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Weller has started to become more readily available, and at its $30 price point, it is a hard-to-beat entry-level bottle of bourbon. However, if you can't actually find it at that price, which still proves difficult domestically, where can you turn for something great quality, available, and possibly even better than the reputation Weller has developed for itself?
We could talk about the hype, and people only buying it for the Pappy comparison despite it being tasty in its own right, but that's for another article and another time. Below are some recommendations for great wheated bourbons that you can find without overpaying.
Ben Holladay Soft Red Wheat Bottled-In-Bond, 50%, $50 / £56
I can already hear so many people saying, "Get the Rickhouse Proof!" Yes, that is a wonderful example of higher-strength wheated bourbon, but if you don't want the higher ABV and want something a little more affordable, this is the one to go for.
It is more expensive than the MSRP of Weller Special Reserve, but for the higher proof and the relatively good price point, it's a solid buy. This opens up with loads of cocoa, toffee, and orange segments. It's a really fine example of Missouri bourbon-making and something that has occupied a lot of bourbon drinkers' minds for a while. Very high-quality stuff, and not that expensive in the grand scheme.
Larceny Small Batch Wheated Bourbon, 46%, $23 / £45
This thing is just an unreal purchase. A wheated bourbon, aged for seven years and bottled at 46% for sub-$30? We should all just buy crates of the stuff and drink it slowly over our lifetime.
Hailing from the folks at Heaven Hill, this is an insanely well-priced bottle of bourbon that is easily comparable with brands like Weller and Van Winkle, for the tiniest fraction of the price, too. Larceny opens up with sweet rolling tobacco, warm caramel, baked vanilla, and little notes of raisins.
The story behind the brand is also fascinating. John E. Fitzgerald was a treasury agent who stole stocks from bonded warehouses and sold them under his own name on the banks of the Kentucky River. He said he was a distiller, but in this case, the fact is better than the myth.
St. Augustine Florida Straight Bourbon, 44%, $49 / £39
Sailing our way on down to Florida now, here we have St. Augustine Florida Straight Bourbon. Even though this has a base of three-year-old stocks, it has one of the richest profiles in wheated bourbon that you could imagine.
The heat and humidity of Florida are an excellent domestic example of how intense barrel interaction can become. This bottle is all about green apples, baked vanilla, cinnamon, glacé cherries, and a wonderfully soft, spicy finish. I haven't explored many Floridian whiskeys apart from this one, and this is quite an incredible high bar to start with.
So many folks talk about the influence of heat in India and Taiwan, and even Japan in its later summers. But the differences between Kentucky and Florida are quite remarkable. The distillery does state that three-year-old whiskeys are used in this, with it still stating "Straight" on the front of the label.
Maker's Mark 46, 47%, $33 / £36
You have to mention the classics in a list like this, and it's hard to think of a more affordable and available wheated bourbon than what the folks at Maker's Mark offer.
Taking their classic red winter wheat influence and building on it, Maker's 46 was, at the time, the brand's newest whiskey release in decades. Utilizing French oak staves for additional maturation of the aged spirit, Maker's 46 has developed this supercharged approach to flavor.
It's all about espresso, dark cocoa, toffee, honeycomb, charred wood, and sweet toasted oak. It's a stunning expression that not only marked a modern turnaround in the world of Maker's Mark, but also saw them expand in only positive ways with an expression that captivates the public.
American bourbon, wheated influence, additional French oak flavor, and a bottling strength of 47% ABV. A fantastic product that summarizes the modern era of bourbon.
Bardstown Origin Series High Wheat Bourbon, 53%, $40 / £70
The folks at Bardstown have really taken the bourbon world by storm over the last few years. Not just because of their globe-spanning experiments or crazy-strength releases, but because of their core range.
Wheated bourbon is a tricky area to take on, purely based on the title of this article. Bardstown didn't knock on the door, they kicked it down and turned a fancy dinner into a garage rock mosh pit. The flavor for the price on this bottle is incredible. I know we've mentioned the bargain prices of Larceny and Weller at MSRP, but I would happily spend double the price of those bottles for one of these.
It's full of lemon, apricot, candied corn, crème brûlée, and rich toffee. A wonderful expression of bourbon that has almost set a new bar for higher-proof Kentucky wheated bourbons.
Stop Chasing Weller And Start Exploring Different Bourbons
Weller is great whiskey, but if you're overpaying, then you're fighting a losing battle. The hype made things crazy, and no entry-level bottle of whiskey should be more than $40. I know some of these bottles are more than that, but it's all about great flavor for a great price.
Whether you're searching for a new Bottled in Bond release, or you're after something that offers incredible value in general, the options available when it comes to wheated bourbon are truly endless. We only mentioned releases from three different American states here, let alone the best being made in Kentucky and across the country.
Read the full article at 5 Affordable Wheated Bourbons That Beat Chasing Weller In 2026
