10 Best Bourbon Under $50 for 2025 (That You Can Actually Buy)

Nicole Austin hasn't rested on her laurels since George Dickel Bottled in Bond won Whisky of the Year in 2019... The nose is nutty and well-spiced, with caramel corn, toasted pecans, cinnamon graham crackers, cherry tart, and butterscotch candies. There is a friendliness to the palate that makes it ideal for outdoor imbibing, with notes of spearmint, mixed berries, nougat, and honey. Big spice on the finish makes this a memorable sip.

This Tennessee bourbon's packaging has an old-school look and name... but in reality it's rather new, first brought to market in 2014. Despite its lack of pedigree, at 6 years old this is lip-smacking whiskey, with a color of caramel, and an alluring aroma of sweet baking spices. There are bold, bracing tannins of cigar box and menthol that balance out the heavy sweetness of orange jam and long-stewed fruit. Intense, tasty, no-nonsense bourbon.

This big, sweet, warming bourbon strikes all the right chords. Sizzling sweet corn meets generous oak, like dusty old books, but the bright peach nectar, wet walnuts, and vibrant spice beam through in abundance. Unctuous and concentrated on the palate, it evokes cinnamon-dusted peach pie, with hints of clove and pepper on the finish. A solid and seamless whiskey, with fruit, floral, oak, and spice in perfect harmony.

In 2018, Heaven Hill discontinued its 6 year old bottled in bond bourbon... but now has roared back with this widely available 7 year old... It's explosive, bold, and buttery, with warm flavors of honey-roasted peanuts, caramel, chocolate, corn muffins, licorice, and cinnamon, all accented by notes of savory herbs, cloves, white pepper, tobacco, and an earthy undertone. Well-integrated big oak, sweetness, and spice combine to create grace, power, and length. This is pure bourbon bliss, at a very approachable price.

Candied cherries and oranges on the nose, along with a note of fresh blueberry and a blast of cinnamon. Smooth on the front palate, with flavors of cinnamon gum, cooked dark berries, old leather, and dunnage warehouse floor. Water brings out chocolate and vanilla, as well as dark fruits and white pepper. A lengthy finish offers savory herbs, bitter chocolate, fresh coffee beans, and roasted walnuts. Great texture and well-balanced throughout.

This new version of Black label... has orange marmalade, lemon grove, and raisin bread sweetness on the nose, tempered by oak tannins. The palate offers balanced spice and nuttiness, and vanilla-chocolate ice cream draped in warm fudge. Chocolate notes keep coming, along with a light pecan nuttiness. The texture is rounded and smooth, with an agreeable lightness that doesn't sacrifice structure or depth. A long, pleasant finish of orange and vanilla, balanced by earthy notes of leather and black pepper.

The first Kentucky Owl release under master blender John Rhea, this bourbon drops the high proof and price point typically associated with Kentucky Owl for something more approachable—a blend of bourbons ranging from 4 to 8 years old. Green apple candies, cinnamon stick, buttered popcorn, and sage on the nose. Ginger spice and sweet bubble gum notes intertwine on a creamy palate along withblackberry tart and cocoa powder. Candied raspberries on the finish are matched with a sustained spice that lingers.

Made with nearly 50% wheat. The nose is all butterscotch, caramel, and vanilla, creating a sweet core for layers of cherry cola, Earl Grey tea, and citrus candies to rest. The palate is dense with sweet desserts, berry compote, chocolate-covered raisins, and a balancing cayenne spice. The finish is long and spicy and the high proof allows the flavors, especially the pepper spice, to pleasantly linger.

Buttered bread, brown sugar, pecan pie, lemon juice, nutmeg, marzipan, and fresh pound cake highlight a warm and inviting nose. There's a pleasant nuttiness on the palate, along with root beer spices, cocoa powder, cherry pie, and cinnamon hot chocolate all delivered on a creamy texture. Vanilla bean, baking spice, dried herbs, and cherry syrup punctuate the lengthy finish. Sweet dessert flavors paired with earthy and warming spices make this a winner.

Light bronze color. Thick, mature aromas, with notes of subtle spice (vanilla, mint), toffee, light molasses and leather. Adding a little water revealing notes of teaberry, anise, and dark candied fruit. Pleasantly sweet at first in flavor, with notes of brown sugar and spice (vanilla, mint), becoming dry with enveloping flavors of oak and leather. With a little water, more subtle flavors are revealed, including toffee, dark fruit, and anise. The whisky finishes long and dry with significant depth. This is a big exciting bourbon... The price is right too...

Gentle aromas of dried herbs, cherry, banana, and well-integrated oak on the nose, lead to a bold palate of honeyed peanuts, brown sugar, dark chocolate, and melted caramel, all accented by peppery spice. Even with its heft and pleasant mature notes, this is still a fresh, vibrant whiskey. It's also one with lots of character, offering a host of flavors that marry well.

The mouthwatering peanut aromas evoke memories of cracking open a school lunchbox while the palate delivers abundant fruit: orange marmalade and caramel apple. Fine bitter-sweet balance suggests burnt sugar, Mexican chocolate, chocolate-covered almonds, and toffee. Indeed, sweet nuts, like French burnt peanuts, candied pralines, and marron glacé, seem to be the common thread here, lending this a consistent chord from initial nose through the drying, pleasantly spiced finish.