5 Best AVAILABLE BUDGET Bourbons 

SO BASICALLY for about a hundred bucks you can have a nice blind tasting party with your buddies and a decent cross-section of bourbons...FIVE!!! Very nice for everyone to sip, make notes, compare.....and feel like they're part of the SLB Crew!!!!

As a complete cork snob, wild turkey 101 giving you not only a cork but a natural wood cork at that price has won over my heart. I love the OF 100 but I hate opening a screw top and feeling like I'm 17 and sneaking some of my parents Seagrams VO

Buffalo trace is $23.99 here in CA and I see it everywhere. It’s basically the daily drinker.

OF 100 is the best. Great day sipper....very underated.

KURT!!! Great video!!! Before you revealed bottle number 5, I could hear my mind screaming WT 101!!!!! Then BOOM, there it was!!! That is def a nice Bourbon!!! CHEERS!!!!!

I am constantly amazed at how well Wild Turkey 101 stacks up as a classic bourbon and at such a budget price. I think I'm generally an Old Forester guy, but the Turkey is such a great bottle for the price.

Solid list. I can't get the VOB here in Oregon so I would add the Early Time BiB.

Evan Williams 1783 and Wild Turkey 101 are favorite daily drinkers. 1.3 million bushels of corn from my Indiana area goes to Evan Williams. Three loads a day every day. A retired farmer that grew some of that corn.

My brother in law gave me a bottle of Wild Turkey 101 that had been sitting unopened, sealed in its carton for 20 years. It was the smoothest bourbon I've ever tasted.

I appreciate the channel and especially this video. Just started getting into bourbon over the past year and want to make sure I am trying new things at a decent cost! Appreciate the level of detail you provide!!

Solid choices. I like them all and it's amazing what good bourbons you can find for cheap. Diminishing returns hits quickly sometimes in bourbon land.

Very glad to see VOB 100 included in your list. Like you, I think it’s a pretty amazing bourbon for the price. Always enjoy your videos!

Well done KURT, been enjoying you grow since the beginning, very happy for you👍😃

I love that you can get a handle of WT101 for mid 30's. Comes out to about $20/L (hell of a deal), where as buying the 750ml bottle at $22 is about $29/L. I always have a handle on hand that I use for bourbon cocktails. At my house I don't drink it neat too often (since i have other options), but if i'm at a budget dive bar it's my go to neat drinking bourbon if they have it.

Great video Kurt. I have all of these behind the bar and agree they are all great values, with the exception of the Barton, which I never did care for. Thanks for doing these videos on accessible, affordable whiskeys, which really help people out. A lot of other channels do videos on whiskey's that are hundreds of dollars that most people could never find or try, which is kind of a waste of time to watch as we will probably never get to try them. Really appreciate all of your hard work and the sharing of your knowledge!

The SLB team delivers another solid video. Keep up the great work guys!

These were good choices to provide in a nice category Available Budget Bourbons! I like the range of categories you review over time from $18 to hundreds per bottle! You cover the spectrum!

Great list. Id go with Evan Williams BiB over the 1783 personally, but everything else was great recommendations.

Love the channel. Great choices.

Id love to see a "Is Very Old Barton Worth it?" similar to the ones you guys have done for Four Roses, Evam Williams and others. They make several different proof budget bourbons (similar to how Benchmark has a bunch) and theyre all pretty different in taste to me at least. Would love to hear all your thoughts on how the different products compare from VOB

Wow insane how fast you got to 50k!! I thought I remembered you were around 2 or 3k just a couple months back! Congratulations!

All great picks and including 5 different distilleries is the fair way to go. Of course WT101 was the last featured and highlighted - no surprise. All 5 for less than the cost of some bourbons that would lose in a blind to most of them! Good bourbon doesn't have to break the bank, great bourbons either. Time for a " 5 Great Bourbons under $75 " episode. And yeah WT101 might make that list too!

You guys got me hooked...I've given up Tequila, and though I've greatly curtailed my indulging, I've been enjoying different bourbons, thru knowledge I've acquired here. What I'd like to see you guys do, is compare the best of different price levels against each other. That would truly enlighten us novices. Thanks , Guys!

Good list and good video, thanks for posting it. Definitely agree with other positive comments about Wild Turkey 101.

VOB was how I got introduced to 1792 and the Barton line from buddies at a party who buy it by the case because of the price. A best find for sure.

Great information, thanks

I love 4 of them, but I have not seen Very Old Barton here in Ft Worth. I will now look for it! But this list is outstanding!

Thanks for the content. You are really help me build my counter top with some nice bourbons. FYI - my cap came in few days ago and it fit nice and I like the logo.

Great list guy's solid choices!

Love this video, great list for starters to bourbon. Tony

Very good list. I’d go Very Old Barton as top daily drinker and WT101 for when you want more punch, darker notes and complexity.

Outstanding picks. The owner of my local liquor store in suburban Chicagoland told me about Very Old Barton and I absolutely love it. Can’t believe it’s $15!

This was a great informative video. Ive been conditioned to think anything from 30-50 was "budget". I had no idea these were options minus WT 101 (which I didn't realize was a bourbon)

Great picks!

Own em all. All GREAT picks. But you missed my favorite!! Old Fitzgerald 80 proof. $12 … and a wheated honey bomb. Go to Louisville and grab it! Hope HH doesn’t discontinue it! Trust me … it’s SO GOOD!

I appreciate how you are always posting lists like this. Availability, prices and tastes change so it really helps to keep updating lists

Great, solid list. I frequently have OT 101 or EW 1783 around the house. Lately I've been using WT 101 or WT 101 Rye or Old GD BiB for my mixer bourbon, but they are so good, the occasional nip neat or with a rock is also sampled. Sadly, even PA Premium Collection stores typically don't have Old Forester 100 or Very Old Barton. Like ever...Have to plan a trip to NJ or DE to get those...

My local store has had OF100 on sale for $17 for the last month. It is our favorite bourbon under $20 currently.

I have not tried very old Barton, but the other 4 are always on my shelf.

Good picks!!! 🥃 and all available cheers.

One hell of a line up !

That line up is solid

No arguments of course on the OF Signature 100 proof, I think that's my equivalent to your Wild Turkey 101, and I totally agree with your assessment of it; I usually describe it as a perfect utility player Bourbon. And I wish I had watched this video last week, because I would almost certainly have tried the Evan Williams 1783...I was looking at it on my liquor store's shelf, and said, maybe next time. Now, FOR SURE, next time: that and the Very Old Barton are on my shopping list. Thanks for another enjoyable, informative video, Sir!

Great list!

I still need to get Old Grand-Dad and Old Forrester. The other three are currently on my shelf. Wild Turkey 101 is the nectar of the gods! No bourbon delivers so much for such a great entry price. Evan Williams 1783 is a fantastic budget sipper. Smooth and sweet and so easy neat. Nice way to end a hard work week. Very Old Barton 100 is as good a budget bourbon as is available anywhere. The 90 is a good substitution if you can't find 100, but still inferior. I haven't had 86, the 80 proof is too weak for me. I wouldn't recommend it unless you are a dedicated 80 proof drinker. Like you, I can find it for $15 ($30 for the 1.75 L). Excellent selection sir!

OGD BIB and WT 101 are my go-tos. Great values

Only one I usually don't have is the Very Old Barton. And that is because we don't see it in northern New England.

Solid list. One tweak I’d make is Evan Williams BiB over the 1783. 1783 is definitely solid, but just comes off a little thin. EWBiB is, in my humble opinion, the best value in bourbon by far. It’s literally only $17 for a 750! Even though there are other great super affordable bourbons like WT 101 and Larceny, their prices ($24 and $26, respectively, here) on a percentage basis are much higher

I agree with your assessment of Wild Turkey 101, Old Grandad BIB and Old Forrester 100 proof. I really enjoy Evan Williams Bottled in Bond, but I'm not a fan of their 1783. I've never had the Very Old Barton 100 proof, but I did not like their Very Old Barton lower proof (86?) bourbon, which I tasted at the distillery. It's hard to beat WT 101 for the flavor and price!

I've got the last three stocked on my whiskey table. I've had the 1783 and it's decent but I have Elijah Craig in its place right now. The VOB 100 was better when it was a bonded bourbon but I still pick one up from time to time when I see it at a good price. Some stores sell it at a premium which I absolutely can't understand. Like sometimes more than WT101.

I knew WT 101 was coming. Great list.

Jim Beam Double Oak & Devil’s Cut are two of my absolute favorites so far.

Kurt, all of you and Trenton's pics are solid. I'm partial to old Forrester's but man that 1783 is solid from Evan Williams. Awesome video! God Bless and looking forward to your next video!

WT 101, price, quality and availability, we just love it.

I wanna shop where you guys shop. I just got the Old Forester 100 for $32. But totally worth it even at that price. So good!

That old Barton is soooooo good! Its 19 even here, but still well worth the price!

Hey Curt.... great show...! Big fan of the OGD ...BiB....let my brother in law ( expensive taste) try some and he was very impressed to say the least...! Also like the OF 100 & WT 101...!

Very Old Barton is hardly ever mentioned and it’s just a great budget bourbon. My everyday is OF 100 but you can’t go wrong with any of these. Thanks Kurt good choices!

I completely agree!

Saved the best for last. WT101 is my all time fav...and yes, It's that lil' hint of sweet at first sip that I enjoy...lol I recently purchased a bottle of Rare Breed, First time giving that a sip, But I still prefer the 101. Another great video..Having watched many of your video's, I finally became a subscriber..You'll hit and surpass that 50K in no time.

WT 101 for the win! They’re all great, but WT is my favorite.

Great commentary - thanks New subscriber!! 😊

Great choices. I've not had the Barton, but I've had the others enough. WT 101 is always a daily drinker. I think I like it a shade more than the 1783. I really like the OF 100 though. I may have to work on my bottle a bit more so I can buy another. These are the bottles I hit after chasing higher shelf bourbons because these, especially the OF 100 and WT 101, punch way above their weight against many many bottles costing 2-3 times more.

Awesome list ….. 👍

VOB is an interesting lineup. I don't care for the 80 proof, but am currently staring at a glass of 86 with a youthful love on my face. I haven't been able to figure out why they come across so differently.

"You know it's comin'!" I said WT101 out loud hahaha

I can't argue with that list.

Great pics.

I've been wanting to try that Evan 1783 for a while. Some friends and I are actually heading up to Heaven Hill in about 2-3 weeks to do their tour. It's only about 1hr 15 min from where we live a bit north of Nashville. Very excited about that trip :)

Love this segment! Couldn't agree with you more about WT 101 and OG Bonded - they are my staple high-proof cocktail mixers. What about Jim Beam Black? For my wife and I, this is our go-to for Bourbon and coke or large batch whiskey sours. Smooth and surprisingly rich and complex for just $20.

I say this considering myself a beginner/intermediate bourbon drinker (I’ve always liked it, but hadn’t been fond of sipping until recently). I think you have too many videos geared towards budget/low-end consumers. If I want to know what Wild Turkey 101 tastes like, you’re right! It’s everywhere. I can go buy an airplane bottle for $2 and try it. I would love a video on higher end, but still easy to find bourbons that you like. Something like Rare Breed level. And I always like your allocated videos of course. Thanks for the video!

Best available? Agree with WT101, it's everywhere, but I've never seen any of the others (except for Evan Williams, but we only have standard version, lucky if you find Bottled in Bond). Best available here in EU is Buffalo Trace ofc, Four Roses, Maker's Mark. The rest is low shelf life like Jack and Jim or expensive stuff like Bulliet, Elijah, Woodford, Yellow Rose.. and that's it.

You guys should do a blind tasting of...Early Times BB, Cooper Craft 100 & Old Forester 100. Love to see how that would shake out.

Wild turkey 101 is a killer

Old Grandad is my go to bOttle that for me just says classic bourbon! Tastes great great for BBQ and you don’t cry if someone puts soda on it. Now with your love of Wild Turkey 101 I am moved to go out to find me some. On a side note It sure would be great to have you do some blind tastings.

I know you like the WT 101. but for around $20 Four Roses is an outstanding pour. I have no issue with Old Forrester. That was my Grandpa’s drink and I just recently had a glass and it is still just as good.

Just waited to say again, I am jealous of your prices. Also, WT101 and OF100 are 2 of my favorites.

My favorite budget bourbon is Jim Beam black, $20 aged 8 years and great

OF100 and WT101 are absolute steals for the price.

Great good ol' basement bourbon bar session, Kurt and Trent! With all the unicorn hunting out there, it's good to know that a Benjamin can buy five superb bourbons, Taste 'em blind - does it really make sense to pay that for one bottle of Blood Oath (or similar), where the provenance of the juice is unknown?

Great list! I found a new bottle I like , Rebel 100! Easy drinking wheater at $17 a bottle! Cheer's

I remember when I was in college (1983-85) Wild Turkey was an absolutely horrible whiskey. The only reason everyone was drinking it was the proof. Now, it has become my go-to whiskey for most things. Nightly pour? Check! Mixer? Check! Conversation starter? Check! It's a really good bourbon now, and I just hope that it's because they changed the formula (i'd hate to think that I was that shallow back then).

Fresh Sub here! Love the content and knowledge. I would ask for you to look at great "dirt cheap" bourbons! (Benchmark is 11.95 per 750) I am blown away by the quality to dollar ratio of that pour.

Great list Kurt. I have yet to try Evan Williams, I will have to check them out some time. I'm not sure if I missed this, but have you checked out the new stuff from Jack Daniels yet? I was curious what your thoughts were on BiB 100 proof and the 150th anniversary bottle I believe is also 100 proof. Thanks for the info as always, enjoy the content.

Old Forester hard to pass that one up.

Would love to see a video of “special occasion” or a more expensive bottle list. I’m looking for a few special occasion bourbons now. I have my few everydayers (BT and MM 46), couple Friday night pour bourbons (Rare Breed, Russell’s SiB, Eagle Rare, and 4 Roses SBS) , a few impress your guests (Old Forester 1920, Henry McKenna, EC BP, Blantons, Woodford DO, and Barrell Seagrass) and mixer (WT 101).

I do love WT 101 although here in TX it’s closer to $40. $38 at Total Wine. Still worth it, just surprised it’s so much cheaper where you are.

I would have made it 6 best and thrown Ezra Brooks on the list, but that's just me...well done as usual!

Kurt I would love for you to try the Tim smith climax wood fire whiskey 90 proof. The more I drink it the more I love it at 27$ . Look forward to hear what you think

I noticed that the WT101 bottle you highlighted here is “high rye”. Sometime you might taste test and explain it difference in the WT101 short label version.

Old Grand dad Bib is on my shelf right now, wild turkey is my go to but I had door dash delivery and they subbed the old grand dad because wild turkey was sold out.... it makes a pretty good bourbon smash, wild turkey is better tho

I agree that Old Forester 100 and the WT 101 are excellent budget bourbons. I'm not really a rye fan so I can't vouch for the Old Grand Dad. Oddly enough I've never even had the Evan Williams or the Very Old Barton. I'm going to have to remedy that! Thanks for the video.

I have not seen the OF 100 proof on the shelf lately. I did pick up a bottle of 86 and I realize it does not have the proof point the WT 101 has but I feel the flavor is better. I would like to try the OF 100 proof because I also have the 1920 and 1910 which are awesome but not budget. I like the WT 101 but like Buillett and Buffalo Trace better. I am pretty sure that EW small batch is available in our local liquor store so might try that at some point.

I knew wild turkey 101 good stuff

Could not agree with you more!

Great content! I can get the VOB at Binnys in Illinois but restricted to one per customer. Feels odd for such an inexpensive bottle. Cheers!

Very Old Barton is not available everywhere. You will not find it in Florida, for some reason, and I'm sure there are other states also. I have friends in the northeast that have also said they've never seen it. The others I have and are always readily available here.

Kurt, this was really helpful. Since I'm still "figuring out" bourbons the budget level is appealing to me. I find it interesting that most of the spirits I buy have NOT gone up in price for maybe a year. Has that been your experience?

All are EXCELLENT choices. VOB is probably my least favorite of them, but it's definitely not just wino fuel either.

This is very close to what my list would be. The only thing missing is a wheater. I would put in Rebel 100 for a good wheater. $20. I wish we could get very old Barton here