10 Bottom-Shelf Bourbon Brands That Aren't Even Worth Their Low Cost

There is nothing inherently wrong with cheap bourbon. In fact, there are plenty of brilliant bottom-shelf bourbons that can easily be enjoyed neat. It's for that very reason there are others out there that aren't even worth the low price you'll pay for them. Just because a bourbon is bottom shelf, that doesn't mean a bottle has to be devoid of a nice flavor, a decent level of balance, and a pleasant aftertaste. Those are areas where these 10 bourbons fundamentally fail. The worst brands usually give you a harsh alcohol burn, overly sweet flavors, a thin body, a lack of character, or a combination of all four.

Most whiskeys have their fans, but these bottles repeatedly receive poor feedback. To put this list together, I've combined my own tasting experience with extensive research into independent reviews and consumer opinions. I've personally sampled around half of the bourbons featured here, while the remaining selections earned their place due to consistently negative ratings and recurring criticisms across the whiskey community. These bourbons won't ever burn a hole in your pocket, but they can still be a huge disappointment. Thankfully, it's a disappointment you can now avoid if you stay away from the following bottom-shelf bourbon brands.

A bourbon such as Hayes Parker is always going to be appealing due to its extremely low price. Bottled at a modest 90 proof, it's labeled as bourbon whiskey, from which you can assume it hasn't been matured for the minimum of two years that would legally qualify it to be called straight bourbon. Without that aging, it's no surprise that is lacks the balance and maturity that can be found with other inexpensive bottles. That's immediately noticeable with the aroma, as you get an initial hit of sharp oak along with an overpowering ethanol presence that will burn your nostrils if you're not too careful.

There is only a faint hint of sweetness on the nose, but the reverse happens once you begin to taste Hayes Parker. You get a sugary fruit flavor that tastes more like a sharp syrup rather than anything pleasant. There is little of the nice sweetness you can usually expect in a bourbon, but overall, the rawness in this spirit makes it feel like a glorified moonshine. The finish leaves behind a bitter and tannic aftertaste that will linger for a long time, leaving those harsh notes with you. 

When you compare Hayes Parker with a well-crafted bottom-shelf bourbon such as Evan Williams, they are worlds apart. Rough, unbalanced, and difficult to enjoy, these factors make it perhaps the easiest bottle on this list to skip.

It's important to note that not all of these bourbons are outright terrible; there are just better alternatives. Old Crow is an example of this, as there are a few redeeming factors here. It's a brand that carries plenty of heritage, shown by it making our list of the oldest bourbon brands that are still in existence. A once-pioneering brand has now been relegated to one of those bourbons that seem to exist for those wanting to pick up something cheap without much thought. Still, it's now produced by Jim Beam, so you do expect some baseline of quality.

That is shown by this bottle being a straight bourbon, so you get that minimum two years of aging. Yet, it can't be much older, as it has a distinctly youthful profile. There is ethanol on the aroma, along with fresh corn and young oak. There are some subtle hints of citrus and sweetness, too. Upon tasting, that develops into some nice honey, but it does get overshadowed a little by some oak bitterness and heavy grain flavors. There is also an astringent edge that sticks around and makes it feel rough. 

The finish isn't awful, but it is dry with some sharp oak. It's a bourbon that you could have pretty easily with a mixer, but as always here, there are better and equally inexpensive bottles for that.

As we've already looked at, there are regulations on what whiskey can call itself. Kentucky Gentleman is a little complicated in this regard. It is actually a mix of 51% straight bourbon and 49% grain neutral spirit. This no doubt keeps costs low, but it also keeps the quality low. It's made by the Barton 1792 Distillery, so I'd presume that the 51% of bourbon it contains is probably quite nice. Alas, that's not what you get to drink here. 

The aroma is actually quite subdued, with not much standing out, but it isn't bad either. There are some hints of honey when you get to the palate, but it feels quite thin and a long way from the rich caramel and vanilla you can get with good bourbon. To its credit, this bottle isn't particularly harsh — there's just very little to it. The sweetness does drift into feeling artificial, but it's not going to burn your throat. It feels more like a passable neutral alcohol with a touch of bourbon flavor added, making it bland and uninspiring. Again, this bottom-shelf bottle is not terrible, but with its lack of any real depth, it's one to avoid.

Even someone who only drinks bourbon occasionally expects whiskey to offer some degree of flavor, character, and balance. Unfortunately, Two Stars falls well short in those areas. There is very little about it that gives this bottom-shelf bourbon a recognizable identity or sets it apart from the countless other bottles competing in the same space. It's one of those spirits that is far from being completely undrinkable, but it lacks the smoothness that you can still get with other inexpensive bourbons.

The biggest problem is its lack of character. Rather than presenting any meaningful aroma or flavor, the alcohol comes across as harsh and immediately dominates what little else is there. On the palate, the whiskey feels noticeably light and watery, with a thin mouthfeel that does little to improve the experience. You might be able to pick out faint traces of caramel or spice, but even those flavors are subdued. Using it in a cocktail doesn't exactly solve the problem either. Its lack of body means there isn't much whiskey flavor to contribute. Given all of that, it's fair to say this bourbon whiskey is Two Stars by name and probably two-stars by nature, as well.

As with Kentucky Gentleman, this is another bourbon that is produced by the Barton 1792 Distillery. Unlike that bottle above, Ten High is classified as "bourbon whiskey with natural flavors" on its label, which confirms a lack of aging. You sense that on the nose, as it's dominated by young grain. There is a little caramel present, along with some vanilla. This means there are some nicer notes there, but it lacks the richness you'll get in better value bourbons. 

It's a similar story when you move on to the palate. There are hints of sweetness, with the corn being the most notable. You'll also taste some mild baking spice, but overall, the whiskey feels quite underdeveloped. Mellow Corn is an impressive cheap whiskey that has a similar level of high sweetness, but it delivers it in a much more balanced way. Towards the end of the Ten High tasting experience, you get some dry oak and a slight bitter edge. The finish is unsurprisingly short, leaving behind more grain than anything else. It works reasonably well as a basic mixer, but that's about it. It's easy to find other bottom-shelf bourbons with much fuller flavor.

I'd give Virginia Gentleman the dubious honor of being the best, or perhaps the least-worst, whiskey on this list. Produced by the A. Smith Bowman Distillery, this is one of a few bottles here that is actually 100% straight bourbon whiskey. Despite this, it still lacks the depth of character that you can get from a similarly cheap whiskey such as Benchmark. The nose here is surprisingly pleasant, as you can find some unique notes such as cherry, orange, and even a touch of leather.

The palate starts reasonably well, with flavors of caramel and baking spice, but it quickly becomes apparent that these flavors are light on intensity and depth. The mouthfeel isn't completely thin, but the flavors it presents never really develop into something enjoyable. You get a few interesting spices on the finish, such as black pepper and cinnamon, but they seem to leave as quickly as they arrive. Unlike some of the other bottles listed here, Virginia Gentleman isn't especially harsh or unpleasant. Instead, its biggest weakness is that it lacks any real personality. If you simply want to satisfy your curiosity, buying this can make sense. But if you want the best cheap bourbon around, pick something else.

A Tennessee sour mash whiskey that comes in a distinctive, black-labeled bottle? The infamous Jack Daniel's, this whiskey is not. In fact, it's hardly a surprise that the owners of Jack Daniel's, Brown-Forman, actually filled a lawsuit for trademark infringement. In reality, the two were never going to be confused with each other, as Lonehand is a far inferior product. An 80-proof bourbon, it has some appealing sweet notes that are initially evident on the nose. You get some honey and caramel, along with some cinnamon spice, but there's also some young oak and noticeable ethanol.

The nose is actually quite inviting, and the palate has some pleasant flavors, too. The caramel carries over well and is joined by some brown sugar and corn. You even get some light fruit and cinnamon notes. However, these flavors are carried on a mouthfeel that is thin and watery. Perhaps the worst part is a chemical character that can prevent you from enjoying its sweeter flavors. With the finish, raw alcohol heat lingers for longer than any other tasting note and leaves an unpleasant taste. The best Tennessee whiskey brands are often loved for being mellow with a lovely sweetness. You don't get that here.

Cabin Still is another whiskey here that falls under that category of not being an unpleasant bourbon but simply having better rivals. It's relatively smooth and easy to drink, without the harsh alcoholic burn that can accompany some of the bottles listed here. The biggest problem instead is the lack of flavor or complexity that ensures it doesn't stand out. The aroma is nice, if not relatively straightforward. You'll get some corn and young oak, along with some dried apricot and brown sugar. It is a Kentucky bourbon whiskey, but it's lack of aging is clearly noticeable.

The palate goes down a similar path as the nose, as you get some light corn sweetness with an influence from its grain-forward notes. There is a touch of oak here, but overall, it lacks anything that could be described as depth. To its credit, it does avoid the bitterness and ethanol bite that is common among the worst whiskeys. The finish has gentle notes of corn and oak, but again, they are quite thin. While there are better budget bourbons, if Cabin Still is your only option, it's still pleasant enough.

There are a few versions of Early Times around, including a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey and the widely available and fairly impressive bottled-in-bond version. But here, I'm focusing on a bottle that doesn't actually qualify to be called bourbon, as it's matured in used barrels. This seems to result in a lighter and less characterful spirit that struggles to compete with similarly priced alternatives. 

The aroma is subdued, with faint notes of honey, caramel, young corn, and oak, alongside a slightly wet cardboard-like quality that gives you the impression the palate is going to be quite thin. Upon tasting, you'll get a little sweetness but without that developing into any specific tasting notes. There is a touch of cinnamon, but that's about as much depth as you're going to get here. The finish is then extremely weak, with a bitterness that leaves you reaching for anything to get the taste out of your mouth. 

It's a thin and underpowered whiskey that doesn't leave a good impression. Being placed in a mixer can cover most of its downsides, but even then, it's not rich enough to provide a decent input of flavor. While the bottled-in-bond expression has its charms, make sure you don't accidentally buy this Kentucky whiskey bottle instead. It may not cost a lot, but it's still not worth it.

Seagram's 7 carries the name of one of the biggest historical brands in the world of liquor. Yet, this is a whiskey that is not deserving of that rich history. And this is another bottle that doesn't actually meet the legal criteria of bourbon, as this is blended American whiskey. With neutral grain spirits used for this bottle, it ultimately leaves it lacking any richness or depth. This weakness is immediately noticeable on a lackluster nose. There is a little oak there, but it smells a little bitter, and you get that sharp ethanol burn that is a feature of most bad whiskeys.

That ethanol is also noticeable on the palate, but it's perhaps not quite as harsh as you might initially fear. You do get faint notes of honey, some cinnamon spice, and a little light oak. These are pleasant notes, but they fade too quickly. And when they do, you're left with an almost artificial aftertaste that lingers on a dry finish. Flavored versions of this whiskey can actually be quite fun, but the pure whiskey version leaves a lot to be desired. 

The story with Seagram's 7 is the same as with all 10 bottles on this list. There are several bourbons out there that offer significantly more character and smoothness for a similar price.

Over the years, I have enjoyed a countless number of bourbons, including many on this list. Yet, my interest in what the best of the bourbon world has to offer means I haven't tried all of these bottom-shelf brands. In order to get a balanced and trustworthy list, I looked at several user reviews for each bottle to ensure they deserved to be selected. It means that all the bottles listed above are ones that you can justifiably avoid.

As you've seen, this doesn't mean they are a terrible drain pour. It just means there are better alternatives out there that are cheap but offer much more. The only reason to buy any of these bottles is if there were literally no other options to satisfy your criteria. If you just wanted a good, cheap bourbon, then none of these are worth their low cost.