4 Budget-Friendly Alternatives For Pappy Van Winkle

Bourbon fans who haven't heard of Pappy Van Winkle are probably rarer than a bottle of Pappy's iconic bourbon, and that's saying something. While the brand's original distillery was founded in 1935, it's more recently that prices for bottles of Rip Van Winkle and its flagship Van Winkle Family Reserve bourbons have gone through the roof. The cheapest bottle, which is still aged 10 years, typically sells for over $1,000 while the 20-year easily crosses $4,000 and can cost much more depending on where you buy it. Given these prices, the words of the founder Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle, Sr. sound almost ironic: "We make bourbon at a profit if we can, at a loss if we must, but always fine bourbon" (via Pappy & Co).

While few question that Pappy Van Winkle bourbon is excellent, the steep prices are also driven by the distillery's small batches and those who collect bottles. If you're a bit more budget-conscious, there are several great alternatives available and Executive Bourbon Steward, Executive Director of Bourbon Charity, and Founder of Urban Bourbonist, LLC, Chris Blatner, knows how to find them. "The Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon lineup are all wheated bourbons. Meaning that in the mash bill the typical rye content has been replaced with wheat," says Blatner. "There are many brands that are producing wheated bourbons that are of comparable quality and flavor profile. Some of them are right within the Buffalo Trace distillery with their Weller lineup."

Since Pappy Van Winkle's original Stitzel-Weller Distillery closed in the 1990s, the bourbon is manufactured by Buffalo Trace, which also produces other wheated bourbon brands like W.L. Weller. Chris Blatner recommends this as an alternative, saying, "The Weller Bourbons are made from the exact same mash bill as Pappy Van Winkle and they are much more affordable. They still aren't necessarily easy to find, but they will be significantly cheaper for similar quality and flavor."

Like Pappy, W.L. Weller also has a range of wheated bourbons that includes aged, single barrel, and high-proof varieties. However, they are nowhere as expensive. Indeed, you can get some bottles of W.L. Weller wheated bourbon for under $100. Considering it's from the same distillery and uses the same mash bill (that's the proportion of corn and wheat used in the recipe), W.L. Weller is a fine alternative to Pappy Van Winkle.

Buffalo Trace Distillery's extensive portfolio also contains its lesser-known Kosher Whiskey, which uses the same grains as W.L. Weller. While it's rare, the demand for this wheated bourbon is relatively lower, making it easier on the pocket. Plus, it meets many of the requirements of kosher liquor.

Maker's Mark has been synonymous with good whiskey for years and for many, it's the standard bottle they reach for when picking a solid but affordable bourbon. Its creator, Bill Samuels, Sr., had the simple goal of making an enjoyable whiskey that was neither bitter nor sharp. Maker's Mark bourbons accomplish that with a wheated mash bill. This is also one of the few bourbon whiskeys that sport a no-age statement, with the company's position being that it focuses on taste, not time.

However, this doesn't mean that Maker's Mark totally ignores aged bourbons. The brand's cellar-aged bourbon is made with a blend of 12 and 13-year-old spirits and average around $500 per bottle. This means that it's a fraction of the cost of a similarly-aged Pappy Van Winkle, though it's still not exactly cheap. If you need more saving, Maker's Mark wheated bourbons start in the sub-$50 range, meaning there are multiple options where you can reasonably believe you're getting a good whiskey that's stood the test of time and has a loyal following across the globe. Most importantly, you can find it almost anywhere, unlike the elusive Pappy.

Another budget-friendly quality wheated bourbon recommended by Chris Blatner is Larceny. It has a few different expressions including small batch, barrel proof, and bottled-in-bond varieties. With prices typically landing in the $30 range, this is a budget wheated bourbon that is still made in relatively small batches. Its flavor profile, while more robust and spicy than other (more expensive) counterparts, is still widely considered to be well-rounded. Consequently, adding a dash of water to this bourbon is a great way to savor its deeper flavors.

If the gap between Pappy Van Winkle's four-digit and Larceny's two-digit price points seems too stark, the latter also offers a flagship bourbon called Old Fitzgerald. It comes bottled-in-bond and is aged anywhere between 8 to 19 years, depending on the bottle you buy. Prices for these bottles of aged Larceny bourbon vary, with the most expensive ones breaking the $1,000 mark. Still, you can easily expect them to be much less expensive than their Pappy counterparts.

Old Elk makes some interesting whiskeys that depart from the more regular mash bills employed by other distilleries. The brand's wheat bourbon uses a relatively high proportion of 45% wheat and has deeper and spicier notes than many bottles of Pappy Van Winkle. Here, too, adding a splash of water really opens up the flavors while tempering any overly hot or spicy edges. The flavor profile also makes it a particularly interesting bourbon to pair with a dessert course. While the distillery's regular wheated bourbon whiskey generally comes in the sub-$100 range, Old Elk's 8-year bourbon expression is more likely to cost just over $100.

Another option for fans of wheated spirits is Old Elk wheat whiskey, which is made from a whopping 95% wheat and has won a variety of awards and distinctions for its flavor profile. Since bourbon requires mash that's at least 51% corn, Old Elk's wheat spirit is technically not a bourbon. However, it is a spirit that's definitely worth trying if you're looking for alternatives to Pappy Van Winkle and are willing to venture a bit beyond the bourbon label.