Mark - speaking of 'new' distilleries, I finally got around to trying something from Balcones the other day, the Baby Blue. Pretty good! I definitely want to try their True Blue cask strength.
I'm a fan of the Brimstone. Eveything in their line is on the pricey side, though.
High expenses, I guess. I was wondering if it was something that's cheaper there than everywhere else... forget the price tag on the Baby Blue. $50ish? Give or take $5. Brimstone was definitely more expensive. $60 is a LOT for American whiskey. It's a lot for any whiskey, but you can many great bourbons/ryes for less than $30. Heck, less than $20 in a lot of cases.
Give us you TOP 5 bourbons for under $20... GO!
Evan Williams White label (100 proof, Bottled in Bond)... Old Fitzgerald (100 proof, Bottled in Bond)... Very Old Barton (100 proof, BiB)... Wild Turkey 101... Four Roses (Yellow Label). Do not confuse any of these with their lower proof 'relatives'. WT101 far superior to WT 81, EWW far superior to the cheaper black label, etc.
Honorable mentions:
Heaven Hill BiB
Old Grand Dad BiB
Larceny