Best Bourbon just above the bottom shelf?

[GhostHorse]

Bourbon? Yuck...

I haven't seen that brand...

I have, it comes with a black label that has "Jack Daniels" written on it. Stuff tastes like formaldehyde.

[right2arms]

I prefer the Kentucky Bourbons over the Tennessee Whiskeys, so if I want to have a Jim Beam type taste on a budget it is Old Crow. If I have a hankering for a Tennessee type flavor of a Jack Daniels, it is Evan Williams. I like my Old Crow!

[Greg_R]

I recently bought some Old Crow to cook with. Not s bad bourbon. I have taken a liking Elijah Craig lately.

[bobbojama]

Benchmark | Buffalo Trace Distillery

[GreenWolf70]

I like WT 101 as well and I find it to be smoother than the 80p offering. Still, it is about twice what I want to pay for this gathering. Although, I have thought of buying some cheap stuff and putting it in a WT 101 bottle! (evil grin) Seriously, I don't think anyone in this gathering would know the difference.

Actually, the bottom shelf stuff that tastes like top shelf is Evan Williams 1783, I can find it around here for under $30 for a half gallon. Now in the $30-$40 range for a fifth, or .750 liter, I like 1792, Wild Turkey Rare Breed, and maybe just under $30, Elijah Craig. But I do not drink "mixed" drinks, only straight. The Evan Williams works just fine for mixing, but will still impress those who drink it straight. JMHO.

[.452dia]

WT. EW are both good choices but so is Makers Mark.

[Grumpy]

Not start a war, but............Jack Daniel's is a brand of Tennessee whiskey and the top selling American whiskey in the world.[5][6] It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee, by the Jack Daniel Distillery, which has been owned by the Brown-Forman Corporation since 1956.[7] Despite being the location of a major operational distillery, Jack Daniel's home county of Moore is a dry county, so the product is not available for purchase at stores or restaurants within the county.[8]The product meets the regulatory criteria for classification as a straight bourbon, though the company disavows this classification and markets it simply as Tennessee whiskey rather than as Tennessee bourbon.[9][10] As defined in the North American Free Trade Agreement, Tennessee Whiskey is classified as a straight bourbon authorized to be produced in the state of Tennessee.And Gentleman Jack is quite different.....got introduced to it a number of years a go, before it was even available in most states and was a very limited production. But as you say if is not for everyone, I really prefer Bacardi Silver, but the sugar started to wrek havoc with me Had to go to Windsor/diet or GJ on the rocks

[ncfarmer]

The bourbon which is often found near the bottom shelf but deserves to be just under the top shelf, (In my humble, but quite experienced opinion), is Evan Williams. For what it's worth...

I bought a pint of Evan Williams 1783 to use for some holiday cooking around Thanksgiving
thinking it was just like any other cheap bourbon. I might have to do a little drinking if this
is true.

[switchbow]

Weller's...

[rollin thunder]

Top Budget Bourbons on googlefu have mostly what is listed, but he mentioned Fitzgerald.
Says it's in between Wellers and Markers Mark, taste wise.