Best Small Batch Bourbons Under $50 — Ranked

Small-batch bourbon whiskeys are the ones a lot of us got started on. They’re the bourbons that are inherently cheaper, often under $50. That means if you were looking to drink a good bourbon (that wasn’t too bold) as a newbie, you’d likely be directed towards a small-batch bourbons post haste. And that would be the right call.

I purposefully chose a wide array of small-batch bourbons, all under $50, from all over the scene. I did add one ringer — an allocated (small distribution) $45 small batch bourbon that sells for three times that at most retail. I wanted to see if it was really that much better in a big blind taste test and worth that inflated price tag or something closer to its actual one.

12. Woody Creek Distillers Colorado Straight Bourbon Whiskey Hand-Crafted in Small Batches

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $49

The Whiskey:

This Colorado craft distillery is all about that Rocky Mountain vibe. The whiskey is made from a 70% corn mash with a touch of local rye and malted barley mixed with Rocky Mountain spring water. The whiskey is aged for at least four years in deeply charred new oak before batching, proofing, and bottling.

Bottom Line:

This was a tad grain-forward. It wasn’t off balance but just needs a little more of something. That all said, I can see this working nicely in highballs with good fizzy water and a nice garnish from the garden.

11. Deadwood Straight Bourbon Whiskey Bottled in Small Batches

ABV: 40.5%

Average Price: $18

The Whiskey:

This sourced whiskey is made from two-year-old barrels in small batches of no more than 20 barrels each. The whiskey is MGP of Indiana bourbon with 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley. Those barrels were sent down to Kentucky where they were batched and bottled with that Kentucky limestone water.

Bottom Line:

This was perfectly fine bourbon. It was balanced and tasted like standard good ol’ bourbon. Use it in highballs or garage pours with your pals. It’ll be fine.

10. Union Horse Distilling Co. Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey Small Batch

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

This Kansas whiskey is a neo-classic sour mash recipe of just corn and rye (no barley). The whiskey is distilled on copper pot stills before aging for over five years in Kansas’ rolling green hills and harsh winters. The final batch is touched with local water before bottling.

Bottom Line:

This is a pretty good bourbon overall. I’d use it more for whiskey cocktails (sours, smashes, etc.) than as a sipper, but it’ll be fine over rocks.

9. Knob Creek Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 9 Years

ABV: 50%

Buy Here: $45 (one-liter)

The Whiskey:

This is Jim Beam’s small batch entry point into the wider world of Knob Creek. The juice is the low-rye mash aged for nine years in new oak in Beam’s vast warehouses. The right barrels are then mingled and cut down to 100 proof before being bottled in new, wavy bottles.

Bottom Line:

This is a classic Kentucky bourbon … for cocktails. This is fine over some rocks but it really shines brightest in whiskey-forward cocktails.

8. Rabbit Hole Cavehill Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 4 Grain Small Batch

ABV: 47.5%

Average Price: $49

The Whiskey:

This four-grain Kentucky bourbon is made with 70% corn, 10% malted wheat, 10% honey malted barley, and 10% malted barley. That spirit is then aged for three years in toasted and charred barrels before it’s batched from 15 barrels, proofed, and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This is very much the same as above. It’s really good standard Kentucky bourbon that’ll shine in cocktails but can totally work over rocks on any ol’ day of the week.

7. Elijah Craig Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

This is Elijah Craig’s entry-point bottle. The mash is corn-focused, with more malted barley than rye. The whiskey is then rendered from “small batches” of barrels to create this proofed-down version of the iconic brand.

Bottom Line:

This was a notch above standard. Still, this felt like an old fashioned cocktail base more than anything.

6. Bib & Tucker Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey Aged 6 Years

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $44

The Whiskey:

Bib & Tucker pulls barrels of Tennessee whiskey from an old and quiet valley in the state. They then blend those barrels to meet their brand’s flavor notes. While they are distilling their own whiskey now, this is still all about blending those barrels in small batches.

Bottom Line:

This had a nice extra layer in its profile that help elevate it. Those Tennessee sweet earthy tones and choco-powder vibes add an extra something. I’d sip this in a nice whiskey-forward cocktail happily.

5. Doc Swinson’s Session Blend Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 5 Years Bottled in Small Batches

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $32

The Whiskey:

This blend from Washington is made with MGP bourbons that are at least five years old. The lion’s share of the blend is a 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley bourbon married to a 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley bourbon.

Bottom Line:

This dives deep into the slow-sipper territory. This is a really good whiskey. I want to add a little water or a rock to let bloom in the glass. This also feels like it’s going to make a killer Manhattan come winter.

4. E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch Straight Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey Bottled In Bond

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $45

The Whiskey:

Buffalo Trace’s Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Small Batch is an entry point to the other 12 expressions released under the E.H. Taylor, Jr. label. The whiskey is made from Buffalo Trace’s iconic Mash Bill No. 1 (which is a low rye recipe). The final whiskey in the bottle is a blend of barrels that meet the exact right flavor profiles Buffalo Trace’s blenders are looking for in a classic bottled-in-bond bourbon for Taylor.

Bottom Line:

This is a very on-point whiskey. I’m surprised to see it at 4th, but we’re already into the really good whiskeys and this had a softer landing than the next three.

3. Michter’s US*1 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45.7%

Average Price: $46

The Whiskey:

Michter’s really means the phrase “small batch” here. The tank they use to marry their hand-selected eight-year-old bourbons can only hold 20 barrels, so that’s how many go into each small-batch bottling. The blended juice is then proofed with Kentucky’s famously soft limestone water and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This was the most balanced whiskey on the list. I wanted a little more though. That said, this is clearly a great cocktail whiskey that’ll make a dope whiskey-forward cocktail all day long.

2. Four Roses Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $35

The Whiskey:

Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon is a blend of four whiskeys. The blend is split evenly between the high and low-rye bourbons with a focus on “slight spice” and “rich fruit” yeasts — that means OBSK, OESK, OBSO, and OESO are in the mix. After six to seven years of aging, the whiskey is blended, cut with soft Kentucky water, and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This was interesting and very dialed-in. I wanted to take another sip as a neat sipper. That’s high praise.

1. Cedar Ridge Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon Whiskey Small Batch

ABV: 58%

Average Price: $44

The Whiskey:

This Iowa whiskey is all about the Iowa corn. The mash is 74% corn, 14% malted rye, and 12% malted barley that is rested in oak for a few years. Since the temperature in Iowa swings by 100 degrees through a single year, aging doesn’t need to last forever. When the barrels are just right, they’re batched and bottled completely as-is.

Bottom Line:

This was just delicious. It’s deep and old-school and fresh and fun. It’s everything you want in a small-batch bourbon with some kick. I really want to make a Manhattan with this.