February is the unofficial start to spring releases in the whiskey world. I know, we’re just coming off a few months that were crammed full of whiskey drops. Well, that’s all behind us. 2024 is here. And it’s already looking to be another stellar year for whiskey, folks.
Below, I’m naming 18 whiskeys that you should be drinking right now. There are small-batch bourbons, new American ryes, special edition Lunar New Year Scotch whiskies (for the Year of the Dragon), super old single malts, barrel-proof ABV bombs, and more. Translation: There’s something for everyone. And for the most part, these are all brand-new and upcoming releases with a few gems that slipped through the cracks of late 2023.
I didn’t rank these whiskeys as they’re too broad to face off against each other. But as I mentioned, a lot is going on in the flavor profiles of these whiskeys and you should be able to find something that sparks your interest. Read through my tasting notes, find the whiskey or whiskeys that speak to you, and then hit those price links to see if you can snag a bottle.
Let’s dive in!
Green River Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
ABV: 42.5%
Average Price: $34
The Whiskey:
This is the most exciting release of February 2024 thanks to last year’s Green River releases being absolute bangers. This bottle is a classic rye mash of 95/5 (rye/malted barley) distilled and aged in Kentucky. The batch is made from a mix of four- to six-year-old barrels that are proofed down before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A hint of mint draws you in on the nose before getting spiced to the point of fresh spearmint with a cut of orange zest, whispers of black peppercorns, and creamy vanilla honey with a flutter of NY cheesecake crust.
Palate: That buttery Graham Cracker crust takes on more creamy vanilla and orange oils before veering toward oaky spice and freshly cracked black pepper with a whisper of dried ancho chili.
Finish: Wet black tea leaves and creamed honey round out the finish with a sense of soft oak, winter spice, and burnt orange just kissed with red chili pepper flakes.
Bottom Line:
This is a very well-rounded classic sharp rye. It’s not overly sweet but it is ultra silky. I can see using this as an everyday table pour or a great cocktail base.
The Reverend Sour Mash Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $35
The Whiskey:
Call Family Distillers down in North Carolina just revamped their The Reverand Sour Mash for an early 2024 re-release. The whiskey in the bottle spent four years mellowing in new charred oak and ex-bourbon casks. Once batched, the whiskey is filtered through sugar maple charcoal, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Freshly baked cinnamon sticky buns mingle with a pile of Red Delicious apple peels on the nose with hints of coffee cake, ginger chews, and a touch of rum raisin.
Palate: Bold and sour cherry drives the palate toward soft orange oils, creamed honey, and a faint touch of pecan waffle with a vanilla base.
Finish: The end veers toward oaky spice and tobacco before hitting a very sweet note of toffee and peach cobbler with a dollop of malted vanilla ice cream.
Bottom Line:
This is a wild ride of a whiskey that feels part Kentucky bourbon and part Tennessee whiskey (it’s so fruity). It’s also very easygoing thanks to those low ABVs. Overall, I can see this shining in a fruity-forward spring cocktail.
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch A124
ABV: 59.5%
Average Price: $74
The Whiskey:
2024’s first Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is a unique one. The batch is made from barrels that averaged out to 10 years and nine months old, which is on the young side for these releases. Moreover, the ABVs are much lower than usual as well, coming in under 60%.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich salted caramel, apple fritters, cherry pie, winter spice, old leather tobacco pouches, and deep oakiness drive the nose with a touch of rye bread crust and nutty … I want to say granola covered in dark chocolate.
Palate: The sweetness really gets buttery on the palate with rich toffee and salted caramel ice cream next to creamy cinnamon chews, vanilla malt, dark and smooth chocolate sauce, and a counterpoint of sharp oak spices with a touch of old spicy tobacco.
Finish: That tobacco and oaky spice sharpen on the finish before the creamy caramel, vanilla, and chocolate base returns for a soft and lush end.
Bottom Line:
This is a one-of-a-kind EC Barrel Proof. It’s so creamy and sweet that it leans toward doughnut shop desserts. It’s warm on the end with all that sharp spice, but never overly so. It’s approachable, especially for any sweet tooth bourbon fans out there.
Larceny Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Barrel Proof A124
ABV: 62.1%
Average Price: $69
The Whiskey:
The first Larceny Barrel Proof release of 2024 is a classic. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of six- to eight-year-old bourbons from the wheated bourbon barrels at Heaven Hill. Those barrels were batched and then went into the bottle 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This feels warm on the nose with a sense of cinnamon toast, pecan waffles covered in maple syrup, and buttery vanilla paste with a hint of prune and maybe some dates swimming in mulled wine with a whisper of dark fruity brandy.
Palate: Rummy syrup with a deep sense of Nutella spread over a toasted brioche drives the palate toward fig jam, sticky toffee pudding, and a dark caramel cut with burnt orange and salt flakes on the mid-palate.
Finish: That caramel gets so dark that it turns into cinnamon-laced dark chocolate with a touch of allspice and clove before a dry sense of old oak staves wrapped in tobacco round out the hot and dry end.
Bottom Line:
This is like a spicy dessert with a bit more heat than the above barrel-proof bourbon. It’s more classic while delivering a bold profile that’s probably best tempered by a single rock or folded into a simple old fashioned.
Redwood Empire Devils Tower High Rye Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 49.5%
Average Price: $89
The Whiskey:
This new release from Redwood Empire out in California is a very small batch — only 25 barrels — of good straight bourbon. The mash is super unique with only 51% corn supported by 45% rye, 2% malted barley, and 2% wheat. Those barrels rested until just right for batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a delicate blend of stewed red fruits with a deep and woody spice mix completed by soft leather, cedar bark, and soft pipe tobacco with a hint of cherry syrup.
Palate: The taste leans into the cherry with a deep clove, allspice, and cinnamon vibe before hitting a touch of grassy rye and buttery grits all rolled into an old leather tobacco pouch and placed in an old humidor that’s scented with brandied cherries.
Finish: The end has a subtle and well-rounded sense of classic bourbon with a warming touch of woody spice, dark and stewed red fruit, and deep vanilla creaminess with a hint of nutshell and tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice and boldly classic sipping whiskey that’ll make any whiskey-forward cocktail shine.
Woodford Reserve Distillery Series: Double Double Oak Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 45.2%
Average Price: $59 (half bottle)
The Whiskey:
Woodford Reserve’s much-beloved Double Double Oak is back. The whiskey in the bottle is a classic Double Oak bourbon that’s then re-barreled into heavily toasted new oak barrels for one final rest before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Streams of fresh maple syrup drive the nose toward peanut brittle, dark and bitter chocolate, and toasted marshmallow with a whisper of campfire next to a touch of dark red berry.
Palate: Dried cherry and blackberry pie drive the palate with a hint of apple fritter next to clove-studded oranges, woody winter spice, and a hint of spiced creamy tea.
Finish: The woody spice and orange clove move the finish toward dry tobacco leaves in an old cedar humidor with a touch of anise, allspice, and old firewood with this faint whisper of dried mushroom on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is a very tasty and unique Kentucky bourbon. It goes places that you don’t expect but make total sense once you get there. It’s also fleeting. This limited release will be available on January 23rd at the distillery only.
Waterford Irish Single Malt Whisky Micro Cuvee Good Vibrations
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $130
The Whisky:
This late 2023 release is a collaboration between La Maison du Whiskey and Waterford head distiller Ned Gahan. The whisky is made with barley from three farms, yielding a barley mash of 50% Hunter, 25% Olympus, and 25% Prospect malts. The whisky then spent 3 years and 11 months in ex-bourbon barrels from Jim Beam and Heaven Hill before vatting, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a sense of oily lemon and star anise countered by a malty vanilla creamy foundation that’s accented by smoldering black soil and old fall leaves.
Palate: The lemon and vanilla join forces on the palate for a lemon custard vibe before witch hazel and soft cotton wool arrive with a moment of real black licorice and an almost absinth feel.
Finish: The cotton swabs and witch hazel drive the finish toward seawater-soaked peat with more of that licorice before the profile veers wildly toward stewed pears, peaches, and plums with a hint of smokiness and deep winter spices, caramel, and butter.
Bottom Line:
This whisky goes places. It really leads you down a medicinal peated path before surprising you with deeply stewed fruits and oaky spice with a creamy finish. It’s kind of delightful. And it’s very complex, making this a good palate expander.
Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 1924 10-Year-Old
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $115
The Whiskey:
This brand-new release from Old Forester is new in more ways than one. The whiskey is their first age-statement whiskey at 10 years old. It’s also a new mash bill for the heritage brand with a recipe of 79% corn, 11% rye, and 10% malted barley. The whiskey aged in the Brown-Forman warehouse until just right for batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Freshly fried cinnamon doughnuts, soft chocolate shavings, and buttery salted caramel drive the nose toward dry nutshells, a hint of apple fritter, and dark brandy cherries dipped in creamy dark chocolate.
Palate: That chocolate is just kissed with Graham Cracker and marshmallow on the palate with a good dose of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice leading toward a dark brandy cherry tobacco on the mid-palate.
Finish: The dark cherry tobacco and S’mores drive the finish with a sense of dark stewed red fruit, stone fruit, and pear/apple before the oak arrives with a sense of an old cellar on a warm day.
Bottom Line:
This is just an excellent bourbon.
Bhakta Straight Rye Whiskey Distilled 2013 Finished in Calvados Casks
ABV: 53.8%
Average Price: $149
The Whiskey:
This new release from Bhakta is an Indiana 95/5 rye that’s nearly 11 years old. Sign me up! The barrels in the batch were all finished in Calvados casks (an apple brandy) before batching and bottling at nearly cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Freshly baked apple pie with a huge dollop of vanilla ice cream draws you in on the nose with a deeply salted caramel, soft oakiness, and dark orange vibe with a touch of clove, nutmeg, and allspice.
Palate: Vibrant tart apples and soft sandy pears drive the palate toward creamed nutmeg and honey with a deep sense of freshly cracked black pepper, dried chili pepper flakes, and a touch of vanilla sauce.
Finish: The end dried out with all that woody and peppery spice with a dried mushroom vibe next to old dried tobacco, firewood bark, and soft dried roasting herbs with a hint of braised salted fat.
Bottom Line:
This is another palate-expanding whiskey. It ends so far away from where it starts in all the right ways. This is one that you take your time with. It’ll reward you.
Glenfiddich Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 21 Years Gran Reserve 2024 Chinese New Year
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $499
The Whisky:
This year’s Lunar New Year release from Glenfiddich is their classic 21-year-old Grand Reserva which spends four months finishing in Gran Reserva barrels before vatting, proving, and bottling.
The box art was created by acclaimed Japanese artist Raku Inoue. She transformed Glenfiddich’s iconic stag into a dragon with a forest and floral design and scaled stag body for his year’s Lunar New Year celebrations.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is very “perfume” driven on the nose with plenty of sticky toffee pudding — the dates, nutmeg, toffee, vanilla, everything — leading to a hint of cherry bark and old leather.
Palate: The palate has a thin line of cream soda with more of that floral perfume, woody cinnamon apple, and a bit of sultana and prunes.
Finish: The finish leans into the florals and honey as a waft of freshly baked banana bread floats past and the creaminess amps up towards a kind of a Key lime pie vibe.
Bottom Line:
This is a delicate and very deep whisky. It’s a slow sipper that leans into the beautiful florals and fruity forest vibes on the box wonderfully. Take it slow and enjoy the nuances.
Heaven Hill Heritage Collection Aged 18 Years Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 2024 Release
ABV: 60%
Average Price: Coming Soon
The Whiskey:
The 2024 Heaven Hill Heritage Collection was just announced. This year Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll chose 133 barrels from a prime spot in a prime rickhouse. The whiskey is classic Heaven Hill bourbon made with a mash of 78% corn, 10% rye, and 12% malted barley. All 133 barrels were laid down back in December 2005 and left alone until bathing and bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Iconic bourbon notes of spiced cherry syrup, pecan waffles soaked in butter and maple syrup, oaky spices, old tobacco in leather pouches, and soft caramel swirled with creamy vanilla dance on the nose.
Palate: The caramel gets salty on the palate as the oaky spices dial in toward clove, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg before high-syrup Cherry Coke from a dispenser collides with rich pipe tobacco dipped in dark chocolate with a hint of espresso cream.
Finish: The finish leans into more dark and spicy cherry with a touch of Cherry Dr. Pepper next to creamy eggnog with plenty of nutmeg, salted caramel, and more of that soft and almost chewy pipe tobacco leading to a dry sense of cedar bark braided with dry sweetgrass and smudging sage on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is another masterpiece. It’ll hit shelves in March and cost $299 at MSRP, but thousands in the real world.
Garrison Brothers Guadalupe Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in a Port Cask 2024 Limited Edition
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $149
The Whiskey:
This Texas whiskey is hewn from 90 30-gallon barrels of four-year-old bourbon that were transferred into 26 59-gallon Tawny Port casks for a final maturation of over one year. That whiskey is then bottled as-is after a touch of water is added.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this bursts with raspberry, blackberry, redcurrant, and blueberry all stewed with plenty of holiday spices and folded into a cobbler topped with dense buttery buttermilk biscuits.
Palate: The palate leans into the spice with a focus on clove, nutmeg, and a tiny whisper of anise as the berry turns more towards a fresh strawberry with dark chocolate-covered espresso beans chiming in on the mid-palate.
Finish: That chocolate-bitter vibe drives towards a finish full of cinnamon-spiked dark chocolate tobacco leaves, stewed plums, and a dollop of floral honey.
Bottom Line:
This is the best bottle of Garrison out there and the new version is about to hit shelves. This is the perfect slow sipper over a single rock.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky 2024 Year of the Dragon
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $219
The Whisky:
This is the mountaintop of Johnnie Walker’s whiskies. The blend is a marriage of ultra-rare grain and malt stock from extinct Diageo distilleries around Scotland. That’s just … cool. This expression is all about barrel selection and the mastery of a great noser and blender working together to create something special.
This year’s bottle art was created by visual artist James Jean. The unique design is a “dynamic interpretation” of the noble Wood Dragon to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this one feels like silk with soft malts, dried plums, good marzipan, old boot leather, mulled wine spices, and a whisper of fireplace smoke.
Palate: The taste layers orange oils into the marzipan as rose-water-infused honey leads to a line of bitter dark chocolate that’s touched with smoked malts and nuts.
Finish: The end has an even keel of velvet mouthfeel next to floral honey, soft smoldering smoke from a fireplace, and old dried fruit.
Bottom Line:
This is Johnnie Blue. Of course, it’s delicious. What you’re paying for here is the unique bottle art on an iconic bottle of whisky.
Old Elk Infinity Blend Batch 3
ABV: 57.575%
Average Price: $179
The Whiskey:
The new Old Elk Infinity Blend is here. Though released at the tail end of 2023, it’s actually hitting shelves right now. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of 15.3% Old Elk 2022 Infinity Blend, 40% Old Elk high malt bourbon aged 8 years, 43.2% Old Elk straight wheat whiskey aged 7 years, and 1.5% Old Elk straight wheat whiskey aged 10 years. Those whiskeys were batched and then bottled 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Orange upside-down cake with a deep and rich caramel opens the nose toward rich and creamy vanilla, cinnamon toast, raw sugar rock candy, and soft winter spices rolled into a tobacco-heavy winter spice cake that’s drizzled with orange and cinnamon syrup.
Palate: That orange amps up on the palate with an orange milkshake vibe next to fresh cinnamon cookies, gingerbread, mincemeat pies, and spiced tobacco with a soft oakiness.
Finish: The caramelized orange and butteriness really drive the finish toward creamed vanilla, winter spice cakes, and spiced tobacco with a chewiness on the end.
Bottom Line:
This is dessert in a glass, especially a winter dessert. I can see this making one hell of a whiskey-forward cocktail where you draw the sugar back and let the whiskey shine.
Royal Salute Blended Scotch Whisky 21 Years Old Lunar New Year Special Edition 2024
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $299
The Whisky:
This is Royal Salute’s 21-year-old Signature Blend, which pays homage to the 21-gun salute for Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation back in the 1950s. This version is being re-released to celebrate 2024’s Lunar New Year. Chinese illustrator Feifei Ruan created the box and bottle art to celebrate this year’s festivities.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Ripe peaches and pears drive the nose with an underbelly of dried nuts, soft honey, and cellared oak with a whisper of rum raisin and mulled wine.
Palate: The mulled wine amps up on the palate as hints of minced meat pies, winter spice cakes, and stewed pear lean toward soft winter pears and mixed nuts.
Finish: The end leans back into the sweet and spicy mulled wine with a touch of spiced and sweet sherry next to old cellar vibes, soft oak, and overripe pears and plums rolled with tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is just a nice and easy sipper with balanced depth. The beautiful box and bottle are the cherry on top.
Longmorn Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky Single Batch Aged 22 Years 2024 Annual Release
ABV: 54.5%
Average Price: $439
The Whisky:
This is a whisky maker’s whisky. The whisky in the bottle is often reserved for Chivas and rarely ever sees shelves as a single malt. In this case, first and second-fill bourbon casks were vatted and proofed for this very rare yearly release.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Pecan sandies and peanut brittle dance with salted caramel and stewed pears on the nose with a deep sense of an old musty oak barrel house with soft tobacco and leather lurking in the background.
Palate: Soft toffee and banana bread smeared with salted butter leads to a rich caramel, soft vanilla whip cream, and touches of buttery Graham Cracker crusts accented with orange zest and nutmeg on the palate.
Finish: Subtle woody winter spiced and mild chocolate arrives late on the finish with a supple sense of full-fat eggnog, silky vanilla sauce, and fresh and chewy pipe tobacco rolled in old oak barrels with a hint of brandied pear.
Bottom Line:
This is a lush and delicious sipper. Take it slow and it’ll reward you with the lushest vibes.
Old Forester Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Statesman x Argylle Bundle
ABV: 47.5%
Average Price: $250
The Whisky:
The Statesmen from Old Forester was originally released as a tie-in for the Kingsman films, but was so popular it became a mainstream release. With the release of Argylle (which is part of the Kingsman universe), the whiskey was re-released with a Handmade Portuguese crystal rocks glass from Vista Allegre (which is used in the film by Agent Argylle).
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Moist, dark chocolate cake with cloves and oak mix with a flourish of vanilla on the nose.
Palate: The taste holds onto the spice and amps it into Christmas spice territory, focusing on woody cinnamon next to worn leather and buttery toffee.
Finish: A dry floral note arrives late with a burst of orange that leans creamy (almost like a sherbert) co-mingling with all that vanilla and toffee.
Bottom Line:
This is good, standard Old Forester whisky. It works best over a lot of rocks or in your favorite whiskey-forward cocktail. The real star of the show is the beautiful glass. It’s perfectly balanced and is the best vessel for that aforementioned cocktail.
Cream of Kentucky 16 Years Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 58%
Average Price: $429
The Whiskey:
The new Cream of Kentucky from Kentucky bourbon legend Jim Rutledge is here. This time around, we have a 16-year-old batch of bourbon from Rutledge’s private stash. Once batched, the whiskey was just kissed with water for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Deep and rich caramel draws you in on the nose with a silken sense of vanilla, soft rum raisin, black molasses, woody winter spices, and chewy and fresh pipe tobacco rolled with smudging sage and fresh boot leather.
Palate: Those leathery notes drive the palate back toward luscious toffee rolled in almond and dark chocolate with a salted bitterness next to super soft vanilla, hints of dried cherry, softly stewed apple, and a touch of cobbler with nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon all making appearances.
Finish: The toffee makes a creamy and nutty return on the finish with a rush of sharp oaky spice, soft tobacco, and cedar bark braided with smudging sage and dried cattail on a sunny back porch.
Bottom Line:
This is excellent sipping bourbon with just the right balance of kick and essential bourbon vibes. Pour this over a single rock and let it carry you away into your memories of slow summer days.
