While bourbon, rye, and Scotch whiskies tend to dominate the conversation, well… everywhere on earth, there’s a whole wide world of whisk(e)y out there, folks. As whiskey culture continues to grow unabated, so too does the amount of whiskey hitting shelves from every corner of the world. Today, it’s not that hard to find Danish, Peruvian, Australian, Indian, and Israeli whiskies on the shelf next to classic Irish, Canadian, and Japanese whisky brands. There’s a smorgasbord of options these days.
All of this is to say, it’s time for our Best International Whiskeys of 2022 list! We’re going global, baby!
The beauty of getting into world whiskeys is the sheer variety of flavors, techniques, and styles out there. Peruvian distillers are working with heritage Amazonian corn; Australian distillers are pushing the boundaries of where malt can go; Irish distillers are completely reshaping everything we know about the styles hewn on the Emerald Isle. It’s a really exciting time to be drinking whiskey from places outside of the U.S. and Scotland.
So for this list, I pulled 30 world whiskeys from the long list of international whiskeys I was lucky enough to taste this year. Having judged multiple spirits competitions, lapped whiskey shows, and traveled far and wide to taste whiskey, I can assure you that the whiskeys below are some of the best, especially if you’re looking for something new and unique in a bottle of brown sauce.
Let’s dive in!
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30. Paul John Christmas Edition 2022
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $79
The Whisky:
This Indian malt (a mix of Indian and U.K. grains) is fermented, distilled, and aged in the tropical climes of Goa not far from an idyllic beach. The mellowed whisky is finished in a trio of barrels, ex-bourbon, ex-brandy, and ex-Oloroso casks that held peated whisky previously. Those finishing barrels are batched to build Paul John’s classic “Christmas Edition” flavor profile with a touch of local water.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a rush of dry holiday spice — cinnamon bark, star anise, clove, nutmeg — next to apple pie filling, stewed peaches with a hint of garam masala and dried chili, and an underlying bed of dark chocolate sauce. The palate has a soft peatiness that’s more like dry moss than ash with an orange dark chocolate bitter/sweetness vibe next to more of that chili pepper that gives way to fruit cake and toffee. The end leans into Nutella with a dash more of those woody winter spices.
Bottom Line:
This really does feel like Christmas in a glass and is a prime example of the excellent blending work that the Paul John team does in Goa.
29. Busker Single Pot Still
ABV: 44.3%
Average Price: $32
The Whiskey:
This barley-based whiskey is aged in a combo of ex-bourbon and sherry casks for an undisclosed amount of time. Those whiskeys are then blended and proofed down with local water.
Tasting Notes:
Wildflowers and honey mingle with cedar, milk chocolate, and a clove/allspice vibe on the nose. The taste softly moves from spicy holiday cake toward dried fruits and green peppercorns. The mid-palate sweetens with a buttery toffee next to spicy stewed apples that feels like sticky apple tobacco before fading out.
Bottom Line:
There are a lot of Busker bottles on the shelf these days, but this Pot Still expression always draws you back in a classic Irish sipper that’s perfect for a lot of rocks and a dash or two of bitters.
28. Morris Australian Single Malt Whisky Muscat Barrels
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $85
The Whisky:
This whisky from Down Under is made with 100% locally grown malted barley in the mash. The juice is aged in Muscat wine barrels from local wineries for three years. Those barrels are then batched and proofed down with pure local water from the nearby Snowy Mountains.
Tasting Notes:
This opens fairly tannic with a sense of burnt leaves and very dried dates, raisins, and prunes next to blackstrap molasses, darkly roasted espresso beans covered in dark AF chocolate, and a hint of salted caramel smoothness under it all. The palate leans into dark caramel malts with plenty of cinnamon bark, nutmeg, and nutshell next to soft vanilla chewing tobacco. The end is malty and kind of tannic with a burnt orange next to very dried prunes.
Bottom Line:
This is a deeply flavored malt that feels very classic while adding that easy-drinking feel with a complete lack of pretension.
27. M&H Elements Peated
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $72
The Whisky:
This Israeli peated malt is aged in ex-bourbon and ex-Islay peated malt casks for an undisclosed amount of time. Those barrels are vatted and then proofed down with local water before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a nice sense of light orchard fruits next to sea salt malts with a slight caramel vibe and some fresh lemon oils with a dash of black pepper. The palate has a mild brininess with a hint of vanilla pudding, gingerbread, and more of that bright lemon. The end brings it all together with a lemon cake vibe with smoked sugar icing and a dash of vanilla and winter spice.
Bottom Line:
This was a nice and easy surprise with a good citrus throughline and worth seeking out if you’re looking for a mild and new peaty whisky to try.
26. BEARFACE Canadian Whisky Elementally Aged Triple Oak
ABV: 42.5%
Average Price: $52
The Whisky:
This single-grain whisky from the northern Ontario wilderness is all about the aging process. The juice spends seven years resting in ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred into both old French oak and toasted Hungarian oak for a final maturation. That whisky is then blended and cut down with natural spring water for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This opens a little “oaky” but then leans into rich marzipan with a bright and almost piney honey next to soft vanilla and a hint of tart-dried fruits. The palate moves towards a savory note with melon and saffron-stewed pears mingling with creamy balsamic vinegar (the thick and sweet kind), apricot jam with cinnamon, and a hint of scone. The end has a bit of spice to it — more nutmeg and cardamon — alongside orange peels, brown sugar syrup, and a light vanilla wafer.
Bottom Line:
This feels old and fresh at the same time, it’s a great magic trick of blending to find that balance successfully. More importantly, this feels new and different from a lot of the whiskies out there, especially from Canada.
25. Slainte Irish Whiskey Smooth Blend
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $38
The Whisky:
The new Slainte Irish Whiskey Smooth Blend starts off with classic barrels of grain whiskey aged in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. Those barrels are batched and then the whiskey is re-barreled into new ex-bourbon casks for a final maturation before vatting, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Minor notes of black pepper and soft lemon oils mixed with vanilla and a hint of banana bread on the nose with a touch of green grass. The palate leans into a buttery brioche with orange marmalade, almonds, and vanilla next to a hint of oak and floral honey. The end is light and quick with a sense of dried honey wafers next to a final touch of that black pepper from the nose.
Bottom Line:
This is a great Irish whiskey for mixing cocktails at a pretty solid price point. It also works on the rocks in a pinch as an easy, everyday sipper.
24. Indri Single Malt Indian Whisky Trini, The Three Wood
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $62
The Whisky:
This whisky starts off with Six-Row malted barley grown in Rajasthan. The whisky is then filled into three types of casks, ex-bourbon, ex-wine, and ex-sherry casks, and left to rest through extreme temperature shifts from season to season, ranging from 120+F in the summer to freezing in the winter. That, in turn, allows for a lot of expansion and contraction of the wood, which lets the spirit have more direct contact and rest with/from the wood.
Tasting Notes:
The nose greets you with a hint of Earl Grey next to rich toffee with a nice sense of apricot jam with a line of cinnamon and clove next to creamed honey and a touch of tangerine rinds and passion fruit-infused malts. The palate opens with a sweet oakiness next to vanilla pods before a hint of bruised peach arrives and slowly boils down to fresh mango, seared pineapple, and a hint of pomelo pith. The end dries out toward rummy macerated peaches and mango with a hint of dried banana leaves and warm brown spices.
Bottom Line:
This is a great entry point into Indian whisky that has a deep and woody malted vibe that leans into a beautiful fruitiness that feels local and vibrant.
23. Lot 40 Dark Oak 100% Rye
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $50
The Whiskey:
This version of Lot No. 40 is made from 100% Canadian rye grains. It’s twice distilled and then rests in low-char American oak for a few years. Before it’s blended, the whiskey is re-barreled into heavily-charred oak for a final rest. Once it hits just the right spot, it’s batched, lightly proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a complex nose full of dried sweetgrass, cinnamon toast, clove-studded orange skins, rich salted caramel, and vanilla beans soaked in cherry liqueur. The palate leans into a fatty dark chocolate fudge with spiced apple cider, sweet and rich cherry syrup, apple fritters with a powdered sugar frosting, and a hint of vanilla tobacco with a woody edge. The finish layers some dark cherry syrup into that vanilla tobacco and adds a mild spiciness thanks to the cinnamon and orange.
Bottom Line:
This is a great Canadian whisky and should dispel any negative connotation one may still carry about the juice from up North.
22. Egan’s Conviction Aged Ten Years
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $74
The Whiskey:
Egan’s Conviction is a new ten-year release from the fan-favorite bottler. The whiskey in that black bottle is a blend of ten-year-old single malt and single grain whiskeys. Those barrels and vatted and re-filled into XO Cognac casks for a final rest before bottling without chill filtration.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a nice mix of old leather, dried almonds, dried apricot, and floral honey on the nose. The palate moves from that toward rich marzipan touched with orange oil, vanilla sauce, a light wet graininess, and a mix of ginger and lemon zest. The end builds on those sharper notes and lets the spiciness of the ginger peak before fading through more honey and apricot on a lush end.
Bottom Line:
This is a quintessential Irish whiskey from nose to finish that beckons you back again and again. It also makes a mean whiskey sour thanks to that honey and soft citrus with a mild nuttiness.
21. Spirit Thief Distilling Co. Future Black Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 60%
Average Price: $172
The Whisky:
Back in Australia, this whisky is all about the blend. The juice is made from 13 barrels that range from ex-wine casks to various oaks from all over the world. Those barrels are hand-selected for their unique flavor profile and vatted and then bottled as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a faint sense of dark cherries next to blackberry jam on a scone with whipped butter, and a pinch of salt with some prunes and dates lurking around next to a bundle of winter spices. The palate opens soft and creamy with a dark berry pie before hitting a high note of sharp spices and ABVs. That heat drops off toward a mix of raisins, prunes, and figs with a generous dusting of sharp cinnamon, anise, clove, and a little sassafras all wrapped up in cedar bark and tobacco leaves.
Bottom Line:
This delicate whisky is unique, sure, but it’s the deep and precise flavor profile that’s truly arresting.
20. Amrut Fusion Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $85
The Whisky:
Amrut is the original Indian single malt and this expression highlights the bridge between Scottish whisky heritage and Indian whisky ingenuity. The mash is hewn from both Indian unpeated malts and Scottish peated malts. That spirit is them aged outside of Bangalore until the barrels hit the right spot for blending with a drop or two of local water and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This is like putting your nose into a big bowl of stewed fruits — mango, peach, blood orange — that has big woody chunks of spices — cinnamon, clove, anise, cardamom — floating in it with a hint of wet Earl Grey tea leaves and this flutter of briny smudged seaweed. The palate leans into that blood orange with a robust cinnamon bark and black pepper bite next to lush malty brioche. The end has a spiced stewed mango tobacco vibe that’s wrapped up in very distant echoes of peated seaweed and old oyster shells.
Bottom Line:
This feels like the perfect bottle to give someone to really get into Indian whiskies once and for all.
19. Kyoto Nishijin Orikuro Obi World Blend
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $180
The Whisky:
This whisky is made at the Kyoto Whisky Distillery. The actual juice is a blend of single malt and single grain whiskies made on-site and also sourced from all over the world (which is common in Japanese whisky). The throughline is that those whiskies were aged in American oak. Those barrels were vatted and that whisky was re-filled into ex-bourbon barrels for a final maturation before a final vatting, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
That bourbon vanilla comes through on the nose with a hint of lemon pudding, soft malted caramel, a drop of orange oil, and underlying layers of nearly tannic oak staves. The palate opens with an orange/vanilla pudding that leads to a warm sense of spiced malts before a hint of prune and raisin kick in. The finish has a mild dry flower note with a whisper of tangerines and honey before that almost bitter oak kicks back in.
Bottom Line:
This is really quite good. Drink it. Neat, on the rocks, in a highball, in a cocktail — it doesn’t matter!
18. Waterford Irish Single Malt Whisky Biodynamic Luna 1.1
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $119
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is made from 100% organic and sustainable farms in Ireland. The barley comes from three small farms that utilize “biodynamic” farming practices which take organic to the next level by integrating agriculture with animals and humans to create as natural a product as possible. The juice made from that barley is loaded into 500 barrels and left to rest for years before blending and bottling with a touch of proofing water.
Tasting Notes:
Butterscotch and barley cakes lead the way on the nose with a hint of persimmon and orange rinds next to green grass, wildflowers, pear stems, and soft red cherries. The palate stews those cherries and counters them with sour currants before a sense of nougat-filled brioche comes into play with marzipan, grape must, and white pepper adding deeper layers. The end has this whisper of an old cooking pan that’s been seasoned for decades, red peppercorns, more marzipan, and a soft fresh floral honey with a hint of those stewed cherries in vanilla cream.
Bottom Line:
Waterford is one of the most exciting whiskey brands to follow right now (Irish whiskey or not) thanks to truly blazing a new path in terroir-driven whiskey-making.
17. Clonakilty Port Cask Finish Irish Whiskey Batch no. 035
ABV: 43.6%
Average Price: $53
The Whiskey:
This fan-favorite whiskey just released its latest batch. The whiskey in this one is a nine-year-old Irish grain whiskey blended with a classic Irish single malt. The whiskey was then proofed down slightly and re-loaded into Port casks from the famed Douro Valley. Those barrels were stored next to the Atlantic Ocean in Ireland until they were just right.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with bright fruit — orange, lime, and lemon zest next to peach skins and juicy apricots — next to light notes of brown spices, raisins, and lightly sweetened oak staves with a hint of must. The palate leans into the stone fruit with a stewed vibe next to dried red chili flakes, cinnamon, cardamom, and a hint of orange chocolate with whispers of lemon-lime soda. The end leans into the dark spices on the finish with a plummy vibe, a hint more of that soft oak, and a final dash of peppercorn.
Bottom Line:
This nails both being a stellar Irish whiskey and having a well-rounded real feeling port cask finish.
16. Jameson Black Barrel Proof
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $68
The Whiskey:
This new take on the double-charred, barrel-aged whiskey above (Black Barrel) amps up the ABVs, allowing a lot more character to shine through in the actual bottle. The difference is that the barrels chosen for this expression were perfect at 100 proof instead of 80.
Tasting Notes:
That bitter char comes through on the nose with a subtle espresso bean oiliness next to almost burnt buttery toffee and a touch of walnut. The palate builds on that nuttiness to the point of a walnut cake full of Karo syrup, plenty of dark holiday spices, and a touch of vanilla pudding. The end really amps that vanilla up to the point that you’re almost chewing on vanilla tobacco while the wood comes in with a dry cigar box vibe next to ground winter spices, more nuttiness, and a hint of dry straw in an old fruit orchard.
Bottom Line:
This is a great release from Jameson and the perfect cocktail or sipping Irish whiskey for any Irish whiskey fan.
15. Bushmills Single Malt Aged 16 Years
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $125
The Whiskey:
This single malt whiskey starts off by getting triple distilled. It’s then aged for 15 years in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. The batched whiskey is then transferred to port pipes for a final nine-month rest before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This starts out with a spicy red berry jam next to a whiff of marzipan laced with bourbon vanilla, a hint of old leather, apple cores, and a light Christmas cake spice on the nose. That almond creates a smooth foundation with more of that spicy red jam alongside an apple/honeyed sweetness and velvet mouthfeel while those wintry spices meld with the malts to create a berry-cinnamon tobacco profile. The end of this one is long-ish as the spice, jammy fruit, and almond paste slowly fade out, leaving you warmed with a sense of malts and dark fruit.
Bottom Line:
While there are older and fancier Bushmills products out there, this really is the sweet spot for their Single Malt lineup and a must-have for any fan of the brand.
14. Don Michael Black Whiskey Andean Black Corn Whiskey Single Barrel
ABV: 59%
Average Price: $99
The Whisky:
This Peruvian whiskey is made from a unique mash of 60% Andean Black corn, 30% malted wheat, and 10% malted barley. After fermentation and distillation, the juice is barreled in new American oak barrels (just like bourbon). After a few years, that whiskey is bottled with a touch of Andean spring water.
Tasting Notes:
Earthy and dark corn comes through on the nose almost like a burnt corn tortilla with a hint of smolder to it next to dates and raisins with a hint of vanilla pudding, sour cherry, and dried apricot meatiness. The palate leans into the earthiness with a hint of burnt cinnamon bark next to old vanilla pods, hard raisins, dried figs, and cornmeal mixed with sweet black potting soil and wrapped in a rum-raisin tobacco leaf. The end rolls through a matrix of sharp cinnamon bark, clove berries, star anise, and cardamon pods before hitting a dark chocolate-covered espresso bean next to a whisper of salted caramel and mild nutshell.
Bottom Line:
This is so funky and fresh that’s hard not to fall for, especially if you’re looking for a corn-fueled whiskey not tied to the stringent rules of bourbon.
13. Alberta Premium 2022 Limited Edition Cask Strength Rye
ABV: 63.5%
Average Price: $85
The Whisky:
This year’s Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye is made exclusively with classic Canadian Prairie rye grains grown locally in Alberta. Glacial spring water from the Rocky Mountains is in the mix and new white oak barrel aging. Once those barrels hit just the right spot, they’re batched and bottled with no proofing at all.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a bold sense of buttery and dark toffee on the nose with rich and oily vanilla pods, dark blackberry jam, mulled wine spices (star anise, allspice, clove, cinnamon), brandy-soaked raisins and dates, dry Earl Grey tea leaves, and a hint of dark cacao nibs. The palate builds on that with tart black currants dipped in salted dark chocolate next to a hint of espresso cream, and caraway-encrusted sourdough rye bread (the real stuff from Central Europe, not the bullshit rye you get in the Americas) that leads to a huge cinnamon spiciness on the mid-palate. The end rounds off that cinnamon Hot Tamale spiciness with a sweet sense of vanilla white cake bespeckled with dried cranberries and shredded blackberry tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is pretty much the best Canadian whisky (released under a Canadian label) that money can buy. Period.
12. Stauning El Clásico
ABV: 45.7%
Average Price: $90
The Whisky:
This Danish whisky takes some local rye as a launching point and a Manhattan cocktail as inspiration. The whiskey is made from locally grown and in-house malted rye (70%) and malted barley (30%). Once distilled, that juice rests for a few years in oak before it’s re-barreled into ex-vermouth casks for a final touch of flavor.
Tasting Notes:
The nose draws you in with a mix of orchard fruits — ripe tart apples and sweet plums especially — next to burnt orange zest, cinnamon bark, and a hint of salted caramel underneath it all. The palate leans into vermouth botanicals with hints of anise and clove next to more of that woody cinnamon before a sense of dates and prunes mellow toward sultanas and maybe some dried cranberries. The mid-palate peaks around some sharp black peppercorns before descending toward more orange zest and a hint of dried red chili pepper-laced tobacco.
Bottom Line:
While this is clearly the perfect whiskey for making Manhattans, it’s also a great on the rocks sipper with a crystal clear flavor profile.
11. Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Kentucky Oak Edition
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $126
The Whiskey:
This is classic Redbreast tripled distiller single pot still whiskey (made with a mash of malted and unmalted barley). The juice settles for several years in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before it’s vatted and then re-filled into brand new air-dried American oak barrels from the Taylor Farm in Kentucky. After four months, the whiskey is blended and barely proofed before bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a clear sense of almost sweet cedar next to marzipan and old leather with a hint of sour cherry and tart apple skins rounding out the nose. The palate starts with a foundational layer of vanilla sauce and builds layers of woody cinnamon, soft nutmeg, and sharp cloves toward dried figs and prunes with a brandy-soaked oak vibe and some stewed cherries. The end is nice and buttery toffee with another note of vanilla before the woody spices lead to apple tobacco stuffed in an old cedar box on the slow finish.
Bottom Line:
Redbreast continues to bring the heat as one of the best Irish whiskey producers on the planet with this Kentucky collaboration.
10. Cask Strength Four Walls Irish Whiskey “The Better Brown” Single Barrel Aged 15 Years — Taste 8
ABV: 57.8%
Average Price: $999
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is bottled from one ex-bourbon barrel of 15-year-old Irish whiskey. The single malt whiskey was chosen to celebrate the 15 years It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia has been on the air. After a few select single barrels were chosen, the whiskey was bottled at cask strength and yielded only 755 bottles.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a hint of rose next to sticky toffee pudding made with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg and black-tea-soaked dates with a hint of marzipan, rum-soaked raisins, apple skins, and thick and dark Nutella rounding things out. The palate opens with a burst of floral honey-soaked apple chips with rich and creamy vanilla sauce with a dash of poppy seed next to Christmas cake just dashed with bright brandy and full of nuts and candied fruit. The mid-palate leans into the warmth of the wintry spices as creamy vanilla and soft spiced nut cake leans toward a finish full of old soft leather gloves, a dusting of dark cacao powder, and a whisper of dry menthol tobacco in an old pine box.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those whiskeys you pull out for the holidays, birthdays, or any special celebration you have in life. It’s a special one, folks.
9. Starward Vitalis 15th Anniversary Limited Release Single Malt Australian Whisky
ABV: 52%
Average Price: $150
The Whiskey:
This brand-new limited edition whisky from Australia’s biggest brand celebrates the 15th anniversary of the distillery. The whisky in this bottle commemorates the brand’s finishing program that made it famous. The whisky was blended from six different barrel types, focusing on tawny port, rum, bourbon, and Apera barrels between 11 and four years old.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with rich, buttery toffee candy next to rum raisins, salted dark chocolate bars, grilled pineapple, bruised apricots, and tangerine skins. The palate leans into the raisin vibe with black-tea-soaked dates, stewed prunes, and mashed dried apricot next to tart red currants with a hint of mango skin and savory papaya. That’s all countered by a mid-palate full of toasted coffee beans and creamy mocha latte notes next to a hint of dark and warm spiciness on the back of the finish with a dash of tart berry tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is a phenomenal whisky and will have you taking the juice from Australia very seriously after the first sip.
8. Gold Spot Aged 9 Years Limited Edition
ABV: 51.4%
Average Price: $115
The Whiskey:
The latest release from Mitchell & Son’s beloved “Spot” line of whiskeys is a nine-year-old blend of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. The whiskey is finished in Port casks and Bordeaux wine casks for the final blend/maturation.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is super lush with hints of kiwi skins next to the woody core of a pineapple, soft vanilla oils, stewed apples, and a little bit of holiday spice mix. The palate is creamy yet light with a sharp sense of cloves and allspice next to a tropical fruit salad with a touch of black pepper, more of that super soft vanilla, a smear of Nutella, and a twinge of sour sherry-soaked oak. The end simmers all that tropical fruit down with the spices to create a sweet, tart, spicy, vanilla-laden jammy feel with a line of spiced malts lurking underneath it all.
Bottom Line:
The Spot line of whiskeys has always been the whiskey lovers’ whiskey but this edition truly takes the nuance and beauty of the brand to a new level.
7. Hibiki Blossom Harmony 2022
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $699
The Whisky:
This year’s Hibiki Blossom Harmony picks up from last year’s vibe. The grain whiskies — from Suntory’s Yamazaki, Hakushu, and Chita distilleries — were aged until near perfection and then vatted and re-filled into Sakura casks (local cherry) until they reached total perfection for proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a real sense of cherry blossoms on the nose (perhaps not surprisingly) that speaks to the tree more than the bloom with a sense of soft honey suckle and bruised stone fruit that leads to a whisper of green olive brine. The palate is the epitome of lush with a soft and perfectly ripe pear next to cherry bark that’s somehow creamy and sweet thanks to a sense of too-expensive acacia honey. The end has a mochi feel that’s tied to the cherry wood and orchard florals with a long lingering sense of old bamboo steamers just kissed with sweet cereal grains and fresh honey countered by a fleeting sense of spiced orange tobacco braided with old cedar bark.
Bottom Line:
This is a love-at-first-nose pour of whisky — or not. Love it or hate it, it’s a hell of a pour with serious depth.
6. Midleton Very Rare 2022
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $435
The Whisky:
Midleton’s Master Distiller Kevin O’Gorman crafts this yearly limited release from the rarest and best .single pot still and single grain Irish whiskeys. This year’s expression was a blend of whiskeys aged between 12 and 33 years in lightly charred ex-bourbon barrels. Once batched, that whiskey was proofed with local water and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a dark candied fruitiness with bright notes of orange rind countered by winter spices, eggnog creaminess, and a sense of a hazelnut mocha latte spiked with clove and cinnamon and drizzled with rich and salty toffee. The palate has an apple orchard vibe that gives way to malted oat cracked cut with rum raisin and walnut with a flourish of floral honey and crème brûlée. The luxurious end leans into the malted grainy cookies with a touch of spice and a final rush of stewed apples drizzled in honey and toffee.
Bottom Line:
This is lush and so soft and easy to drink that it’s almost unbelievable.
5. FUJI Single Grain Japanese Whiskey Aged 30 Years
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $4,190
The Whisky:
This whisky is made just seven miles from the base of Mt Fuji. The whisky in the bottle is a blend of whiskies made in a “Canadian grain whisky style.” The whiskies for this release were aged in used American oak for at least 30 years with some of the barrels in the blend hitting 40 years old. Then Master Blender Jota Tanaka selects the barrels that hit the exact right notes and meticulously blends this whisky with a touch of local mountain spring water.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is full of marzipan and nutty berry cobbler with a hint of orchard fruits, mulled wine, dark chocolate touched with very light spice, and a sweet and soft brown sugar vibe. The palate opens with an old honey pot next to dark nut clusters with a pecan/dark chocolate/raisin vibe over malted cookies dipped in black currant compote and dusted with soft and powdery white pepper. The end is lush and silky with a slight sense of wet reeds and cedar bark braided with faint tobacco kissed with dried red berries and soft toffee.
Bottom Line:
There were only 100 bottles of this released in the U.S. in 2022. That makes it fleeting. But if you can find one, you’ll be in for a real treat.
4. Yamazaki Spanish Oak
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $5,198
The Whisky:
This single malt is all about marrying Japanese whisky with Spanish oak. The malts are aged exclusively in oak from Northern Spain. After the flavor profile hits the exact right depth, the barrels are vatted and proofed with a dash of water for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a medley of sultanas, dates, prunes, dried cranberries, and maybe some candied grape before veering toward a big umami note that’s halfway between a sun-dried tomato and a dash of powdered mushroom. The palate opens with a rich sticky toffee pudding with plenty of winter spices, black tea-soaked dates, and almost creamy toffee next to orange oils and a hint of dark roasted espresso beans. The end takes on a buttery vibe as creamy dark chocolate attaches to those espresso beans and a final hint of orange sneaks in late.
Bottom Line:
This is the most approachable of the 2022 Limited Edition Yamzakis. It’s a true crowd-pleaser that has almost immeasurable depth if you’re willing to give it the time.
3. Teeling Whiskey Single Malt Aged 32 Years Purple Muscat
ABV: 53.7%
Average Price: $3,269
The Whiskey:
This whiskey was distilled all the way back in 1990. 28 years later the whiskey was re-barreled into one cask from Portugal, a Purple Muscat French oak cask, and left alone for another four years (a very long time for a finishing barrel). Finally, 2022 was the year and the cask was drained and 238 bottles of this elixir were sent out into the world as-is.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a fleeting sense of dark chocolate malts next to black cherries tossed in smoked salt, walnut cake with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg, and tart red berries swimming in a cream cut with vanilla pods. The palate dried out those cherries and adds in some meaty prunes, dates, and figs next to old cellar beams with an echo of prosciutto fat somewhere deep in that body of the palate. The end leans into woody mulled wine spices and rich creamed honey with a touch of buttery milk chocolate with a nutty edge and slight tobacco burn.
Bottom Line:
This is an excellent Irish whiskey and, this year, second to none.
2. Hibiki 21
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $1,306
The Whisky:
This is a combination of Suntory’s Hakushu and Yamazaki with Chita, a corn-based whisky. Those spirits then spend 21 long years resting American, European, and Japanese oak. Each barrel is carefully selected and blended with precision to create the ultimate expression of Suntory’s stable of whiskies.
Tasting Notes:
This draws you in with supple white summer flowers next to soft green grass underneath pear and peach trees with notes of sandalwood, green tea touched with mint and rock candy, and a whisper of old cellar beams with cobwebs. White chocolate leads on the palate as orange blossoms, alder bark, cherry-infused cedar planks, passionfruit, and dried-out honey chips mingle to create a round and soft mouthfeel. The mid-palate is fruity-sweet and gives way to a hint of nutmeg with maybe a hint of plum and vanilla lurking in the background. The finish is almost salty with a touch of wax paper, white pepper, and those summery white flowers before notes of a very soft cedar plank settle across your senses.
Bottom Line:
This is another perfect whisky but not quite as interesting as the next pour.
1. Yamazaki Mizunara Japense Single Malt 2022 Edition
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $6,999
The Whisky:
This is one of the most sought-after whiskies from Yamazaki. The juice spends over 12 years maturing in Mizunara casks only — this isn’t some whisky that’s “finished” in old Mizurana casks for a few months. After over a decade of mellowing, the casks are hand-picked for their excellence, vatted, and just proofed before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a sense of winter spice that meanders from woody cinnamon bark toward cloves, allspice, anise, cardamon, and even some soft nutmeg before light yet. creamy vanilla custard leads to a thin whisper of sandalwood and lavender. The palate hints at agarwood with a dash of old potpourri next to sweet cinnamon and allspice in a slightly sour mulled wine with a bit of brown sugar lurking in the background. The end leans into the woodiness of the spices with a bit more floral incense burning beneath it all.
Bottom Line:
This was the Yamazaki to add to your bar cart this year. It’s also a great example of what all those “Mizunara cask finished” whiskies are really chasing (but often never quite catching). It’s just perfect and one of the all-around best pours I had all year.
