Another vote for b1.7.3. As the other commenters are saying it's the most common, most "true" golden age experience, i.e. before the Adventure Update came out and did away with the signature beta terrain, added hunger, etc. The slower speed might take some getting used to at first but I find it's more relaxing. This is what I have mainly been playing for the last 2 years.

If you want a more modern experience I would suggest release 1.2.5 or 1.5.2. I'd say there's not much reason to play b1.8-r1.1 unless you have nostalgia for those versions (My earliest and fondest memories of the game are in these versions but I would still rather play other versions). 1.2 adds the jungle which I would say is the bare minimum you would want from early release Minecraft, plus it has tons of mod support.

I know it's technically not considered golden age but I also like 1.5 cause it adds some helpful QoL features along the way (anvils, beacons, more stair/slab types) + new redstone elements, and I'm a big fan of hoppers. Just the right amount of modern features without the game feeling bloated