Some of the best bourbon in the world has become pretty expensive, but there are alternatives everywhere for those with eyes to see.
When it comes to the most sought-after bottles of bourbon, a combination of factors drives up the price. The mechanisms of supply and demand come to mind, right? When there’s a limited supply of well-aged, well-regarded whiskey and an outsized demand for those products, it is no surprise to see a growing gray market where unscrupulous retailers and resellers make those bottles available at increased prices.
Rising prices might affect you differently whether you support the so-called secondary market or not. Maybe it’s your local liquor store raising prices a shade over the suggested retail price or even the producers raising the MSRP to adjust to market shifts. At any rate, I think we could all use some affordable alternatives to our favorite bourbons.
That’s precisely what this list is for!
You can (and should) continue to seek out these coveted bottles and buy them where it makes sense for you, but having an open mind will open you up to a world of incredible options you might be overlooking.
With that out of the way, let’s take a look at all of the best affordable alternatives to your favorite bottles of bourbon!
The Premium Bourbon: William Larue Weller
ABV: 66.8%
Average Price: $1,900
The Whiskey:
William Larue Weller bourbon is frequently cited as one of, if not the best, bourbon to come out of Buffalo Trace Distillery. It’s the premier expression in Buffalo Trace’s Weller lineup, and aside from their Pappy Van Winkle lineup, it features some of their most premium wheated bourbon barrels at an age that tends to fall in the 12-year range.
The Perfect Alternative: Holladay Soft Red Wheat Rickhouse Proof
ABV: 61.35%
Average Price: $75
The Whiskey:
Holladay Distillery in Weston, MO, is a beautiful destination where a new generation of bourbon makers are casting the dye for an incredible future. With Master Distiller Kyle Merklein steering the ship, Holladay is putting out two excellent 6-year bourbons from a rye-based and a wheat-based mash bill. For this Rickhouse Proof expression, they’ve chosen to showcase the latter at full octane, without dilution.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Smoked caramel, dark chocolate, and stewed red apples give this one a really autumnal vibe, with clove and some great barrel char and oak tones tying it all together.
Palate: Smoked caramel makes it to the palate along with a lot of vanilla and nougat, while dark chocolate plays a supporting role from the wings. The dense oak and barrel char notes are really the skeleton that holds this all together, though, and enables the sweeter notes to stand tall with a few shakes of clove thrown in for good measure.
Finish: The finish gives a sweet impression of cooked apples and caramel, which helps to curtail the heat and heighten one’s enjoyment. One other thing that helps is it sticks around for a long time, affording you the opportunity to savor it until the last drop.
Bottom Line:
Ben Holladay’s Bourbon is enjoying a ton of critical acclaim as one of the best young craft distilleries on the market today, and that reputation is well-earned. We’ve been raising the call for a while now, naming this bottle one of the best wheated-bourbons to rival Pappy Van Winkle and the same can be said here when judging it against William Larue Weller. If you want a wheated bourbon with just as much flavor as kick, this is definitely one of the best affordable choices on the market.
The Premium Bourbon: Booker’s Bourbon The Reserves
ABV: 62.95%
Average Price: $130
The Whiskey:
Booker’s The Reserves is a new, annual limited-release series from Jim Beam by Freddie Noe to commemorate his grandfather and Beam’s 6th Generation Master Distiller, Booker Noe. This elevated take on classic Booker’s bourbon features a more limited blend of 8 to 14-year-old barrels drawn from the same center cut of the warehouse that Booker himself always favored.
The Perfect Alternative: Old Grand-Dad 114
ABV: 57%
Average Price: $30
The Whiskey:
Old Grand-Dad 114 is frequently cited as one of the best budget bourbons on the market, and for 2024, that still hasn’t changed. The high-rye recipe from Jim Beam also goes into its lower proof versions, Old Grand-Dad standard, and Old Grand-Dad Bonded.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, OGD 114 opens with a bouquet of lemon zest, maple candy, and peanuts. Those notes are propped up by a supporting cast of oak, light honey, and butterscotch.
Palate: Once you take a sip of Old Grand-Dad 114, you’ll immediately pick up on its medium-bodied texture, which is slightly heavy and dense. The flavor of fresh hazelnuts, honey, and caramel comes across first on the tongue before it turns somewhat mellow at midpalate with butterscotch Krimpets, faint tobacco leaf, and a bit of orange pith.
Finish: For its medium-length finish, OGD 114 delivers a bit of vanilla and black pepper to go with more fresh hazelnuts and oak. This is a perfectly satisfying conclusion that ties all of those well-balanced flavors together.
Bottom Line:
Old Grand-Dad 114 is an OG value bourbon, and enthusiasts should be pleased that Jim Beam has taken an “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” approach over the years. For right around $30, it’s hard to find a more flavorful and well-rounded option. The fact that the same distillery makes it as Booker’s The Reserves makes this an ideal alternative.
The Premium Bourbon: King of Kentucky
ABV: 65.2%
Average Price: $2,500
The Whiskey:
King of Kentucky is the Brown-Forman brand’s most regal annual release. For 2024, it features a fleet of single-barrel bourbons, all aged for at least 16 years. With 5,100 bottles produced from just 63 barrels distilled between July 19, 2007, and November 15, 2007, this expression’s popularity and relative rarity make it difficult to find.
The Perfect Alternative: Early Times Bottled in Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $25
The Whiskey:
Early Times is a historic brand first launched in 1860 by John Henry “Jack” Beam, Jim Beam’s paternal uncle. In 2021, it was announced that the production of this bourbon would be moved from Brown-Forman, the brand’s previous owner, to the Barton 1792 Distillery under new owner Sazerac.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, there’s a strong Luden’s Wild Cherry cough drop note that is distracting at first but becomes increasingly enchanting over time. In addition to that artificial, berry-like sweetness, there are notes of ripe oranges, polished leather, and fresh hazelnuts.
Palate: On the palate, it’s the artificial cherry note and the polished leather from the nose that make the biggest impression as each sip begins very sweet before trailing off into more typical, earthy bourbon notes like oak and nutmeg. Just as the flavors seemingly shift from the front palate to the mid-palate, so does the texture, which begins very slick and viscous before turning lean as the whiskey makes its way to the finish.
Finish: The finish on Early Times Bottled in Bond features a flourish of black pepper and barrel char, which wasn’t present at midpalate. The lengthy finish also showcases an additional pop of fresh hazelnuts, adding a layer of balance to the entire affair.
Bottom Line:
Early Times Bottled in Bond has a fruit-forward medley of flavors and substantive texture, allowing it to hold its own as a neat sipper. Considering that, its budget-friendly sticker price awards it a ton of brownie points, allowing you to happily skip bottles that are way higher up on the cost matrix.
The Premium Bourbon: Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon
ABV: 46.5%
Average Price: $135
The Whiskey:
One of the most polarizing and hyped bourbons in all of the land, Blanton’s is the original single-barrel bourbon. Launched in 1984, each bottle of Blanton’s is the product of a single barrel, an idea hatched by Buffalo Trace’s then Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee.
The Perfect Alternative: Benchmark Single Barrel Bourbon
ABV: 47.5%
Average Price: $27
The Whiskey:
Benchmark Single Barrel is the new single-barrel expression in the Benchmark bourbon lineup, which was relaunched in 2023. This expression is always proofed down to 47.5% ABV.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Benchmark Single Barrel carries some of the same earthy qualities as the Bonded expression but with additional honey sweetness and a tad more refinement.
Palate: On the palate, Benchmark Single Barrel features a slick and inviting texture that lays the foundation for some impressively refined flavors to shine through. Here, the honey sweetness and some rich oak tones have a chance to develop as the nutmeg and brown sugar notes common to Benchmark also show up in full force but in a tamer form.
Finish: At the end of each sip of Benchmark Single Barrel, the honey sweetness again asserts itself before clearing the way for clove, oak, and caramel to come barreling through. The finish isn’t especially long but provides enough leeway to showcase the honed-in flavors in the bourbon.
Bottom Line:
At a slightly higher ABV than Blanton’s, this bottle offers single barrel variety and an equally multifaceted flavor profile, making it one of the best in the revamped Benchmark lineup. The wallet-friendly price and much wider availability are what make it the perfect alternative.
The Premium Bourbon: Old Fitzgerald Decanter Series Bottled in Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $440
The Whiskey:
This 10-year wheated bourbon, the thirteenth national release of the Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond Decanter Series, was released early in the spring of 2024 to great fanfare. This expression marks the second time Heaven Hill has released a 10-year version of Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond.
The Perfect Alternative: Rebel 10-Year Single Barrel Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $96
The Whiskey:
Rebel’s 10-year single-barrel bourbon is an expression marked by a winding history that saw it go from production at the famed Stitzel-Weller distillery as a locally distributed bargain brand to becoming a surprise hit thanks to a Billy Idol song, being sold to current owners Luxco, and reimagined as a premium offering.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with the aroma of snickerdoodle cookies, inviting caramel and vanilla tones, and some fudge to round out the sweeter notes. On the earthier side, there’s the scent of clove and turmeric, in addition to the faintest shake of freshly cracked black pepper.
Palate: Once in the mouth, caramel, the burnt citrus flavor of a torched orange wheel, and vanilla introduce the senses to this lush bourbon. The mouthfeel is full-bodied with almonds and white pepper found in spades, though it skews more heavily toward the sweet tones. This lovely, well-balanced whiskey rewards chewing as it unlocks further cinnamon bark and wheat funk notes.
Finish: For its final act, Rebel 10-Year Bourbon features rich oak, honey-roasted peanuts, and vanilla that hangs around with considerable staying power.
Bottom Line:
Rebel 10-Year Bourbon has long been rumored to feature whiskey in the blend that significantly exceeds its age statement and that speculation certainly passes the taste test. The liquid is a lush showcase of how depth can overcome the brevity of flavors to deliver a balanced and highly enjoyable bourbon that can out-drink more expensive options.
The Premium Bourbon: Pappy Van Winkle
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $4,400
The Whiskey:
Julian Van Winkle III himself has cited Pappy Van Winkle 15 as his favorite among his family’s range of vaunted bourbons. Aged for 15 years, this wheated bourbon is cherry-picked from among the best barrels in Buffalo Trace’s inventory and given the final okay by the Van Winkle family.
The Perfect Alternative: Maker’s Mark 101
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $43
The Whiskey:
Maker’s Mark 101, the longtime travel exclusive from the iconic Maker’s Mark brand, clocks in at a robust 101 proof as opposed to Maker’s flagship expression, which is bottled at 45% ABV. In short, this is your classic Maker’s Mark, but it’s treated with less limestone water to deliver a more full-bodied and richer flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Maker’s Mark 101 is full of the red apples, and bright cherry notes that the brand is known for, with gentle caramel tones folded in atop some carraway, white pepper, and young oak.
Palate: On the palate is where this whiskey shines. The delicate matrix of vanilla bean, stewed red apples, and gooey caramel notes sashay over the tongue with accents of raw almonds, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a touch of sandalwood. The mouthfeel also benefits from the bump in proof, as its supple texture gently coats your tongue with a thin blanket of sweet flavor.
Finish: The short-to-medium finish welcomes a whisper of black pepper, dried cranberries, vanilla ice cream, and chalky milk chocolate.
Bottom Line:
Maker’s Mark 101’s bump in proof compared to Maker’s Mark classic gives it a much creamier mouthfeel that effectively coats your palate with a ton of distinct wheated-bourbon flavors. As a $40, nationally distributed alternative to Pappy Van Winkle 15, this is straight up a must-try.
The Premium Bourbon: Old Forester Birthday Bourbon
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $199
The Whiskey:
Louisville’s oldest distillery often tweaks the age and proof point of its annual Birthday Bourbon release. For this year, the 24th expression in the series matured for 12 years, the same as 2023’s release, but it’s bottled at its highest proof ever, 107 proof. Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris and Master Taster Melissa Rift personally selected the 209 barrels that comprised this blend with aid from Assistant Master Distiller Caleb Trigo. The barrels themselves were matured in Warehouses G and L.
The Perfect Alternative: Old Forester 100-Proof Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $33
The Whiskey:
Made with a grain recipe of 72% corn, 18% rye, and 10% malted barley, Old Forester’s 100-proof offering is a budget-friendly beauty. Following in the longstanding tradition of Old Forester’s commitment to 100-proof bourbon, this expression carries no minimum age statement, unlike their Bottled in Bond 1879, which is guaranteed to be at least four years old per the Bottled in Bond regulations.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, Old Forester 100 Proof begins with a medicinal cherry note, which opens the curtains for a wave of complementing aromas like caramel, barrel char, hazelnut spread, and moderate oak. After a few swirls, the cherry note becomes more robust, as does the underlying caramel, which rises to greet the nose like an eager puppy out of the glass.
Palate: The medicinal cherry note from the nose of this whiskey very quickly finds its way to the palate, coating the tongue and laying a foundation for accenting notes like cinnamon, oak, black pepper spice, and toasted almonds. The texture in the mouth is moderately slick, with just enough grip to reward “chewing” the bourbon. Chewing also rewards repeat sips as the liquid coats your palate and allows you to unlock more flavor.
Finish: The finish reveals a more natural black cherry flavor, along with some clove and caramel notes. The liquid hangs on for a medium length, making this a great sipping whiskey to enjoy neat.
Bottom Line:
I’ve long considered this bottle to be Old Forester’s hidden gem, and that sentiment holds up even better compared to their most coveted bottle. The flavor profile is true to everything the brand does well, with black cherry, vanilla, and caramel showing up in full force. The metaphorical cherry on top is that it does all of this at a budget-friendly price point and a rock-steady proof point that puts it ahead of Birthday Bourbon in terms of value.
The Premium Bourbon: Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch
ABV: 54.1%
Average Price: $220
The Whiskey:
Four Roses’ highly anticipated Limited Edition Small Batch for 2024 has finally been announced, and we were able to get a first taste of it. For this year’s release, Master Distiller Brent Elliott opted to blend three of Four Roses’ ten bourbon recipes with a 12-year-old OBSV, 15-year-old OESK, 16-year-old OESF, and more OBSV, this time at 20 years old, to create the final product.
The Perfect Alternative: Four Roses Small Batch Select
ABV: 52%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
Four Roses Small Batch Select uses six of the brand’s ten recipes (OBSV, OBSK, OBSF, OESV, OESK, and OESF) for a unique blend concocted by Master Distiller Brent Elliott and ages the liquid for six to seven years before batching, lightly proofing, and bottling it all up.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, Four Roses Small Batch Select offers cola nut, bright red cherries, black pepper, nutmeg, and clove with some oak and caramel tones following behind those initial top notes. It’s robust and inviting, with a lovely baking spice presence that displays a ton of balance.
Palate: Four Roses Small Batch Select hits the palate with a full-bodied richness that coats your tongue and sends you mining your taste buds to discover the flavor of jammy cherries, nutmeg, black pepper, and honeyed black tea. The texture would count as its defining quality if it weren’t for the impressive balance of the flavors ever-so-slightly outperforming the viscous mouthfeel.
Finish: The lingering finish is where you’ll find vanilla extract, raspberries, brown sugar, and a light mint note — which reminds you that this is a robust Four Roses bourbon.
Bottom Line:
Four Roses Small Batch Select is an incredible alternative to Four Roses’ Limited Edition offering and the best part? You can buy it for under $100. Because it tends to get overlooked by value-buyers who reach for the 100-proof single barrel and recipe-chasers who go for the cask-strength single barrels, this bottle is a bit under the radar, but as a premium blended bourbon that Master Distiller Brent Elliott personally created, it’s definitely the closest analog to Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch.
The Premium Bourbon: George T. Stagg
ABV: 68.05%
Average Price: $830
The Whiskey:
George T. Stagg Bourbon, first launched in 2002, has since taken the whiskey world by storm, introducing consumers to a brand of full-throated, high-intensity bourbon that has slowly become the most coveted expression of the category by enthusiasts. The 2024 George T. Stagg was matured for 15 years and 2 months.
The Perfect Alternative: Benchmark Full Proof
ABV: 62.5%
Average Price: $27
The Whiskey:
Benchmark Full Proof was first released last year and is now the premier expression in the Benchmark lineup. Always bottled at 125 proof, it is the highest ABV offering from the Benchmark brand.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of cinnamon Red Hots, peanut shells, caramel, and oak. It’s a pretty straightforward medley of flavors, but despite that knock, they all work well together and come across boldly on the nose.
Palate: On the palate is where the brashness of those flavors really runs wild as it drinks a bit hot and is marred, rather than aided by, the simplicity of its flavor wheel. You get peanuts, cinnamon, caramel, oak, and…nothing else. That said, the flavors are fairly well-developed, and because of their distinctiveness and the clear delineation between each note, they’re easy to appreciate one by one.
Finish: The finish is flush with black pepper, more oak, and charred green pepper skin. It’s medium-lengthed, which is a plus if you appreciate its brashness but a distraction if that boldness is overwhelming.
Bottom Line:
When it was first launched, many Buffalo Trace fans considered Benchmark Full Proof a sort of “Stagg Jr., Jr.” The hope was that it would present similar flavors in a much easier-to-find and affordably priced expression. How’d that turn out? Well, it would be an oversimplification to call it such, but it contains a lot of the flavor notes that make Stagg so beloved. As long as you temper your expectations and are in the market for a bold, uncomplicated bourbon, there’s plenty here to enjoy, and it’s much easier to find than George T. Stagg’s more natural alternative, Stagg Bourbon.
The Premium Bourbon: Angel’s Envy Cask Strength Bourbon Finished In Port Wine Barrels
ABV: 59.4%
Average Price: $310
The Whiskey:
Angel’s Envy Cask Strenght Bourbon, now in its 13th iteration, takes some of the most distinctive barrels in the brand’s portfolio and sees them finished in barrels that previously held both Ruby and Tawny Port Wine for the first time. At full cask-strength, this release and the brand’s cask-strength rye are typically the highest-proofed expressions you can expect from Angel’s Envy each year.
The Perfect Alternative: Ezra Brooks 99-Proof Bourbon Finished In Port Wine Casks
ABV: 49.5%
Average Price: $32
The Whiskey:
Ezra Brooks is one of the more established names in bourbon, with a history that traces back to its founding in 1957. In 2024, however, this port-finished bourbon represents the newest lineup extension for the respected brand.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Aroma notes of candy cane, rich cherries, warm vanilla, and wood chips greet the nose at first before accents of tobacco leaf and clove enter the fray.
Palate: The ripe cherry note rushes in at first with nectarines and bananas, chocolate chips, and vanilla, painting the palate with a lush layer of sweetness. This whiskey has a lot of grip on the palate, punching well above its weight proof-wise and delivering a sipping experience more in line with whiskey in the 110 range.
Finish: The finish is lingering, marked by vanilla, oak, and milk chocolate. At the very end, this whiskey reintroduces the cherry note found early in each sip. This is surprisingly tasty stuff.
Bottom Line:
Ezra Brooks’ entire brand portfolio is full of incredible value bourbons, capable of delivering outstanding quality for a wallet-friendly price. This brand-new expression is the lineup’s prime example of balancing affordability and flavor, making it a fantastic alternative to Angel’s Envy’s premier offering.
The Premium Bourbon: Willett Family Estate Bourbon
ABV: Varies by the single barrel
Average Price: $950
The Whiskey:
Willett Family Estate Bourbon is well-known as some of the most exclusive, exorbitantly priced, and, yes, excellent bourbon on the market. Drawing barrels from various sources (including their self-distilled whiskey, which is now approaching its teenage years) and maturing them at the distillery’s property in Bardstown, Kentucky, is part of the magic, making every single barrel akin to a snowflake: unique and never to be seen again.
The Perfect Alternative: Noah’s Mill Bourbon
ABV: 57.15%
Average Price: $65
The Whiskey:
Noah’s Mill was first released in the mid-1990s as a 15-year age-stated product. By the early 2000s, the age statement was removed, and somewhere between then and now, it was transitioned from a sourced product to whiskey that the Willett Distillery distilled itself.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this one gives me some of those beautiful tell-tale signs of Willett distillate, i.e., cinnamon, purple and red fruits, and a nice oak and caramel backing. Plums and raspberries blend well with the clove, nutmeg, corn husk, and candied pecan notes on this one.
Palate: On the palate, it’s the cinnamon bark and raspberries that begin the journey before nutmeg, clove, and candied pecan notes join the fun. It’s a full-bodied pour with a nice mouth-coating texture, which allows further notes of caramel corn and juicy red gummy bear flavors to form. This is a fun sipping whiskey.
Finish: The medium-length finish gently recedes with more red gummy bear flavor and cinnamon, clove, black pepper, and pecans.
Bottom Line:
As much as I love the Willett Family Estate bourbon lineup, I always make sure to have some Noah’s Mill on hand as a baseline comparison. Sipping this bottle will really calibrate your palate on what to expect from Willett distillate, and it works famously as a stand-in for its spendier sibling.
The Premium Bourbon: Colonel E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof Bourbon
ABV: 63.65%
Average Price: $480
The Whiskey:
E.H. Taylor Jr. Barrel Proof bourbon is the pinnacle of the E.H. Taylor range, bottled at cask strength, unfiltered, and released in annual batches.
The Perfect Alternative: Fortuna Barrel Proof Bourbon 8 Summers Old
ABV: 60.73%
Average Price: $100
The Whiskey:
Fortuna Barrel Proof Bourbon is the pinnacle of the revived Fortuna brand from Rare Character. Always aged for at least seven years, the bourbon is sourced from an undisclosed distillery in Kentucky and blended in three-to-five barrel lots.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with boozy cocktail cherries, cinnamon bark, rich oak tones, and even a hint of mocha. After a wave of the hand, as the liquid tumbles around your glass, aerating it will reveal further aromas of butterscotch, black pepper, cacao nibs, and strawberry jam.
Palate: The nosing notes offer a solid roadmap for what follows on the palate as blackberry jam replaces the strawberries found on the nose while cinnamon, almond extract, dense oak, and sticky toffee run rampant on the tongue. The texture is robust and offers a fullness that allows each flavor to present itself distinctly, revealing its impressive richness.
Finish: The finish is long-lasting and introduces clove, freshly grated ginger, and black pepper for one final baking spice sizzle before the syrupy black cherry notes leave a sweet final impression.
Bottom Line:
Fortuna Barrel Proof entered the market with a splash, immediately challenging the supremacy of several cask-strength stalwarts on this list. Now, with some distance from its debut, it’s become clear that it isn’t just beginner’s luck that warrants its place in the conversation. Fortuna Barrel Proof Bourbon recently landed in the top two on our best bourbons to buy under $100 for 2025 but we should make it clear that it’s one of the best bourbons at any price point.
The Premium Bourbon: Russell’s Reserve 15-Year Bourbon
ABV: 58.6%
Average Price: $690
Russell’s Reserve 15 is Wild Turkey’s latest age-stated release, and boy, has it been met with enthusiasm. This bourbon is non-chill filtered, and given its track record, one can safely assume there’s whiskey aged for even longer than 15 years in this blend.
The Perfect Alternative: Calumet Single Rack Black 15-Year Bourbon
ABV: 52.5%
Average Price: $140
The Whiskey:
These 19-barrel batched blends from Calumet Farms are some of the oldest bourbons the brand has released to date. Created to honor the horse Whirlaway, who gave Calumet Farms their first Triple Crown victory, this whiskey features a prominent 15-year age statement and is non-chill filtered.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose has the sweetness of cocktail cherries, caramel, and prominent, sweet oak to kick things off. There’s a slightly dusty aspect to the aromas, which helps to bolster the sense that you’re smelling whiskey with significant age on it.
Palate: On the palate, those nosing notes hold true in an impressively balanced fashion. What’s noteworthy about that is the fact it prominently features the flavor of mature oak, but it never teeters into the territory of seeming “over-oaked” and thus spoiling the entire affair. The mouthfeel is a tad lean, but the flavors are definitely well-developed and tasty as all hell.
Finish: The succinct finish is where you start picking up some baking spice notes of white pepper, cinnamon, and turmeric while some vanilla and honey sweetness caps things off.
Bottom Line:
Let’s acknowledge up front that 15-year-old bourbon is hard to come by. While there are other expensive alternatives in that price range, there are few that capably follow in the footsteps of Russell’s 15. Calumet 15, however, does a solid job of hitting those sweet black cherry notes and balancing that with some robust oak undertones.
It isn’t exactly cheap, but it is much easier to find, and depending on your market, you can often find it closer to $100, which makes it a nice option if you’re unable to find Russell’s Reserve 15 at it’s SRP.
