Category Archives: The Bourbon Cheapskate

Great whiskey doesn’t have to cost a fortune. The Bourbon Cheapskate searches the bottom and middle shelves for affordable bourbons and whiskeys that deliver more than their price tags suggest. Some are surprising bargains. Others prove that you get what you pay for. Either way, we’re looking for value, one pour at a time.

The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 52: Seven Homemade Whiskeys Go Blind

Posted on September 3, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Five barrel-aged experiments. Two homemade blends. Seven numbered samples. I tasted them all blind to find out which homemade whiskey really deserved the top spot. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 51: Seven Bottles, One Blind, and a Few Surprises

Posted on August 27, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Seven bourbons. Proofs from 107 to 114. Prices from $35 to $65. The winner wasn’t a shock, but several bottles dramatically changed my opinion once the labels disappeared. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 50: Forty Creek Copper Pot Reserve Review—A Blind-Tasting Surprise

Posted on August 20, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

I remembered enjoying Forty Creek Copper Pot Reserve, but memory and labels can lie. So I put the inexpensive Canadian whisky into an eight-bottle blind tasting against several familiar American whiskies and let my palate decide. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 49: The Best Wheated Bourbon in a 15-Bottle Blind (Plus a Cheapskate Champion)

Posted on August 13, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Fifteen wheated bourbons entered the blind, but only six reached the championship. Old Elk took the title, Hard Truth finished second, and Maker’s Mark 46 proved to be the best value. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 48: The Great Wheated Bourbon Blind—Round Two

Posted on August 6, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Round Two delivered another surprise as Maker’s Mark 46 won the group, Old Elk advanced and Green River Wheated Full Proof missed the championship by just one-tenth of a point. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 48: Breaking the Rules With Green River

Posted on July 30, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Bourbon Cheapskate usually stays below $40, but Green River may be worth breaking the rules. I blind-tasted six releases to see which offered the best combination of flavor, proof and price. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 47: A Tale of Two Rittenhouse Ryes

Posted on July 23, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Standard Rittenhouse Bottled-in-Bond Rye is one of the best values on the whiskey shelf. But can the limited 10-year 250th Anniversary release justify costing four times as much? I tasted them side by side, and this one wasn’t close. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 46: Bourbon Cheapskate: Which Jack Daniel’s Bonded Whiskey Is Best?

Posted on July 16, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Three Jack Daniel’s Bonded bottles. Three nearly identical price tags. One blind tasting to determine whether Tennessee Whiskey, Rye or Triple Mash offers the best pour for the money. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 45: Four Bottles, Four Good Pours—When Value Beats Victory

Posted on July 9, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

On the final night of vacation, I opened four bottles from my recent Tennessee-Kentucky whiskey trip. The most expensive bourbon won the tasting—but the least expensive bottle won Bourbon Cheapskate. Sometimes price changes the conversation. Continue reading →

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The Bourbon Cheapskate, Vol. 44: Five Evan Williams America 250 Barrels, One Bourbon

Posted on July 2, 2026 by Douglas Blaine

Five bottles. One bourbon. Identical proof, nearly identical age and the same mash bill. So why did one barrel clearly outperform the others? A blind tasting of five Evan Williams America 250 releases reveals just how much difference a single barrel can make. Continue reading →

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