Bulleit Bourbon Prices & Buyers’ Guide

Unlike most of the other bourbons that can trace their origins back hundreds of years, Bulleit Bourbon is fairly new. The modern brand was established in 1999, although its founder has claimed origins in the original Bulleit Bourbon, made in 1830 by Augustus Bulleit. The bottles sold today contain a much different whiskey.

Originally made mostly with rye grain, the whiskey wouldn’t technically have been called a bourbon by today’s standards. But despite being made mostly with corn, the formula still calls for a larger amount of rye than most popular bourbons today.

Bulleit ages their whiskey for 6 years before bottling, just a tad bit longer than the traditional 4-year aging process. This lengthier aging adds more concentrated flavors of oak and char, while also rounding out any sharpness in the after taste.

Bulleit Bourbon Whiskey Price List 2022

Below are the list of Bulleit Bourbon prices, along with their bottle sizes and ABV.

Is Bulleit Bourbon Worth Its Price?

The controversy surrounding bulliet is enough to make me look elsewhere. While I can’t personally confirm or deny either side of the story, there are so many good quality bourbons and ryes on the market that it’s just easier to choose another brand without losing quality. Elijah Craig Small Batch, Angels Envy, Rittenhouse, Sagamore Spirit, Old Granddad, etc. are all easy alternatives that still stand up quality-wise.

Bulleit Alternatives In The Price Range

Being that Bulleit’s flagship Bourbon is abnormally high in the amount of rye grain used in the mash, it does stand out as unique in the world of whiskey. However, it is not the only one. Old Grand Dad, Four Roses, and Basil Hayden’s are all high rye-content bourbons.

Old Grand Dad is the cheapest of the three, but it’s not very popular in bars, so your best bet is to snag a bottle with the orange label for about 17 bucks at your local liquor store. Four Roses is also on the more affordable side, but just for their entry-level “Yellow Label” bourbon, which will set you back about 20 dollars. They also have small batch and single barrel versions of their bourbon that are definitely worth a try if you’re into the higher rye content whiskeys and are willing to step into the $30-$40 range for a 750ml, which is only a little pricier than Bulleit. Basil Hayden’s is a small-batch bourbon produced by Jim Beam. It sits at around $35 for a 750ml and is an extremely popular bottle for bars and restaurants to carry.

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As far as Bulleit Rye is concerned, their proprietary mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley is hardly imitated. For around $60, you can have a try at a newer American distillery by the name of Rabbit Hole. Their rye also uses the 95:5 ratio. However, although they are rising in popularity and gaining notoriety, they are still a difficult bottle to find.

Some more popular ryes that have high rye content in their mashes are Woodford Reserve Rye ($29.99-$44.99), Old Forester Straight Rye, and, believe it or not, Jack Daniels Rye whiskey. None of them are as high as 95% rye. However, if you really enjoy Bulleit Rye, then these are worth giving a shot as they are along the same lines, but different in their own ways, and are all at the same price point as Bulleit, if not a little bit cheaper.

Reviewed: Bulleit Bourbon Whiskey Product Line

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Like most distilleries, Bulleit produces bourbon as well as rye whiskey. They also offer a ten-year-old bourbon, a twelve-year-old rye, a barrel-strength bourbon, and a blender’s select.

The bourbon is bottled at 45% ABV, so it’s just a little stronger than most liquors, but not too high for a bourbon. The 750ml bottle is available for $23.99-$34.89. The rye, at $21.99–$29.89, is also the same strength. The key difference being that the bourbon is made with 68% corn, 28% rye, and 4% malted barley, while the rye is 95:5 rye to malted barley. Either is great for smooth-tasting, easy-to-handle shots, or for making classic booze-heavy cocktails like the Boulevardier or Diamondback.

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The 10 year Bourbon is 91.2 proof (45.6%abv), the 12 years Rye is 92 proof (46%abv), the Barrel Strength Bourbon is 119 proof (59.5%abv), and the Blender’s Select is 100 proof (50%abv).

Barrel (or Cask) strength means that the whiskey isn’t watered down to control alcohol content, as is done to all other whiskeys not designated as such. The lack of dilution definitely leaves the strongest flavors intact and makes for a very boozy and rich whiskey. It costs around $59.99-$69.99 for a 750ml bottle.

The Blender’s Select is a special blend chosen by blender Eboni Major, priced at $50-$59.99. The distillates chosen are aged a minimum of nine years, and this offers a unique flavor, still akin to their regular bourbon. Titles like “Blender’s Select” or “Distiller’s Choice” aren’t regulated terms by any means, but imply that the most senior and well-experienced members of the distilleries are directly involved in creating a limited-availability, higher-quality, and therefore slightly more expensive product. For things like this, it’s not a bad idea to spend a few more bucks than usual for a glass of whiskey at a bar or restaurant to see if buying the whole bottle is worth it for home. Almost every major whiskey producer in the US releases some type of similarly titled product at one point or another.

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Bulleit Mixed Drinks

As with most bourbons, you can usually swap between different brands when making mixed drinks. Unless you have a favorite or are a bourbon connoisseur, you probably won’t notice much difference between different bourbons in mixed drinks.

1. Boulevardier

• 2.0oz Rye or Bourbon
• 1.0oz Campari
• 1.0oz Sweet Vermouth*
• Lemon Twist

In a mixing glass or tin, add all the liquors, then fill with ice and stir for about 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and add a lemon twist for garnish.

*a note on sweet vermouth: sometimes buying a 375ml bottle that is pricier is worth it; once you open the bottle, store it in the fridge.

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2. Diamondback

• 1.5oz Rye
• .75oz Applejack Brandy
• .75 Green Chartreuse
• 1 Luxardo Maraschino Cherry

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing tin or glass, fill with ice, and stir for about 15 seconds. Strain into a chilled glass and drop a nice cherry in for garnish.

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