3 Reasonably Priced Good Bourbon Choices For National Whiskey Day
May 20th is National Whiskey Day. If you enjoy whiskey then this is the day for you. Maybe you are partial to a specific type of whiskey, Irish, Scotch, Bourbon, Rye, Tennessee, Canadian, or Japanese. Whatever your choice is, there is always going to be a pretty good whiskey that is reasonably priced. I’m partial to bourbon, scotch, and rye (in that order) so let’s look at 3 reasonably priced good bourbon choices that you can enjoy without breaking the bank. One quick note: all of these prices could vary depending on where you’re buying.
1. Elijah Craig Small Batch – 750ml price range $25 – $34 ($34.29 at PA Fine Wine & Good Spirits)
Our signature cocktail pairs perfectly with this year's @PGAChampionship #OakHillOldFashioned pic.twitter.com/HH0rhWpOQB
— Elijah Craig Bourbon (@Elijah_Craig) May 17, 2023
I’m not really sure what made me pick up this bottle the first time I bought it. It could have been that I was in the mood to try something new. That was 4 years, and many bottles, ago. It definitely falls into the reasonably priced good bourbon category. 94 proof and has a nice sweetness to it. Not that I would know this from drinking it because I don’t have a nose for it, but there are notes of caramel, nutmeg, and mint. Sure, that sounds good, but all I needed to know was that I like the taste. Easily found throughout Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware.
2. 1792 Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey Small Batch – 750ml price range – ($32.99 at Total Wine and More in Cherry Hill)
Cheers to a new year and the new opportunities it will bring. pic.twitter.com/n0tGCJR93m
— 1792 Bourbon (@1792Bourbon) January 1, 2022
Unlike my introduction to Elijah Craig the bottle of Bourbon, I know I was looking to try something new when I picked up this bottle of 1792. Again, not much of a nose for what hints and notes are in it, just more of what taste I like. Here is the description from Total Wine & More “Kentucky- 1792 is the year that Kentucky became a state, and the bottling of this special Bourbon commemorates that date. Made from 1792’s signature “high rye” recipe and the marriage of select barrels. Classic balance of spice and oak leads to a long dry finish.”
3. Woodford Reserve Straight Bourbon – 750ml price range $33-$40 ($32.99 at Total Wine and More in Claymont DE.)
Hang your hat up; Enjoy a spectacle. pic.twitter.com/FIDeTRtoDL
— Woodford Reserve (@WoodfordReserve) July 15, 2022
A go-to at wedding receptions that have a decent bourbon. Just had a few glasses of this at a buddy’s wedding a few weeks ago. Delicious to just sip on while waiting for more Hors D’oeuvres to walk past me. I never thought to combine Woodford Reserve with a thin bread stick wrapped with prosciutto, until that wedding. Here is what Vine Pair had to say about Woodford Reserve and its 200 tasting notes (I noted zero notes): “Woodford touts its bourbon as having 200 detectable flavor notes. To identify them all, you might need the experience and palate of the brand’s master distiller, Chris Morris. In fairness, it is an incredibly aromatic and flavorful bourbon, which arrives at a precise 90.4 percent ABV. Consider it a solid, dependable all-rounder.”
Enjoy national whiskey day, or any day that you’re looking for a reasonably priced good bourbon, without going broke.