 2023
More Cheap Whiskeys We Love
Most Affordable Cheap Whiskey: Old Forester 86 Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon
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It’s hard to go wrong with any option from the Old Forester lineup. If you’re buying entirely based around price, however, then the 86 Proof is the one for you. It’s smooth-yet-sturdy, with a pinch of pepper and licorice tingling the back palate. And it’s rarely seen at above $25 a bottle.
Most Unique Cheap Whiskey: Maker’s Mark No. 46
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The addition of virgin French oak staves, inserted directly into the finishing barrel, gives birth to a unique style of bourbon. Maker's Mark No. 46 is rich in vanilla and caramel, as you’d suspect from the category, but there’s also a dry and tangy berry fruit element dialing up the complexity of each sip.
Best Spicy Cheap Whiskey: Larceny Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey
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Slightly spicy—with heavy nods to cinnamon in the nose and palate—this dependable 92-proof sipper is always accessible. Larceny Small Batch is distilled using a small portion of wheat, in addition to corn and barley, and so it offers a rounded, honeyed sweetness as a result. Those same tones make it play particularly well in an Old Fashioned preparation.
Best Cheap American Single-Malt Whiskey: Stranahan’s Blue Peak
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The only American single malt to make the list, Blue Peak delivers a toasty menagerie of butterscotch and molasses. And it does so at an entirely reasonable price—typically around $41 per bottle. It’s more on the subtle side with its flavor however, due to its use of lighter charred oak in the maturation process. At 86-proof, it goes down incredibly easy.
Best Cheap Blended American Whiskey: Fraser & Thompson Whiskey
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Fraser & Thompson blended North American whiskey contains mature stock from both sides of the border: Canadian grain spirit from Cirka distillery in Montreal and bourbon from Heaven Hill. As a result, it boasts a unique flavor profile reminiscent of dried figs and over-ripened orange.
Best Cheap Craft Whiskey: Wilderness Trail Single Barrel Rye
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The makers of this Kentucky-based craft delight are yeast specialists. And so they’ve dialed in fermentation to broaden the flavor profiles you’d expect from a typical rye. Wilderness Trail Single Barrel Rye benefits from a bouquet of fresh cut spring flowers, and suggests of matcha tea to tickle to the tongue.
Most Balanced Cheap Whiskey: Woodinville Straight Rye
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This Washington State standout, Woodinville Straight Rye, is all about balance. The drier, spicier hallmarks of the category, namely caraway and clover, are countered by the arrival of fresh stone fruit towards the back palate. A joy to drink neat.
Best Fruity Cheap Whiskey: WhistlePig PiggyBack Single Barrel Alfa Romeo F1 Bottle
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PiggyBack Single Barrel Alfa Romeo is a juicy dram if there ever was one. This rye is filled with fruit for good reason: it was finished using real lychee—along with Oolong tea, which rounds out the sweet with a parting whisper of herbaceousness. The barrels it aged in were actually tested in an F1 wind tunnel, before being subjected to varying levels of “G-Force” during the finishing process. Is that rare breed of cross-promotional whiskey that doesn’t suck.
Most Overachieving Cheap Whiskey: Jack Daniels Single Barrel Select
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Th 94-proof knockout Single Barrel Select from the legendary Lynchburg, Tennessee producer outperforms its flagship Old No. 7 offering by leaps and bounds. There’s so much caramel and banana bread-laden complexity to consider here. Long after the whiskey goes down, a comforting trace of molasses stays with you.
Best Cheap Whiskey for Bartenders: Wild Turkey 101 Kentucky Straight Bourbon
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The industry icon is a perennial favorite amongst bartenders, and it’s easy to understand why. Wild Turkey 101 is brimming with baking spice in the nose. It’s assertive with caramel in the sip. And it forms the perfect backbone for just about any dependable bourbon cocktail.
Most Exciting Cheap Whiskey: Frey Ranch Straight Bourbon
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Frey Ranch distills its exciting array of American whiskies using ingredients sourced exclusively from its own farm in Fallon, Nevada. There are incredible gems in the portfolio, most of which are touch too pricey to feature here. But the flagship Straight Bourbon is an obvious inclusion for under $50 a bottle. There’s a nice peach-and-mint element to its brilliant bouquet. And so, so much toffee on the tongue.
Best Cheap Whiskey Slightly Over $50: Blinking Owl Wheated Bourbon
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This “wheater” out of Orange County, California—of all places—sits just over that $50 threshold. But we’re willing to make an exception on account of its unabashed awesomeness. Smoky threads of vanilla on the nose give way to cocoa nibs and Heath bar crunch in the finish. As the future of the distillery is currently in question, you ought to secure some of this liquid while you still can.
Related: 10 Best Bourbons to Drink in 2023
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