When it comes to whiskey (bourbon in particular), there are a lot of well-known, household names. We’re talking about Wild Turkey, Buffalo Trace, Jim Beam, and others. All of these brands make a wide range of bourbons. Some are (gasp) overrated. But that also means that they, and many other smaller brands, make a lot of underrated expressions as well that are just waiting to be discovered.

How do you define underrated and undervalued? To us, it’s the idea that something doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Specifically, if we’re talking about bourbons. It doesn’t mean that the whiskey expression is unknown or not popular. It simply means the bourbon isn’t valued as high as it should be. If you were to ask us, there are quite a few expressions that fit this parameter.

Now that you learned a little about the idea of what defines an underrated bourbon in our book, it’s time to find some to add to your home bar car. Lucky for you, we did the hard work for you. Below, you’ll find ten of the most underrated bourbons on the market. Some are popular and some are not. All deserve more acclaim than they get. Keep scrolling to see them all. As the Dude says in ‘The Big Lebowski’, if you don’t like our picks, “Well, you know, that’s just like uh, your opinion, man.”

10. Old Grand-Dad Bonded

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $24

The Bourbon:

You might not think that Old Grand-Dad Bonded is underrated, but when it comes to the price-to-quality ratio, it’s difficult to beat the appeal of this 4-year-old, 100-proof whiskey. This high-rye, spicy, memorable whiskey is surprisingly inexpensive but works well as both a mixing bourbon and a rainy-day sipper.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: On the nose, you’ll find notes of toasted vanilla beans, toffee, charred oak, and a ton of spicy cinnamon candy,

Palate: The palate is a mix of raisins, plums, vanilla beans, peppery rye, butterscotch, and a lot of cinnamon sugar.

Finish: The finish is warming, lingering, and loaded with brown sugar, oaky wood, and a final kick of wintry spices.

Bottom Line:

Old Grand-Dad Bonded is always reasonably priced. The low price and this whiskey’s versatility for mixing and sipping is why it’s one of our favorite underrated bourbons.

9. J Rieger Bottled in Bond

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $63.99

The Bourbon:

If you’ve never heard of J Rieger Bottled in Bond, now is the time to try this memorable Kansas City-made whiskey. This award-winning, non-chill filtered 100-proof bourbon was made with a mash bill of corn, rye, and malted barley. It was matured for a full six years to give it a nuanced, complex, balanced flavor profile.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Nosing this whiskey reveals notes of maple candy, lemon zest, orchard fruits, caramel, and vanilla beans.

Palate: Sipping it reveals notes of dried cherries, raisins, pipe tobacco, sweet corn, caramelized sugar, honey, and cinnamon.

Finish: The last sip is a warming, lingering mix of toasted vanilla beans, salted caramel, and gentle spices.

Bottom Line:

J Rieger Bottled in Bond is underrated for the obvious reason that it doesn’t have the name recognition of many of the well-known expressions even though it’s balanced, complex, and highly flavorful.

8. Old Ezra Barrel Strength 7 Year

ABV: 58.5%

Average Price: $59.99

The Bourbon:

You might not have ever heard of Old Ezra Barrel Strength 7 Year and that’s a shame. This whiskey deserves much more acclaim than it gets. This 117-proof whiskey is matured in charred American white oak barrels for seven years. Bottled at barrel strength, it’s bold, balanced, and deserves a spot on your home bar.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is a mix of caramel candy, dried fruits, cinnamon, oak, vanilla beans, and gentle baking spices.

Palate: The palate is centered around vanilla beans, toffee candy, cinnamon, brown sugar, oak, and light spices.

Finish: Lingering, warming, and filled with brown sugar, oak, and peppery spice, the finish is very memorable.

Bottom Line:

If you’re a fan of cask strength bourbon, you have to try this 7-year-old expression from Ezra Brooks. It’s memorable and nuanced and deserves much more praise.

7. Old Forester 1920

ABV: 57.5%

Average Price: $49.99

The Bourbon:

Old Forester 1920 gets its name because it was distilled to pay tribute to the high-proof Prohibition-style bourbons. Made with a mash bill of corn, rye, and malted barley, this 115-proof was matured to perfection in new, heavily charred American oak barrels. It’s big, bold, and highly underrated.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Dried cherries, sticky toffee pudding, maple candy, charred oak, cracked black pepper, and vanilla beans are prevalent on the nose.

Palate: Complex flavors of cracked black pepper, oaky wood, caramelized sugar, vanilla beans, dried fruits, fresh leather, and baking spices highlight the palate.

Finish: Rounding out the flavor profile is a finish of dark chocolate, maple syrup, vanilla, oak, and light smoke.

Bottom Line:

This is the epitome of a throwback whiskey. This potent, rich, memorable high-proof sipper is a must-have for bourbon drinkers.

6. Michter’s US-1

ABV: 45.7%

Average Price: $39.99

The Bourbon:

Michter’s is a well-respected whiskey brand. But its Michter’s US-1 Bourbon still manages to be underrated. This memorable 91.4-proof bourbon was matured in fire-charred, new American oak barrels. Truly a small batch whiskey, it’s batched in a holding tank that fits only twenty barrels.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: On the nose, you’ll find notes of cracked black pepper, raisins, brown sugar, oak, vanilla beans, and wintry spices.

Palate: Mellow, sweet, and complex, this whiskey’s palate is loaded with cinnamon candy, dried fruits, vanilla beans, toffee, pipe tobacco, and oak.

Finish: The finish is a warming, sweet, and spicy mix of dried fruits and cracked black pepper.

Bottom Line:

This whiskey remains underrated because it deserves more credit than it gets for being a balanced memorable mix of sweetness and spice.

5. Evan Williams Bottled in Bond

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $18

The Bourbon:

Evan Williams is one of the most underrated whiskey brands in general. You can make a case for any of its bourbons. But we think its 100-proof bottled-in-bond bourbon is by far the most underrated. It’s surprisingly inexpensive and extremely versatile.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is a gentle mix of toasted vanilla beans, pipe tobacco, treacle, charred oak, and toffee candy.

Palate: Drinking it brings forth notes of candied orange peels, vanilla, caramelized sugar, dried fruits, oak, and cracked black pepper.

Finish: The finish is long, warm, sweet, spicy, and effortlessly dry.

Bottom Line:

This is the most inexpensive bottle on our list. And if you blindly tasted it with the others, you wouldn’t really know that. It’s one of the best value bottles on the market.

4. Early Times Bottled in Bond

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $18 for a liter

The Bourbon:

Don’t sleep on Early Times Bottled-in-Bond. This surprisingly well-balanced, flavorful 100-proof whiskey was made to pay homage to the 75th anniversary of the original recipe for Early Times bottled-in-bond bourbon. This throwback to a bygone era should be much more popular than it is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Candied orange peels honey, toffee, vanilla beans, and lit baking spices make for a very welcoming nose.

Palate: Take one sip and you’ll be immersed in a world of caramel corn, toffee, pipe tobacco, fresh leather, vanilla beans, toasted marshmallows, and peppery rye spice.

Finish: The finish is a nice warming, lingering mix of brown sugar sweetness and cracked black pepper spice.

Bottom Line:

If you like bottled-in-bond bourbons with a nice balance of corn sweetness and cracked black pepper rye spice, this is the whiskey for you.

3. Wild Turkey Rare Breed

ABV: 54.1%

Average Price: $60

The Bourbon:

It’s a bit of a toss-up between Wild Turkey 101 and Wild Turkey Rare Breed to determine which one is the most underrated. We’re going to give it to Rare Breed because it doesn’t get as much attention as its 101-proof sibling. This 116.8-proof banger is a mix of six, eight, and 12-year-old bourbons.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is a mix of candied orange peels, oak, butterscotch, vanilla beans, and light rye spice.

Palate: The palate is centered around notes of fresh leather, maple candy, vanilla beans, toffee, cracked black pepper, and charred oak.

Finish: Take a moment to enjoy the last sip and you’ll be treated to a symphony of toffee, peppery rye, and vanilla.

Bottom Line:

You’ll have a hard time finding a more well-rounded, reasonably-priced bourbon of this caliber. This is the kind of whiskey you buy once and continue to stock in your home bar forever.

2. Bib & Tucker 6 Year

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $38.99

The Bourbon:

Bib & Tucker 6 Year has begun to gain in popularity, but it’s still underrated. Also known as the “Classic Six”, this 92-proof award-winning whiskey is matured for a minimum of six years in new, charred American oak barrels. The result is a mellow, flavorful small batch bourbon you won’t soon forget.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: A lot is going on with this whiskey’s nose. There’s a ton of toasted vanilla beans, oaky wood, pepper, and baking spices.

Palate: Complex flavors of candied pecans, vanilla beans, candied orange peels, pipe tobacco, treacle, oak, and spices make for a very exciting palate.

Finish: It all ends with a finish of warming candied nuts, vanilla, and cinnamon spice.

Bottom Line:

This flavorful whiskey is surprisingly mellow for the fact that it has so many different flavors intermingling. You need to try it.

1. Russell’s Reserve 10

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $39.99

The Bourbon:

Ever since it was first launched in 1998, Russell’s Reserve has been cranking out award-winning, memorable whiskeys. One of our favorites and a surprisingly underrated gem is its Russell’s Reserve 10. This 90-proof bourbon is matured for a decade in No. 4 alligator char American oak barrels.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: A fragrant nose of vanilla beans, maple candy, orange peels, brown sugar, and oak greets you before your first sip.

Palate: Sipping it is an indulgent trip into a world of toasted vanilla beans, tobacco, citrus peels, salted caramel, cracked black pepper, dried fruits, and charred oak.

Finish: It ends with a final flourish of sweet, spicy heat that leaves you craving more.

Bottom line:

It might not seem like Russell’s Reserve 10 is underrated, but it is. For the price, you won’t find a better bottle of ten-year-old bourbon.