You’ve sifted through the bourbon offerings in the under $50 segment. What about something that’s a little more upmarket? Just a little more upscale than 50 bucks can get you?
With this story, we’re raising the stakes on the best bourbons on the market, and setting our maximum price at $100. As you can imagine, this opens the door quite a bit to a really huge range of whiskeys that manage to get on the shelf at that price. Whittling them down to our favorite dozen-plus wasn’t easy.
As we did with our top bourbons under $50 list, we were as scientific about the pricing as possible, since costs vary considerably from store to store. Again, we used the national average for the spirit as determined by wine-searcher to decide whether each product was eligible for inclusion. You’ll see that price reflected in each of the writeups below — though, of course, the actual price you pay is going to vary dramatically in stores and online. You will absolutely find some of these on deep discount from time to time, maybe as low as half the price we have listed below. If you see these prices, we recommend you buy.
Another note on eligibility here: In general, we are focusing on full-time, year-round releases, though as you’ll see in a couple of spots, we’ve made exceptions for a few annual releases that have a proven track record and which remain available year-round. Another rule we enacted is that the whiskeys included had to have “reasonable availability” on a national scale, meaning your local Total Wine, Spec’s, or Bevmo is likely to stock it.
If $100 is too rich for you, check out our sub-$50 and sub-$20 lists, both of which are filled with value-priced gems.
Again, this list is not in any particular order, but we have stuck some favorites near the top again that deserve special mention.
15 Top Bourbons Under $100
Old Forester Whiskey Row Series – 1920 Prohibition Style Bourbon
One of our favorite “everyday but upscale” drinkers since its 2016 release, Old Forester 1920 is bottled in a “Prohibition Style,” which, as far as we can tell means “extra boozy.” The 57.5% abv bottling has become easier to find in recent years and a standby for those in the know, who find its aggressive punch tempered by lovely notes of dried fruits, baking spice, and a whip of licorice on the finish. Complex but cohesive, it’s a neck-and-neck favorite from OldFo’s Whiskey Row Series alongside its burlier (but lower abv) 1910 edition.
115 proof. $63 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT] [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE]
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon
Launched as Russell’s Reserve Small Batch Single Barrel in 2013, this bottle got a rebrand some years later and dropped the “Small Batch,” but kept everything else pretty much the same. It’s a dark, brooding whiskey that leans heavy into the barrel thanks to an alligator char before it finally lets some sweetness into the room. That said, the whiskey guards the guest list to keep things tight, with anise and mint the primary secondary notes to emerge later in the game. It’s perhaps not a whiskey for everyone — but it is the whiskey that got one of the highest number of mentions among the staff when we set out to create this list.
110 proof. $71 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Eagle Rare 10 Years Old
Once a reliable value brand, Eagle Rare has rocketed up in both price and demand, and with good reason. The whiskey remains a crowd-pleasing delight that showcases a greatest hits of bourbondom: Bright citrus fruit, baked apples, wintry pie spices, and plenty of lingering caramel apple and sweet butterscotch. Eagle Rare mixes beautifully and drinks like a dream on its own. Only a few years ago it was half the price (and before that a single barrel product), but there’s still a strong case to be made for picking it up by the case today.
90 proof. $69 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Baker’s Single Barrel Bourbon 7 Years Old
An under-the-radar bottle that is almost impossible to successfully order at a bar without being mistaken for asking for “Maker’s” (though that’s a perfectly acceptable choice, too). This venerable Beam product became a single barrel offering in 2019, and it’s still a solid pick, invariably showcasing cherry (and cherry cola) elements that are a core component of the Baker’s DNA. Of course, single barrels mean the whiskey is going to change from bottle to bottle — and with Baker’s this can be significant — so you may find the experience varies from bar to bar.
107 proof. $68 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select is a step up from Old No. 7. Single Barrel Barrel Proof is the step up from there. (This was actually JD’s first ever barrel strength release.) This burly bottling may have you rethinking what you know about the Tennessee giant, showcasing the whiskey’s massive body alongside sultry dessert tones. JD’s charcoal mellowing works its magic well at tempering any harshness or overt booziness from the experience, even at full power. Vanilla and caramel coat the tongue on the way out, in the best possible way.
~133 proof, abv varies by bottle. $72 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Still Austin Cask Strength Bourbon
Still Austin gets justifiably high praise for its specialty blue corn and red corn bourbon releases, but both of those are far too pricey to qualify for our sub-$100 list. This more affordable cask strength version of its “The Musician” release is a nice compromise, though it’s a rather straightforward bourbon that is dominated by ample char, lots of peanuts, and a dill pickle note. Still Austin Cask Strength is youthful but always evolving, so don’t be surprised to find more recent bottles showing a greater sense of maturity and complexity.
118 proof. $57 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Knob Creek Bourbon 12 Years Old
This 12 year old is the step up from Knob Creek 9 Years Old (which you’ll find on our top bourbons under $50 list), and the only other Knob Creek offering available for under $100. It’s a fruitier and spicier rendition of the entry-level offering, showcasing ample wood but also plenty of wintry cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar. While it veers toward austerity at times, it still has the essentials of the Knob Creek DNA on full view — and the upcharge isn’t all that extreme.
100 proof. $70 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Bardstown Bourbon Co. Origin Series Bottled-in-Bond
Bardstown Bourbon Co. is best known for the seasonal releases making up its Discovery and Fusion series, but don’t overlook its more approachable and affordable Origin Series, which showcases the distillery’s wares without any gimmicks. This wheat-heavy bourbon has a substantial depth to it that isn’t always present in wheaters, showcasing dark brown sugar, coconut, and cherry notes. Sweet but not too sweet, the six year old offering punches well above its asking price.
100 proof. $50 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof got its start as a permanent release, but it’s since morphed into one of the more reliable seasonal releases, coming out in arcanely named batches three times a year. These batches vary in age and quality and, as a result, price, but pretty much all of them are worth tasting — and worth picking up if you see them at less than $100, which is common save for some of the ultra-prized releases like batch A121. The nonvintage version may still be hanging around out there too, and it’s also worth the asking price if you see it.
Proof varies. $89 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 7 Years Old
While selling for more than its $60 MSRP, Old Fitz’s amazing 7 year old bonded bourbon still sneaks in at under the $100 price point, and it remains a highly worthy offering should Old Fitzgerald’s semiannual special edition releases (like its killer 2025 VVS bottling) be out of reach. This permanent edition (albeit one that will be released each year with vintage date on the bottle) is enchanting and on the sweet side, showcasing honeyed caramel and silky vanilla notes, segueing into banana bread and wafer cookie flavors. A pop of citrus sharpens up the finish, but it’s back soon enough to the dessert tray before too long.
100 proof. $96 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Wild Turkey Rare Breed
Wild Turkey’s OG barrel proof offering, Rare Breed is a blend of 6-, 8-, and 12-year old whiskeys, all blended up at cask strength. Released annually but generally considered fairly stable in profile in recent years, it’s quite a bargain at less than $60 and sometimes approaching $50. The whiskey showcases many of the highlights of the Wild Turkey distillate, full-bodied with spicy and peppery qualities, tempered by vanilla and chocolate and even coconut on the finish. Don’t stress the vintage too much, as Rare Breed is always a treat.
116.8 proof. $59 [BUY IT NOW FROM TOTAL WINE] [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Penelope Toasted Bourbon
Want to get in on the toasted barrel bourbon craze without spending a fortune? (Michter’s Toasted Barrel runs over $250 these days.) Check out Penelope’s solid rendition, which is aggressive on the nose but sweeter on the palate than expected, lush with vanilla and baking spice, with a polished, oily finish. Notes of cherry add to the whiskey’s mystery.
100 proof. $64 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Col. E.H. Taylor Small Batch
This is your only chance to get an E.H. Taylor release for under $100. Bottlings like the Barrel Proof release regularly fetch $500 and up. Small Batch isn’t our favorite of the lineup, but it makes a statement like many of its brethren — heavy on citrus notes, plenty of sweetness, and a chocolate orange note on the finish. This expression tends to be wood-heavy, but the rest of the experience works around it well enough.
100 proof. $96 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Barrell Armida
Recommending a favorite bottle from Barrell is a near-impossibility. By our count the brand is approaching 100 different bottlings, including nearly 40 in its Barrell Bourbon Batch series. The trick it that a lot of these disappear from the market quickly, so it’s hard to choose just one to focus on. We’re going to try, however, with a call-out for Armida, a wildly unique blended bourbon that sees three different whiskeys finished separately in pear brandy, rum, and amaro casks. The results are, as you would expect, wholly unique and intensely spicy and fruit-laden. At under 100 bucks it’s a steal — and while technically a seasonal release, not all that hard to find.
112.1 proof. $91[BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
Tincup Fourteener
This is a slightly tricky one because Fourteener is a limited release that comes and goes, with new batch numbers each time. But it’s a 14 year old bourbon, which you will not readily find in the sub-$100 price band, and almost never in the sub-$70 band. The two Fourteener batches so far vary in quality — No. 2 is better — but both are worth a look if you want to try to wrap your mind around Colorado’s unique approach to whiskeymaking. You’ll get lots of peanut, lots of spice, and lots of malt — and then consider climbing a mountain to celebrate.
84 proof. $69 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]
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