When you hit the $100 mark in bourbon whiskey, you kind of hit a weird in-between zone for the style. There are still great small batch bourbons, bottled-in-bonds, and even younger whiskeys mingling with bourbons that reach over 10 years old, come from tiny craft operations/bottlers, and/or have super unique barrel finishes. It’s a mixed bag that only just starts to scrape against the true high-end bourbon whiskey on the shelf (or behind the glass at the liquor store).
And because of that chaotic landscape, it’s easy to get completely lost when you’re looking at bourbons for just under $100.
To help you find some semblance of light at the end of the tunnel with bourbons at this price point, I’m going to call out 20 bourbon whiskeys that are actually worth giving a shot. What’s interesting is that 16 of these whiskeys are made by non-distilling producers or blender-bottlers. These folks are the mad scientists/magicians working with barrels that are either contract distilled or sourced from a distillery before a blending team finishes and blends those barrels into special (sometimes one-off) whiskeys that are unlike any other. Generally speaking, those are the whiskeys that really shine at this particular price point. This is where you find the real whiskey nerds tinkering with new ideas, new flavor profiles, and whiskeys.
The 20 bourbon whiskeys listed below are all winners in their own way. So read through the tasting notes, find what sparks your curiosity, and click on those price links to see if you can find the bottle near you. Though be warned, these prices are set for delivery (Total Wine and ReserveBar mostly) in Kentucky or distillery bottle shops. Local prices and availability may vary.
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20. Kings County Distillery Bottled-In-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $96
The Whiskey:
This crafty whiskey from New York is a grain-to-glass bourbon experience. The mash bill on this one eschews rye and wheat for 80% locally grown corn supported by 20% malted barley from England. The juice is then aged for four years in small 15-gallon barrels and treated according to the law and bottled in Kings County’s signature hip flask bottles.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This draws you in with a strawberry shortcake with a cornmeal base, topped with fresh berries, buttery vanilla whipped cream, and then dipped in a caramel sauce.
Palate: The palate veers away from all of that and touches on bitter black coffee syrup with brown sugar and butter notes next to oatcakes and vanilla sauce with a hint of spice lingering in the background.
Finish: The end is long and full of chocolate malts, leather, and more of that creamy and buttery vanilla whipped cream.
Bottom Line:
This is a quintessential craft bourbon. There’s a deep layer of sweet graininess that leans into fresh fruit and classic bourbon vanilla and spice notes. Overall, that makes this the perfect whiskey for someone looking for something local, tasty, and more on the crafty side of things.
19. Redemption Aged 9 Years Barrel Proof Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: Varies
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This sourced whiskey from Indiana (MGP) is one of the best examples of how a unique shingle can make whiskey shine. Redemption’s team painstakingly searches the warehouses for just the right barrels to meet their taste requirements. In this case, that was a nine-year-old single barrel of bourbon with a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose really gives you a sense of oily vanilla pods with touches of wildflower honey, rich and buttery toffee, and a hint of dark roasted espresso beans.
Palate: The palate holds onto those notes as the vanilla and honey both become creamy while adding a slight black pepper spiciness with a hint of salty smoked bacon fat lurking far in the background.
Finish: The end is medium-length and touches back on that vanilla, toffee, pepper, and bitterness on the fade.
Bottom Line:
This is a testament to how iconic MGP’s 75/21/4 mash bill bourbon is. This whiskey rules at this age. This a great food pairing whiskey as well, especially if you’re roasting some protein and root veg or smoking some meats/fish in the backyard.
18. Bib & Tucker Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 12 Years
ABV: 49.5%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
Bib & Tucker’s barrel picks are always worth chasing down. The whiskey is a Tennessee bourbon (some say it must be Dickel) aged for 12 long years in very lightly charred oak. The whiskey then goes into the bottle after being proofed down (ever so slightly) to 99 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Expect a fairly classic bourbon nose of creamy vanilla, salted caramel apples, and a hint of soft cedar.
Palate: The palate should touch on dark orange oils next to bright red cherry, with a vanilla pudding base and a subtle dose of dark spice leading towards salted dark chocolate.
Finish: The end is quite quick and leaves you with salted dark chocolate, orange, and a hint more of salted caramel.
Bottom Line:
This is where Bib & Tucker truly shines brightest. This is an excellently formed whiskey with a classic depth. It’s satisfying and engaging with the smoothest of edges. If you’re looking for a modern classic bourbon from Tennessee, this is the bottle for you.
17. Widow Jane Aged 10 Years Blend Of Straight Bourbons
ABV: 45.5%
Average Price: $90
The Whiskey:
This is sourced from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee bourbons (though that’s likely to change since Heaven Hill bought the brand). The hand-selected barrels are sent to New York where they’re blended in small batches of no more than five barrels, proofed with New York limestone mine water, and bottled. What you’re paying for here is the exactness of a whiskey blender finding great barrels and knowing how to marry them to make something bigger and better.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a raw pancake batter note on the nose next to mulled red wine with plenty of spice and orange next to a vanilla pudding and light mint waxiness.
Palate: The taste has a mix of marzipan next to dark chocolate and real, almost woody maple syrup.
Finish: The finish adds some cherry to that dark chocolate and layers in woody birch water on the end.
Bottom Line:
This is a great example of blending and the power of unique finishing water. Everything comes together nicely in this whiskey’s build to create a bold yet approachable pour. This is a no-brainer buy if you’re looking for an excellent blend of the Ohio Valley and New York in one bottle.
16. Horse Soldier Reserve Barrel Strength Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 60.25%
Average Price: $98
The Whiskey:
The bourbon in this bottle was contract distilled in Ohio at Middlewest (but it’s now being made in Kentucky). The whiskey is a wheated bourbon that spent eight years mellowing before bottling. Each barrel was hand-picked before being married into a barrel strength expression that’s bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a mild crafty, sweet grain nose that opens toward a pile of freshly chopped firewood, lemon pepper, creamy vanilla-laced honey, winter spices, and Kiwi boot soap.
Palate: The palate has a hint of caramel malts next to Vanilla Coke, a buttery and spiced apple pie with plenty of brown sugar, and a hint of ginger next to some orange blossoms in the background.
Finish: The end is solid with a spicy warmth next to more of that dry firewood and a smidge of sweet oatmeal cookies.
Bottom Line:
This is a great, familiar craft bourbon with a kick. There’s a slight craft edge that gives way to classic bourbon notes, creating a wonderful balance of the old and new vibes. This whiskey also supports veterans in getting the medical care and assistance they need once they return home.
15. Joseph Magnus Murray Hill Club Bourbon Whiskey, A Blend
ABV: 51.5%
Average Price: $90
The Whiskey:
This is a masterfully sourced whiskey. The whiskey is a mix of 18 and 11-year-old bourbon with a nine-year-old light whiskey (a high-proof whiskey aged in lightly toasted, uncharred barrels). That blend is then just touched with water before bottling without any fussing.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a rich sense of buttery toffee on the nose with plenty of cinnamon/nutmeg/allspice next to a hint of savory fig and some vanilla cream.
Palate: The palate merges the spices into a lush eggnog vibe as hints of old cedar planks mix with a black peppercorn sharpness.
Finish: The end mixes the spices into a buttery cookie with hints of singed cinnamon bark, old pine, and soft vanilla tobacco leaves.
Bottom Line:
This hits those bourbon classic notes with boldness and clarity. It’s one of those whiskeys that are just good from top to bottom. It also makes a mean bourbon cocktail.
14. Lucky Seven “The Hold Up” 12-Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This whiskey was founded by cinephiles who also happen to be bourbon lovers — the “Lucky Seven” moniker is a nod to Warner Bros.’s iconic Sound Stage 7. The bourbon in this bottle is a blend of sourced 12-year-old barrels from Kentucky. Those barrels are hand-selected by the Lucky Seven team to create their perfect bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dried apricots and prunes lead to a date-rich cake with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg next to an echo of caramel corn with a flake of salt.
Palate: The taste starts off sweet with a cotton candy depth that then turns toward old cedar planks, worn leather, and a hint of savory herbs like thyme and sage.
Finish: The mid-palate pops with Red Hots as the caramel corn makes a comeback before the finish dives into a plummy tobacco chewiness and buzz.
Bottom Line:
There’s a lovely deep fruitiness with a dry herbal vibe that gives way to more classic bourbon tones. It’s a nice balance of bold and unique with familiar and ideal. If you’re attending a movie night with friends, this is the bottle to bring along.
13. American Highway Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This whiskey from country music legend Brad Paisley actually crisscrossed the country with the star. The whiskey in the bottles is largely from Bardstown Bourbon Company, with four whiskeys aged three to 15 years with both low and high rye bourbons in the mix. The team at Bardstown worked closely with Paisley — a whiskey nerd himself — to select, blend, and finish the bourbon according to Paisley’s palate. After a 7,314-mile trip across America, the barrels were vatted, proofed, and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a lightness at first whiff that gives way to a soft apricot jam on a buttered Southern biscuit next to a hint of cinnamon-spiked caramel and apple cider-soaked oak staves.
Palate: The palate really does burst forth with firework pops of old leather, toffee candies, Red Hots, peanut brittle, nougat, milk chocolate, and vanilla pipe tobacco.
Finish: The mid-palate sweetness fades as the pipe tobacco takes on a little warmth and spice while brioche, black pepper, and braided dry cedar bark round out the finish.
Bottom Line:
This whiskey feels like it’s heavy with gimmicks. But once you taste it, all that goes away. This whiskey delivers. You can feel the care and love that went into the blend. If you’re a fan of Paisley or the great work coming out of Bardstown Bourbon Company right now, then this is a must-buy. If you’re just a fan of damn good whiskey, then this is a must-buy too.
12. Barrell Bourbon New Year 2023
ABV: 56.77%
Average Price: $92
The Whiskey:
Barrell’s New Year Bourbon is one of the most beloved releases of the year. This year’s batch is made from a grouping of five, six, seven, eight, and 10-year-old straight bourbon whiskeys distilled in Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Wyoming, New York, Texas, and Maryland. Those whiskeys were batched in Kentucky and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is a classic bourbon on the nose with deep flavors of buttered buttermilk biscuits, salted caramel, singed marshmallow, Almond Joy, cherry cream soda, and a touch of Nutella and maple syrup.
Palate: The palate leans into cherry root beer with a hint of vanilla cream soda next to eggnog spices and creaminess, old dried roses in older leatherbound books, and a whisper of red peppercorn cracked over some sweet pipe tobacco.
Finish: The end has a candied chili pepper vibe next to burnt orange, marzipan, and creamy dark chocolate with a hint of walnut and cherry saltwater taffy.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the deepest and funkiest blends of bourbon on the list. This is every plus the kitchen sink but somehow still works as a fun and fresh sipper. It can be a lot, sure, but it’s also very rewarding. Get this when you want to plumb new depths of what bourbon can be.
11. Stellum Bourbon Hunter’s Moon
ABV: 57.76%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This masterful blend from Barrell Craft Spirits celebrates the coming of winter with a high-rye bourbon blend. The batch is dailed in toward the flavors and vibes of the season with deep woodiness, spices, and dark fruits to help celebrate the season.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Old porch wicker, boot leather, salted caramel candies, vanilla cakes, and a hint of dried mango rolled in salt lead the way on the nose.
Palate: The palate leans into sharp yet sweet cinnamon with burnt orange and dried plums layering into a spiced fruit cake with a hint of sage and thyme.
Finish: The end has a lightly dried rose vibe with some soft marzipan covered in dark chocolate and layered into an old fruit cake with candied and dried fruits, citrus, nuts, and plenty of dark winter spice.
Bottom Line:
This is just excellent whiskey. You can still find some of this blend on the shelves. Snatch it up before it’s gone forever.
10. Jefferson’s Ocean Aged At Sea New York Edition Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 49%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This version of Jefferson’s famed Oceans Series sailed through the North Sea, around Europe, along the Atlantic Seaboard, and through the Panama Canal before ending up in New York City. Once there, the whiskey was batched and proofed down with New York City’s famed water (which is unfiltered and from closer to the Catskills).
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a nice sense of soft caramel chews on the nose with a dash of cigar tobacco and old humidors next to old leather cloves, burnt orange, and a hint of saline.
Palate: The palate leans into brash winter spices with spicy and woody cinnamon, fresh nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and a hint of cardamom next to lush crème brûlée with a hint of that cigar vibe.
Finish: The end stays strong with the spices and tobacco next to a soft vanilla creaminess and slightly salted pasta water finish.
Bottom Line:
This is another whiskey that feels like a gimmick. But this really does deliver a unique and delicious whiskey that feels fresh. The power of the finishing water really does make for a unique bourbon-drinking experience that’s worth adding to your palate’s arsenal. At the very least, sipping this whiskey will highlight the power of proofing water on a whiskey’s overall flavor profile.
9. Hillrock Solera Aged Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 41.3%
Average Price: $92
The Whiskey:
This whiskey marries Hillrock’s own estate bourbon with a carefully sourced barrel or two. The whiskey is partially aged in Oloroso sherry casks before it’s finished in rare French Premier Cru Sauternes wine casks. Finally, those barrels are batched, proofed, and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with a nose full of deep vanilla oils, rich caramel with a hint of salt, orange florals, and a deep creamy honey sweetness with a whisper of lemon oil.
Palate: Moist marzipan drizzled with buttery toffee mingles with vanilla cake and more of that honey before a counterpoint of savory melon, slightly bitter marmalade, and dried leathery apricot arrives.
Finish: The end arrives with a hint of spicy old oak (think cinnamon bark and nutmeg) with deeper and creamier honey attached to burnt orange and marzipan on a velvety finish.
Bottom Line:
This is the whiskey you pour when you want something that tastes … classy. It has a 20-year-old single malt vibe that’s filtered through a really accessible sip of bourbon. If you’re a fan of higher-end single malt, then 100% try this bottle. You will like it.
8. Old Elk Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Barrels
ABV: 54.05%
Average Price: $94
The Whiskey:
This Colorado whiskey is made with a base of 51% corn, 34% malted barley, and 15% rye. That whiskey rests for five years before it’s batched and re-barrelled into 59-gallon port casks from Portugal. After 10 months to a year, those barrels are batched and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is crafty bourbon turned up to 11 with a sweet porridge nose, raw leather, cold apple cider, and a hint of fresh oak.
Palate: There’s a honey-apple crisp sweetness on the opening of the palate that leads right back into that slurry of sweet porridge — now with a white grits edge — before a nice ABV buzz (not burn) leads to orchard barks, winter spice mixes, and a soft sense of cherry bark.
Finish: The finish holds onto the buzziness as the fruit wood and spice settle into a soft and sweet grit ending.
Bottom Line:
This is a pure crafty bourbon that balances the sweet grains with an old-school finishing really well. It almost feels like the marrying of the new and old shouldn’t work but it just does here. This is a great crafty that goes the extra mile to create something fresh and unique.
7. Lil’ Guero Aged 7 Years Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $100
The Whiskey:
This small batch from Savage & Cooke out in California is made from an MGP of Indiana 7-year-old high-rye bourbon. Master Distiller Jordan Via hand picks only 38 barrels for this blend and then cuts that whiskey with Alexander Valley spring water before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is another classic nose full of maple syrup over pecan waffles, dried cherries, salted caramel, meaty dates, old leather, and singed cedar with a hint of old musk lurking in the background of the nose.
Palate: The palate has a hint of caramel next to vanilla malt with dates, prunes, and raisins leading to dark chocolate-covered dried cranberries with a hint of spiced tobacco.
Finish: That spiced tobacco mingles with old leather and cedar on the back end.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those whiskeys that’s just good. There are zero faults. It also adds to the mystique of MGP in that this feels wholly its own. This doesn’t taste like any of the MGP-made whiskeys on the list, proving that the people behind these blends are what matter the most when making a good and individual whiskey.
6. Kosher Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Wheat Recipe
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $95
The Whiskey:
Buffalo Trace Kosher provides a truly kosher spirit that also fully delivers on the palate. The juice is made from the same wheated bourbon recipe as Buffalo Trace’s Weller and Pappy lines. The difference is that the mash is loaded from fully cleaned stills and pipes into kosher barrels (that means the barrels were specially made and purchased under the watchful eye of a rabbi from the Chicago Rabbinical Council).
The whiskey then ages for seven years at Buffalo Trace before blending, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a familiar note of Red Hots and vanilla cream on the nose, with a hint of semi-dried florals.
Palate: The palate mellows out the cinnamon towards a woody and dry bark as the florals deepen towards summer wildflowers right at the moment that a touch of plums and berries arrive, adding sweetness and brightness.
Finish: The end holds onto that dry bark, as a hint of anise pops late with a slight vanilla cream tobacco touching off the medium-length fade.
Bottom Line:
This is a classic spicy bourbon from Buffalo Trace. It’s also one of the rarer releases from the distillery (which is full of rare releases). Brass tacks, you’ll want to grab a case of this before Passover arrives and this disappears for another year.
5. Doc Swinson’s Exploratory Cask CS ‘French Toasted’ Bourbon
ABV: 54.3%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is a blend of two MGP bourbons — their classic 75/21/4 corn/rye/malted barley mash bill with their very high rye 60/36/4 corn/rye/malted barley mash. Those whiskeys rested for 5.5 years before blending and re-barrelling into new French oak from Taransaud Cooperages that’s made with trees from the famous Troncaise forest. After about three months, those barrels were batched and this whiskey was bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a creamy almost maltiness to the nose with a deep vanilla coffee cake, clove-studded orange, and pecan waffles with more creaminess with a buttery edge.
Palate: Apricot leather and apple fritters drive the palate with a spiced cinnamon toastiness next to a light drizzle of salted dark chocolate.
Finish: Cinnamon bark and sweet orange marmalade mingle on the finish with a light sense of spiced apple cider, wet orchards in the late fall, and creamy pear pudding.
Bottom Line:
This is a wild bourbon. It presents much more like an old Scotch whisky for cognac lovers with hints of American bourbon peaking in from time to time. It’s fascinating, delicious (like, really delicious), and a true outlier. Get some before it’s gone forever.
4. Stellum Bourbon Equinox Blend #1
ABV: 58.63%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This expression is made from instant-classic Stellum Bourbon barrels. The ripple here is that the blend of this bourbon was created from specific rare barrels used for Stelllum that were blended until the exact moment of the vernal equinox. That whiskey was then bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Soft grains and leather lead to a hint of sour apple on the nose with a touch of sweetgrass, woody spice, and mild toffee.
Palate: The palate opens with dried and leathery apricots dipped in fresh honey next to a sharp cinnamon stick shoved into an orange rind with clove berries in between.
Finish: The mid-palate layers of creamy citrus with a whisper of jasmine and maybe some oolong tea as a thin line of black potting soil, dark cacao powder, and old dusty oak staves fill out the finish.
Bottom Line:
Gimmicks aside, this is one of the best releases from Stellum to date. That’s saying a lot in that they have yet to miss with a single release of theirs. This very well could be your next go-to house pour and mixer (it makes a killer old fashioned).
3. Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel Barrel Strength
ABV: 65%
Average Price: $99
The Whisky:
This is classic Old Forester from a single barrel that’s not cut with any water. When you find these, they’ll generally be a pick from a retailer or bar program. That means they’ll vary slightly, depending on what the person picking the barrel was looking for. Still, there’s a consistency of “Old Forester” running through them all.
Tasting Note:
Nose: There’s a clear sense of dark fruit, especially cherry, that becomes stewed with dark winter spices on the nose with a good dose of dry tobacco in an old cedar box that’s wrapped up in old leather.
Palate: A hint of old dry roses sneaks in on the palate as those spices and syrupy cherry and berries intensify and attach to the chewy tobacco.
Finish: The mid-palate sweetens with an almost rose-water marzipan vibe as the cherry tobacco dried out pretty significantly, leaving you with a sense of pitchy pine sap and your grandparent’s old tobacco pipe that’s still hot to touch.
Bottom Line:
This is the one and only Old Forester to buy (outside of their limited edition releases that you can’t ever find).
2. Nashtucky Special Release Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 5 Years
ABV: 64.08%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This new whiskey from Nashville Barrel Company is a marriage of Kentucky spirit and Tennessee ingenuity. The whiskey is made and preliminary aged in Kentucky before the barrels are sent to Nashville to continue the maturation process in a different climate. After five years, the barrels are bottled one at a time at cask strength with no filtering or fussing.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with a nice mix of old porch wicker (hardcore nostalgia really) next to supple caramel sauce, white pepper, and a sense of savory fruits like figs and maybe some starfruit.
Palate: The palate holds onto that savory fruit before some ABVs kick in with a nice mix of woody spices and burnt sugars.
Finish: The mid-palate leans into green sweetgrass, savory herbs, and a hint of sweet fruit candy that subtly morphs into strawberry soda at the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is another delicious whiskey that proves that sourcing whiskey is more than just putting whiskey in a bottle. The care that the selection process takes and then the aging of this whiskey in a different place adds a whole new dimension to the whiskey. Seriously, this is special stuff for anyone looking for something both new and delicious in the world of bourbon right now.
1. Michter’s US*1 Limited Release Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 55.3%
Average Price: $100
The Whiskey:
Michter’s fills their barrels with 103-proof hot juice off the stills. After a handful of years spent aging, that proof inches upwards as the angels take their share. Usually, the whiskey is cut with that soft Kentucky limestone water before bottling but not in this case. This is pulled from single honey barrels that were just too good to cut and bottled at the Fort Nelson Distillery right on Louisville’s Whiskey Row where you can get one after an in-depth tour.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose draws you deep into the classic bourbon ecosystem of rich buttery toffees next to salted dark chocolate-covered cherries, a touch of smoked stone fruits, and a minor note of spicy tobacco leaf.
Palate: The palate delivers on those notes as the tobacco spice amps up before being smoothed out by rich and creamy vanilla, salted caramel, and apricot stone dryness.
Finish: That dryness drives the mid-palate towards the finish with a pecan shell vibe next to slightly bitter singed cedar bark.
Bottom Line:
The fact that you can get this much sought-after Michter’s expression on the tour at the distillery is kind of amazing. This is far and away the best whiskey on the list. It’s complex, exemplary, and flat-out delightful to drink.
Don’t buy this on the secondary. Use that money to go to Louisville. Take the tour. And bring this whiskey home with you. That’s the experience you want to have with this whiskey. Hell, you’ll probably have some money left over if you do that instead of paying the aftermarket price.