@@TheBourbonVan Awesome! It’s great stuff. And if you ever make to their distillery, try as many of their experimental bottles as you can. Some of them are incredible.
Great list! OGD for the win (your full list was spot on). The Russell’s 10 and the Knob Creek 9 are both fantastic and really it’s personal preference there. Eagle Rare is great under $40 but it’s really hard to find.
Eagle Rare is without a doubt a Top under $40 bottle. Sadly availability and market now days for most so understand why not on list. ER was one of my entries to bourbon over 20 years ago. Thanks @Tristen L for comment🥃
Love the Russell's 10, Knob Creek, WT101, only like the Old Grandad 114, I think there are better high proofs, would rather spend a little more. Not sure if you have tried Wheel Horse bourbon, $23.99, different, has an apple taste to it.
Enjoyed list. Wish more had availability to ET BIB(one of my fav for $) but, like said most whom want have thankfully. Hard to beat KC for $. Also glad kept prices legit for most. Cheers🥃
Tonight is the first time I saw your channel. I was impressed by a couple that enjoyed bourbon together. You are great, really enjoy the interaction. Nice job.
The cheapest I have seen BT is $36 around here (and it's usually not there at all). 10 stores (so far) and seen it once. My favorite store has early times BIB for $25 for a liter, and nobody else has it at all. Really good. Cooper's Craft is about $33 here. I like it but not as much as the Early times. (here is savannah - I think Texas is the sweet spot for good prices.) Russell is 42-50 here. Do we need to move? :) as always, great video from the van!
Here the list would be under $60 for what you can find. Fortunately Knob Creek 9 is fairly common at $51 before taxes of course. WT 101 comes in at $36 along a couple others.
That's a fair question. Woodford products have a strange flavor on the finish that doesn't appeal to everyone. Apparently it's a more popular opinion than we thought, because nearly all of our supporters left it off their list.
@@TheBourbonVan I think it is as good as Makers and better than Knob Creek. Then again come to think of it there are some popular bourbons I do not like but like Woodford's a lot so the people that like the other bourbons might not care for Woodford's. Fair enough.
101 is solid, but the extra oak on the 46 really makes the whiskey something special. There are rich, sweet caramel notes on the 46 that are tremendous.
Another great video. You had me worried for a while! Knob Creek is definitely #1 in my book. No question. I really have no argument with any on that list or anything that got snubbed. People are mentioning Eagle Rare but there's only a couple states that even see it sitting on a shelf. Also Elijah Craig is ok, but wouldn't beat anything that was mentioned on your lists. Great job! Now I think I'll drink some of that 1792 FP Store pick I just recently picked up for $39.99! Cheers🍷
Well done! Can get 3 of them here (Knob Creek, Russell’s and 1792), so that’s good to know. Sadly, the KC I have is the non-age statement release, so not sure how that compares? Have yet to try the 1792, so may just have to grab that (at right about $40 USD here). Cheers P&J!!
Cheers, Paul! That KC might just be the old bottle from before the age statement was brought back. We'd be curious to know if there's a big difference with that one as well.
It's funny what some people can get and some people can not. I can find Buffalo trace in almost every store I go to here in WA, but I have never seen early times BIB or Russell's 10 SiB. M46 is in my top 5 for sure. I am surprised that eagle rare did not even get an honorable mention. KC9 is wonderful, just grabbed a bottle on sale for $21
I know this is 2 year old video I’m commenting on but I’m catching up on their videos lol have you found Early Times yet?? I live in Spokane and we have it!
Ruby, we definitely agree. It probably deserves a top-5 spot. But one thing we've learned: if you say good things about Buffalo Trace products, especially the harder to find ones, the angry trolls come for you with pitchforks. Simply mentioning Blanton's in a video will get you downvotes. The funny thing is, when we don't talk about Eagle Rare, nice people like you simply talk about how much they enjoy it. We'd rather have happy, sweet people in the comments section than the angry trolls!
@@TheBourbonVan, well, I can’t blame you there! I guess there’s a difference between the comments from angry trolls and having a discussion with friends.
I feel lucky, I can find all of the ones mentioned in Iowa. Plenty of ET BIB sitting on the state alcohol ordering site. The New Riff line is becoming my favorite, those I find $30-45.
I love OGD 114, I drink it to kick start my pallet because it just has good classic flavors and the bottle is really cool. I just found a new bottle of Early Times BiB because I killed the first one. For some reason, I can't get into 1792. All the ones I've had I just get too much heat and not enough flavor. One thing I've tried recently and really enjoyed is Bowman Brothers Small Batch. It was like $30 and had a great flavor for 90 proof whiskey. Now I'm on the look out for John J. Bowman.
Great list. Agree with them all. ET BIB is only one I don’t have - have never even seen it. Lost Monarch is my favorite of all on your list. As for those left off, maybe consider Belle Meade, Michters, Eagle Rare, and Maker’s 101.
We definitely considered all of those. The Michter's sells around $45 in our area, and every time we talk about Eagle Rare we get screamed at because people can't get it anywhere, haha. We just avoid talking about it completely these days.
No surprise OGD 114 made the list! High proof, high rye and delicious. ET BIB another great choice! I am surprised that OF 100 and WT 101 did not make the list. My favorite wheated is Larceny. These are the 5 i try to always have on hand.
I can't find Cooper's Craft here in Houston but I can find it whenever I go to Louisiana. That one, along with Early Times B-I-B are both bottles that I bunker in case they ever lose their "under the radar" status. Great list guys! I would add Eagle Rare but I am fortunate to occasionally run across it here - typically around $35 when I have a lucky day.
Can’t argue with the list . If I only had $30 Coopers craft is the bottle I would grab. OG 114 second and BT if it was a store pick. Trace and Eagle Rare store picks are great for around $30. Cheers!
Great list guys! So tough to narrow it down to 5. Did not expect KC9 to win it but totally agree. It is lovely. Elijah Craig small batch too worth a mention as much if not more so (for me) as Buffalo Trace. And OGD 114 and Early Times have become golden unicorns around NY (but I'll keep my lasso close by).
We were wondering when somebody would bring this one up! This sells for $50+ in many places. We really only left it off because of how limited and polarizing it can be. It's certainly good whiskey if you can find it for a reasonable price, and it's a good value under $40.
A friend of ours was venting about a group of people on a trail deep in the forest blaring music on a Bluetooth speaker. The phrase made us laugh so hard, we had to put it on a t-shirt.
Great show and excellent tips for the novice and/or uninitiated. Comfortable pricing on respectable bourbon products. Price point not always a determining factor for obtaining a good & very tasty bourbon beverage.
Another well done video, addressing an impossible topic. I agree with all your picks (maybe a different order), but one of my favorites under $40 was missing ..... Eagle Rare. Keep up the good work!!!!!
Thanks a lot! We can't win with Eagle Rare. When we mention it, everybody tells us to shut up about it because nobody can find it out there. When we don't discuss it, we're told we missed it, haha.
Another fantastic video! Obviously great choices! None of those behind you are in that price range though, are they? I'd love to see a top 10 (or 25!) $40-$100! Or perhaps $40-$80 and then $80-$125? Thanks again! Cheers, guys! 😁👍❤
We're way ahead of you...kind of, haha! We're working on a list of our favorites between $40 and $80. Beyond that, we're working on a video where we identify bottles over $80 and say whether or not we'd ever pay that amount again.
We had that same initial reaction. The deeper we get in that bottle, the more the raspberry note shows up and the spice dissipates. Let us know how it goes down the road for you.
1792 FP for what? Where I'm moving there, seriously very good picks ,can't wait to find that Coopercraft I've been hunting it , must have been difficult to leave out the WT 101 out of any contest under 50 .
Have always loved list videos and this is a great one. It’s tricky to do them and keep them interesting. Y’all did an outstanding job. Love the top two. It’s wild how little love they get in most online whiskey communities.
I’ve been scooping up bottles of early times this past week so that I can still secure some that’s pre-sazerac owned, and there’s quite a few bottles around of course you guys use the find liquor in Oregon site I did a quick look and there’s a lot of it out there- the shop here in Corvallis had 22 bottles in stock
This is like the pro version of our "Best Bang for your Buck" list. Thanks for sharing your picks and I love the list, except maybe Russell's 10. I cannot explain why it does not light up my palate like it should. I love Rarebreed and WT101. Otherwise I am totally with you. Cheers!
I would add Eagle Rare to the top 5 and Elijah Craig small batch as a mention. You could squeeze in a 375ml Blanton!😂😂. Great list and a great video to share with friends just getting into bourbon.
Cheers, Steve! We stopped talking about Eagle Rare. Every time we mention it we get screamed at by angry people who can't find it and it's not worth the trouble anymore.
Great video as always! I love all those except I've never seen a bottle of early times anywhere here in Southern California. I would have to add Woodinville 90. It's 37 by me and super unique and awesome.
Woodinville 90 got just a tiny bit of buzz when we were putting this list together. We really like it, but it can be a polarizing bottle. We find that people either love it or hate it. $37 is solid for that whiskey though. We've seen it over $40 a few times.
Always surprised that Fighting Cock doesn’t get more love in these lists! I have blinded it against some of the other distilleries standard offerings like KC9, WT101, ECSB, etc and it keeps coming out on top!
@@TheBourbonVan I am a big fan and f WT101, it’s my go to when I just want something to sip and not think about. That’s how I feel about FC, from heaven hill as a direct competition to 101. I get some rich flavor from it, not quite as spicy. Give it a try and let me know what you think!
What’s a good rye to start off in? Have no Ryes in my collection at the moment. Currently only have Buffalo trace, Weller 107, Weller SR, and Col EH Taylor small batch.
Hi Dean, it sounds like you're big on Buffalo Trace products. If that flavor profile appeals to you, Sazerac Rye is made by that same distillery and is a very bourbon-like, well-balanced, affordable rye.
I love a good Rye. My favorites: under $40= Knob Creek 100 pf Best at $55= Pikesville Rye. Best I've had for the money. If you can get it, buy a bottle. I buy 2 at a time.
I know it’s not always available, but I’m surprised Eagle Rare didn’t make your list. I’m in California and I find it for less then $39 and I emptied the shelf when I found it at my local grocery store for $29. It’s a great bourbon.
"I emptied the shelf" is why we don't discuss this bottle anymore. We haven't seen it on a shelf in a store in over a year. Every time we mention Eagle Rare, we're met with a barrage of angry commenters who have never seen it.
Knob Creek 9 is my go to bourbon when traveling thru airports!! Easily the best bourbon under $40. 1792 small batch is completely underrated and let’s keep it that way along with the Cooper’s Craft 100!!
Great review, really enjoyed the information and opinions! Eagle Rare can’t even be considered for anything until people can agree that they are able to get it from one coast to the other. Early Times doesn’t taste the same and the bottle has definitely changed, it’s so disappointing! Coopers Craft is great but.... I’m having to get it from a friend in Atlanta. I’d completely agree though, for an easy sipper at under $40...... you rankings are great. Like stated elsewhere in these comments, Larceny and Elijah Craig!
Thanks, John! We had fun with this list. Everything is always subjective and personal. No list video will ever please everyone, but if we can help someone new to bourbon make a good decision to help them on their journey, we feel satisfied. Thanks for watching and for sharing your thoughts!
Terrific list! I have not had the Early Times here in NC, but I am a big fan of each of the other four. I might go with Four Roses Small Batch which is available here in the low $30s. Great job!
Cheers, Ray! Every time we talk about Eagle Rare we get screamed at because people can't get it anywhere. We just avoid talking about it completely these days.
Can't argue with anything on this list but was a little surprised not to see Elijah Craig Small Batch. It's readily available and an easy daily drinker for $30 ish.
We wondered how long it would take for somebody to mention this one. It surprised us too that it didn't really get any love. Seems like the Barrel Proof gets all the attention for this brand these days.
I’ll have to revisit my bottle. When I started the process of building my current selection of 70+ bottles, ECSB went straight to my shelf of shame. Didn’t like it at all. I otherwise really like the list Phil & Julie put together here. I’m a new Patreon to their channel but didn’t participate in this particular survey. I was super happy to see Four Roses SB as an honorable mention since I would’ve suggested it as one of the top 5 under $40 for sure ($35 here in MT). I do like my Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A121, but the SB was a big disappointment to my particular palate. As I said, I’ll have to revisit it soon!
@@dennisrogers4665 I find my palate changes from one day to the next. A bottle that I'm in love with one night night just be ok the next. Except Orphan Barrel Copper Tongue. That's awful every time.
Thanks for the heads up, Robert. This is actually the first we've heard of that, but it doesn't surprise us. It would be strange if Sazerac was able to mimic the Brown Forman flavor profile perfectly.
Try them side by side The bottle changed and the whiskey tastes different They are not the same IMO Anyone living North of Dallas is welcome to do another side by side comparison with me. I’ll even use to unopened bottles The whiskey flavor profile is different, period.
Someone tell me if this has been their experience, regarding Buffalo Trace: It's absolutely not available everywhere where I am, in Des Moines. But the places that DO carry it pretty much ALWAYS have it on hand.
I’m Canadian, so any of the bottles you mention are significantly more expensive here. That being said, Woodford Reserve is one of my staples. Just wondering if price was why it didn’t make it on your list, or is it taste?
Hi Karen, good question. In this case, it's simply personal preference. Woodford features a polarizing flavor profile and people either really like it or really dislike it. To be fully honest, it wasn't mentioned once during our discussions. Although it's readily available, we wouldn't put it in the top 10 of the bottles under $40. Again, simply personal preference!
Buffalo Trace Runs $35 in Eastern panhandle WV Rare Bread $35 Four Roses $25-35 To Many Honorable mentions might as well just do the top 10. Early Times is in NoVa
