In the category of "best cheap whiskey," I nominate....

[Natch]

Tullamore Dew

A great and not well known Irish Whiskey. I love their aged stuff, but so smooth and too expensive, you can see $30 disappear much too quickly.

Natch

 

[jader]

Bushmills Irish Whiskey

 

[Young briar fan]

Evan "evil" Williams sour mash. If it gets to be a little too much and it's all you have in the cabinet for some strange reason mix it with a little ginger. The local home made is my first choice though.

 

[Ol'Dawg]

Though not what many would consider cheap, Buffalo Trace at about $20 for 750ml is a great bargain. It's won several gold medals in the last 5 or 6 years. A great sipping bourbon that's not widely known.

Jim

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

Buffalo Trace is good stuff, Bullet is another good one. Eagle Rare is probably my favorite.

 

[Zeno Marx]

Not really fair to compare $10 whiskeys to $20+ whiskeys. Doesn't seem like much of a price jump, but in the non-Scotch world, it's huge. The Old Forester, Old Crow, Evan Williams, etcs of the world are never going to compete with Buffalo Trace, Bulliet, or Eagle Rare, Woodford Reserve, Bernheim, the higher Wild Turkey blends, for example. Those are for an entirely different conversation...unless we're facing different value of the dollar and socio-economic confusion.

I'd like to try that Old Taylor 6. I don't think I've seen that around here.

 

[Ol'Dawg]

Not really fair to compare $10 whiskeys to $20+ whiskeys. Doesn't seem like much of a price jump, but in the non-Scotch world, it's huge. The Old Forester, Old Crow, Evan Williams, etcs of the world are never going to compete with Buffalo Trace, Bulliet, or Eagle Rare, Woodford Reserve, Bernheim, the higher Wild Turkey blends, for example. Those are for an entirely different conversation...unless we're facing different value of the dollar and socio-economic confusion.

I'd like to try that Old Taylor 6. I don't think I've seen that around here.

Just wondering where you can buy Old Forester for $10 a 750ml bottle?
It's about $18 a bottle here.

Also, all the other premium sipping bourbons you listed are start at about $25 and go up from there. (Bernheim is not a bourbon) So in my previous posting, Buffalo Trace is a "cheap" premium sipping bourbon at $20 and probably the "cheapest" gold medal winning sipping bourbon a person can find.

Jim

 

[Zeno Marx]

Just wondering where you can buy Old Forester for $10 a 750ml bottle?
It's about $18 a bottle here.

I haven't shopped around for it because I don't care much for it. My usual joint, Woodman's Foods, sells it for $10.79 or $11.79 per fifth.

 

[williamcharles]

Two Kinds of Evan Williams. There is the straight Evan Williams Bourbon and then there is the Even Williams Honey. Both are good. The honey is milder (lower proof) and sweeter.

 

[Foxfire]

I agree with Zeno Marx in that it is clear that what is "cheap" to some people really isn't that cheap.

I also will agree that Evan Williams Black Label is the best cheap whiskey. Much tastier than Rebel Yell (to me) or some of the other swill mentioned here. Seems more pure too, as I've encountered fewer hangovers from it than I have from some other cheap whiskeys, or even more expensive whiskeys, to be honest.

 

[Zeno Marx]

I know some companies use artificial barrel flavorings to age the taste of their whiskeys. Developed by the same company that develops a lot of food flavorings. I believe there are four major flavoring labs in the world. I can't remember where I ran into that, bu it was either a documentary or a TV journalism piece. It was happenstance that the journalist noticed "oak flavoring", and the chemist explained it was used in whiskeys. Pretty disappointing, but it shouldn't be a surprise.

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

Not really fair to compare $10 whiskeys to $20+ whiskeys. Doesn't seem like much of a price jump, but in the non-Scotch world, it's huge. The Old Forester, Old Crow, Evan Williams, etcs of the world are never going to compete with Buffalo Trace, Bulliet, or Eagle Rare, Woodford Reserve, Bernheim, the higher Wild Turkey blends, for example. Those are for an entirely different conversation...unless we're facing different value of the dollar and socio-economic confusion.

I'd like to try that Old Taylor 6. I don't think I've seen that around here.

Here in PA (where the State runs the Liquor stores) Forester is $19, Eagle Rare is $23, Buffalo Trace is $24, Bulliet is $25. Evan Williams is the odd man out at $12.

 

[SailorJack]

Just bought a bottle of White Horse Scotch. For less than $15 it is quite drinkable. It supposedly has the famed Lagavulin and Talisker in the blend. If you like a lot of peat in your scotch than this may not float your boat but overall this is a keeper. Much better than JW Red, Dewars, or J&B.

 

[CLFman]

Damn... I am jealous... Eagle Rare goes for 30 bucks plus in NYC and in CT....

That is my favorite.