10 Best Wheated Bourbons Under $100 Reviewed (2023)
Last Updated on November 5, 2023 by Lydia Martin
There are many great wheated bourbons on the market, but finding the best ones can be challenging, especially if you’re working with a tight budget.
Here are the best wheated bourbons under $100, all of which offer excellent value for the price. Read on.
Top 10 Wheated Bourbons Under $100
10. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Average Price: $34.99 (Drizly)
ABV: 56.6%
Why We Liked It:
Aside from its remarkable hand-dipped red wax seal, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength is known to be one of the best wheated bourbons under $100.
A typical Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey consists of at least 51% corn [1], rye, and malted barley on its mash bill. However, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength uses traditional corn, malted barley, and red winter wheat.
Replacing rye with wheat on its mash bill as a flavoring grain produces a much sweeter taste and less spiciness.
It makes Maker’s Mark Cask Strength surprisingly smooth with rich spice, oak, vanilla, and caramel flavor notes.
9. 1792 Sweet Wheat
Average Price: $65.99 (Drizly)
ABV: 45.6%
Why We Liked It:
1792 bourbon was crafted with wheat instead of the traditional rye as secondary grain for a softer, subtle, and smooth taste.
Each sip has a perfect balance of sweetness and dryness, thanks to its flavoring grain.
The secondary grain gives sweet flavors to the aging bourbon, and the caramel and vanilla notes compliment the hints of the charred oak barrel.
It does not have an age statement, but 1792 Kentucky bourbon is a budget spirit with good quality.
8. WL Weller Special Reserve
Average Price: $61.59 (Drizly)
ABV: 45%
Why We Liked It:
WL Weller Special Reserve is a Kentucky bourbon you can substitute for Pappy Van Winkle. It has an exceptionally smooth taste, and softer flavor notes that you cannot find on rye bourbon.
WL Weller is a pride of Buffalo Trace distillery, and it has notable and impressive tasting notes.
It features a sweet honeysuckle flair, notes of butterscotch, honey, and soft woodiness, all at an affordable price.
7. Jefferson’s Ocean Wheated
Average Price: $89.99 (Drizly)
ABV: 45%
Why We Liked It:
The aging process of the spirit starts and finishes inside a rickhouse of a distillery but not with Jefferson’s Ocean Wheated.
For Jefferson’s Ocean Wheated and other bourbon bottles, the whiskey is aged at a distillery for a few years on the land. After that, it will spend several months at sea, exposed to heat, cold, and salt air inside the barrels [2].
On the nose, it has pleasing notes of sea spray, sweet tobacco, and crème brûlée. It has a soft caramel profile, light brown sugar, and a hint of espresso and cinnamon with a long and smooth finish.
6. Wyoming Whiskey
Average Price: $43.99 (Drizly)
ABV: 44%
Why We Liked It:
Wyoming whiskey is a grain-to-bottle spirit with a mash bill recipe that consists of corn, wheat, and malted barley. The grains used for the wheat whiskey are locally sourced in Wyoming, so it guarantees high-quality grains from start to finish.
Steve Nally is the first master distiller of the brand (former employee at Maker’s Mark) so using his expertise in creating spirit, Wyoming whiskey is surely a crowd pleaser.
On the palate, it has rich baking spices, vanilla, cinnamon, and dark chocolate palate. It is light and smooth whiskey with dark amber color from aging in oak barrels.
5. Larceny Barrel Proof
Average Price: $28.99 (Drizly)
ABV: 46%
Why We Liked It:
Larceny Barrel Proof is a brand extension of Heaven Hill distillery made from a blend of selected barrels to honor John E. Fitzgerald.
Way back in 1870, John E. Fitzgerald used his privilege of being a bonded treasury agent and stole the best barrels from a distillery for himself.
Larceny Barrel Proof is uncut and straight from the barrel, and while it does not bear an age statement, the wheated bourbon is bottled at 92 proof.
It has a rich molasses taste and coats the tongue with notes of hazelnut and fig. It has a sweet aroma and lingerie warmth and finishes.
4. Larceny Small Batch
Average Price: $87.99 (Drizly)
ABV: 61.9%
Why We Liked It:
Larceny Small Batch has slight variations with Barrel Proof aside from its relatively high cask strength. Larceny Small Batch wheated bourbon is made with 25% wheat for a smoothness that is hard to resist.
A bottle of Larceny from Heaven Hill has a rich aroma of spice, fresh bread, and toffee.
On the palate, it has buttery caramel, rich mouthfeel, and honeyed notes. It has a gently sweet, savory, and long finish you can compare with Old Fitzgerald.
3. Garrison Brothers Small Batch
Average Price: $85.79 (Drizly)
ABV: 47%
Why We Liked It:
Garrison Brothers bourbon is another budget whiskey you can include on your wheated bourbon cheat sheet.
For less than $100, you can taste the floral verbena, cinnamon, honey, and solid profile of the spirit. It has a long and complex finish with oak undertones from oak barrels.
2. Maker’s Mark Bourbon Whiskey
Average Price: $31.99 (Drizly)
ABV: 45%
Why We Liked It:
When it comes to wheated bourbon, you can never go wrong with Maker’s Mark.
It is a bottle of bourbon that will not blow your ears off because it is never sharp or bitter. The soft red winter wheat makes the spirit full of flavor and easy to drink.
1. Redemption Wheated Bourbon
Average Price: $45.99 (Drizly)
ABV: 48%
Why We Liked It:
Out of all the wheated bourbon whiskeys above, Redemption bourbon has the highest percentage of secondary grain on its mash bill.
Corn is the primary grain, while wheat (45%) is the second grain of Redemption. It creates a mellow and smoother profile with hints of hazelnut, pecan, and pear.
FAQs
What wheated bourbon under $100 is good for beginners?
Redemption Wheated Bourbon is the wheated bourbon under $100 that’s good for beginners. Its 45% wheat content brings a sweeter and softer to the palate, making it a good entry point for those new to this type of bourbon.
Are wheated bourbons under $100 cheap?
Yes, wheated bourbons under $100 are cheap. While there are expensive bourbons like Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond, there are cheap single barrel and bottled in bond bourbons that do not sacrifice the taste of the spirit.
Final Thoughts
The best wheated bourbon under $100 is Maker’s Mark. Aside from being a beginner-friendly spirit, the classic spirit has an easy-going profile with incredible smooth tasting notes and finish.
From single barrel to bottled-in-bond bourbon whiskeys, wheated bourbons under $100 are good value for money. There’s no need to spend above $100 for an Old Fitzgerald or Pappy Van for a good-tasting spirit. Try a bottle now!
Reference:
- https://www.cnbc.com/2015/06/04/5-rules-that-make-it-bourbon.html
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/hunteratkins/2014/12/05/jeffersons-bourbon-concocting-three-new-products/
