Updated for the 2025 holiday season with fresh retail pricing and new bottle picks.
Want to impress your friends and family this holiday season with the gift of a perfect bourbon bottle? We’ve got you covered. If you want some very unique holiday gift ideas beyond bottles, here is my complete bourbon lover gift guide.
If you are shopping for bourbons for gifting this year and want to stay under $50, you have plenty of great options. This price range includes some of the most reliable and best tasting bourbons on the market. These bottles feel thoughtful without breaking your budget.
Quick Answer: What Is the Best Bourbon Under $50 to Give as a Gift?
The best bourbon under $50 for gifting in 2025 is Russell’s Reserve 10 Year.
It offers a classic flavor profile with real oak depth, warm vanilla, and a polished finish that most bourbon drinkers will appreciate.
It also feels like a premium bottle without being expensive, which makes it ideal for holiday gifting. More on this below.
Other top bourbon gifts under $50 include:
- Four Roses Small Batch
- Elijah Craig Small Batch
- Penelope Wheated
- Old Forester 100 Proof
- Buffalo Trace
- Woodford Reserve
- Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond
- Larceny Small Batch
- Old Grand-Dad 114
We’ve got full the breakdown below to help you pick the best one.
The 10 Best Bourbons Under $50 for Holiday Gifting
Below are the best bourbon gifts under $50 for 2025, with tasting notes, use cases, and simple explanations of who each bottle fits best.
1. Russell’s Reserve 10 Year
Price: $40 to $50
Best for: A classic, age-stated bourbon that feels premium
Russell’s Reserve 10 Year offers rich caramel, warm oak, baking spice, and a smooth finish. The age statement adds gifting appeal, and the flavor feels mature without overpowering sweetness.
Why it works as a gift: dependable, respected, and ideal for anyone who likes traditional bourbon.
If you want to go crazy, you can also swap in Russell’s Reserve 13. We have a full expert breakdown of the 10 Year’s tough-to-find older brother in our expert writeup, “What Is Russell Reserve 13 Year?“
2. Four Roses Small Batch
Price: $32 to $38
Best for: A balanced, approachable bourbon for any palate
Four Roses Small Batch blends four recipes to create a soft, fruit-forward profile. It is friendly, easy to drink, and one of the safest gifts when you do not know someone’s exact taste.
The taste is also great. Rye hits you up front. Past that, you get oak, vanilla, caramel, and a finish of leather and tobacco. You’ll definitely impress your uncle with this one.
Read our full review of Four Roses Small Batch Here.
3. Buffalo Trace
Price: $30 to $40
Best for: Trend-followers and casual bourbon fans
Buffalo Trace is enormously popular. This one will definitely be a good pick if you’re gifting to someone wanting to get into bourbon. Buffalo Trace is smooth, lightly sweet, and widely recognized. It blends caramel, orange peel, and soft pepper into a profile that appeals to almost everyone.
Why it works: high brand recognition, consistent quality, plus it’s a slam dunk for anyone just dipping their toes into bourbon.
Before you buy Buffalo Trace, read our expert guide on how not to overpay for Buffalo Trace here. It’s very easy to get gouged in the checkout line on this one.
4. Elijah Craig Small Batch
Price: $28 to $35
Best for: Someone who enjoys a deeper, oakier bourbon
Elijah Craig Small Batch leans into toasted oak, vanilla, and honey. The flavor feels warm and classic, which fits the holiday season well.
Tasting notes: brown sugar, clove, toasted oak.
Breaking Bourbon has an excellent review of Elijah Craig Small Batch. Check it out here.
5. Old Forester 100 Proof
Price: $22 to $26
Best for: Cocktail drinkers and Old Fashioned fans
Old Forester 100 Proof brings bold flavor and strong proof for an excellent price. This bottle shines in cocktails but is also good neat.
Why it works: reliable flavor, strong structure, great mixability.
Bonus: Read our expert ranking of all 17 Old Forester Bourbons.
6. Penelope Wheated
Price: $35 to $45
Best for: Fans of smoother, sweeter bourbon
You absolutely can not go wrong with Penelope. Penelope Wheated has a gentle and creamy profile with soft vanilla, warm pastry sweetness, and a mild finish. It feels modern and appealing to new bourbon drinkers.
Tasting notes: vanilla bean, caramel, soft oak.
Penelope Barrel Strength (read our review here) is also a great option if your budget is flexible.
7. Larceny Small Batch
Price: $25 to $30
Best for: A soft, baking-spice-forward bourbon
Larceny brings cinnamon sugar, vanilla, and warm bread notes. It is sweet and mild, which makes it a great beginner-friendly bottle.
Why it works: smooth profile and strong value.
Larceny is a “wheater” from Heaven Hill, competing with Weller Special Reserve or Maker’s Mark. Those are both fine options, as well. The Whiskey Shelf has a great expert review, if you’re looking to go deeper on this one.
8. Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond
Price: $18 to $22
Best for: Value hunters and bourbon cocktail lovers
This drink is routinely ranked the best “bang for your buck” on every liquor store shelf. Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond delivers surprising depth at 100 proof. It offers caramel, vanilla, oak, and pepper with a classic bourbon structure.
Why it works: unmatched value under $25.
This one also made our expert list of “Best Bourbons for Beginners”.
9. Woodford Reserve
Price: $35 to $40
Best for: Gifting a polished, universally enjoyable bottle
Woodford Reserve is clean, balanced, and warm. It suits almost any experience level, and the bottle design always looks gift-ready.
Tasting notes: caramel, cocoa, gentle spice.
10. Old Grand-Dad 114
Price: $28 to $32
Best for: Drinkers who love heat and bold flavor
Old Grand-Dad 114 brings strong cinnamon spice, brown sugar, and orange zest with higher proof intensity. It is bold but rewarding for anyone who likes stronger bourbon.
Why it works: great fit for high-proof fans.
Good luck!
