Nobody is gonna recommend [Beam’s Eight Star](Beam’s Eight Star)? No? Anyone? $10/handle on sale! what are you worried about? The plastic bottle? is that it?
If y’all ever get to Kentucky, do the Bourbon Trail:
I have a relative that is part of the resurrection of the Old Crow Distillery. It was truly decrepit and they’ve more/less completed one building. They call their product “Bourbon30”. Indiana whisky; aged 30 days? 30 months? Who knows? 
I’ll cast another vote for Evan Williams White BIB as the absolute best bang for your bourbon buck (and yep - Black ain’t bad, either). Now, mind you, I’ve also said this: You want to educate your bourbon palate? Get a rocks glass, drop in two ice cubes and cover with Wild Turkey 101. Repeat as desired. There’s yer bourbon education.
Mm, bourbon. Quite possibly America’s greatest contribution to world culture. I mean, jazz and blues and rock n’ roll and Gilmore Girls are all pretty good, but…c’mon. Bourbon.
I don’t have an incredibly discerning, but I know what I like. I’ve found that I almost exclusively like higher-proof bourbons. Wild Turkey 101 and Knob Creek 100 are my go-to for “everyday” bourbons. I usually sip them neat, but occasionally dilute very slightly, probably down to the 90ish ballpark. On the lower end, my favorite is usually Dickel No 12 (not technically bourbon, but I’m gonna include it here). There’s a liquor store here that makes Dickel their “bargain” bottle, so it’s only $20 for a bottle of No 12.
The best I’ve ever had was a bottle of Stagg I received as a gift. Flavorful, potent, and smooth. I’m currently sitting on a bottle of Old Rip Van Winkle that I will LIKELY resell but I’m currently allowing to call to me gently from my liquor cabinet.
OOOOO - Dickel #12. Right; not technically bourbon; technically, it is referred to, I believe, as “Nectar of the Gods.” When I drink Dickel #12, here’s what happens: a log cabin in the woods is immediately built around me, and I am provided with a roaring fire, a shotgun, and a couple hound dogs - in a good way, I mean.
Yep. Dickel is right tasty stuff. Pretty cheap around here, too.
Today was rather trying, so a healthy dram of EW BiB is in hand as I type. Although I have to endorse Totenfeier’s idea vis a vis Wild Turkey. But with only one ice cube. 
Glad you liked it. It’s one of my very favorite bottles. The only problem is that the liquor store near me doesn’t order much so it’s almost always sold out.
The Beam bonded is a great value, nothing at all like the Standard stuff and, around here, $19.99/750mL. My uncle has recommended the ‘high octane white label’ Evan Williams but I’ve not been able to locate yet.
Maker’s Mark and Knob Creek.
These were the two I started with, and definitely both worth trying.
I quickly realized I love Knob Creek and can’t stand Maker’s Mark. And then Maker’s started talking about bottling at 80 proof…
I will also mention that I really like 1792, even though I’ve almost never heard another positive review.
I got infatuated with the idea of becoming a bourbon connoisseur a few years ago. I finally decided that I liked the idea of being a bourbon drinker more than the reality of drinking bourbon. I just accepted the fact that I am a beer drinker at heart.
YMMV.
You like what you like, nothing wrong with trying something and it turns out you don’t dig it.
Larceny has replaced Jim Beam Black Label as my every day drink. 92 proof seems to be a sweet spot for me. I am also enjoying a bottle of Old Bardstown 104 proof.
This is actually how I felt about Scotch for a long time. I wanted to be that hip guy swirling and sipping his single malt. I tried quite a few, but I just never quite fell in love. The cheap stuff is lousy, and the pricey stuff was too pricey for something I only kinda liked.
I essentially gave up on whiskey for years, then stumbled back onto American whiskeys when I went through a cocktail phase. I was making martinis and gimlets and Manhattens and old fashioneds all the time. At some point, it finally clicked that I liked Manhattens best, and I liked them even better when I left out the bitters and vermouth. Neat bourbons and ryes have become my drink of choice more often than not since then.
It’s a process of education: two, one, none, yum!
Over a the past two years or so, I set out to explore and improve my appreciation of bourbon. I’m an occasional drinker so it’s taking longer than I thought.
I started out with the very neutral Basil Hayden. Then jumped to Knob Creek 9 y.o. Then Bulleit. Then the Smoked Maple Knob Creek (excellent for maple Old Fashioned!). Then Woodford Reserve.
With the exception of Basil Hayden - which I find lacks character - I’ve enjoyed the rest so far. But somehow I keep coming back to Knob Creek.
Anybody care to recommend another bourbon given my preference profile (which is towards the sweeter, deeper, mid-octane notes, I guess)?
I would say Buffalo Trace would be a good next step. Sweetish with lots of caramel in it like Knob Creek. I find it a bit smoother.
I got this for my husband for his birthday.
(I really liked the Few Bourbon, which is slightly herbal, like their gin. Blantons is my husband’s favorite, but its become difficult to find with the fashionability of bourbon.).