The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2022, Ranked

It’s that time of year, folks. Time for our official Best Bourbon Whiskeys of 2022 list.

A quick note on methodology before we dive in — this list is based on my professional opinion as a whiskey pundit. I’ve tasted around 1,500 whiskeys this year. I’ve judged three spirits competitions. I’ve consulted on a handful of barrel picks — one of which raised just north of $60,000 for charity. I’m fortunate to be in the highest echelons of the spirits industry on the media side and have access to… pretty much everything. That means this list is about the best bourbons that I sampled in 2022, not the best bourbons that you can find wherever you are.

I’ve also ranked every single one of my top 100 bourbons. The ranking is based on my professional experience (mentioned right up there in that above paragraph). But know this — all of these whiskeys are worth drinking. Some of them are true greats. Some of them are once-in-a-lifetime pours that’ll stick with you forever. If someone wants to claim their “best of the best of 2022” is better, I’ll happily accept the challenge (sounds like a fun blind test, if nothing else). Remember, this is only a small fraction of the bourbons released this year that I was lucky enough to get to taste. There’s no trash here, just winners, champions, and stone-cold legends.

Let’s get to it and celebrate the best bourbons of 2022!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Past Six Months

• We Put A Whole Bunch Of Bourbons To A Giant Blind Test And Discovered Some Absolute Gems
• The Affordable Vs Expensive Blind Bourbon Bottle Battle
• We Blind Tasted Classic Bourbons And Were Shocked By The Winner
• The Best-Known Basic Bottles Of Bourbon, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• The Single Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States

100. 15 STARS Fine Aged Bourbon Timeless Reserve Aged 14 Years

ABV: 51.5%

Average Price: $279

The Whiskey:

The whiskey is a blend of old sourced barrels of bourbon from Bardstown, Kentucky. Those whiskeys spent 14 years in the barrel before the crew at 15 STARS picked them up and created a whole new experience from them for this award-winning release.

Tasting Notes:

Soft orchard fruits and maple syrup lead the way on the nose as roasted almonds and vanilla/caramel tobacco pipe tobacco round things out. The palate balances creamy vanilla sauce with a dark and bitter chocolate powder that’s nearly espresso bean oil. The finish is subtle but deep with a hazelnut vibe that blends with the chocolate for a lush Nutella feel next to woody maple, rum-soaked raisins, and a hint of old porch wicker draped in old leather.

Bottom Line:

This new bourbon shingle from a father and son team is racking up awards for building some seriously great whiskeys. They’re also distilling some unique mash bills that we’re all looking forward to tasting soon.

99. Basil Hayden Red Wine Cask Finish

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

Freddie Noe — Beam’s eighth-generation Master Distiller — created this expression by blending classic Basil Hayden with bourbon partially aged in California red wine casks. The resulting batch is then proofed down and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a hint of orange zest on the nose with sour mulled wine spices — star anise, cardamom, cinnamon — next to Cherry Coke and vanilla cake with white frosting. The palate is soft yet creamy with a nutty spiced cake vibe next to zucchini bread with a dollop of butter next to tart dried berries dipped in brandy with a hint of dark cacao in the background. The end is pretty short (low-proofed) and finishes with a sense of old oak staves soaked in sour red wine with a dash of burnt orange and dried winter spice rounding things out.

Bottom Line:

This is the best Basil Hayden’s release of the new generation of expressions from the brand.

98. Jefferson’s Ocean Aged At Sea New York Edition

ABV: 49%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

This version of Jefferson’s famed Oceans Series sailed through the North Sea, around Europe, along the Atlantic Seaboard, and through the Panama Canal before ending up in New York City. Once there, the whiskey was batched and proofed down with New York City’s famed water (which is unfiltered and from closer to the Catskills).

Tasting Notes:

There’s a nice sense of soft caramel chews on the nose with a dash of cigar tobacco and old humidors next to old leather cloves, burnt orange, and a hint of saline. The palate leans into brash winter spices with spicy and woody cinnamon, fresh nutmeg, cloves, allspice, and a hint of cardamom next to lush crème brûlée with a hint of that cigar vibe. The end stays strong with the spices and tobacco next to a soft vanilla creaminess and slightly salted pasta water finish.

Bottom Line:

Jefferson’s really added something special to their lineup by delving into how much impact proofing water has a bourbon’s flavor profile with this one.

97. Horse Soldier Reserve Barrel Strength Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 60.25%

Average Price: $98

The Whiskey:

The bourbon in this bottle was contract distilled in Ohio at Middlewest (but it’s now being made in Kentucky too). The whiskey is a wheated bourbon that spent eight years mellowing before bottling. Each barrel was hand-picked before being married into a barrel strength expression that’s bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a mild crafty, sweet grain nose that opens toward a pile of freshly chopped firewood, lemon pepper, creamy vanilla-laced honey, winter spices, and Kiwi boot soap. The palate has a hint of caramel malts next to Vanilla Coke, a buttery and spiced apple pie with plenty of brown sugar, and a hint of ginger next to some orange blossoms in the background. The end is solid with a spicy warmth next to more of that dry firewood and a smidge of sweet oatmeal cookies.

Bottom Line:

This is a great bourbon that supports undersupported vets. You cannot beat that.

96. Lil’ Guero Aged 7 Years Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $100

The Whiskey:

This small batch from Savage & Cooke out in California is made from an MGP of Indiana 7-year-old high-rye bourbon. Master Distiller Jordan Via hand picks only 38 barrels for this blend and then cuts that whiskey with Alexander Valley spring water before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

This is another classic nose full of maple syrup over pecan waffles, dried cherries, salted caramel, meaty dates, old leather, and singed cedar with a hint of old musk lurking in the background of the nose. The palate has a hint of caramel next to vanilla malt with dates, prunes, and raisins leading to dark chocolate-covered dried cranberries with a hint of spiced tobacco. That spiced tobacco mingles with old leather and cedar on the back end.

Bottom Line:

This whiskey proves that Savage & Cooke is becoming one of the best blenders working in California today.

95. Old Elk Four Grain

ABV: 52.95%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from out in Colorado combines two whiskeys from Indiana (MGP) with Colorado’s Rocky Mountain spirit made at Old Elk. The whiskeys are a corn/rye/barley mash bill combined with a corn/wheat/barley mash to create a four-grain experience by blending instead of from scratch. That whiskey then spends six to seven years aging in the Rocky Mountain state before it’s bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Dark fruit and almonds play with sweet apple wedges and vanilla sheet cake on the nose with a hint of leather, oats, and toffee lurking underneath it all. The taste is all about the creamy and nutmeg-heavy eggnog with a nice counterpoint of sweetgrass and vanilla pipe tobacco. The mid-palate has a sweet winter spice vibe that leads to a raw and sweet carrot and apple cores next to a hint of new wicker.

Bottom Line:

As more and more Old Elk juice becomes part of the mix, this whiskey just gets better and better.

94. Penelope Bourbon Barrel Strength Batch 10

ABV: 57.9%

Average Price: $65

The Whiskey:

Penelope Bourbon is another great example of what a master blender can do with MGP whiskey. In this case, three barrels were blended — aged three to five years — to create a barrel strength expression that highlights the quality of those casks. The final product ended up being a four-grain bourbon with a mash bill of 74% corn, 16% wheat, 7% rye, and 3% malted barley.

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this bursts forth with peaches, red berries, blueberry, and an almost savory gooseberry next to cotton candy, a touch of toffee, and very light-yet-sweet oak. The palate shines as the peaches and berries combine to make a sort of summer fruit crumble with plenty of butter, dark sugar, and spice alongside a thin line of soft leather, rich vanilla, and more of that sweet oak. The mid-palate sweetens with more cotton candy before diving into a warming and spicy finish that keeps the spice sweet and subtle.

Bottom Line:

This whiskey won tons of awards this year. And after one sip, it’s easy to see why.

93. American Highway Reserve Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from country music legend Brad Paisley actually crisscrossed the country with the star. The whiskey in the bottles is largely from Bardstown Bourbon Company, with four whiskeys aged three to 15 years with both low and high rye bourbons in the mix. The team at Bardstown worked closely with Paisley — a whiskey nerd himself — to select, blend, and finish the bourbon according to Paisley’s palate. After a 7,314-mile trip across America, the barrels were vatted, proofed, and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a lightness at first whiff that gives way to a soft apricot jam on a buttered Southern biscuit next to a hint of cinnamon-spiked caramel and apple cider-soaked oak staves. The palate really does burst forth with firework pops of old leather, toffee candies, Red Hots, peanut brittle, nougat, milk chocolate, and vanilla pipe tobacco. The mid-palate sweetness fades as the pipe tobacco takes on a little warmth and spice while brioche, black pepper, and braided dry cedar bark round out the finish.

Bottom Line:

Gimmicks aside, this is just good old-fashioned whiskey.

92. Luca Mariano Single Barrel Bourbon

ABV: 51.5%

Average Price: $66

The Whiskey:

This whiskey marries Italian-American heritage with bourbon in Kentucky’s horse country. The juice is a contract-distilled high-rye bourbon that spends six years resting in new American oak. That whiskey is then just barely touched with local water before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

The nose feels like walking through a peach orchard on a sunny day with blossoming honey suckles wrapped around cinnamon sticks in your hand. The taste builds on that spiced honey with a mild root beer vibe next to overripe peach, a touch of vanilla cream, and a whisper of fresh mint. The finish stays fairly mellow with creamy honey and mild spices blending with a soft touch of vanilla/mint tobacco warmth.

Bottom Line:

This whiskey is built to be enjoyed with a big meal, lots of friends, and plenty of time to enjoy it all.

91. Daviess County Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Lightly Toasted American Oak Barrels

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

This brand new release from Daviess County is the first in Lux Row Distillers’ new Toasted Barrel Finish Series, which will be an annual release. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of rye and wheated bourbons that aged at least four years. Once vatted, those whiskeys are re-filled into lightly toasted new oak for a final maturation. Once just right, the whiskey is proofed down and bottled (only 18,000 bottles were shipped).

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this one is salty/sweet with a sense of caramel and buttermilk next to soft oak and a mild hint of coconut shells. The palate toasts that coconut as buttery toffee leading to a vanilla cream pie with a lard crust and a dash of orange oils. The end mixes a soft vanilla cake with a pecan waffle with a whisper of woody maple syrup and light raisins.

Bottom Line:

This expression will get you excited about the cool work happening with Daviess County special releases.

90. Castle & Key Small Batch Bourbon

ABV: 49%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

Castle & Key Distillery is the renovated Old Taylor Distillery outside of Frankfort, Kentucky. This distillery has spent years contract distilling for other brands, until this year when they released their first batch of this expression in April. The juice is a mash of 73% white corn, 17% malted barley, and a scant 10% rye. After four years, 80 barrels are chosen for this small-batch expression and proofed down with local water.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a sense of unbaked sourdough cinnamon rolls next to Graham Crackers dipped in vanilla-creamed honey served with a warm can of peach soda. The palate leans into the fruitiness with a pink taffy vibe that’s countered by slight pepperiness, a touch of “woody,” and more of that creamy honey laced with vanilla. The fruity take on a savory essence — think cantaloupe — on the mid-palate before circling back to the pepperiness with a bit of woody spice on the short end.

Bottom Line:

Castle & Key has quietly been making some of your favorite whiskeys behind the scenes as a contract distiller. Know they’re rolling out their own expressions and they are living up to the hype created around their brand.

89. RD One Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished with French Oak

ABV: 50.5%

Average Price: $75

The Whiskey:

This brand-new Lexington, Kentucky whiskey is a follow-up to the award and insider darling Old Wm. Tarr Bourbon, which this expression is replacing. The bourbon in play is finished in French oak, adding an extra layer of depth to the final product before batching, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

That old porch wicker and boot leather lead on the nose with a hint of bespoke Almond Joy, dried rose petals, and allspice cherry cola. The palate has a lush creaminess tied to vanilla cake with a cherry compote next to eggnog spices and creaminess and a dash of woody winter spice with a pipe tobacco edge. The end has a rich toffee vibe that leads to almonds and raisins with a sense of spiced choco-cherry tobacco just kissed with orange oils.

Bottom Line:

This small operator makes a big whiskey that’ll make some waves over the next year.

88. Broken Barrel Cask Strength

ABV: 57.5%

Average Price: $48

The Whiskey:

This whiskey, from Owensboro Distilling Co., is all about the finish. The whiskey is finished in casks with staves from ex-bourbon, sherry, and French oak barrels. Once that whiskey hits the right point, it’s vatted and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Dark chocolate powder opens the nose up to fresh raspberry, vanilla husks, buttery toffee, and those candy orange wedges with the sugar coating. The palate leans into the berries as oatmeal cookies dipped in Earl Grey tea lead to almond shells and dark earthy soil. The mid-palate re-sweetens with a vanilla shortbread that ends up at an eggnog creaminess and spiciness next to a very mild and dry cornmeal finish with a hint of dark chocolate pipe tobacco.

Bottom Line:

Adding broken barrel staves to a finishing barrel turns out to be a great way to create a nuanced final whiskey.

87. Jack Daniel’s Bonded Tennessee Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $35

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is from Jack’s bonded warehouse. The mash of 80% corn, 12% barley, and 8% rye is twice distilled before it’s run through Jack’s very long Lincoln County process of sugar maple charcoal filtration. The spirit then goes into the barrel for at least four years — per bonded law — before it’s batched, cut down with that Jack Daniel’s limestone cave water, and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Vanilla comes through with a bold sense of the oil and beans in the pod as cherry Jolly Ranchers, a light touch of sweet oak, a hint of fresh leather, and an echo of orange peels round out the nose. Going back in on the nose after a minute or two, a sense of potting soil and maybe the vitamin aisle at a health food store alongside more of that fresh leather leads to a little bit of sweetgrass, apple blossoms, and a vanilla cookie with a touch of oat in the mix. The palate is immediately sweet with apple fritters and maple bars next to brown sugar and vanilla cream. The mid-palate adds in a little winter spice with a lean toward cinnamon and clove and a dusting of nutmeg. The finish arrives with brown sugar and butter mixed into Cream of Wheat as a minor note of wood and apple cider kicks in late and lingers the longest on the end.

Bottom Line:

Jack Daniel’s released a lot of great whiskeys this year, but this one really stood out thanks to that price and a truly great whiskey in the bottle.

86. Puncher’s Chance The D12TANCE Aged 12 Years

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $129

The Whiskey:

This sourced whiskey is a 12-year-old Tennessee straight bourbon whiskey. Those barrels are emptied and the whiskey is refilled into old Cabernet Sauvignon casks for a final maturation before proofing and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Hello, Tennessee! The nose opens with a sense of cherry Tums next to soft grains, dried sage and thyme, and a hint of smoked pork fat. The taste leans into that Tennessee whiskey vibe with soft grains next to vanilla Necco Wafers, old cellar floors, and a good dose of sharp winter spices. The finish lets the cherry chine with a hint of old glove leather, apple pie filling, and a sour sense of butter with a garden center earthiness.

Bottom Line:

UFC’s Bruce Buffer proved he’s a heavyweight in the bourbon world (sorry) with this super solid inaugural outing.

85. Penelope Valencia

ABV: 49%

Average Price: $83

The Whiskey:

This bourbon starts off as Penelope’s beloved and much-lauded four-grain bourbon. That whiskey is then re-barreled into Spanish Vino de Naranja casks from Valencia before small batching, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a light sense of burnt orange and cinnamon toast on the nose that leads to a hint of cherry vanilla cream soda with chocolate chip cookies cut with orange zest. That orange zest turns into chunky orange marmalade on the palate over buttery southern biscuits, woody mulled wine spices, wet brown sugar, and oily vanilla pods. The end has a nice bitterness to it tied to the orange rinds and seeds with a hint of orange blossom next to salted dark chocolate.

Bottom Line:

Penelope seems unstoppable with their unique releases, which means we have a lot of greatness to look forward to in 2023 from them.

84. Larceny Barrel Proof B522

ABV: 61.9%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

The second batch of Larceny Barrel Proof of 2022 is batched from barrels of Heaven Hill’s iconic wheated bourbon (68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley). Those barrels are chosen for their specific flavor profile and blended as-is and bottled at barrel proof.

Tasting Notes:

A hint of red berries hits your nose first and then the nose goes full “classic” with notes of rich caramel, fresh leather, vanilla beans, raw pancake batter, and a soft note of kindling. The palate feels high-proof but not “hot” — that means it coats your mouth with a buzzing sensation but there’s no burn — as grassy mid-palate leads to subtle Christmas cake spice, salted caramel sauce, and a layer of cherry compote between two sheets of vanilla cake. The end is silky and lush with that cherry and vanilla fading toward damp and supple wicker that ultimately leaves you with a velvet mouthfeel and warm Kentucky hug.

Bottom Line:

Of the three Larceny Barrel Proof releases this year, this one sticks with you the longest thanks to that classic flavor profile.

83. Laws Whiskey House Intention Origins Series 2022 Release

ABV: 59%

Average Price: $129

The Whiskey:

This whiskey starts off with Laws’ classic Four Grain Straight Bourbon made with 60% heritage corn, 20% heirloom wheat, 10% heirloom rye, and 10% heirloom malted barley. That hot juice then rests in barrels for three to 10 years before bottling at cask strength and no fussing, creating only 1,680 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a soft graininess that leads to sour cherries, old leather, a hint of honey, and a whisper of orange. The palate has a sense of cinnamon rolls with a crafty sweet graininess and subtle spice next to buttery grits and a twinge of black tea bitterness. The end leans into a little more of that honey with an oatmeal cookie vibe next to woody spice.

Bottom Line:

Laws has been killing it for years now. This cask-strength version only further proves why the brand is so beloved.

82. Brother’s Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey Original Cask Strength

ABV: 57.9%

Average Price: $80

The Whiskey:

The newest release from Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley is an evolution of their brand. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of three bourbons which create a four-grain bourbon. That blend was then bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a balance of old leather boots and freshly cracked black pepper next to a hint of walnut shell, vanilla pod, and orange zest. The palate leans into what feels like star fruit as orange marmalade, salted butter, and fresh honey drip over rye bread crusts. The end comes with a good dose of peppery spice and old leather as those walnuts and orange combine with a handful of dried fruit and a dusting of winter spices on the finish.

Bottom Line:

This latest version of Brother’s Bond proved the brand was about more than celebs white labeling booze. It proved that Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley truly care about this industry and the whiskey in their bottle.

81. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch No. A122

ABV: 60.4%

Average Price: $85

The Whiskey:

This year’s first Elijah Craig drop is a 12-year-old whiskey made from Heaven Hill’s classic bourbon mash of 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and a mere 10% rye. Those barrels are masterfully blended into this Barrel Proof expression with no cutting or fussing. This is as-is bourbon from the barrel.

Tasting Notes:

Caramel draws you in on the nose with a slight sourdough cinnamon roll with pecans, a touch of floral honey, and a soft and woody drug store aftershave with an echo of vanilla candle wax and singed marshmallow. The palate rolls through a soft leather and vanilla pie note as cinnamon ice cream leads to spicy oak. The mid-palate leans into a sweeter, almost creamy spice (think nutmeg-heavy eggnog) which, in turn, leads to a dry cedar bark next to a dry stewed-apple tobacco leaf folded into an old leather pouch for safekeeping.

Bottom Line:

Of the three Elijah Craig Barrel Proof releases this year, this was the one to get.

80. Pinhook 2022 Vintage High Proof Bourbon

ABV: 58%

Average Price: $56

The Whiskey:

This contract-distilled whiskey from Pinhook celebrates the young racehorse “Bourbondini.” The whiskey in the bottle is made from a mash of 75% corn, 15% rye, and 10% malted barley. After a long rest, the whiskey is just touched with water and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a big nose full of hot apple cider spiked with clove, raisins, and molasses next to a soft bar of high-quality marzipan all with a whisper of figgy jam in the background. The palate leans toward that savory fruit with a hint of dry tropical fruit before a chili-infused dark espresso takes over with a dash of powdered dark chocolate. The finish sweetens with a rich toffee and brown butter vibe as the charred barrel makes an appearance at the very end.

Bottom Line:

Pinhook continues to crush it with these releases.

79. Red Line Cask Strength Single Barrel Straight Bourbon

ABV: 58%

Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from Red Line is sourced from hand-selected barrels from MGP of Indiana. The team at Red Line picked six-year-old barrels of MGP’s iconic high-rye bourbon mash of 75% corn, 21% rye, and only 4% malted barley. Those barrels were vatted and then bottled as-is at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a lovely sweetness that arrives on the nose with a hint of burnt sugars and brown butter just starting to coalesce into caramel with a flake of salt and a sense of rum-raisin and an echo of charred oak. The palate leans into a light apple compote with a hint of plum and plenty of wintry spices next to vanilla and wicker before the warmth of the ABVs peak on the mid-palate. The end is soft and supple with a sense of spiced prune jam, old porch wicker, and allspice berries.

Bottom Line:

This seemingly small and bespoke bottler killed the awards circuit this year with this expression of finely sourced Indiana bourbon.

78. Doc Swinson’s Blenders Cut Bourbon

ABV: 57.5%

Average Price: $65

The Whiskey:

Doc Swinson’s Master Blender, Jesse Parker, takes a lot of time to make this whiskey. The whiskey is a blend of MGP five-year-old bourbons. That blend is just touched with water to bring it down to 155 proof and then bottled.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a nice balance of dried and leathery apricot next to Caro syrup and peanut brittle with a hint of charred oak in the background of the nose. The palate leans into the nuttiness with an almost Almond Joy vibe with a dark chocolate bitterness and a touch of creamy vanilla. The finish is part brown sugar and part crushed peanuts with a hint of spicy dark chocolate tobacco rounding things out.

Bottom Line:

This is another sourced bourbon from a small-time bottler that just slaps.

77. Bloody Butcher’s Creed Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 4 Years 9 Months Batch no. 8

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $52

The Whiskey:

This special edition bourbon from craft distilling darling Jeptha Creed is all about heritage corn. The mash is 90% Bloody Butcher Corn alongside 5% malted rye and 5% malted barley. The whiskey is left alone for nearly five years before batching, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

The nose on his one starts off with a stained deck board vibe that boils down to silver plastic Christmas garlands fresh out of the pack with old woody spices, dry raisins, and savory figs. Earthy vanilla and old porch wicker mingle with Caro Syrup and orange tobacco with a supporting cast of wintry baking spices. The end moves from woody maple syrup toward soft marzipan, a dash of chocolate, and a distant whisper of peppermint candy cane.

Bottom Line:

This is craft whiskey that feels authentically classic from top to bottom.

76. Leopold Bros. Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

This Colorado crafty whiskey gets a lot of attention from bourbon drinkers in the know. The mash is made from 64% corn, 21% malted barley, and 15% Abruzzi Heritage Rye, which Master Distiller Todd Leopold malted at his malting house at the distillery in Denver. That mash ran through a classic pot still before it was barreled and left to rest for five years.

Tasting Notes:

The floral and spicy nature of that Abruzzi rye really comes out on the nose with a touch of candied apples, Quik chocolate milk powder, and the faintest hint of sourdough rye with a light smear of salted butter. The taste leans into stewed pears with nutmeg and clove spices leading the way as Almond Roca and green peppercorns jostle for space on your palate. The end mellows out as that spice fades towards an eggnog vibe with a creamy vanilla underbelly and a final touch of that floral rye and hint of pear.

Bottom Line:

This is the whiskey nerd’s whiskey that’s also pretty damn tasty.

75. Pursuit United 2022 Release Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskeys

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $65

The Whiskey:

The team at Pursuit United re-vamped their bourbon for the first 2022 release. They’ve picked barrels via Bardstown Bourbon Company from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana that skewed a little more rye heavy this year and blended those into this high-proof release.

Tasting Notes:

The nose draws you in with a mix of old leather and a back porch on a sunny day with layers of apple and pear skins, plenty of dark spice, white sugar frosting, dry grass, and a hint of sour cherry. The palate has a light ABV warmth (a Kentucky hug if you will) that fades toward a mix of chocolate-covered cherries and orange spice next to mulled wine and vanilla cookies. The end leans into porch wicker with that cherry darkening toward more spice and dark chocolate on the finish.

Bottom Line:

The Pursuit United team continues to deliver excellently built blends with this year’s release.

74. Middle West Spirits Straight Wheated Bourbon Michelone Reserve Cask Strength

ABV: 63.95%

Average Price: $47

The Whiskey:

This Ohio whiskey is all about grain-to-glass. The juice is made from a mash of sweet yellow corn, soft red winter wheat, dark pumpernickel rye, and Two-Row malted barley. The whiskey spends about four years in oak before it’s bottled as-is at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Coconut cream pie dominates the nose with a lard crust, a touch of black banana, and almond-covered toffees round things out. The palate leans into the creaminess of the pie while adding in soft dried fruits, a touch of winter spice, and a whisper of cedar. The finish arrives with a Honey Nut Cheerios vibe as the wintry spices amp up toward a warm end.

Bottom Line:

This may well be the best whiskey coming out of Ohio right now.

73. Frey Ranch Small Batch Bourbon Batch #5

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $55

The Whiskey:

Frey Ranch is all about the farm behind the whiskey. In this case, that’s a 165+-year-old farm in the Sierra Nevada basin near Lake Tahoe. The grains (corn, wheat, rye, and barley), fermentation, distilling, aging, and bottling all happen on-site at Frey Ranch.

Tasting Notes:

Fruity cherry gummies mingle with raw sourdough bread dough, vanilla beans, dry firewood, and burnt brown sugars on the nose. The taste has a very crafty corn chip vibe that leads to tart cranberry, more of that vanilla, and a cinnamon-spiced oatmeal raisin cookie. This all coalesces on the finish with the spice, oats, tart red fruit, and vanilla playing second fiddle to the dry firewood and slightly spiced tobacco end.

Bottom Line:

This is the best whiskey coming out of Nevada right now.

72. Redwood Empire Whiskey Grizzly Beast Bottled in Bond Batch #002

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $79

The Whiskey:

The latest batch of Redwood Empire’s Grizzly Beast is a four-grain bourbon. The California whiskey was made with 69% corn, 22% rye, 5% malted barley, and a mere 4% wheat. After five years of maturation, 26 barrels were picked for this batch. Those barrels were vatted and the whiskey was just kissed with pure water from a local Russian River Valley aquifer.

Tasting Notes:

Cherry pie with plenty of winter spice leads off on the nose with buttery brown sugar, tart red berries, and walnut shells. The palate opens with burnt orange, salted caramel, and more of those tart berries swimming in rich vanilla cream before a hint of spicy warmth arrives. The end leans into brown sugar and winter spice-laced butter with walnut tobacco leaves wrapped in vanilla husks and cedar bark.

Bottom Line:

Redwood Empire is on the verge of blowing up, especially in California, with this expression proving why.

71. Joseph Magnus Murray Hill Club Bourbon Whiskey, A Blend

ABV: 51.5%

Average Price: $90

The Whiskey:

This is a masterfully sourced whiskey. The whiskey is a mix of 18 and eleven-year-old bourbon with a nine-year-old light whiskey (a high-proof whiskey aged in lightly toasted, uncharted barrels). That blend is then just touched with water before bottling without any fussing.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a rich sense of buttery toffee on the nose with plenty of cinnamon/nutmeg/allspice next to a hint of savory fig and some vanilla cream. The palate merges the spices into a lush eggnog vibe as hints of old cedar planks mix with a black peppercorn sharpness. The end mixes the spices into a buttery cookie with hints of singed cinnamon bark, old pine, and soft vanilla tobacco leaves.

Bottom Line:

These blends always deliver great whiskeys that fly under too many radars.

70. FEW Bottled in Bond Bourbon

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $55

The Whiskey:

This expression from Illinois’ FEW Spirits marks the 125th anniversary of the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897. The juice is made from 70% corn, 20% rye, and 10% malted barley. That whiskey spends four years resting before it’s proofed down to 100 proof and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a sense of vanilla cream pie with an extra thick vanilla pudding next to dry cedar bark with a touch of white moss, a touch of black licorice, and a hint of barrel smoke. The palate leans into cherry bark with a light cherry tobacco spiciness that melds with the vanilla pudding, a pan of fresh sticky buns with plenty of cinnamon and walnuts, and a hint of black pepper and more of that dry cedar bark. The finish has a bit of an oatmeal cookie vibe that leads back to the spicy cherry tobacco and white moss.

Bottom Line:

FEW Spirits perfected their bourbon craft with this expression.

69. Stellum Bourbon Hunter’s Moon

ABV: 57.76%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

This masterful blend from Barrell Craft Spirits celebrates the coming of winter with a high-rye bourbon blend. The batch is dailed in toward the flavors and vibes of the season with deep woodiness, spices, and dark fruits to help celebrate the season.

Tasting Notes:

Old porch wicker, boot leather, salted caramel candies, vanilla cakes, and a hint of dried mango rolled in salt lead the way on the nose. The palate leans into sharp yet sweet cinnamon with burnt orange and dried plums layering into a spiced fruit cake with a hint of sage and thyme. The end has a lightly dried rose vibe with some soft marzipan covered in dark chocolate and layered into an old fruit cake with candied and dried fruits, citrus, nuts, and plenty of dark winter spice.

Bottom Line:

Stellum has been killing it with these blends since last year, and this year has only gotten better.

68. BLACKENED x Wes Henderson Master of Whiskey Series

ABV: 58.1%

Average Price: $179

The Whiskey:

This new collaboration from Metallica’s whiskey finds Master Distillers Rob Dietrich of BLACKENED working with Wes Henderson, Co-Founder of Angel’s Envy, to create a new expression. The whiskey is a classic Kentucky bourbon aged for six years. Those barrels are vatted and then refilled into white port wine casks for a final rest. Finally, the port barrels are batched and the whiskey is bottled at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a good bit of fruit on the nose with pear skins, rum-raisin, and burnt orange next to dried-up old cinnamon sticks and tobacco leaves. The palate stews the pear with honey and wintry spices while a hint of dried chili flake leads to walnut cake and a very mild echo of old wet straw. The end is lush and full of oranges studded with cloves and allspice next to pear tobacco and old cedar humidors.

Bottom Line:

This is great, party-hard yet classic bourbon with a truly well-built flavor profile.

67. Yellowstone Limited Edition 2022

ABV: 50.5%

Average Price: $129

The Whiskey:

This year’s Yellowstone Limited Edition is a masterstroke of blending by Master Distiller Stephen Beam. The whiskey in the bottle is a mix of seven, 15, and 16-year barrels finished in Sicilian Marsala Superiore casks (a drier sherry-like Sicilian fortified dessert wine). Once vatted, the whiskey was just touched with water to bring it down to 101 proof, which yielded about 30,000 bottles this year.

Tasting Notes:

This opens soft with an almost meaty dried apricot dipped in pine-laced honey with a line of cinnamon-spiced tobacco sharpening the nose. The palate has a mild sticky toffee pudding vibe with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg next to meaty dates, rum-raisin, and a hint of walnut cake with a twinge of butteriness. The end leans into those sweet dates with a hint of black tea and a dash of wet brown sugar before raisins packed in vanilla tobacco leaves round things out.

Bottom Line:

If you buy one bottle of Yellowstone this year, make it this one.

66. Maker’s Mark Cask Strength Batch no. 21-08

ABV: 56.25%

Average Price: $45

The Whisky:

This special release from Maker’s Mark is their classic wheated bourbon turned up a few notches. The batch is made from no more than 19 barrels of whiskey. Once batched, that whiskey goes into the barrel at cask strength with no filtering, just pure whiskey-from-the-barrel vibes.

Tasting Notes:

Burnt caramel candies and lush vanilla lead the way on the nose with hints of dry straw, sour cherry pie, and spiced apple cider with a touch of eggnog lushness. The palate has a sense of spicy caramel with a vanilla base that leads to apricot jam, southern biscuits, and a flake of salt with a soft mocha creaminess. The end is all about the buzzy tobacco spiciness with a soft vanilla underbelly and a hint of cherry syrup.

Bottom Line:

This is the bottle of Maker’s Mark to buy.

65. Starlight Distillery Single Barrel Huber’s Rickhouse Select Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: Varies

Average Price: $55

The Whisky:

These single-barrel releases from Huber Winery’s Starlight Distillery are starting to light up the craft bourbon scene. The Indiana whiskey is true craft made on a family farm going back to the mid-1800s (this isn’t MGP). Depending on the barrel, the mash here is a unique one with 58% corn, 27% rye, and 15% malted barley. That whiskey is aged for at least four years before it’s considered ready for single-barrel bottling as-is.

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this meanders from sheet cake with vanilla frosting toward chili-laced dark chocolate ice cream to old leather gloves with a hint of potting soil, soft cedar planks, and a twinge of an orange creamsicle. The taste balances a lemon meringue pie with silky cream soda, red peppercorns, and thick toffee sauce with plenty of brown butter. The end has a bit of woody spice next to spiced cherry syrup, a crack of black pepper, and crumb more of that cake from the nose with a counter of those old leather gardening gloves finishing off the taste.

Bottom Line:

This classic single-barrel expression from Indiana’s Starlight Distillery is the perfect introduction to the brand.

64. Rum Barrel Finished Peerless Bourbon

ABV: 55.35%

Average Price: $149

The Whiskey:

The whiskey is Peerless’ signature sweet mash bourbon that’s finished in hand-picked rum barrels. After vatting, those barrels are bottled as-is with no fussing whatsoever.

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this runs deep with hints of burnt orange tea leaves next to a mild sense of dark molasses with a hint of dark chocolate-covered espresso bean flaked with sea salt and wrapped in dry cedar bark. The palate opens with a burst of dark orange oils next to burnt sugars and woody winter spices with a warm mid-palate. After a big crescendo of woody spice and burnt sugars, the palate falls into a creamy sense of honey with a smoked plum vibe in the background and more of that winter spice wrapped up in old cedar bark with a hint of sweetgrass and raisin.

Bottom Line:

Peerless is an awards darling that always delivers for the masses. They’re truly batting a thousand.

63. George Dickel Bottled in Bond Tennessee Whisky Fall 2008 Aged 13 Years

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $43

The Whisky:

Nicole Austin has been killing it with these bottled-in-bond releases from George Dickel. This release is a whiskey that was warehoused in the fall of 2008. 13 years later, this whiskey was bottled at 100 proof (as per the bottled-in-bond law) and left to rest.

Tasting Notes:

Sour cherries, maple syrup, and pecan waffles mingle with dried apple chips, old leather boots, and winter spice with a hint of vanilla wafers on the nose. The taste leans toward spicy apple pie filling with walnuts, plenty of cinnamon, and some raisins before malted vanilla milkshakes, blueberry cotton candy, and dark chocolate milk arrive on the mid-palate and lead toward a moist oatmeal cookie dipped in salted caramel. The end has a dry woody spiciness with star anise, cinnamon, and allspice mingling with marzipan and cherry/cinnamon tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This expression just keeps getting better and better each and every year.

62. Booker’s 2022-02 “The Lumberyard Batch”

ABV: 62.4%

Average Price: $200

The Whiskey:

The second Booker’s release of 2022 is a masterful blend of barrels from seven locations around Jim Beam’s rickhouses. Those barrels are mostly from the seventh floor of those rickhouses, with one coming from the ninth floor. All of them averaged out to this whiskey being seven years, one month, and seven days old before it was batched and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a rush of dry nutshells next to old cellar beams, soft old boot leather, salted caramel sauce, sweet black cherries, and dry tobacco leaves and cedar bark braided together. The palate has a creamy and lush vanilla underbelly that supports a hint of chocolate chip cookie next to fresh broom bristles, caramel apple from the state fair, and a whisper of freshly cracked black peppercorn with a dash of dried ancho underneath it all. The end is all about salted peanuts covered in dark yet creamy chocolate with beautiful lush vanilla tobacco chewiness wrapped in that old leather and cedar.

Bottom Line:

Don’t worry. There’s another Booker’s Bourbon below.

61. Bib & Tucker 12-Year Single Barrel Select

ABV: 49.5%

Average Price: $100

The Whiskey:

Bib & Tucker’s barrel picks are always worth chasing down. The whiskey is a sourced Tennessee bourbon that’s aged for 12 long years in very lightly charred oak. The whiskey then goes into the bottle after being proofed down (ever so slightly) to 99 proof.

Tasting Note:

Expect a nose of fairly classic bourbon with creamy vanilla, salted caramel apples, and a hint of soft cedar. The palate touches on dark orange oils next to bright red cherry with a vanilla pudding base and a subtle dose of dark spice leading towards salted and almost chalky dark chocolate. The end is quite quick and leaves you with more dark chocolate, orange, and a drop more of salted caramel.

Bottom Line:

This is the age statement where Bib & Tucker truly shines as a great bourbon from Tennessee.

60. Nelson Brothers Reserve Bourbon

ABV: 46.65%

Average Price: $69

The Whiskey:

This new release from Nelson’s Green Brier is a big evolution for the brand. This high-rye bourbon is aged for four years before it’s masterfully blended into his expression. It’s then bottled without any fussing or meddling.

Tasting Notes:

A vanilla wafer with soft nougat greets you on the nose with a hint of burnt orange zest, Christmas cake, candied cherry, and a little bit of apple pie filling. The taste has a moment of grilled pineapple that leads to brandy-soaked dark chocolate-covered cherries with a supporting act of zucchini bread, pecan pie, and a whisper of lemon meringue pie — it’s kind of like being in an old-school diner. A mild dusting of white pepper ushers in the finish with a smooth green tea cut with menthol tobacco.

Bottom Line:

The Nelson Brothers hit it out of the park with their new line this year and this is the bottle to start with.

59. Filibuster Distillery Bottled-in-Bond Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 5 Years

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $90

The Whiskey:

This Virginias whiskey is a grain-to-glass experience. The juice is made from locally-grown grains — 70% corn, 20% rye, and 10% malted barley — and local spring water in the Shenandoah Valley. After five years of mellowing in Appalachia, a small bundle of barrels are batched and proofed to 100 proof before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a waft of old porch wicker next to floral honey, burnt orange, black tea leaves, and a classic sense of woody cherry and vanilla. The palate creams the honey while adding in soft oak and cherry pie filling with a hint of vanilla malt next to mulled wine spices — heavy with star anise, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon with a pinch of mace or cardamom. The end has a dark chocolate-covered espresso bean vibe that leads to a mild dried cranberry note next to a strawberry-rhubarb-walnut crumble with a scoop of vanilla malted ice cream that finished back at the old porch wicker braided with dark cherry tobacco and dry cedar bark.

Bottom Line:

This bottle of Virginia bourbon came out of nowhere and grabbed a lot of people’s (including mine) attention as a sleeper hit this year.

58. New Riff Straight Bourbon Single Barrel #2551

ABV: 51.35%

Average Price: $50

The Whiskey:

These releases from New Riff will vary from location to location as they’re largely reserved for retailers. The whiskey in the bottle is New Riff’s standard bourbon mash of 65% corn, 30% rye, and 5% malted barley. The spirit is aged for four years before they’re bottled individually without cutting or filtration.

Tasting Notes:

The nose on these tends to be soft, kind of like freshly baked rye bread, with notes of eggnog spices, slick vanilla flan, thin caramel sauce, and hints of spicy orange zest. The palate amps everything up as the orange peel becomes candied and attaches to a moist holiday cake, dried cranberry and cherry, more dark spice, a touch of nuttiness, and plenty of that vanilla. The end takes its time as the whole thing comes together like a rich and boozy fruit cake as little notes of leather and tobacco spice keep things interesting on the slow fade.

Bottom Line:

New Riff puts out a lot of great bourbons but their single barrels always seem to be the cream that rises to the top.

57. Hidden Barn Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Small Batch

ABV: 53%

Average Price: $75

The Whiskey:

Former Master Taster for Old Forester, Jackie Zykan, just left her post at Brown-Forman and her new whiskey is already on my desk. Zykan’s first release at her own shingle is a sourced whiskey from Neeley Family Distillery in rural Kentucky. The bourbon is made from a sweet mash (a brand new mash with every cook instead of reusing mash for a sour mash) with a high-ish rye content over pot stills (a true rarity in bourbon these days). Those barrels aged for four to five years before Zykan picked a handful for this inaugural release at batch proof.

Tasting Notes:

Woah! This is totally different. The nose is full of digestive biscuits and whole wheat pancakes cut with vanilla and pecan next to hints of anise, caramel candy, and cinnamon-toast tobacco. The palate holds onto the massive graininess with a clear sense of rye bread crumb next to thick oatmeal cookies with more of those pecans and plenty of raisins and spice. Later, a hint of white pepper arrives and leads the finish to soft espresso cream with a dash of nutmeg and creamy toffee.

Bottom Line:

This grain-forward bourbon is one of the best examples of pure craftiness on the market and a great example of what’s to come from Zykan and the team in 2023.

56. Hardin’s Creek Jacob’s Well

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $189

The Whisky:

This brand-new expression from Jim Beam is about highlighting the beautiful high-end barrels from Beam’s vast rickhouses. The whiskey in the bottle is a classic low-rye Beam that rested for 16 years and a 15-year-old high-rye bourbon. Once batched, that whiskey goes into the bottle as-is.

Tasting Notes:

The nose draws you in with a rich spice mix of woody cinnamon, soft nutmeg, almost bitter cloves, and dusty allspice with a hint of black licorice leading to a buttery caramel sauce with a flake of salt, twinge of vanilla oil, and whisper of cherry tobacco in an old cedar humidor. The palate builds on that classic foundation with layers of old boot leather, hard sultanas, meaty dates, stewed plums, and rum-soaked Christmas cake with candied orange rinds and cherries. The end soaks the raisins and candied fruit in maple syrup with a hint of sour cherry laced with ancho chili peppers and woody spices.

Bottom Line:

The team at Beam really brought it with this exclusive release. It’s just a quintessential bourbon from top to bottom.

55. Bardstown Bourbon Company Founders KBS Stout Finish Bourbon

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $160

The Whiskey:

This new whiskey from Bardstown Bourbon Company leans into beer barrel finishing. The bourbon is a ten-year-old Tennessee whiskey comprised of 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley (which, coincidentally, is the same mash bill as Dickel). That whiskey is then transferred to KBS Stout barrels from Founders Brewing up in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The whiskey spends an additional 15 months mellowing with the stout-infused oak before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

The nose draws you in with a balance of almost waxy cacao nibs next to oily vanilla beans, dry roasted espresso beans, milk chocolate malts, a hint of Nutella, and a bright burst of orange oils. The palate builds on that foundation and layers in hazelnuts, mulled wine spices, and a dark, thick, and spicy cherry syrup with a woody backbone. The sweetness of the cherry on the mid-palate ebbs as the woody spices and bitter dark cacao kick in late and bring about a dry finish with plenty of Nutella, espresso cream, and spicy cherry tobacco chewiness with a hint of citrus oils cutting through everything.

Bottom Line:

Bardstown Bourbon Company is another brand that’s batting a thousand, especially with their special finished blends like this one.

54. Eaves Blind Kings County Bourbon Barrel Strength

ABV: 63.5%

Average Price: $150

The Whiskey:

Marianne Eaves — who came up as the Master Blender at Brown-Forman and Master Distiller at Castle & Key — released a full line of bourbons from outside of Kentucky this year. This one is from Kings County in Brooklyn, New York, and highlights Eaves’ master blender status. The whiskey is Kings’ four-year-old bourbon that Eaves blended to create a barrel-proof expression.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a nice balance of red fruit on the nose with woody pomegranate, burnt orange, sour cherry, and maybe some blackberry jam next to mild winter spices, light cedar, and a hint of dark and old leather. The palate leans into brown sugar and maple syrup with a hint of cinnamon butter, walnut, and raisin before a warming and sharp cinnamon and dried red chili pepper peek in. The end leans back toward the dark red fruit with a hint of cedar and cinnamon bark layered over dry tobacco.

Bottom Line:

Marianne Eaves’ whole line is worth mentioning/ranking, but this one really stood out as a show-stopper.

53. Woodford Reserve Honey Barrel Finished Bourbon

ABV: 45.2%

Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

This brand-new whiskey from Woodford Reserve takes classic Woodford bourbon that’s aged at least four years and finishes it with some honeyed oak. The bourbon is filled into barrels that aged honey for a final maturation before blending, very light proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Hello, honey cask! The nose has a lovely floral honey note with a hint of orange peels studded with cloves next to Almond Joy and a touch of Graham Cracker dipped in honey and dusted with cinnamon. The palate has a touch of fresh ginger next to more fresh honey with a hint of sticky toffee pudding underneath it all. The end has a touch of old cedar with a whisper of coconut tobacco next to creamy honey cut with vanilla.

Bottom Line:

Woodford Reserve shines brightest when it’s experimenting and getting a little funky and this bottle is just that.

52. Woodinville Moscatel Finished Bourbon

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $70

The Whiskey:

This whiskey starts as Woodinville’s award-winning five-year-old bourbon. That whiskey is then re-barreled into Moscatel wine casks for a finish maturation period. After nearly a year, the whiskey goes into the bottle having just been touched by water but otherwise as-is.

Tasting Notes:

The nose presents as sweet with hints of sweet prunes and dates but runs deep and dark with smoked apricot, five spice, dark chocolate creaminess, and black tea cut with burnt orange. The palate mixes Almond Roca (toffee covered in roasted almonds) with peach pits, vanilla pound cake, poppy seeds, black molasses, rum-raisin, black-tea-soaked dates, and rich Christmas cake spices with candied zests. The end leans into those dark spices and adds a woody edge that leads to dry porch wicker, choco-date tobacco, and cedar bark dipped in toffee.

Bottom Line:

Woodinville continues its run of great special barrel-finished bourbons with this first nationwide release.

51. 291 Bad Guy Colorado Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 57.8%

Average Price: $108

The Whiskey:

This Colorado whiskey is made from a mix of local corn, malted wheat, malted rye, and beech-smoked malted barley. As per 291’s classic aging methods, the whiskey is aged for about two years with aspen wood staves in the barrel to accelerate the aging process. Finally, this is batched and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a whole fruit basket of fruitiness with stone fruit really shining through — think apricots and peaches — next to old tart apples, cinnamon sticks, toffees dusted with crushed almonds, and a murmur of chamomile tea. The palate has a crafty graininess that’s akin to oatmeal cookie dough with a hint of nuttiness, brown sugar, cinnamon, and something slightly floral but woody. The end brings the apricot back as a spicy jam with a little vanilla creaminess and tannic florals.

Bottom Line:

This crafty from Colorado continues to wow bourbon drinkers and awards circuit judges in equal measure.

50. The Frank August Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $73

The Whiskey:

The first whiskey from Frank August is a sourced bourbon. The whiskey is made in Kentucky, where it’s also aged. The team at Frank August then takes roughly ten to 15 barrels per batch and builds this bourbon painstakingly to fit their desired flavor profile. The whiskey is then lightly proofed down to 100 proof before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is pure classic bourbon with hints of salted caramel with a twinge of soft grains next to spicy cherry syrup, a whisper of sour apple, and a touch of aged oak staves soaked in mulled wine. The palate moves on from the soft grains towards rum-soaked raisins with a warm winter spice matrix — cinnamon, ginger, clove, allspice — before a brown sugar/rock candy sweetness takes over on the mid-palate. The finish is long and sweet with a nice dose of sharp cinnamon and soft nutmeg that leads to a supple vanilla cream with a thin line of dry cedar and tobacco spice just touched with dark cherry on the very end.

Bottom Line:

This new release from a new brand sourced some amazing whiskey, proving there’s still a lot of space for greatness in the whiskey game.

Here we are, the midpoint. Shit is about to get wild. Strap in.

49. Chicken Cock Chanticleer Cognac Barrel Finish Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 56%

Average Price: $499

The Whisky:

This is the second major holiday release from Chicken Cock. This year’s super rare whiskey is made from a classic mash of 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley. That whiskey was aged for an undisclosed amount of years before it was re-barreled into 32 French cognac barrels. Those 32 barrels were then batched, proofed, and bottled as-is for this release.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is supple and full of creamed honey, moist marzipan, peaches and cream ice cream with a hint of waffle cone, and fresh plums dashed with clove and star anise. The palate leans into the plums with a spiced cake vibe next to rich Black Forest Cake, candied dates, rum-raisin, and banana bread with plenty of butter, cinnamon, and walnut with a twist of fresh orange zest. The end embraces the orange and adds in salted dark chocolate tobacco with a hint of brown butter, pecan shells, and cedar boughs.

Bottom Line:

Yes, it’s expensive but it’s also delicious.

48. Stellum Bourbon Equinox Blend #1

ABV: 58.63%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

This expression is made from instant-classic Stellum Bourbon barrels. The ripple here is that the blend of this bourbon was created from specific rare barrels used for Stelllum that were blended until the exact moment of the vernal equinox. That whiskey was then bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Soft grains and leather lead to a hint of sour apple on the nose with a touch of sweetgrass, woody spice, and mild toffee. The palate opens with dried and leathery apricots dipped in fresh honey next to a sharp cinnamon stick shoved into an orange rind with clove berries in between. The mid-palate layers of creamy citrus with a whisper of jasmine and maybe some oolong tea as a thin line of black potting soil, dark cacao powder, and old dusty oak staves fill out the finish.

Bottom Line:

This early 2022 release from Stellum was a damn fine whiskey that still feels like an instant classic.

47. Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Bottled-In-Bond Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $59

The Whiskey:

This new release from Huber Farm’s Starlight Distillery (the distillery to know if you’re in the know) is made from their high-corn mash with a sweet mash method (each batch is fresh) in their old copper pot still. The whiskey is barreled in Canton barrels and left to age on the farm for four years before it’s batched (only 20 barrels) and proofed down to 100 proof for bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Stewed cherries, figgy pudding, apple butter, cinnamon waffles, woody maple syrup, and dark chocolate with a pinch of salt all dance on the nose. The palate leans into Cherry Coke with a spice vibe, burnt orange peels, cloves, creamy eggnog, sour mulled wine, and a hint of apple fritter dusted with cinnamon sugar. The end has a singed cherry bark sensation that leads to dry winter spices — star anise, allspice, clove, cinnamon, and pine — next to dates and prunes layered into pipe tobacco with a twinge of dark chocolate and cedar.

Bottom Line:

As you dive deeper into Starlight’s whiskeys, you’ll find hidden gems like this one.

46. Weller 12

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $422

The Whiskey:

This is the expression that’s theoretically the closest to Pappy. The whiskey rests in the warehouse for 12 long years, in the same barrels and warehouses as Pappy. The difference between this and Pappy 12 — good ol’ “Lot B” — is pretty simple actually. If the barrel doesn’t hit the exact flavor profile needed for a Pappy, it’s sent to the blending house to become a Weller (as long as it hits Weller’s flavor profile, of course). So yes, this could have been a Pappy 12 had the flavor profile been slightly different in the barrel.

Tasting Notes:

The nose hits softly with bruised peaches and old pears next to fresh wool sweaters, vanilla pancake batter, and moist marzipan next to orange oils, worn-out wicker deck furniture, and old Buffalo Trace leather with a faint hint of dried roses. The palate kicks around cherry bark and apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks with spiced cranberry sauce over buttermilk biscuits and gingerbread. The end leans into the sharp brown spices with a mild sense of vanilla cake with apple cider and cinnamon frosting, a touch of burnt orange, and more of that moist marzipan covered in salted dark chocolate.

Bottom Line:

This year’s Weller 12 had a little extra somethin’, somethin’ to it that helped it stand out.

45. Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Port Wine Barrels Cask Strength

ABV: 59.9%

Average Price: $265

The Whiskey:

This modern classic is a yearly limited release from the beloved Lousiville distiller. The whiskey is made from a mix of locally sourced barrels that are finished in Ruby Port casks. The best of the best are hand-selected by Angel’s Envy’s team for as-is batching and bottling with only 14,000 odd bottles making out this year.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a deep sense of blackberry jam over a Southern biscuit with plenty of brown butter, vanilla sauce, and apple fruit leather with a dash of cinnamon, allspice, and star anise next to a whisper of cherry cream soda and orange-chocolate tobacco packed into a cedar box. The palate is soft and supple with a brandy butter vibe next to mince meat pie with powdered sugar icing, meaty dates, black tea, and rich Black Forest cake. The end subtly meanders through shaved dark chocolate and stewed cherry, eventually landing on a vanilla-laced tobacco leaf rolled up with apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks and old wicker canes.

Bottom Line:

This release from Angel’s Envy will help you fall in love with the brand.

44. Heaven’s Door Aged 10 Years Decades Series No. 1 Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $95

The Whiskey:

This is the first in the new series from Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door Tennessee whiskeys. The whiskey is a 10-year-old straight bourbon that was made in Tennessee but wasn’t charcoal filtered before or after aging. The sourced barrels were blended and just proofed down before bottling without any other fussing.

Tasting Notes:

This opens strong on the nose with a mix of overripe pear, wintry spice, rich toffee, soft vanilla, and woody maple syrup. The palate is luxurious and leans into buttery toffee and soft vanilla cream with layers of warming spices that lean toward a black Necco Wafer, moist marzipan, and old porch wicker. That earthy note leads towards some soft powdered dark chocolate with an almost sour edge before worn garden leather gloves with a speck of sweet potting soil mixes with a stewed pear tobacco finish.

Bottom Line:

Bob Dylan did it again. This whisky is excellent.

43. Blue Run Bourbon Reflection I

ABV: 47.5%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

And we’ve officially come full circle. This whiskey was distilled at Castle & Key back in 2018. 200 of those barrels were hand-picked for this release to take a look back at the past two years and “reflect” upon the trials they brought.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a distinct note of tart yet slightly sweet cherry on the nose with a supporting cast of butterscotch candies, mild firewood, and a hint of pancake batter. That batter becomes a stack of pancakes with vanilla-laced butter, maple syrup, and a few nuts thrown in that lead to a herb garden full of rosemary bushes. That savory note mellows out through the mid-palate as a dusting of nutmeg rounds out the finish with hints of woody maple syrup and a final echo of that tart cherry.

Bottom Line:

Blue Run is probably one of the coolest brands to keep an eye on as they continue to drop amazing whiskeys like this into 2023 and beyond.

42. Widow Jane The Vaults Aged 14 Years 2022 Release

ABV: 49.5%

Average Price: $250

The Whiskey:

This sourced New York whiskey is made from 14 to 19-year-old barrels of whiskey from Tennessee and Indiana. Those barrels were sent out to Brooklyn and blended and then re-barreled into Missouri Ozark casks that were air-seasoned for three years before they were coopered and charred. Finally, the whiskey was blended in a small batch and bottled as-is without filtering but was cut with limestone mineral water from the Rosendale Mines in New York.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a mild sense of graininess on the nose with a hint of vanilla wafer honey sandwiches with mild winter spices — woody cinnamon, allspice, star anise — next to a hint of sweet tobacco layers of cherry and apple pie filling. The palate has a very Tennessee vibe with soft bran muffins next to vanilla wafers layered with nougat and cinnamon with a hint of root beer cut with cherry syrup. The end has a mild chocolate milk powder feel next to old oak, worn leather, and root beer-laced tobacco leaves.

Bottom Line:

This felt like the mountaintop for Widow Jane, yet we all know next year they’ll top this one too.

41. Barrell Vantage

ABV: 57.22%

Average Price: $80

The Whiskey:

This new release from Barrell Craft Spirits really leans into unique and rare finishings. The blend is a mix of Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky bourbons that were finished in three different oaks separately before blending. In this case, that’s Japanese Mizunara casks, French, and American oak. Different toast and char levels were used for the barrels to achieve a unique palate that builds on the heritage of Barrell’s other triple cask-finished whiskeys (Dovetail, Seagrass, and Armida).

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a sense of chili pepper-infused dark chocolate pudding next to a hint of toasted coconut, dry ginger next to root beer, and an echo of pineapple stems. The palate is full of orchard wood and espresso cream next to a hint of lush eggnog with plenty of nutmeg and a dash of some green, herbal, and savory — kind of like tarragon. The end lets the spice amp up toward red peppercorns as plum cake counters with a soft and sweet finish.

Bottom Line:

This is just great whiskey from one of the most interesting blenders working in all of whiskey right now.

40. Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey Uncle Nearest Master Blend Edition Batch 012

ABV: 60.8%

Average Price: $150

The Whiskey:

While Uncle Nearest is distilling their own juice these days, this is still the work of Master Blender Victoria Eady Butler with carefully sourced Tennessee whiskey barrels. In this case, Eady Bulter hand-selected the best-of-the-best from their inventory to create the perfect whiskey to exemplify the brand and Tennessee whiskey traditions.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a lovely sense of sourdough old-fashioned doughnuts dusted in cinnamon on the nose with a hint of brown sugar, nutmeg, pecan, and cedar/tobacco with a warm edge. The palate layers those pecans into a waffle with plenty of butter and maple syrup next to dried sour cherries with old leather, dried corn cobs, and spiced cherry tobacco next to dry black dirt with a hint of sweetness to it. The end lessens the cherry and leads to peppery tobacco with a warm finish full of dry firewood, more of that woody maple syrup, and a dash of vanilla cream underneath it.

Bottom Line:

Uncle Nearest is one of the most important brands right now and this whiskey is a testament to their ever-increasing ability to wow audiences.

39. Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 5 Years Limited Edition National Parks No. 2

ABV: 52.5%

Average Price: $83

The Whiskey:

This bottle celebrates our National Parks with each limited edition release. In this case, the release celebrates Yellowston’s 150th anniversary with part of the proceeds from each bottle sold going to Yellowstone Forever, which helps protect the park. The whiskey in the bottle is a special release from Wyoming grains — 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley — and water. After five years, the barrels are small-batch blended and bottled with a drop of proofing water.

Tasting Notes:

Soft holiday spices mix with orange creamsicle, dry sweetgrass, old boot leather, a dash of dark chocolate powder, and a hint of cedar. The taste feels like you’re on a back porch on a sunny day with rich toffee, cherrywood, and vanilla next to buttery zucchini bread with walnuts and plenty of cinnamon. The end takes on this woody and sweet carrot vibe while lush marzipan brings a nutty sweetness with a hint of Earl Grey and walnut loaf with low notes of soft cedar and warm tobacco.

Bottom Line:

Wyoming Whiskey puts out a lot of great whiskeys, but this one has a higher purpose while also tasting really freaking great.

38. Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI 2022 Medley

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $120

The Whiskey:

This year’s Remus Reserve is a mix of six to 14-year-old bourbons. Buckle in. The blend is made from 2% of a 2008 bourbon with a 21% rye mash, 27% from a 2012 bourbon with a 21% rye mash, 29%from a 2014 bourbon with a 21% rye mash, 17% from a 2012 bourbon with a 36% rye mash bill, and 25% from a 2014 bourbon with that same very high rye mash bill. Once vatted, the whiskey is just touched with water for proofing and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this one is complex and meaders through mint fields and caramel apple stands as hints of old boot leather, plum jam, winter spice, and a hint of sweet oak round things out. The palate opens with a rich toffee before a warmth takes over with a soft spice (nutmeg and allspice) before woody vanilla and creamed honey take over. The end feels like a handful of candied fruits wrapped up in leathery tobacco leaves with a hint of cedar bark and dried mint in the background.

Bottom Line:

Remus Repeal’s annual release remains a must-have for 2022.

37. Garrison Brothers Guadalupe Whiskey

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $130

The Whiskey:

This 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 nearly two years. That whiskey was then bottled as-is after a touch of water was added.

Tasting Notes:

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. The palate leans into the spice with a focus on clove, nutmeg, and a very small whisper of anise as the berry turns more towards a fresh strawberry with dark chocolate-covered espresso beans chiming in on the mid-palate. 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 whiskey is so good.

36. Rabbit Hole Nevallier Cask Strength Bourbon Finished in New French Oak

ABV: 57.9%

Average Price: $895

The Whiskey:

The latest Founder’s Collection from Rabbit Hole is a pricey masterpiece. The whiskey in the bottle is made from a few hand-selected barrels of 15-year-old bourbon that was then finished in new French oak before bottling as-is in only 1,155 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a subtle nod to white pepper next to soft vanilla cream, hints of burnt orange, salted caramel, and a touch of woody spice. The palate reveals layers of tart black currants next to chewy vanilla tobacco leaves that lead to a hint of savory figs and woody cinnamon with a twinge of sweetness to it. The finish builds on the chewy vanilla tobacco toward a supple end full of sour cherry, soft spices, and a touch of suede.

Bottom Line:

This is one of those whiskeys that’ll make you a super fan of Rabbit Hole.

35. Old Carter Straight Bourbon Whiskey, Very Small Batch 2-KY

ABV: 59%

Average Price: $180

The Whiskey:

Old Carter is a hidden-away bottler right off Whiskey Row in Louisville. It’s still very insider. Their process is all about finding great barrels of whiskey, blending them, and bottling them for whiskey lovers in the know. In this case, that was a three-barrel small batch blend that yielded only 688 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

A thickness comes through on the nose with creamy vanilla and maple syrup vibe with a buttery underbelly accented by old corn husks, woody cinnamon, allspice, and lush nutmeg with a hint of hazelnut. Thick salted caramel sauce vibes with a black-tea-soaked date feel as cinnamon syrup and smoldering orchard wood leads to a big mid-palate Kentucky hug. That warmth fades quickly as hints of dried cranberry tobacco and cedar braids filled with wicker and sweetgrass end the sip on a dry note with a touch of floral honey lurking underneath it all.

Bottom Line:

This is a great place to start with this niche bottler, especially if you’re looking for a great pour of the good stuff.

34. Southern Star Paragon Cask Strength Single Barrel Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 58%

Average Price: $104

The Whiskey:

This North Carolina bourbon is starting to make some serious waves. This very limited batch of single-barrel bourbon is made from wheated bourbon mash bill with 70% corn, 16% wheat, and 14% malted barley. The hot juice was left for around four years before the barrel was hand-pocked and bottled as-is at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a sense of orange blossoms and apple orchard with a hint of pear and plum next to walnut shells, old honey bottles, and rich vanilla sauce with a hint of poppy seed. The palate has a touch of dark chocolate powder sweetness that melds with walnuts and honey to make a cluster before the brown spice kicks in with sharp cinnamon and a touch of root beer. The end leaves the spice and warmth behind for smooth vanilla walnut cake with a hint of apple-honey tobacco wrapped up with old cedar bark.

Bottom Line:

This is a stellar bottle of whiskey from a quiet brand out in North Carolina.

33. Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit Single Barrel

ABV: 50.5%

Average Price: $79

The Whiskey:

Jimmy Russell hand selects eight to nine-year-old barrels from his warehouses for their individual taste and quality. Those barrels are then cut down ever-so-slightly to 101 proof and bottled with their barrel number and warehouse location.

Tasting Notes:

The nose draws you in with classic vibes from top to bottom thanks to rich vanilla smoothness, wintry spices, a hint of cedar, and a mix of sour cherry and tart apple. The palate stays very classic with old boot leather next to dry cedar bark, a layer of marzipan, and a distant hint of orange blossom with a whisper of honey. The end finishes with a good hint of spiced cherry tobacco and old leather next to mild nuttiness.

Bottom Line:

This is the bottle of Wild Turkey to keep stocked at home.

32. George T. Stagg Bourbon BTAC 2022

ABV: 69.35%

Average Price: $1,299

The Whiskey:

This year’s return of the Stagg is hewn from whiskey distilled all the way back in 2007 with Kentucky corn, Minnesota rye, and North Dakota barley. The hot juice was filled into new white oak from Independent Stave from Missouri with a #4 char level (55 seconds). Those barrels were then stored in the famed Warehouse K on the first and fifth floors over 15 years, wherein 75% of the liquid was lost to the angels. Finally, the barrels were batched and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

This whiskey is hot. Your nose is met with buttery pecan waffles loaded with dark salted chocolate chips and dripping with maple syrup that feels expensive next to darkly roasted espresso beans, singed vanilla husks, and dried sour cherries next to a medley of holiday spices. The palate leans into those spices with a clear sense of sharp cinnamon, old clove buds, allspice berries, and whole nutmeg bulbs next to a hint of star anise and maybe some cardamom before that darkly roasted coffee jumps back in with a deeply stewed cherry in a dark treacle syrup before the ABVs buzz hard on the mid-palate. The end amps up the woodiness with the spices and adds in a sense of old cedar bark, dark chocolate nibs, and a cherry-tobacco buzziness.

Bottom Line:

Stagg is back, baby!

31. Lost Lantern 2022 Single Cask #1: Smooth Ambler West Virginia Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 61.5%

Average Price: $80

The Whiskey:

Lost Lantern just dropped their spring 2022 collection of single-cask selections from some seriously big hitters in the craft whiskey world. For their first edition, the bottler chose a barrel from Smooth Ambler in West Virginia. This bottling is from one 53-gallon barrel of wheated bourbon from West Virginia that’s bottled as-is without filtering or cutting down with water. That means there are only 190-odd bottles of this around.

Tasting Notes:

You’re taken to a confectionary on the nose with dried cranberries and cherries rolling through rich, bitter, yet creamy dark chocolate that’s just been touched with dark chili spices and bespeckled with crushed almonds. The palate builds on that with a Christmas cake spice mix next to more dried and candied fruits — think brandied cherries and candied orange peels — that leads toward a deep cacao note that’s nearly waxy. The end is all about the black cherry tobacco and old pine boxes that hold that tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This single barrel from Smooth Ambler was a one-off sparkling gem of a whiskey.

30. King of Kentucky Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel (5th Edition)

ABV: 65.3%

Average Price: $2,814

The Whiskey:

This year’s King of Kentucky is a 15-year-old bourbon made from a mash of 79% corn, 11% rye, and 10% malted barley. The spirit — made at the Brown-Forman Distillery in West Louisville (Shively) — went into the barrel on December 18, 2009, at 125% entry-proof. After 15 long years, only about 35% of the whiskey was left in the barrel. 43 single barrels were then chosen for this release and individually bottled as-is, yielding about 3,500 bottles of King of Kentucky.

Tasting Notes:

This opens very tannic-y (and old) with a mix of pitchy firewood, old honey barrels, dried cranberry, nutmeg, old vanilla husks, cornmeal pancake batter, and a hint of chili-laced tobacco. The taste is bold with a hot spice mix of cinnamon and dried anchos that’s tempered by lush vanilla and creamy dark chocolate with a hint of sweet cherry and old wicker rounding things out. The end is woody and full of potting soil with a hint of old chewing tobacco next to orchard wood.

Bottom Line:

This year’s King of Kentucky packed a wallop for the high-proof whiskey seekers.

29. Four Roses 2022 Limited Edition Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 54.5%

Average Price: $799

The Whiskey:

This year’s LE Small Batch is made from a blend of 20-year-old Bourbon from the OBSV recipe (high rye, delicate fruit yeast), a 15-year-old OESK (lower rye, slight spice yeast), a 14-year-old OESF (lower rye, herbal notes years), and a 14-year-old OESV (lower rye, delicate fruit yeast). The blend is non-chill filtered and bottled at 109 proof. There are only 14,100 bottles this year.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is soft and feels aged yet fresh with mild notes of old cellar beams that lead to a sour cherry next to sourdough pancakes smothered in butter and maple syrup with a thin line of spiced cherry jam next to a bit of crumpled up old leather gloves. The palate opens creamy with a vanilla underbelly that’s countered by a whisper of barnyard funk and old barn floorboards before a chewy spiced cherry tobacco leaf kicks in with layers of nutmeg, clove, and allspice with a creamy eggnog vibe and a hint of Kentucky-hug warmth. The mid-palate gets a little warmed before diving back toward the spicy cherry tobacco and a finish that’s full of creamy brown sugar butter and hazelnut shells.

The Bottom Line:

Four Roses always delivers excellent whiskey with these releases.

28. Fort Nelson Michter’s Barrel Strength Bourbon

ABV: 55.3%

Average Price: $100

The Whiskey:

Michter’s fills their barrels with 103-proof hot juice from the stills. After a handful of years spent aging, that proof inches upwards as the angels take their share. Usually, the whiskey is cut with that soft Kentucky limestone water before bottling but not in this case. This is pulled from single honey barrels that were just too good to cut and bottled at the Fort Nelson Distillery right on Louisville’s Whiskey Row.

Tasting Notes:

The nose draws you deep into the classic bourbon ecosystem of rich and buttery toffees next to salted dark chocolate-covered cherries, a touch of smoked stone fruits, and a minor note of spicy tobacco leaf. The palate delivers on those notes as the tobacco spice amps up before being smoothed out by rich and creamy vanilla, salted caramel, and apricot stone dryness. That dryness drives the mid-palate towards the finish with a pecan shell vibe next to slightly bitter singed cedar bark.

Bottom Line:

Michter’s Bourbon at barrel strength is low-key one of the best Michter’s bourbons.

27. Willett Estate Bottled Single Barrel Bourbon 9-Year

ABV: 64.9%

Average Price: $2,450

The Whiskey:

I forgot to write down the barrel number on this one but it was in the low 3100s. That means this is a high rye bourbon mash bill (52% corn, 38% rye, and 10% malted barley) that’s aged for just north of nine years. The barrel pick (from The Ballard Cut) has a slightly lower proof than the bottle above.

Tasting Notes:

Singed vanilla pods and candied cherry stems lead to a hint of burnt sugars on the nose next to chewed cigar stubs and a dash of sticky toffee pudding spices (a lot of sharp cinnamon and soft nutmeg next to black tea bitterness). The palate leans into the tart cherries with a good dusting of smoked sea salt with a hint of stewed plums with a whisper of dill underneath and plenty of wintry spices adding to the heat of the mid-palate. The heat falls off dramatically as a sense of old porch wicker with a hint of black mold melds with worn saddle leather with a hint of wax next to dry bunches of cedar and pine kindling with an echo of maple syrup and pecan waffle underneath it all.

Bottom Line:

Willett hits a sweet spot at nine years old that’s damn near magical.

26. Barrell Bourbon New Year 2023

ABV: 56.77%

Average Price: $95

The Whiskey:

Barrell’s New Year Bourbon is one of the most beloved releases of the year. This year’s batch is made from a grouping of five, six, seven, eight, and 10-year-old straight bourbon whiskeys distilled in Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Wyoming, New York, Texas, and Maryland. Those whiskeys were batched in Kentucky and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

This is a classic bourbon on the nose with deep flavors of buttered buttermilk biscuits, salted caramel, singed marshmallow, Almond Joy, cherry cream soda, and a touch of Nutella and maple syrup. The palate leans into cherry root beer with a hint of vanilla cream soda next to eggnog spices and creaminess, old dried roses in older leatherbound books, and a whisper of red peppercorn cracked over some sweet pipe tobacco. The end has a candied chili pepper vibe next to burnt orange, marzipan, and creamy dark chocolate with a hint of walnut and cherry saltwater taffy.

Bottom Line:

This is the ultimate whiskey to ring in the new year with.

25. Lost Lantern 2022 Single Cask #13 Cedar Ridge Iowa 5-Year-Old Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 61.54%

Average Price: $100

The Whiskey:

This single barrel from Lost Lantern’s latest 2022 barrel release is a special one. The juice is from Iowa’s famed Cedar Ridge and is made with 74% corn against 14% rye and 12% malted barley. The barrel they picked was aged for five years before they found it. It turned out to be a “short cask,” meaning that the standard 53-gallon oak barrel only yielded 100 bottles (a little less than half of what’s normal at that age). What was left from the angel’s share was bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this one is luxurious with salted caramel drizzled over apple pies full of walnuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg with plenty of brown sugar and butter next to oily vanilla pods and a hint of bruised peach and sun-kissed wicker lawn furniture. The palate simmers those old peaches in winter spice with a woody edge and plenty of brown sugar with a hint of cardamom and mace next to a supple vanilla cream sauce with poppy seed and a hint of warmth from those woody spices. The end levels off toward rich toffee next to very creamy eggnog with a hint of cream soda before old cedar bark and sweetgrass are braided together and wrapped up in an old cinnamon/apple tobacco leaf and put into a leather pouch.

Bottom Line:

Lost Lantern hits a double-high mark for getting us excited for their next gen of barrel pricks and the amazing distilleries they’re pulling those picks from.

24. Belle Meade Single Barrel — Barrel 2947

ABV: 67%

Average Price: $768

The Whiskey:

This expression is all about the barrel-picking prowess of the team at Nelson Green Brier. Each of these barrels is hand-selected for its beauty and then bottled at cask strength to let that barrel shine through in the finished product.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with deep vanilla that mingles with hints of dark chocolate sugar cookies with a touch of mint and maybe a little dried ancho chili with a woody vibe. The palate centers the creamy vanilla while adding in cinnamon bark with notes of black pepper and floral honey moved into the background as a chocolate-mint espresso bean pops in. The end is long-ish and carries more of that vanilla cream while that cinnamon becomes slightly chewy like a Red Hot with a dried choco-mint tobacco buzz on the tip of the tongue and a lush feeling around.

Bottom Line:

This throwback to the early days of Belle Meade is proof positive of the greatness of the team behind Nelson’s Green Brier.

23. 1986 Blanton’s The Original Single Barrel Bourbon

ABV: 46.5%

Average Price: $650

The Whiskey:

This vintage bottle of Blanton’s is from the early days of the brand (it all started back in 1984). This Blanton’s was actually made and bottled by the legend, Elmer T. Lee, himself. That alone adds an aura of rarity to this pour. That aside, this is classic Blanton’s made at what is now the Buffalo Trace distillery in Kentucky back when it was still called the George T. Stagg Distillery. The single-barrel whiskey was proofed down and bottled by hand … back in the mid-1980s.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a clear sense of Christmas spices right away, leaning towards honey spiked with vanilla and an old cedar cigar humidor on the nose with a dash of worn leather boots and an echo of cherry wood kindling. The taste leans into freshly grated nutmeg with salted caramel kettle corn, more fresh honey, and tart red berries. Vanilla husks mid-dominate the palate alongside a hint of freshly fried old-fashioned sourdough doughnuts dusted with raw sugar. The end hints at lush eggnog spice, dry vanilla pods, and salted butter toffee syrup with a dash of bitter black tea-soaked dates and meaty prunes wrapped in thin sheets of dry wicker.

Bottom Line:

While this isn’t the original Original Single Barrel vintage (the brand launched in 1984), it’s damn close and the perfect example of how and why Blanton’s conquered the world of whiskey.

22. Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 17-Year Spring 2022 Edition

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $1,276

The Whiskey:

This whiskey was distilled and laid down in barrels back in 2004. The barrels were vatted after 17 years and proofed down to the bottled-in-bond standard of 100 proof and then bottled in the iconic Old Fitz decanter for a Spring 2022 release.

Tasting Notes:

A hint of woodiness comes through on the nose via cherry tree bark with the faintest echo of dried rose next to soft vanilla oil, a hint of cedar, a distant thought of old leather, and a touch of burnt orange peels. The palate starts off softly with a lush vanilla cream that builds towards a winter spice matrix of nutmeg, allspice, and clove with a touch of cherrywood that sweetens toward dried cherries. That mid-palate builds on the cherry with spices (nutmeg and allspice) and sticky tobacco vibes as the finish arrives next to a super creamy dark cherry in vanilla cream feel with a dusting of dark chocolate and more of that dry cherry tree bark.

Bottom Line:

Old Fitzgerald Bottled-In-Bond rained down straight fire with their releases this year.

21. Nashtucky Special Release Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 8 Years

ABV: 59.8%

Average Price: $150

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is part of the new line from the famed Nashville Barrel Company. In this case, barrels were filled in Kentucky and then sent down to Nashville to age for eight years, colliding the worlds of Kentucky bourbon with the Tennessee climate. The results are bottled as-is one barrel at a time.

Tasting Notes:

Old lawn furniture with a hint of dry grass mixes on the nose with salted caramels, figs, dates, and prunes, a mix of wintry spices, a dash of white pepper, and some light stone fruit (think fresh apricot and plum). The palate leans into spiced fig jam with a sense of spiced Christmas cake, burnt sugar, and candied citrus countered by dry sweetgrass braided with cedar bark next to singed wild sage and a hint of strawberry tobacco. The end has a mild sense of warmth next to pear fruit leather and apricot jam with a hint of dark chocolate and dried strawberry tobacco in an old leather pouch.

Bottom Line:

This new line/expression from Nashville Barrel Company is a peak into the bright future — and amazing whiskey drops — that Michael Hinds and his NBC team have ahead of them.

20. Booker’s 2022-03 “Kentucky Tea Batch”

ABV: 63.25%

Average Price: $599

The Whiskey:

The third Booker’s of the year is a nod to “Kentucky Tea” which isn’t tea at all. It’s when you add a little whiskey to a glass of water and then that looks like tea. The whiskey in this case is a blend of bourbon barrels from seven locations across six different warehouses. The final product was bottled without any fussing at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

There’s a clear sense of sour cherry and vanilla cookies on the nose with a supporting cast of dark tobacco packed into old cedar boxes with a rough and worn leatheriness tying everything together. The palate opens with a vanilla white cake frosted with cherry and chocolate — a bit like a Black Forest cake — that leads to orange oils, clove, and old pine boards with a touch of sap. The end has a fruitiness that leans towards a spicy star fruit with a fresh vibe next to light pear tobacco with a pine humidor edge.

Bottom Line:

The third Booker’s drop of 2022 from Beam was a transcendent classic that harkens back to the glory days of old-school bourbon.

19. Kirkland Signature Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

ABV: 60%

Average Price: $34 (1-liter bottle)

The Whiskey:

This Costco release is sourced from Sazerac’s other Kentucky distillery, Barton 1792 Distillery down in Bardstown, Kentucky. The whiskey in the bottle is very likely the same distillate/barrels as 1792 Full Proof, which won double gold as well from San Francisco this year. However, this is proofed down a tiny bit below that at 120 proof instead of 125 proof, adding some nuance to this release.

Tasting Notes:

This is, again, classic from top to bottom with a nose full of oily vanilla, thick caramel sauce, and a sense of almond shells by way of sweet oak with some dark fruit lingering in the background. The palate builds upon those promises with mulled wine-soaked cinnamon sticks, corn husks, nutmeg-heavy eggnog, creamy vanilla, a touch of dark cherry tobacco, and a dusting of dark chocolate powder. The finish brings it all together with a spicy/hot finish that’s part spicy chocolate pipe tobacco and part brandied cherry with an oaky base.

Bottom Line:

Costco managed to drop one of the best bourbons of the year for a price that blew away all of the competition. $34? Insanity.

18. Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse Limited Release Rickhouse Collection Camp Nelson C

ABV: 56.2%

Average Price: $249

The Whiskey:

All of Wild Turkey’s bourbon is made from the same mash of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. Comparatively, Turkey uses less rye and more barley than your average bourbon. These barrels were loaded into Rickhouse C in Camp Nelson and left alone on floors three and four for years (those are the central floors of the seven-story rickhouse). As the rickhouse was falling apart and it became clear it was beyond repair (nearly hundred-year-old structures tend to do that), the Russell crew started tasting whiskey to see what they could do with it. 72 barrels rose to the surface with a parallel flavor structure that became this whiskey, which was bottled completely as-is without filtration or proofing.

Tasting Notes:

The nose is super supple with a soft marzipan fondant that leads to mince meat pies with plenty of rum-raisin, brown sugar, and mild cinnamon/nutmeg/clove spice with a thin layer of powdered sugar frosting over the buttery crust. The nose also has a sense of brandy butter with a hint of salted caramel and vanilla taffy next to a faint whisper of apple fritters. The palate is lush and silky with rich buttery toffee rolled in roasted almonds and coconut and dipped in dark and creamy chocolate sauce with plenty of orange zest and flakes of salt. The mid-palate leans into cinnamon bark, allspice berries, and freshly ground nutmeg next to tart apple pies loaded with pecans. The mid-palate stays silken as mild hints of soft cedar bark mingle with cardamon pods and more of the nutmeg (almost like eggnog) and maybe a hint of dried mint. The finish circles back around the brandy butter, rum-raisin, and powdered sugar frosting for a sweet and luxurious end.

Bottom Line:

The first drop from Wild Turkey’s new Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse series was a dessert-lovers dream while still hitting classic Turkey notes.

17. Garrison Bros. Cowboy Bourbon

ABV: 67.4%

Average Price: $249

The Whiskey:

Cowboy Bourbon is Garrison Brother’s signature bottle of whiskey. This year’s release was made from 118 hand-selected 25-gallon barrels, aged between eight and nine years. Master Distiller Donnis Todd went through all of their small-format barrels over the course of the year to find a dozen or so that he thought met the high standards of Cowboy Bourbon without filtering or cutting with water. That makes this a very as-is representation of what makes Garrison Bros. special.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a rush of sharp cinnamon bark wrapped up with old saddle leather, freshly fried apple fritters, walnuts, old cedar bark braids twisted up with dried wild sage, and a hint of dried yellow mustard flowers with an underlying sense of maple syrup over pecan waffles. The palate leans into the spice with a hint of allspice and ginger next to apple pie filling with walnuts, brandy-soaked raisins, and plenty of brown sugar next, next to spiced Christmas cake dipped in dark chocolate sauce. The end takes its time and meanders through salted caramel, stewed plums with star anise and sharp cinnamon, a hint of vanilla Dr. Pepper, and a mild sense of chocolate-cinnamon-spiced chewing tobacco buzziness with a warming Texas hug that’s part Hot Tamales and part chili-spiced green tea.

Bottom Line:

This whiskey has been instrumental in putting Texas bourbon on the map among the greatest in the pantheon of great bourbons.

16. Bomberger’s Declaration 2022 Edition

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $150

The Whiskey:

This whiskey heralds back to Michter’s historical roots in the 19th century before the brand was even called “Michter’s.” The whiskey in the bottle is rendered from a very small batch of bourbons that were aged in Chinquapin oak which was air-dried for three years before charring and filling. The Kentucky bourbon was then bottled in an extremely small batch that only yielded 2005 bottles this year.

Tasting Notes:

Sweet mashed grains — thinks a bowl of Cream of Wheat — mix with sticky toffee pudding, old leather, old cellar beams, and sweet cinnamon with a hint of burnt orange and dark chocolate next to eggnog with a flake of salt. The palate is super creamy with a crème brûlée feel that leads to soft winter spices, dry cedar, and orange chocolates with a hint of marzipan in the background. The end has a creamed honey vibe next to figs and prunes with fresh chewing tobacco and salted dark chocolate.

Bottom Line:

Five words — Secret Michter’s is the best.

15. William Larue Weller Bourbon BTAC 2022

ABV: 62.35%

Average Price: $2,999

The Whiskey:

Distilled back in the spring of 2010, this whiskey was made with a mix of Kentucky corn with wheat and barley from North Dakota and that Kentucky limestone water. The distillate was filled into new white oak from Independent Stave from Missouri with a #4 char level (55 seconds) and stored in warehouses C, K, and N on floors 2, 3, and 4 for 12 long years. During that time, 64% of the whiskey was lost to hungry angels. Those barrels were then batched and this whiskey was bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this one is surprisingly sweet with a big slice of coconut cream pie (with a lard crust) next to your grandma’s butterscotch candies straight from an old leather handbag that’s held menthol cigarettes for decades and maybe some old Mon Cheri bonbons. The palate opens with a lush eggnog full of nutmeg, allspice, and vanilla that leads to a white pound cake with a hint of poppy seed next to old leather tobacco pouches with a hot cinnamon spiciness on the mid-palate with a light cedar woodiness. The end layers that white cake into the tobacco while packing it all into an old leather handbag with whispers of mint chocolate chip, Halloween-sized Mounds bars, and old lawn furniture that’s been left out too many seasons.

Bottom Line:

This year’s superlative William Larue Weller might well help you fall in love with bourbon for the first time or all over again.

14. Old Forester Single Barrel Chris’ Pick Series 3

ABV: 65.35%

Average Price: $169

The Whisky:

This is classic Old Forester from a single barrel that’s not cut with any water. When you find these, they’ll generally be a pick from a retailer or bar program. That means they’ll vary slightly, depending on what the person picking the barrel was looking for. Still, there’s a consistency of “Old Forester” running through them all. In this case, this was a barrel pick for Kroger.

Tasting Note:

There’s a clear sense of dark fruit, especially cherry, that becomes stewed with dark winter spices on the nose with a good dose of dry tobacco in an old cedar box that’s wrapped up in old leather. A hint of old dry roses sneaks in on the palate as those spices and syrupy cherry and berries intensify and attach to the chewy tobacco. The mid-palate sweetens with an almost rose-water marzipan vibe as the cherry tobacco dried out pretty significantly, leaving you with a sense of pitchy pine sap and your grandparent’s old tobacco pipe that’s still hot to the touch.

Bottom Line:

Chris Blandford is finding some of the best barrels of bourbon out there for Kroger, which is helping to make elite whiskey accessible to us all.

13. The Prideful Goat 15 Years Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Cask Strength

ABV: 57.1%

Average Price: $195

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is a sourced masterpiece of Kentucky bourbon that’s bottled down in Texas. The mash bill is corn heavy with 78.5% corn next to 13% rye and 8.5% malted barley. That hot juice is left in barrels in Kentucky for 15 long years before they’re shipped to Texas, blended, and bottled as-is at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

This is classic bourbon with a deep sense of buttery toffee next to dark cherries with a sour edge, slightly tannic oak, a hint of worn boot leather, and a spicy tobacco leaf. The palate hits on a soft ginger snap with sharp cinnamon and freshly ground nutmeg leading to a handful of allspice berries before wet brown sugar and maple candy kick in and mellow the mid-palate toward dark cherry tobacco wrapped up with old wicker canes and pine needles. The end subtly drops toward old oak staves, the cellar floor, and caramel/cinnamon syrup with a dash more of that tobacco.

Bottom Line:

The Prideful Goat is one of those under-the-radar brands that needs to be on your radar in 2023.

12. Knob Creek 18

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $170

The Whiskey:

This limited-edition release celebrates the 30th Anniversary of Knob Creek, which started back in 1992 during the darkest days of bourbon. The juice is Beam’s standard mash bill that’s distilled at a slightly different temperature and treated with a little more care during aging by placing barrels in very specific locations throughout their vast warehouses. After 18 long years, the best of the best barrels are small batched, and just proofed before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a deep sense of brown sugar that’s more molasses than granular sugar next to pecan nutshells, brown butter, figs, dates, and salted caramel with a slight sense of singed cherry bark and burnt cedar lurking in the background of the nose. The palate leans into sweet and lush vanilla cream next to burnt cherry stems and dried apple chips with a sense of heavily roasted espresso beans covered in very dark chocolate that leads to a subtly warm spicy mid-palate. The end touched on orange blossoms and fresh honey with a sense of bruised peach and Bing cherry next to apple cider spiked with sharp cinnamon and allspice that eventually leads to a cinnamon/honey/cherry tobacco chewiness with a whisper of old pine pitch and lawn furniture on the very end.

Bottom Line:

The Beam team took Knob Creek to unforeseen new heights with this well-aged release this year.

11. Peerless Double Oak Bourbon

ABV: 53.55%

Average Price: $134

The Whiskey:

This whiskey from Kentucky Peerless is around five to six years old and comes from one barrel that lets the grains shine through before it goes into another barrel that lets the oak shine through. That final barrel is bottled at cask strength, as-is, allowing all that beautiful bourbon and oak aging to shine brightly.

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a nose full of salted butter next to hints of very soft leather, light notes of vanilla bean, a touch of toffee sweetness, and freshly cracked walnuts with a dry edge. The taste leans into that oak barrel with dashes of woody spices (think allspice berries, star anise, and cinnamon sticks), dry cherry tobacco leaves, salted caramel, and more of that super soft leather. That leads towards a mid-palate of dark red fruits stewed in mulled wine spices and cut with a dollop of fresh honey before the (long) finish dries out towards an old wicker chair, a very distinct hint of a cellar funk, and a touch of dried mint.

Bottom Line:

Peerless continued to dial in their great whiskey even more (somehow) with this stellar new edition of an already instant-classic bourbon.

10. Chattanooga Whiskey Bottled In Bond Vintage Series Fall 2018 Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $53

The Whisky:

The latest seasonal drop from Tennessee’s Chattanooga Whiskey is another great. The whiskey is a blend of four of their mash bills. 30% comes from mash bill SB091, which is a mix of yellow corn, malted rye, caramel malted barley, and honey malted barley. Another 30% comes from mash bill B002, which has yellow corn, hardwood smoked malted barley (smoked with beech, mesquite, apple, or cherry), caramel malted barley, caramel malted, and honey malted barley. The next 20% is mash bill B005, which is yellow corn, malted wheat, oak smoked malted wheat, and caramel malted wheat. And the last 20% is from mash bill R18098, which is yellow corn, pale malted barley, naked malted oats, double roasted caramel malted barley, peated malted barley, cherrywood smoked malted barley, chocolate malt, and de-husked chocolate malt.

Tasting Notes:

Cinnamon, butter brown sugar, walnut, and raisins meld on the nose with some vanilla to create a moist oatmeal cookie next to buckwheat pancakes griddled in brown butter and topped with apple butter, and maybe some apricot jam with a dash of nutmeg, dark chocolate shavings, and creamy vanilla whipped cream. The palate leans into cherry hand pies and vanilla wafers with a counter of dried wild sage, orchard tree bark, and meaty dates. The end has a sharp turn into dried red chili pepper cut with pipe tobacco, dark chocolate bars, cedar bark, burnt orange, and lime leaves with this whisper of cinnamon cookies at the very end.

Bottom Line:

This is probably the biggest sleeper hit of the year with an amazing price point, killer liquid, and truly unique construction. A real surprise and the top-ranked bottle under $60.

9. Remus Gatsby Reserve

ABV: 48.9%

Average Price: $229

The Whiskey:

From the newly minted Ross & Squibb Distillery (formerly just MGP of Indiana), this whiskey combines barrels that were filled in 2005 and 2006. Those carefully selected barrels were small batched into this fine whiskey. The final blend was bottled as-is at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

The nose on this is classic old-school bourbon with dark dried cherry and cranberry next to caramelized pecans inside a waffle, soft leatheriness, and rich maple syrup cut with lush vanilla and subtle woody tobacco spiciness. The palate leans into brandied cherries with a hint of blueberry syrup next to leathery notes of tobacco and dark berries with a hint of woodiness that leads to huckleberries and mulled wine spices. The end has a lovely softness that leans into apple-cider-soaked cinnamon sticks, singed cherry bark, and pipe tobacco loaded into an old oak barrel.

Bottom Line:

Remus pulled off a surprise buzzer-beating win with this beautiful whiskey release.

8. Bardstown Bourbon Company Chateau de Laubade Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskies Finished in Armagnac Casks

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $160

The Whiskey:

This bourbon is a blend of 12-year-old, low-rye bourbon from Kentucky and 10-year-old, very-low-rye bourbon from Tennessee. The whiskeys were re-barreled into Armagnac casks from the famed Chateau de Laubade. One set spent two years mellowing on the bottom floor of the rickhouse while another set spent 16 months mellowing on the top floor. After that, the barrels were vatted and bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

This hits on complex notes on the nose from old leather, dried sage, cellared oak, roasted almonds rolled in toffee, sultanas, and then deep winter spice: freshly ground nutmeg, mace, cardamom, sharp cinnamon. The palate has a silky vanilla foundation with more sultanas over top, fresh and meaty dates, ginger snaps, and prunes mingle. The end has a gingerbread vibe next to cherry bark and grape must with more of those spices pouring into an old cedar humidor that used to hold tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This release from Bardstown Bourbon Company might truly get you hooked on rare whiskey.

7. Old Fitzgerald Bottled-In-Bond Fall 2022 Edition Aged 19 Years

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $240

The Whiskey:

The latest decanter release from Heaven Hill’s Old Fitzgerald Bottled-In-Bond series was made back in September 2003. Those barrels rested on three floors of rickhouse F and one floor of rickhouse X on the main Heaven Hill campus until October of 2023. They were then batched and proofed down to 100-proof for bottling.

Tasting Notes:

This has a classic bourbon nose with deep leather, oily vanilla pods, dark chocolate-covered cherries dusted with salt and nutmeg, and a mild sense of really fancy Almond Joy with this faintest whisper of singed marshmallow and smoldering apple wood. The palate leans into woody spices with black licorice and spearmint candy blending into mint chocolate chip ice cream and root beer spiked with cherry syrup topped with creamy vanilla and dusted with cinnamon, clove, and dark cacao powder. The end has a long and supple sense of those woody spices before delivering into soft Black Forest cake with a brandied cherry vibe and a hint of star anise-infused apple-berry cider.

Bottom Line:

This is the good stuff rendered in old-school bourbon vibes from the vintage decanter to the classic bourbon flavor profile.

6. Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Cognac Casks

ABV: 55.5%

Average Price: $79

The Whiskey:

This release — from the distillery’s broad selection of uniquely finished whiskeys — is made with Starlight’s own four-year-old bourbon that’s loaded into hand-selected Cognac casks for six months. The whiskey then goes into the bottles with no fussing.

Tasting Notes:

Smoked maple syrup and raw tobacco lead the way on the nose as floral honey, dry cacao powder, and a hint of rum-soaked raisin mingle throughout. The palate turns that cacao into a dark chocolate bar with almonds layered in as a mild, dry chili pepper adds some pep on the mid palate. There’s a dark and worn leather vibe that kicks in as the finish arrives with hints of apple-raisin-honey cider pipe tobacco vibing with old leather tobacco pouches and dry sweetgrass braids rounding out the end.

Bottom Line:

Sometimes whiskey isn’t about flash and hype. Sometimes it’s about expert whiskey making that creates a bourbon for ages, which this is. An excellent bottle and superb value.

5. Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 17-Year-Old Barrel Proof Bourbon, First Edition

ABV: 59.1%

Average Price: $3,200

The Whiskey:

The base of the spirit is Heaven Hill’s classic bourbon mash of 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and a mere 10% rye. This particular whiskey is built from several barrels from four warehouse campuses in the Bardstown area. In this case, three different ages were pulled with 17 years being the youngest. The whiskey is made from 28% 20-year-old barrels, 44% 19-year-old barrels, and 28% 17-year-old barrels. Once those barrels are vatted, the bourbon goes into the bottle as-is, without any cutting or fussing.

Tasting Notes:

The age is apparent from the first nose with old glove leather next to a soft hint of cobweb-draped cellar beams leading towards a dark and thick cherry syrup that’s laced with cinnamon, clove, and allspice. The nose then grows with an almost cherry-maple syrup with a buttery base pushing it toward a toffee creaminess. The palate leans into those spices with a winter-spice-laced chewy (almost wet) fistful of tobacco leaves jammed into an old cedar box. The mid-palate bursts with spiced cherry crumble with baked brown sugar and nutmeg-dusted nuts, creating a velvety texture. The finish carries the spice from that mid-palate towards a sweet finish that feels like a marrying of toffee syrup and cherrywood tobacco with that dry cedar tobacco box echoing on the far backend.

Bottom Line:

Heaven Hill threw its hat in the ring of elite whiskeys with an absolutely iconic bottle of bourbon this year.

4. Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old Bourbon BTAC 2022

ABV: 50.5%

Average Price: $3,999

The Whiskey:

Back in the spring of 2005, a humble bourbon was made with Kentucky distiller’s corn, Minnesota rye, and North Dakota barley. That hot juice was then filled into new white oak from Independent Stave from Missouri with a #4 char level (55 seconds) and stacked in Buffalo Trace’s warehouses H, K, and L on floors one and four. It was left alone for 17 years, which allowed 70% of the whiskey to be lost to the angels. In 2022, the barrels were batched and the bourbon was proofed down to 101 proof and was bottled as-is.

Tasting Notes:

The nose subtly draws you in with soft pipe tobacco that feels fresh and vibrant next to dried sour cherries dipped in salted dark chocolate and rolled in vanilla seeds and vanilla-laced streusel with a good dose of woody maple syrup with this fleeting hint of red brick, moldy cellar beams, and soft and sandy cellar dirt floor. Old maple trees dripping with sap lead to a rich salted caramel candy vibe next to rich vanilla pound cake topped with a creamy dark chocolate frosting and bespeckled with orange zest, dried cranberries bits, and crushed espresso beans. The mid-palate takes on a woody spiciness with a whisper of apple bark that informs a spiced Christmas cake full of soft cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, mace, and maybe some anise and dried dark fruits with creamy eggnog baseline next to old Whether’s Originals wrapped up in dry tobacco leaves and stacked in a musty pine box for safekeeping.

Bottom Line:

Exceptional. Flawless. Transcendent.

3. Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 Years Old 2022 Release

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $6,199

The Whiskey:

This is where the “Pappy Van Winkle” line starts in earnest. The whiskey in this expression is pulled from barrels that are at least 15 years old. Once batched, the whiskey is just touched with water to bring it down to a sturdy 107-proof.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with freshly fried sourdough fritters dusted with ground almonds, sharp cinnamon, cloves, orange zest, burnt sugars, and maple frosting with a hint of old vanilla pods next to soft figs. The palate leans into rich toffee with a sense of minced meat pies covered in powdered sugar frosting right next to sticky toffee pudding with salted caramel, orange zest, and tons of brown wintry spice countered by a moment of sour mulled red wine cut with dark maple syrup. The end has a soft cedar vibe that leads to vanilla and dark cherry tobacco leaves and a hint of pine next to old white moss.

Bottom Line:

This year’s Pappy 15 somehow rose above the rest of the line as the stunning touchstone of the brand for 2022.

2. Barrell Craft Spirits Gold Label Bourbon

ABV: 56.77%

Average Price: $621

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is a blend of Indiana, Tennessee, and Kentucky bourbons. Each barrel in that blend is a minimum of 16 years old. The barrels were specifically chosen for their cherry, nutty, high-proof, and chocolate profiles. Half of those barrels were then finished in new American oak for a final touch of maturation before vatting and bottling as-is.

Tasting Notes:

The nose opens with a sense of wet oak staves (think rained on barrels) next to freshly pressed sugar cane juice, damp, almost still unharvested cherry tobacco leaves, the seeds from a vanilla pod, rainwater, stringy cedar bark, and fresh apricot next to Bing cherry. Dark cherry leads to candied ginger on the opening of the taste as orange marmalade mingles with toasted sourdough, sticky yet subtle fir resin, and creamy key lime pie filling with just a hint of the butter in the crust of that pie. The mid-palate leans into the sugar in that pie filling as the cherry kicks back in with a sliver of tartness next to overripe peaches, dried hibiscus, mild anise, allspice berries, sassafras, and dried cacao nibs. The finish gently steps through a field full of orange blossoms as that cacao dries out more, leaving you with dried choco-cherry tobacco that’s been inside a cedar box wrapped in decades-old leather.

Bottom Line:

This is 21st-century bourbon at its best — perplexing, provocative, and profound.

1. Michter’s Limited Release Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 20 Years Old 2022 Release

ABV: 57.1%

Average Price: $4,989

The Whiskey:

Master Distiller Dan McKee personally selects these (at least) 20-year-old barrels from the Michter’s rickhouses based on… I guess just “pure excellence” would be the right phrase. The bourbon is bottled as-is — no cutting with water.

Tasting Notes:

Imagine a nose full of dark and sweet cherries smothered in rummy molasses with a touch of dried roses, roasted almonds, and cedar bark all leading towards the soft — almost wet — tobacco leaves with a hint of dry apple and pear next to lush vanilla and wintry mulled wine spices. The palate doesn’t veer too far from those notes while adding in a touch of burnt ends from vanilla pods with a light clove spice that leans more towards that tobacco than woody cinnamon sticks and star anise next to a hint of dried sage and fleeting, almost spicy mint with a touch of singed marshmallow. The finish really embraces the cherry but more towards the stem and seed as the nuttiness leans into moist marzipan, orange oils, and chewy fresh tobacco with a hint of leather and cedar.

It’s a lot but trust me — you want to be on this journey.

Bottom Line:

This is, really without question in my mind, the best bourbon of 2022. It’s everything that made me fall in love with bourbon all those years ago wrapped up in a rare level of dynamism, moxie, and still, quiet, powerful confidence.