Cheap Whiskey That's Surprisingly Tasty

When it comes to something like whiskey, there are a lot of people who have a lot of opinions. Sure, there are some guidelines on how to easily tell top-shelf whiskey apart from the not-so-great stuff, but we're going to throw caution to the wind and say that sometimes, you don't need to spend the equivalent of a week's worth of groceries on a bottle of whiskey to get something you're going to enjoy.

Will it be the kind of "good" that gets immortalized in poems and sonnets? Nah, but it could be the kind of good that gets immortalized in a really good country-rock-pop crossover song, and we're totally fine with that.

With that in mind, let's talk about some affordable bottles. Full disclaimer? This writer is a self-proclaimed whiskey girl and has been for years. With that comes trying anything and everything under the sun, only occasionally on a dare, and when you add in a healthy dose of willingness to judge not by a price tag, but by taste, it's amazing how things can open up. To put together this list of recommendations, I started with personal favorites and set a limit of carrying a national average price of $35 or less for a 750-milliliter bottle. And you're not just trusting me here. Each one of these picks has plenty of fans out there, proving that you don't have to break the bank to make a really good cocktail. I promise.

Let's start with an Irish favorite: Tullamore Dew. This is also a huge personal favorite, and here's where I note that — yes — I've toured the distillery, and it's incredibly interesting. Tullamore Dew has (at the time of this writing) an average national price of about $32 for a 750-milliliter bottle, which puts it at the higher-priced end of our recommendations. But it's totally worth it, especially if you're looking for something to sip on the rocks.

Tullamore Dew has earned a slew of awards from the International Spirits Challenge and the World Whiskies Awards — among others — and it's a blended whiskey made from the combination of grain, malt, and pot still whiskey. Add in the seven years it spends aging in barrels once used for bourbon and sherry, and it's a surprisingly complex, smooth, and just downright delightful whiskey that's mildly fruity, a little vanilla-y, and a little spicy. Hate that burn you might come to expect at this price point? There's none of that: Drink it with an ice cube, or use it in literally any cocktail, and you're not going to go wrong.

So, here's the thing about rye whiskey... and if you've had bad rye whiskey, you know where this is going and you're already making that face. There's no mistaking rye whiskey for anything else, and it comes with a spicy bite. But that also means that rye whiskey is a key component in a cocktail like a King Cole, which is basically an Old Fashioned dialed up to 11. This is where we recommend Rittenhouse Rye, a bottle from the Heaven Hill Distillery that retails for around $30 a bottle. 

It's got that spicy kick that we were talking about, but because it also has a lot of corn in the mash bill, that serves to mellow things out. Think dry, spicy, and if you're familiar with the smell that comes after polishing wood furniture, it's kind of like that ... but in the best way possible. It's won a ton of awards — including a Double Gold from the TAG Global Spirits Awards — and we'd say this 100-proof whiskey is pretty perfect for those cocktails where you still want to be able to taste the whiskey against the backdrop of other ingredients.

Full disclosure: This writer hails from Buffalo, New York, and drinking Canadian whiskey is as much a part of life there as wings, beef on weck, and Ted's hot dogs. While Canadian whiskey might not have the same kind of reputation as Irish or Japanese whiskey, it's still perfectly fine — especially for Canadian Club's average price point of around $15 a bottle. And just to be clear, that's for a whiskey that's won a bunch of awards from the SIP Awards, including getting major kudos for being a consumer favorite. And yes, the "1858" in the name is a reference to the year that it hit the market. 

This whiskey is legit Canadian in that it's not offending anyone. It's smooth and clean and it's got the standard whiskey flavor profile of a little caramel, a bit of vanilla, a little honey, and a little bit of the grains coming through. Generations of whiskey drinkers have made this their go-to for an everyday bottle, and we'd even suggest it's a great option for trying some of those vintage cocktails that have been around for longer than Santa Claus. There is, after all, a good chance that the OG versions of some featured Canadian Club.

Alberta Premium Blended Rye Whisky is another Canadian favorite, and it's been around since just about the end of World War II. It's made from 100% rye, so yes, there's a bit of a bite there. However, there are also a number of awards attached to this bottle as well, along with a price tag of around $19 a bottle. 

But here's the thing: This is a great, entry-level rye for someone who wants to explore what a rye whiskey is, without being turned away from the concept altogether. It stands up in a cocktail, it's decent on its own, and it's got enough going on that you're not going to only taste the spice from the rye. There's a sweetness there, too, that takes any edge off. Sure, Canadian whiskey might not have a reputation as the fanciest whiskey out there, but that doesn't mean it's not respectable — and tasty.

There's a chance that if you've seen Ide & Stills Irish Whiskey on a shelf, you've probably reached right past it. It retails for around $16 a bottle, and we'll be honest: That label looks like it was created sometime around 1930, and never got another thought. Looks can be deceiving, though, and that's the case here. This triple-distilled whiskey is the kind of whiskey that doesn't have any characteristics to make anyone say, "Oh, I don't like that." It's mild and walks the line between sweet, floral, and grassy, with just enough fruitiness that we'd say it's pretty ideal in something like an Apple Old Fashioned.

It's an Irish whiskey (obviously), so you know it's going to be super smooth — but it still has a little bit of that twinge at the end. You know the one? That's the one that comes from the ethanol, and it's that feeling that settles into the back of your tongue, fills your head, and settles into your chest as a reminder that you are, in fact, drinking whiskey.

Yes, we have another Canadian whiskey here, but what can I say? The Buffalo native likes the Canadian whiskey. It's easy to forget these days, but even though a bottle of Crown Royal is definitely affordable enough to be an everyday kind of bottle, it was the result of more than 600 attempts at blending, and some of the first cases were given to King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. 

Today, it's widely available for (mostly) just under $20 a bottle, and there's nothing bad to say about it. No one's going to be disappointed when you show up to a party — or a book club meeting, or a game night — with a bottle of Crown, and part of the reason for that is because it's incredibly versatile, has a caramel-forward flavor that's great in any number of cocktails, and a smoothness that makes it easy on its own. Sometimes, some of the best drinks are the easiest, and we'd argue that a tall, cold, fizzy glass of cola and that caramel flavor that Crown brings is just downright delicious.

Way back in 2021, $400K worth of Jack Daniel's was spilled in an accident on a Tennessee highway, and if you just cringed at the thought of all that senseless waste, well, that might mean you think more of Jack Daniel's than you expected. This particular brand is, of course, known for affordability, but we'd like to take a minute to talk about the Tennessee Straight Rye. This one hovers at right around the $30 mark for a bottle, and it's actually a pretty great way to start getting into rye whiskey. 

Jack Daniel's is meant to be widely accessible and appeal to a wide range of people, and while some fancy-pants whiskey connoisseurs might mean that it's time to start looking down their noses, we say, "Nay!" As far as rye whiskey goes, this is an incredibly mild, mellow, and smooth one that doesn't feel like work to drink. We got curious as to what others were using this for and found some reviews that suggest this is reminiscent of Christmas cocktails and desserts. We absolutely see it: With a combination of spices and cinnamon, vanilla and chocolate, and a bit of a kick, this might just be the perfect whiskey for your wintertime hot toddy.

You might wonder what bottled-in-bond means, and in a nutshell, it means that the whiskey meets a series of criteria that was first established back in 1897 and is still carefully monitored today. It includes things like a minimum age statement of four years, and it came from a single distillery ... among other things. Evan Williams 100-proof Bottled-in-Bond is a product of Heaven Hill, and if you were to try this award-winning whiskey without being told what it was, you'd think it cost way more than an average of about $19 a bottle. 

This definitely stands alone, and you can definitely sip this slightly citrusy, sweet, woody bourbon whiskey. At that price point, you're not going to feel guilty about using it in a cocktail, either. The only thing that's better than a good bottle of something is a good bottle that's versatile and great for everything, and this is it. We will add that when we started reading some of the reviews for this one, there was a pretty hilarious theme of people being shocked that they were suggesting something priced under $20 was great for sipping. We're not shocked: We know it is.

So, here's one that's not going to be for everyone, and we'll say that right upfront. Making a proper Sazerac cocktail involves a few things, including the occasionally polarizing rye whiskey, and the definitely polarizing absinthe. And no, we don't mean it's polarizing because it's dangerous but because anise is a love-or-hate flavor. Sazerac Straight Rye delivers on that anise flavor from the first sniff to the very last drop and lingering finish, and while it's more complex than that, we'll say that it could be a deal-breaker for some.

However, if you're the type that loves black licorice and always picks out the black jelly beans to eat them first, this might be your new favorite bottle. It retails for around $32, and it's won an almost obscene number of awards from pretty much every whiskey competition you can think of. Definitely add a few drops of water to this, and definitely drink it while you sit back, close your eyes, and listen to your favorite jazz album, because you can almost taste New Orleans.

Japanese whiskey has a bit of a reputation for being ultra-smooth and having a delicate balance of flavors that makes for an exquisite drinking experience. Just that sentence alone sounds expensive, but Suntory Whisky Toki retails for around $30 a bottle and is a great example of the smooth, light flavors that you might expect from a whiskey that's a heck of a lot more expensive. 

This is another award-winning whiskey, and we'd argue that if there's someone in your life who's not sure about whiskey but would like to give it a go, this is the bottle to pick up. Think of the scents of a green apple, and instead of that distinct spiciness that comes with a rye whiskey, imagine sweetness, a drizzle of honey, and a clean finish that means while this might get lost in a lot of cocktails, there are no mixers needed. However, if cocktails are your go-to, this is excellent in the cocktail that Alton Brown uses to test the skills of bartenders: the Old Fashioned.

No conversation about affordable whiskey would be complete without giving a mention to Jim Beam, and in this case, we're going with Devil's Cut. Why? This is another one that might be a little polarizing because it's really heavy on the flavors imparted by the charring on the inside of the barrels used for aging. In 2011, the distillery announced they'd come up with a way of taking barrels that had been used for aging and extracting the bourbon that had seeped into the wood. It's that ultra-aged bourbon that gives Devil's Cut an incredibly strong, woody flavor, and if you ask this writer (and you're here, so you have, thank you for that), it's shockingly good — particularly when it's mixed with cola.

This whiskey tastes like sitting around a campfire on a cool autumn evening feels, when the air is filled with the smells of fire and ash. The idea that Jim Beam needed to come up with a way of extracting this ultra-aged spirit from wood might make it seem like of course this is going to be ultra-expensive, but at the time of this writing, it's retailing for a national average of about $24 a bottle.

Fans of Costco really, really love Costco, and if you're on the fence about a membership but love cheap whiskey, here's some food for thought. Kirkland Signature's Canadian Whisky has a ton of fans, with Reddit threads literally filled with people wondering how such a good whiskey can be sold so cheaply. That's the name of the game at Costco, sure, but going through Instacart, a 1.75-liter bottle is currently $22.09. And no, that's not a typo.

There's something incredibly appropriate about super-sized bottles of whiskey on the shelves at Costco, but when it comes time to talk about quality, we'll put it this way: Rumor has it that it might actually be made by Crown Royal. Is it? Who knows! Not the internet! The bottom line is that even if it's not made by Crown, it's good enough that people have to debate whether or not it is. For that price, it's a total win no matter how you want to use it.

The naysayers can hush right now because if you haven't tried it, don't knock it. We had to include a flavored whiskey here because for starters, they tend to be on the more affordable side of the pricing scale. Also? Well, we like fun things. The story goes that this apparent abomination was created when there was an accident involving a glass of whiskey, a jar of peanut butter, and an enthusiastic pup. Whiskey should never be wasted, the combination turned out to be amazing, and here we are. 

And honestly, it really is one of those things that just needs to be experienced, because it really is, well, a peanut butter-flavored, very smooth-drinking whiskey. Make sure it's cold, drink it straight, and a 375-milliliter bottle will set you back just around $9. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? And we'll say in advance: You're welcome. (Also, you should definitely try this in an Irish coffee.)

Bushmills has been around for a long, long time, and nothing has longevity without a reason. Aged in bourbon and sherry casks for a fruit-forward flavor profile, Bushmills Original is another great option for a bottle to keep on hand all the time. Whether you feel like a sipper or a cocktail, you can reach for Bushmills and not be disappointed. And with a retail price of around $24 a bottle, you're not going to feel like you're wasting an expensive tipple if you're feeling like just mixing it with some cola or ginger ale and calling it a day. 

Bushmills is also a great option for anyone who likes their drinks on the sweeter side, and that's kind of appropriate. It looks like it's the color of honey, and there is a lot of honey sweetness on there — so much so that some might find it polarizing. But here's a fun fact that speaks to how good Bushmills products are: It's the world's oldest licensed distillery and has been around since 1608. That's a ton of heritage and a lot of time to make sure they're getting things right.

To come up with our list of recommendations for cheap whiskey that you're going to want to drink we started with setting a price limit. At the time of this writing, each one of our recommendations has an average national price of less than $35 for a 750 milliliter bottle.

Then, this writer sat down and started making some picks based on personal favorites, the bottles that are always on hand at my home bar, and some experience behind the bars at restaurants. Throw in some experience crafting cocktails for parties, and you get to know a little bit about what people are going to like ... even if they're surprised when you tell them that yes, this is actually Canadian Club. Then, I also headed out to sites like Reddit to make sure each of these picks has a fan base, and here we are!