Last Updated on April 12, 2024 by Lydia Martin
Not every enthusiast can burn $200 for a bottle of bourbon. They could be a collector, someone looking for a special gift to a whiskey connoisseur, or a person with enough cash to burn.
No matter the reasons, our in-depth research will make sure you get your money’s worth with our list of best bourbon under $200.
Top 15 Bourbons Under $200 (Must Try)
1. Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon
Blanton’s Single Barrel is the first commercial single barrel bourbon released in 1984. Towards the retirement of Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee, he decided to create one last product honoring one of the distillery’s earliest leaders, Colonel Albert Blanton [1].
At 93 proof, this whiskey went through six to eight years of aging processes and had a suggested retail price of about $60. After sitting in a glass, you can smell pleasant vanilla aromas with light traces of baking spices. The first sip is a solid combination of brown sugar, rye spice, and charred oak, with a subtle heat towards the finish.
2. Buffalo Trace Kosher
This whiskey went through the meticulous approval of the Chicago Rabbinical Council, ensuring that it had no prior contact with any non-Kosher spirits. The suggested price for this whiskey is around $40, and it uses the same wheat recipe bourbon as Pappy Van Winkle.
Despite that, its tasting notes are more similar to Weller Antique 107. It has a pleasant smell of summer fruits and soft vanilla, with a creamy palate featuring layered flavors of mild cinnamon and summer wildflowers. You can taste a slight bitterness towards the end due to its 47% ABV.
3. Elijah Craig Single Barrel 18 Year
Elijah Craig features the best bourbon under $200 with a premium quality craft and high age statement. For three years, the San Francisco World Spirits Competition awarded Double Gold Medals to this bourbon’s complex but smooth flavors. It is available for around $130 to $150 at local stores with 45% ABV.
The bottle here has a warm but incredibly strong smell of toasted oak and chocolate notes. It has a medium-bodied palate with contrasting nuts, vanilla, and caramel flavors. The heavy oak eventually overtakes other flavors towards a lingering finish.
4. Heaven’s Door 10 Year Old Redbreast Master Blenders’ Edition
Bob Dylan is not only one of the greatest singer-songwriters of this generation; he is also a founder of this bourbon line. He worked closely with master blenders Ryan Perry and Billy Leighton to create this full-bodied bourbon with 100-proof alcohol and a suggested price of around $100.
It started with ten-year-old Straight Bourbon and finished in casks previously used for Spanish sherry. It has a light aroma but a heavy palate. This whiskey has a vibrant sweetness of honey and other fruity flavors like pineapple, mango, orange, and banana.
5. Joseph A. Magnus Cigar Blend Bourbon
This bourbon is a product of a highly respected whiskey consultant, Nancy Fraley. Its initial price is approximately $175 with 50.35% ABV. The company’s ultimate goal in crafting Joseph A. Magnus Cigar Blend is a bourbon that perfectly pairs up with a cigar, like Sherry, Cognac, and Armagnac.
It is a combination of eleven and eighteen-year-old whiskeys, and it finishes in Armagnac casks before bottling. There are dark fruit notes, tobacco, and nuttiness in the nose. At the same time, the whiskey’s palate opens with cinnamon, toffee, and nutmeg flavors wrapped with old leather hints and a little spice.
6. Kentucky Owl Confiscated Bourbon
C.M. Dedman founded this brand in 1879. But before the start of the Prohibition Era, the government confiscated the barrels in Kentucky Owl’s warehouse, ending the business in 1916 [2]. Eventually, his great-great-grandson, Dixon Dedman, relaunched the brand in 2014.
This 48.2% ABV whiskey, which ranges from $125 to $135, has the smell of burnt oak, caramel, and leather. However, the palate is a delightful balance of sweet and dry flavors. It eventually builds up to light bitterness and ends the shot with spiciness and dryness in the throat.
7. Knob Creek 15 Year Bourbon Whiskey
Knob Creek 15 Year bourbon, from the same Kentucky distillery as Jim Beam, has an aging process similar to Scotch Whisky. It has 50% ABV, which is a little strong, and a starting price of around $100. This Knob Creek expression is arguably the company’s best whiskey with the smoothest texture.
The heavy smell of dried cherries, nuts, char, and vanilla emerges from the bottle. These flavors are more prominent on the palate but with more earthy and rusty hints. It has a long finish with dark fruits and spice, which is appealing for Scotch Whisky lovers.
8. Larceny Barrel Proof
Launched in January 2020, Larceny Barrel Proof is the cheapest and most affordable among our list of best bourbon under $200, priced at around $50. Heaven Hill distillery produced this whiskey with other remarkable brands like Old Fitzgerald, Elijah Craig, and Evan Williams.
The first release of 2022 is the A122, which has a strong nose with noticeable heat. The palate is bolder and stronger with peppery elements and spice, almost masking the caramel and chocolate flavors.
9. Michter’s 10 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Michter’s 10-Year Straight Bourbon Whiskey is available at an average $150 retail price for a 47.2% ABV bottle. This American whiskey is one of the best bourbons with a high age profile.
It has a strong smell of alcohol but with subtle fruity aromas like mango, candied orange, and tart cherry. The palate has more spice than sweet flavors, and it is a little hot for those with sensitive taste buds. However, you can cut through the alcohol with a few drops of water.
Read:
- Our Top Bourbons Under $30
- Our Top Bourbons For Father’s Day
- Our Top Bourbons For the Money
- Our Top Bourbons Under $50
- Our Top Bourbons Under $100
10. Saint Cloud Kentucky Straight Bourbon 7 Year
Saint Cloud is a new player in the whiskey industry founded by Ray Walker, a seasoned winemaker in Burgundy, France. This bourbon is barreled-proof at 122 alcohol and transferred into bottles without filtration.
This drink, priced at around $150, is best enjoyed neat, or you can mix it up with your favorite cocktails. The nose has a rich blend of caramel, oak, and spices. Its high alcohol content is more evident in the palate with dried fruit and candied orange notes.
11. Weller Antique 107 Bourbon
Weller Antique 107 gained immense popularity after being associated with the renowned Pappy Van Winkle. The Buffalo Trace Distillery processed both of these wheated bourbons with the same mash bill, but Weller bourbon varieties are more affordable at around $50.
William Larue Weller introduced wheat whisky into the world in 1849, resulting in smoother whiskey with a well-balanced sweet and spicy tone. The smell is a sweet combination of caramel and vanilla with seasoned oak hints in the background. You can taste the 53.5% ABV towards the end with a dry taste of cinnamon.
12. Wild Turkey Master’s Keep 17 Year
This 17 Year, bottled-in-bond bourbon is the oldest release of Wild Turkey Distillery in the American market [3]. Master Distiller Eddie Russell handpicked a variety of barrels from different warehouses to create a smooth yet complex bourbon with refined taste.
The barrels from brick warehouses drive in the dominating wood smell and taste. At the same time, the barrels from wood warehouses maintained their sweet vanilla and caramel notes despite their age.
Wild Turkey Master’s Keep, priced at approximately $150, is more expensive than Wild Turkey Rare Breed with only around $55. It has a pleasant creaminess to the taste buds with 86.8 proof.
13. Woodford Reserve Master’s Collection Oat Grain
Every release of Master’s Collection from Woodford Reserve is a unique new blend that many fans look forward to. In 2018, the company released the Master’s Collection Oat Grain with modified mash bills of 66% corn, 18% oats, 12% malt, and 4% rye.
The additional oat gives honey flavors, dry fruit character, and cinnamon hints to the drink. It has a syrupy texture and builds up towards a smoky and warming finish.
Oat Grain is one of the best bourbons with innovative ingredients available for about $100 to $130 with 90.4 proof.
Read: Top Bourbons Under $20
14. 2021 Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch
Four Roses bourbon only uses four recipes for this limited-edition whiskey, available for around $150. It combines both mash bills with a slight spice, floral essence, and delicate fruit yeast strains. The barrels went through an aging period from twelve to sixteen years before bottling the bourbon at 57.2% ABV.
The nose is a mix of ripe berries, rich vanilla, and subtle hints of dry mint. There is a strong heat in the palate that will make you want to dilute the drink with a little ice. It has a delicate black pepper spice and nutmeg taste in the middle, leading to a warm finish of dark chocolate.
15. 291 Colorado Barrel Proof Single Barrel Bourbon
Michael Myers, a New York fashion photographer, established 291 Colorado in September 2011. Since then, the company started releasing whiskey products that have earned numerous awards in different spirits competitions.
One of their best whiskeys is a Barrel Proof Single Barrel bourbon, with a price range of $100 to $110. This cask-strength bourbon has 64% ABV that gives a solid punch in every shot. It has a smooth texture with caramel corn and maple syrup sweetness.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the smoothest bourbon under $200?
The smoothest tasting bourbon whiskey under $200 is Knob Creek 15 Year. It is widely available at around $100. However, other brands also offer a smooth bourbon whiskey like the most famous Jack Daniel’s and the rarest Van Winkle.
Are bourbons under $200 considered expensive?
No, bourbons under $200 are not expensive if you pay for top-shelf and premium quality products. Additionally, most bourbons in this range have a high age statement, leading to a higher price.
What is the best bourbon to drink?
Determining the “best” bourbon is subjective and depends on personal preferences.
Popular choices among bourbon enthusiasts include well-known brands like Pappy Van Winkle, Buffalo Trace, and Woodford Reserve.
However, the best bourbon for you may vary based on your taste preferences, whether you enjoy a sweeter or spicier profile.
What is a nice sipping bourbon?
A nice sipping bourbon is typically one that offers a smooth and complex flavor profile, allowing you to enjoy it neat or with just a few drops of water or ice.
Brands such as Blanton’s, Basil Hayden’s, and Maker’s Mark are often praised for their sipping qualities due to their balanced sweetness, rich texture, and pleasant finish.
Is Jim Beam cheap bourbon?
Jim Beam is often considered an affordable bourbon rather than a “cheap” one. It is a well-known brand that offers a range of products, including the standard Jim Beam White Label and more premium options like Jim Beam Black Label.
While it may be more budget-friendly than some top-shelf bourbons, it still maintains a respectable quality and is enjoyed by many.
Is bourbon smoother than scotch?
The smoothness of bourbon versus scotch depends on individual taste preferences. Generally, bourbon is known for its sweeter and smoother profile, attributed to the use of new charred oak barrels in the aging process.
Scotch, on the other hand, may have a smokier or peatier flavor, contributing to a different overall experience.
Preference for smoothness varies, making it subjective to the drinker.
What is the world’s number one bourbon?
Determining the world’s number one bourbon can be challenging due to changing preferences and subjective opinions. Brands like Buffalo Trace, Maker’s Mark, and Woodford Reserve often receive acclaim, but the title of the “number one” bourbon can shift based on personal taste and industry trends.
It’s recommended to explore different options to find the bourbon that best suits your palate.
Does Jack Daniels qualify as bourbon?
No, Jack Daniels does not qualify as bourbon.
While it shares many characteristics with bourbon, such as being a whiskey distilled from corn, Jack Daniels is specifically categorized as Tennessee whiskey. The key distinction lies in the additional step known as the Lincoln County Process, where the whiskey is filtered through sugar maple charcoal before aging.
This process imparts a unique flavor profile to Jack Daniels, differentiating it from traditional bourbons.
Is Whisky or bourbon better?
The preference between whisky and bourbon is subjective and depends on individual taste. Whisky is a broad category that includes various styles, such as Scotch, Irish, and bourbon.
Bourbon, a type of American whiskey, is known for its sweeter and smoother profile due to the specific production regulations.
Whether one is “better” than the other is a matter of personal preference, as some may prefer the smokiness of Scotch or the sweetness of bourbon.
Is it OK to drink bourbon every day?
Drinking bourbon or any alcoholic beverage daily should be approached with caution.
While moderate alcohol consumption may have certain health benefits, excessive and daily consumption can lead to various health issues, including liver damage, addiction, and other negative effects.
It’s crucial to adhere to recommended guidelines for alcohol intake and consult with a healthcare professional if there are concerns about daily consumption.
What is the smoothest sweetest bourbon?
The smoothest and sweetest bourbon is subjective, as individual taste preferences vary.
Some bourbons known for their smooth and sweet characteristics include Blanton’s, Basil Hayden’s, and Maker’s Mark.
These bourbons often exhibit a balanced sweetness, rich texture, and a gentle finish, making them favorites among those who enjoy a smoother and sweeter flavor profile.
What is a real smooth bourbon?
Several bourbons are recognized for their smoothness, which often results from a combination of quality ingredients, distillation methods, and aging processes.
Brands like Pappy Van Winkle, W.L. Weller, and Eagle Rare are frequently praised for their smooth and velvety texture, along with a well-balanced flavor profile.
Exploring different bourbons and finding one that aligns with your taste preferences is the best way to discover your definition of a “real smooth” bourbon.
Final Thoughts: Best Bourbon Under $200
Our list of best bourbon under $200 has several limited-edition releases that are hard to acquire. However, if you are lucky and friendly enough to find them at local liquor stores, don’t hesitate to grab a bottle, as it only comes once in a lifetime.
The bourbon whiskey bottles sold at secondary markets or online stores have ridiculously marked-up prices. That’s why it is important to know the suggested prices of these special products.
References:
- 15 Things You Need to Know About Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon
- Kentucky Owl® Brings Heritage to Life with Confiscated — Bourbon Honoring C.M. Dedman’s Prohibition-Era Seized Barrels
