When the George T. Stagg distillery first launched Blanton’s in 1984, it was priced at a then-jaw-dropping $30—double or triple the price of most different bourbon on the cabinets. On the time, the business was nonetheless within the midst of a decadeslong tailspin, a glut of barrels accumulating in Kentucky warehouses as People centered their consideration on vodka, wine coolers and any cocktail made with peach schnapps. So why launch a luxurious product?

“[Elmer T.] Lee had nothing to lose,” claimed The New York Occasions in its 2013 eulogy of the legendary grasp distiller. By then, nevertheless, his distillery was generally known as Buffalo Hint and Blanton’s was on the verge of changing into a unicorn, with a market worth of $300—that’s, in the event you might really discover it. Immediately, the thought of a world-class bourbon for below $50 appears downright laughable.

And but, there may be much more on the market than you would possibly suppose.

If the main focus of bourbon fanatics, particularly “taters,” in the present day appears solely homed in on allotted LEs (restricted editions) that promote for a whole lot if not 1000’s of {dollars}, MSRP be damned, the business stalwarts proceed to launch loads of exemplary bourbon at a terrific worth. There’s merely an financial system of scale that enables the large, multinational conglomerate–owned distilleries like Wild Turkey (a Campari subsidiary), Jim Beam (Suntory) and 4 Roses (Kirin) to proceed to supply top-shelf liquid at bottom-shelf costs. As certainly one of our tasters bluntly figured:

“In case you’re growing old a spirit, you’re not going to spend all that point simply to make one thing shitty.”

Nonetheless, this was a reasonably difficult tasting as a consequence of an overriding sameness from bourbon to bourbon. In contrast to, say, single malt whiskeys, rum or agave spirits, bourbon has a a lot narrower profile for what it might probably really style like. Strict manufacturing guidelines dictate that or not it’s predominantly corn-based and aged in new charred oak, and the subsequent factor , you end up swimming in a sea of caramel, vanilla and baking spice sameness.

In fact, there have been just a few standouts. 

We tasted 15 unlabeled bourbons, virtually solely from Kentucky’s largest distilleries, although just a few economically priced craft choices had been additionally included. Beneath are our high 5 picks.