Nah, you just had cheap bourbon
Never had the hangover nastiness, but then again the group I drink with (NEVER alone), all of us go for the better quality over low price. The one time I got sick was because the Russians were very persuasive (a "shot" is really, "exhale, down one shot, grab another, down that, wait about five seconds, then stick some fruit in your mouth") about "just one more drink", and I drank far too much. A liter of Grey Goose, plus some gin before hand, between three people. And the few times I have had the cheap stuff, it was bad enough that I didn't drink much unless it was VERY mixed.
But really, in the US it's better to lay off all that, at least until you're almost at 21. Until then, it's a lot harder to get anything worth drinking (read: will not make you sick, and is actually enjoyable). Plus most of the people you would be drinking with will do insanely stupid and dangerous things. As the age goes up, there is (usually) a bit more responsibility, and a few people willing to stay (relatively) sober to keep things under control. Ask the Vikings for more details about a safe, enjoyable drinking experience, should the occasion arise in the future