All a matter of taste. I just finished a bottle of Garrison Brothers Single Barrel cask strength at 150.3 proof, and it was okay. Definitely not worth buying (which I didn’t- it was a gift). I like Old Crow for a daily sipper. Can’t beat the price! My favorite so far may be the James E Pepper.
The topic here was “affordable” whiskey. To me, that means purty cheap. If money is not a criteria, I like Woodford, Knob Creek, and my favorite is James Pepper 10 yr old…. If you can find it.