There’s a whole wide world of whiskey out there that often gets overlooked. It’s easy to see why from the U.S. POV, with bourbon and Scotch whisky absolutely dominating right now. But that means though that a lot of great whiskey that is finally making it to these shores kind of gets lost in the shuffle. Let’s remedy that by calling out the 35 absolute best international whiskeys of 2023.
For the most part, this is a very straightforward list of Japanese, Irish, Maori, Australian, Taiwanese, and Canadian whiskeys. But there is a little bit of an elephant in the room when talking about the latter. Canadian whisky is still prone to getting shipped down to the U.S. for bottling under U.S. labels like WhistlePig, Uncle Nearest, and many others. Since those whiskeys are not made in the U.S., they aren’t really “American whiskeys” — so I’ve included those Canadian whiskies as “international whiskeys” here.
It’s the best solution to this sticky border-crossing situation that I can see. Hope you agree.
Moreover, even though I’m deep in the whiskey industry and taste thousands of pours every year, I have blind spots. Great things are going on in Sweden, Germany, South Africa, Peru, Mexico, and so many more places when it comes to whiskey that I simply haven’t gotten to yet. There’s always 2024, right?! So keep in mind, folks, that this is the best of what I’ve had the pleasure of tasting in 2023.
Lastly, I am ranking these whiskeys based on overall beauty. All of these whiskeys are well-made (which is a given since they’re on this list). But I was looking for more than just “Well, that’s nice…” These are the whiskeys that go beyond the ordinary and stood out amongst the sea of whiskeys I tasted from all over the world this year. Let’s dive in!
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35. Starward Ginger Beer Cask #7 Single Malt Australian Whisky
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $90
The Whiskey:
This whiskey takes Starward’s signature and award-winning single malt and ages it in ginger beer casks. Starward makes ginger beer in-house and ages that in old whisky barrels. Those barrels, in turn, become whisky-finishing vessels for a 12-month final maturation before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sharp ginger pops on the nose which leads to dark orange oils layered into salted dark chocolate with a hint of chili spice and raisin.
Palate: Candied ginger and grilled pineapple lead to fresh vanilla pods before a dark fig and date vibe takes over with more wintery spices.
Finish: Those dark fruits and spices peak on the finish as the candied ginger makes a return with a sharp pepperiness and a touch of dry sweetgrass.
Bottom Line:
Starward never disappoints. This one-of-a-kind limited release from 2023 shines a great light on the risk they’re willing to take and the rewards they reap from thinking outside of the box. This is a fun and fresh whiskey that’ll make a hell of a highball or cocktail while also having enough spunky depth to shine over a glass full of rocks.
34. Morris Australian Single Malt Whisky Muscat Barrels
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $85
The Whisky:
This whisky from Down Under is made with 100% locally grown malted barley in the mash. The juice was aged in Muscat wine barrels from local wineries for three years. Those barrels are then batched and proofed down with pure local water from the nearby Snowy Mountains.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens fairly tannic with a sense of burnt leaves and very dried dates, raisins, and prunes next to blackstrap molasses, darkly roasted espresso beans covered in dark AF chocolate, and a hint of salted caramel smoothness under it all.
Palate: The palate leans into dark caramel malts with plenty of cinnamon bark, nutmeg, and nutshell next to soft vanilla chewing tobacco.
Finish: The end is malty and kind of tannic with a burnt orange next to very dried prunes.
Bottom Line:
This is a lovely dessert pour with all that dark chocolate and mild spice. I would also argue that this works in holiday-themed whiskey-forward cocktails just as well.
33. BEARFACE Canadian Whisky Elementally Aged Triple Oak
ABV: 42.5%
Average Price: $52
The Whisky:
This single-grain whisky from the northern Ontario wilderness is all about the aging process. The juice spends seven years resting in ex-bourbon barrels before being transferred into both old French oak and toasted Hungarian oak for a final maturation. That whisky is then blended and cut down with natural spring water for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens a little “oaky” but then leans into rich marzipan with a bright and almost piney honey next to soft vanilla and a hint of tart-dried fruits.
Palate: The palate moves towards a savory note with melon and saffron-stewed pears mingling with creamy balsamic vinegar (the thick and sweet kind), apricot jam with cinnamon, and a hint of scone.
Finish: The end has a bit of spice to it — more nutmeg and cardamon — alongside orange peels, brown sugar syrup, and a light vanilla wafer.
Bottom Line:
This feels like a good whisky to pair with a pile of vanilla pancakes smothered in real maple syrup when you’re looking for a good hit of woody spice. Translation: mix this into a maple old fashioned and you’ll be set.
32. Nikka Discovery Series Vol. 3 “The Grain Whisky” Bottled in 2023
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $165
The Whisky:
The third and final release of the Nikka Discovery Series has arrived. The whisky in the bottle is a blend of four-grain whiskies (grain, malt, corn, and rye whiskies) from Nikka’s most unique Japanese distilleries: Miyagikyo, Nishinomiya, Moji, and Satsumatsukasa. Once batched, the whisky was proofed down with soft local spring water for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Freshly pressed apple cider cut with orange oils drives the nose toward cinnamon toast with fresh butter and a hint of almond sugar cookies dusted with raw sugar and baking spice.
Palate: Soft and sweet cinnamon leads to sweet corn on the cob with a hint of sourdough rye doughnuts glazed and just kissed with malted vanilla.
Finish: There’s a whisper of bitter coffee beans on the finish next to mild notes of that cider over soft brown winter spices floating in cream.
Bottom Line:
We’re only a couple of whiskies into this list and we’re already into the heavy hitters. This is a subtle whisky that delivers a ton of depth that feels like breakfast — coffee with a fresh doughnut — in a glass. Add a touch of water and let the creaminess really shine.
31. Rare Perfection 15 Years Old Cask Strength Canadian Whiskey
ABV: 59.85%
Average Price: $194
The Whiskey:
This very rare whiskey from Preservation Distilling is a Canadian whiskey that was hidden away in Canada for a long time. The whiskey in the batch is a 15-year-old whiskey that’s batched to highlight dark and deep fruitiness while feeling like something deeply familiar to the American bourbon lover.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark orange chocolate balls open the nose toward rich vanilla buttercream, smoldering oak staves, and a whisper of dry green tea leaves with this whisper of strawberry shortcake lurking in the background.
Palate: The orange takes on a candied vibe with a hint of ginger on the palate as creamy eggnog lattes mingle with pear brandy-soaked marzipan dipped in dark chocolate next to a moment tart red fruit tobacco.
Finish: A deep oakiness arrives late with warming spice barks and rich tobacco leaves before the orange returns with a bright zestiness that accentuates the warming spices and old oak.
Bottom Line:
This feels like a well-aged bourbon that’s amped up to MAX volume without giving you a tannic bitterness. It’s soft and nuanced but delivers deeply on the palate. Pour this one over a single large ice cube and take it all in very slowly. It’ll be worth your time.
30. WhistlePig The Boss Hog X: “The Commandments” Straight Rye Whiskey
ABV: 58.2%
Average Price: $999
The Whiskey:
This year’s Boss Hog is a non-age-statement Canadian rye that was shipped out to Vermont. Once there, the whiskey was re-barreled into a finishing barrel that held mead. That barrel was then filled with WhistlePig distillate made from rye and whey (an experimental spirit). Then the barrel heads were infused with frankincense and myrrh resin to add something unique to the already one-of-a-kind cask.
After all of that… the rye finally went in. Once the flavor profile was just right for bottling, the whiskey was bottled 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Old honeycombs greet you on the nose with a sense of dead flowers on a cold fall day in a graveyard before a spark of freshly grated ginger with plenty of juice livens the whole experience toward a chili-spiced orange zest with a hint of green tea matcha incense.
Palate: That earthy and old honey hits the tip of your tongue with a deep and floral sweetness before raisins and salted cashews mingle with clove-studded oranges and a cut of lemon marmalade just kissed with black pepper over a scone.
Finish: That pepper fades on the finish as grassy lemon leads to roasting herbs with a hint of blackberry jam cut with floral and very earthy honey next to a rush of sandalwood and green tea powder incense with a hint of acacia bark.
Bottom Line:
Look, Boss Hog is going to fly off shelves and cost you a mint on the retail market. Most other years, I would say skip it because the hype overshadowed the actual juice. This year is different. This is good goddamn whisky.
It’s unique and delicious and offers something almost fresh and fun.
29. Crown Royal Extra Rare 30-Year-Old Blended Whisky
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $899
The Whisky:
This new version of Crown Royal’s 30-year-old blend is from very old barrels that were hidden away in prime spots in Crown’s vast warehouses. The whiskies were all made on Royal’s famed Coffey still and represent the best the brand has to offer.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Raisins and dates drive the nose toward old honeycombs, stewed pear with a hint of saffron, real maple syrup, and plenty of woody winter spice barks and aromatics.
Palate: Lush vanilla invites you in on the palate as rich salted caramel dipped in dark chocolate and rolled in winter spice powders leads to a sense of fallow apple orchards on a cold fall day.
Finish: That lush vanilla really amps up the lushness of the finish as old oak barrels and cinnamon bark rounds out the creamy yet dry finish.
Bottom Line:
Crown Royal has this magical capacity to drop unfathomable whiskies every now and then that deserve your attention. This ultra-rare bottle is admittedly best served to die-hard fans of the brand but will wow anyone looking for very refined and very easy-drinking high-age statement whisky from Canada.
28. The Irishman Single Malt Irish Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $44
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is made from Irish barley that’s mashed and then triple distilled. The hot juice is then filled in ex-bourbon and ex-Oloroso sherry casks for a long maturation (no age is given). Those barrels and then blended and the whiskey is proofed down for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this is all about the apple candy with a hint of pear in there alongside mild notes of cinnamon and maybe a little honey.
Palate: The palate is light and touches on chocolate chips and winter spice before going big with the apple candy again.
Finish: The end washes out a tad with the proofing water, leaving hints of dark spices, raisins, and more apple/pear candy.
Bottom Line:
If this is where Irish whiskey is going, sign us up. This is a nuanced and deeply dialed-in whiskey-sipping experience. There are no bells or whistles but what this whiskey does well is deliver a fully well-rounded sipping experience that doesn’t feel like homework on the palate. It’s just a nice and breezy fun sipper that also happens to work wonders in a cocktail.
27. WhistlePig “Béhôlden” Small Batch Single Malt Whiskey Aged 21 Years
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $799
The Whiskey:
This new whiskey from WhistlePig is a big one. The whiskey in the bottle is a 21-year-old Canadian single malt, likely from here in Canada since it’s billed as coming from “the first Single Malt distillery in North America.” That whiskey rested in American oak for two decades before being shipped to Vermont for a finishing run in WhistlePig’s rye barrels. Only 18 barrels were selected for this very limited release.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sultanas and Graham Cracker buttery crust drive the nose toward old oak cellars, peanut brittle, and a hint of chocolate nut clusters with a hint of salinity.
Palate: There’s a deep and dark black cherry on the lush palate that builds on moist marzipan, soft malted spice cakes, and a hint of black licorice and salted toffee.
Finish: The finish leans into the old oak and cellar vibes with a hint of malted chocolate cut with winter spices and folded into old tobacco leaves with a fleeting sense of smudging sage lurking in the background.
Bottom Line:
This is another collector’s bottle that’ll be harder to find this late in the year. That said, this is worth sampling just to see how good Canadian single malt gets at this high age statement. If we can get more of this (at a lower price hopefully), then we’ll all be in for a real treat from our neighbors up North.
26. Method And Madness Irish Whiskey Triple Distilled Rye And Malt USA Limited Edition
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $89
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is from Midleton Distillery’s (the place that makes Jameson, Powers, Spot, and Redbreast) craft distillery. The whiskey is made from a mash of 60% rye and 40% malted barley. The whiskey is twice-distilled as per most Irish whiskeys before a long rest in ex-bourbon casks. Once those barrels were ready, they were batched, proofed, and bottled for the U.S. marketplace.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a nice deep leatheriness on the nose with a sense of old dry lemon rinds next to lavender oils, clove buds, and a fleeting sense of eggnog with a lightness to it.
Palate: Oats and winter spices lead the way on the palate with a sense of fresh firewood, honey-dipped malt cookies, and raisins dipped in dark chocolate and flaked with salt.
Finish: Those malt cookies drive the finish toward more raisin and oats with a honeyed vibe, a hint of dry red chili, and a dash of white pepper.
Bottom Line:
Irish rye is making a small comeback and this whiskey should get you pretty excited bout that. This is wood-forward with a good balance of dark fruit and spice that just works. Try this in a wintry cocktail and you’ll be all set.
25. Rare Hare Lucky Bastard Aged 30 Years
ABV: 44.5%
Average Price: $599
The Whiskey:
This new whiskey from Playboy is a super-elite pour. The whiskey in the bottle is from 30-year-old Canadian rye casks that were finished in Pineau Des Charentes casks before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Soft vanilla is accented by rum-soaked raisins, old and funky honeycomb, and white summer flowers on the nose.
Palate: Dried chilis popping off in brown butter burst on the palate with a sense of moist walnut bread, old black licorice, and toasted coconut with a subtle sense of dry ginger root and old driftwood on a rocky beach.
Finish: The rum-raisin comes rushing back on the finish with winter spice barks, banana bread, and a light sense of floral honey with a deep oakiness that feels like walking through an old cellar.
Bottom Line:
This is another elite Canadian whisky bottled in the U.S., which makes you wonder if they’re saving any of these super rare old barrels for Canadians to enjoy. Anyway, this is a very nice sipper that goes beyond the ordinary and feels truly unique thanks to a very approachable proof.
24. Waterford Irish Single Malt Whisky Organic Gaia 2.1
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $95
The Whiskey:
This new release from The Arcadian Series is comprised of Alt-barley (old-school barley strains) that were harvested back in 2016. The barley was grown by organic farmers specifically for this mash bill. The whiskey was then triple distilled and aged by Waterford to highlight the malted barley in the recipe.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose draws you in with a sense of sharp orange marmalade on freshly baked Southern buttermilk biscuits with a sense of mocha lattes, wet brown sugar, red grapes, figs, and marshmallows fresh from the bag.
Palate: The taste is less fruity but does lean into lemon zest and white pepper before drying out toward grapefruit pith, dark cacao powder, salted black licorice, and a hint of dry white toast.
Finish: There’s a sense of cinnamon bark and clove berries with that black licorice on the finish that leads back to the dark orange and a sweet sense of stewed peaches.
Bottom Line:
This is a spicy and darkly sweet treat as a sipper. Pour it over a single large ice cube to really amp up the botanical vibes and add a nutty creamy depth.
23. Pōkeno New Zealand Single Malt Whisky Single Cask Double Bourbon Cask
ABV: 56%
Average Price: $112
The Whisky:
The New Zealand malt is made with local barley. That hot juice is then aged in first-fill bourbon barrels for just under three years before it’s re-barreled in fresh first-fill bourbon barrels for an additional six months of mellowing. One barrel was then bottled completely as-is for this special U.S.-only release.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Old vanilla pods and dark cacao nibs mingle with honeysuckle, nasturtium, and old sweet oak staves with a hint of nutmeg, espresso, and creamed salted caramel filling out the deep nose.
Palate: That honeysuckle and dark cacao drive the malty palate toward a rich sense of malted cookies dipped in toffee candy and rolled in spice barks and dried red berries with a whisper of coconut tobacco lurking in the far background.
Finish: The finish leans into the spice barks and old sweet oak staves with a fluttering of coastal rocky brininess that somehow just works with the sweet and spicy malts, providing a lovely balance on the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is worth tracking down and buying two of. This is great sipping whisky that highlights a niche single malt region that’s going to be on every whisky nerd’s radar going forward.
22. The Impex Collection Single Malt Welsh Whisky Penderyn Distillery Aged 5 Years
ABV: 57.4%
Average Price: $138
The Whiskey:
This special bottling from Impex is a stellar example of the great work happening there. Distiller back in 2017, this whiskey was bottled in the spring of 2022 from ex-Malvasia Madeira casks and released widely in 2023. The whisky was bottled 100% as-is without proofing, coloring, or filtering.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A light sense of old orange peels and lemon-kissed vanilla pudding leads to rich and buttery toffee rolled in toasted nuts on the nose.
Palate: That creamy toffee leads the rich palate toward moist winter spices cut with mulled wine and dried fruit and nuts, kind of like a fancy trail mix with a hint of dark chocolate chips mixed in.
Finish: The end leans into the woody spice before veering into a fruit orchard full of fresh fruits — pear, peach, plum, apple — with a mild sense of fall leaves and malted spice cakes soaked in brandy.
Bottom Line:
This is a testament to the great work the team at Impex is doing when sourcing whiskey from all over the world. This is an incredibly deep and delicious sipper on its own but really blooms with a touch of water in the glass.
21. Clonakilty Irish Whiskey Single Batch Double Oak Finish “The Gentle Cut”
ABV: 43.6%
Average Price: $39
The Whiskey:
This is an Irish whiskey blend — that’s a mix of pot still (made with malted and unmalted barley) and grain whiskeys. The barrels were left to age right next to the ocean in Southern Ireland for years. Once blended, the whiskey was then re-filled into a new oak cask and put back in those seaside warehouses for another maturation run. Once just right, the barrels were vatted and bottled as-is without chill filtration.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is like a walk through an apple orchard in full bloom with pear, peach, and apple leading to fresh sweetgrass, old saddle leather, and a sense of sweet cinnamon and nutmeg baked into an apple crumble.
Palate: There’s a nice zesty spice to the palate with fresh ginger layered into the pear and apple with a hint of hazelnut adding a creamy edge before white pepper and more fresh sweetgrass arrive with this hint of salinity.
Finish: That sweetgrass gets a little dry on the finish with pear and apple skins, orchard wood, and winter spice leading to a salted honey end.
Bottom Line:
This is the sort of whiskey that’ll help you fall in love with Irish whiskey. It’s so easygoing while delivering a wonderfully deep profile. There are no rough edges here, just soft and beautiful sipping whiskey for a slow day.
20. Shelter Point Single Malt Whisky Vancouver Island Coast Influence
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $69
The Whisky:
This whiskey from Vancouver Island is made with 100% malted BC malts. After traditional pot distillation, the whiskey is cut with glacier-fed water and left to rest on the Vancouver Island coast a stone’s throw from the beach in a medley of casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark marmalade over scones with brandy buttercream opens the nose toward floral honey with a pinch of sea salt, mulled wine spices, and canned brown bread.
Palate: That sweet molasses malty bread leads the taste toward clove and anise with a hint of cinnamon apple cider next to leathery honey-soaked tobacco and a whisper of smoked malts cut with briny water.
Finish: That whisper of smoke and salt brings the finish back toward stewed dark fruits in a mincemeat pie with a flourish of orange oils and almond paste on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is a quality single malt that takes British Columbian terroir and merroir and gently layers it into subtle whisky that deserves patience. Pour this over a rock or into your favorite whisky-forward cocktail and you’ll be in for a treat.
19. Indri Single Malt Indian Whisky Diwali Collector’s Edition 2023 PX Sherry Peat
ABV: 60.5%
Average Price: $135
The Whisky:
This peated malt from India is made with 6-row Barley that’s locally grown and peated before fermentation and running through old copper pot stills. That hot whisky is then filled in old PX sherry casks and left to age in the sub-tropical climate of Northern India.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A medley of homemade trail mix with really good nuts, raisins, and chocolates drives the nose toward deeply earthy oakiness with a smoldering sense of a sweet brush fire off in the distance.
Palate: Candied ginger and red berries lead the palate toward toasted walnuts and cashews with a flake of salt before spiced oak staves lead back to the trail mix with way more dark chocolate in it.
Finish: That dark chocolate gets creamy on the finish as spiced nuts and dried berries drive the finish toward a whisp of the sweet brush fire that almost feels like burning sugar cane.
Bottom Line:
Indri is amping up their U.S. game right now and this is a fantastic place to start your journey with Indian malt. This is delicious and offers a very deep and fun profile that sings as a winter sipper.
18. Midleton Very Rare Dair Ghaelach Kilranelagh Wood
ABV: 56.8%
Average Price: $476
The Whiskey:
The fifth installment of Midleton’s famed Dair Ghaelach series is here to help you fall in love with Irish whiskey. The whiskey is made with Midleton’s very rare whiskey that’s then aged in very specific barrels made from a single estate in Ireland (Kilranelagh Estate). The new oak barrels hold the whiskey until it’s just right before batching and bottling 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is like walking through a pine forest after the rain with soft notes of fresh honey, freshly cracked black pepper, and soft oolong tea leaves leading to a sense of roasted almonds dipped in vanilla cream and rolled in freshly ground nutmeg and cinnamon.
Palate: The palate leans into a sharp but sweet bell pepper with a hint of candied orange and chocolate leading to soft roasting herbs, a touch of apple pie, and spiced oak staves that are inching toward dried red chili.
Finish: That spiced oak drives the finish toward more candied orange and oolong tea with a honeyed creamy finish that’s light and almost airy with a vanilla foundation.
Bottom Line:
Midleton Very Rare put out two killer whiskeys this year. This one is a bold Irish whiskey that’s never afraid of taking your palate someplace wholly unexpected. That makes this a fun sipper to play with by adding water and letting air while getting into the nose and palate over a long tasting session.
17. The Yamazaki Single Malt Japanese Whisky Mizunara Aged 18 Years 100th Anniversary Suntory Whisky
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $1,499
The Whiskey:
This Yamazaki was created to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Suntory. The whiskey is a blend of single malts that were aged for 18 long years in Mizunara casks before vatting, proofing with mountain spring water, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Peach pits and cherry stems drive the nose toward lashes of cinnamon bark piled high with whole nutmeg next to a sense of dry gunpowder green tea leaves just touched by sandalwood.
Palate: The palate is impossibly delicate with a sense of old parchment paper and dry ink over soft incense, clove buds, and toasted coconut cream.
Finish: That clove and coconut bind on the finish with the sandalwood making an appearance with a dried sense of nutmeg tobacco by way of a cherry orchard in full bloom.
Bottom Line:
This is just a lovely and subtle sipper. Take your time and let it bloom in the glass with a little water. It’ll be a delight for your senses … albeit a very understated one.
16. FUJI Single Grain Japanese Whiskey Aged 30 Years
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $4,190
The Whisky:
This whisky is made just seven miles from the base of Mt Fuji. The whisky in the bottle is a blend of whiskies made in a “Canadian grain whisky style.” The whiskies for this release were aged in used American oak for at least 30 years with some of the barrels in the blend hitting 40 years old. Then Master Blender Jota Tanaka selected the barrels that hit the exact right notes and meticulously blended this whisky with a touch of local mountain spring water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is full of marzipan and nutty berry cobbler with a hint of orchard fruits, mulled wine, dark chocolate touched with very light spice, and a sweet and soft brown sugar vibe.
Palate: The palate opens with an old honey pot next to dark nut clusters with a pecan/dark chocolate/raisin vibe over malted cookies dipped in black currant compote and dusted with soft and powdery white pepper.
Finish: The end is lush and silky with a slight sense of wet reeds and cedar bark braided with faint tobacco kissed with dried red berries and soft toffee.
Bottom Line:
Sometimes the experience is the journey. That makes this worth trying just to expand your palate.
15. Bushmills Aged 25 Years Irish Single Malt Whiskey
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $949
The Whiskey:
This small-batch high-age-statement whiskey from north Ireland is a bold pour. The whiskey in the bottle is made from a whiskey that spent about four years in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before batching and re-barreling into ruby port casks for 21 long years of “finishing”. Those casks were small-batched, proofed, and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a huge old tannic oak note on the nose that leads to old dark fruit leathers, a hint of old honey, and plenty of dark espresso beans just kissed with dark chocolate and winter spice.
Palate: The taste is silky but dominated by chewy old oak staves dipped in stewed dark fruits cut with winter spice barks, burnt orange, and bitter chocolate sauce.
Finish: That chocolate and barky spice merge on the finish and swing back toward that old oak with a sense of dry tobacco packed into an old cedar humidor with this fleeting sense of dried roasting sage and singed rosemary.
Bottom Line:
This is another rarity that’s worth the price of admission. While there are higher age statements from Bushmills, this is the sweet spot for balance and delectability from this branch of the brand’s lineup.
14. Shibui Single Grain Whisky Rare Cask Reserve Aged 23 Years
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $849
The Whiskey:
This whisky is made down in Okinawa, which is a very tropical place to make whisky. The grain whisky in this bottle spent 23 years on ex-bourbon casks before vatting and proofing. Given the tropical climate of Okinawa, that 23-year rest equates to a whisky that feels much more like a whisky twice that age.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a sense of old oak tannins that immediately give way to red and blackberry brambles with plenty of green leaves and sharp thorns before hitting on rich winter spice and a touch of old vanilla pods.
Palate: The spice starts to veer into dried red chili and cumin territory on the palate as a sense of garam masala leads back to a creamy and butter berry compote with a dark and dry chocolate vibe that’s just kissed with salt.
Finish: Red currants and old orange rinds lead back to woody winter spice and old vanilla pods as an almost coconut and garam masala curry takes over at the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is the sort of whisky that’s hiding a lot of its brilliance. You have to take your time here, add water, let rest in the open air, and go back and forth to find those hidden depths. It’s worth all that effort simply for the palate expansion though. Yes, that sounds like homework, but it’s the best kind of homework when the whisky is this good.
13. Found North Cask Strength Whisky Aged 18 Years Batch 008
ABV: 62.2%
Average Price: $145
The Whiskey:
This batch of Found North is made from Canadian whisky mashed with 87% corn, 12 % rye, and 1% malted barley. The batch was hewn from barrels that ranged from 18 to 26 years old when batched. Those barrels included whisky finished in old Madeira, ex-bourbon, and Hungarian oak casks alongside new American oak barrels.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a sense of blueberry pancakes and blackberry pie with a big scoop of malted vanilla ice cream next to Caro clear syrup, a touch of nutmeg, and soft mincemeat pies dipped in hot apple cider.
Palate: The taste leans into the nutmeg and apple cider with a sense of vanilla buttercream, tart red berries, and soft woody winter spices with a hint of fresh and moist pipe tobacco braided with orchard barks, smudging sage, and soft fall leaves from a fallow orchard.
Finish: That orchard earthiness mounts on the finish as the tobacco melds with the apple cider and winter spices to create a spiced apple holiday cake with a nutty vibe and creamy icing.
Bottom Line:
Delicious. Pour it neat or on the rocks and let it take you away.
12. Hakata Whisky Aged 18 Years Sherry Cask
ABV: 42%
Average Price: $189
The Whiskey:
This specialty whisky is distilled and aged at the famed Hikari Distillery in Fukuoka, Japan. The malts were partially fermented with koji (which is usually used for making shochu) before mashing and distillation. The hot juice then goes into sherry casks in classic warehouses and open-air warehouses. After 18 years, those casks were vatted and this whisky was bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Smoldering cherry and applewood draw you in on the nose with old saddle leather, dark berry jams, and plummy spiced holiday cakes with a touch of brandy-soaked raisin.
Palate: The palate is like a walk through an old sherry cask house in Spain with hard-smoked creamy cheeses, fatty jamon, roasted acorns, and piles of salted dark chocolate bars wafting through the air.
Finish: A woody spice takes the finish toward a dry note of brandy-soaked raisin with rich marzipan and fire-roasted chestnut next to salted vanilla cream and stewed plum jam cut with clove and anise.
Bottom Line:
This special bottling is another journey in a glass. There’s so much going on that just makes sense. The fatty ham, spiced dark fruit cakes, the nuttiness, the creaminess … it all feels like a feast under the Ghost of Christmas Present in Dickens’ iconic holiday tome.
11. Hibiki Japanese Harmony 100th Anniversary Edition
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $199
The Whisky:
This edition of Hibiki Japanese Harmony was blended and bottled to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Hibiki Japanese whisky. The blend is all about the fruits, florals, and incense and built to highlight those notes even more to celebrate the centennial.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Wet fresh roses open the nose toward soft oakiness that veers toward unlit sandalwood incense before a touch of lychee hits the senses and leads you toward thyme and rosemary, both fresh out of a herb garden.
Palate: Deep and floral honey hits the end of your tongue and remains for a while as candied orange rinds and candied lime wedges drive the taste toward macadamia nut cookies with plenty of white chocolate.
Finish: Sweet yet lightly salty oak arrives on the finish with a sense of floral honey cut with that candied orange and lime before the white chocolate creates a lush end.
Bottom Line:
This is a lush sipping experience that feels straightforward until it doesn’t. There’s so much depth to this but every single note is so bullseye’d that you’ll be going back again and again to find more.
10. The Hakushu Single Malt Japanese Whisky Peated Malt Aged 18 Years 100th Anniversary Suntory Whisky
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $1,199
The Whiskey:
This whisky was blended from 18-year-old peated single malt casks (a lot of different woods in play) to celebrate the centenary of Suntory. Once vatted, the peated whisky was mellowed with super soft mountain water that has spent millennia filtering through granite.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bright fruit greets you on the nose with fresh and tart apples leading to juicy pineapple with a hint of woody honey, smoked pear, and a light sense of roasting sage.
Palate: The peatiness layers through roasting herbs, grapefruit peels, and more woody honey but never overpowers while minor keys of white flowers and creamed honey create a luscious texture.
Finish: Pomelo and grapefruit oils linger on the finish with a line of smoke that’s … clean. It’s like a thin whisp of smoke from whisky-soaked coal that wafts through an apple orchard in full bloom while you sip from green tea just kissed with fresh honey.
Bottom Line:
This is a wildly diverse and fascinating pour of whisky. You really want to take your time and savor this one. Let it expand your palate and then mind.
9. Writers’ Tears Red Head Irish Whiskey
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $199
The Whiskey:
This is classic Irish single malt that’s triple distilled before a long aging process. The hot juice rests in Spanish Oloroso sherry butts until it’s just right. Those barrels are batched and proofed before bottling otherwise as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Burnt orange and peach skins mingle with a hint of salted dried mango next to red berry tea leaves, plum jam cut with clove, and a mild sense of brandy butter and scones.
Palate: Nutella comes through on the palate with a sense of rum-raisin, old sherry-soaked oak staves, and creamy vanilla cake.
Finish: The end leans into the brandy butter and scones with a sense of sharp orange marmalade and fresh breakfast tea cut with cream and honey.
Bottom Line:
This is an amazingly easy-sipping Irish whiskey that makes the best Manhattans on this list.
8. Waterford Irish Single Malt Whisky Peated Fenniscourt 1.1
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $105
The Whiskey:
This Irish whisky is extraordinarily special. The whisky is made with Arcadian barley grown in Fenniscourt in County Carlow on the Byrne Family farm near the River Barrow. The barley was kilned with peat from Niall Carroll’s cuttings at Ballyteige in County Kildare before mashing and distilling. The whisky was then aged in first-fill bourbon barrels, French oak, and Vin Doux Naturel casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a bold sense of a football field after a rainstorm that’s accented by fresh lemonade, moist marzipan, buttermilk biscuits, pancake syrup, and dried pear slices kissed with sea salt and olive oil with these fleeting sense of roasting herbs.
Palate: Those roasting herbs take on a fatty smoked pork vibe on the palate as old tobacco leather and salty chili spice lead to dark cherry and lychee with a mild sense of plum jam.
Finish: The end circles back around to that rainy field with a sense of warming spices, old tobacco, and soft salted creaminess.
Bottom Line:
This whiskey feels like tailgating in the winter. It’s delightful and full of familiar notes that give way to new and fresh ideas in whiskey.
7. Nikka Whisky Single Malt Yoichi 10 Years Old
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $175
The Whisky:
The Yoichi facility is perched on the Hokkaido coast in the far north of Japan. The whisky is made very slowly with lightly peated local malt. The mash is made with local spring water and slowly distilled in pot stills with direct coal heating underneath. That whisky is then left to age for 10 years by the sea but also in the forest, in used oak, until it’s just right. The barrels are then vatted in a large wooden tank and bottled with a touch of that local water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a clear sense of an old herb spice cupboard with a hint of mint and sage that leads to fresh tart apples and red berries with a touch of smoked plums and apricots next to fresh pain au chocolate dipped in floral honey.
Palate: That buttery pastry opens the taste with a hint of white pepper and dried strawberries dipped in milk chocolate and drizzled with a spiced caramel before this thin whisper of smoked mushroom powder sneaks in.
Finish: That smoked umami vibe attaches to a dry oakiness with a sense of apricot leather just kissed with sweet orchard wood smoke and soft pepperiness tied to malted honey digestive biscuits before a final rush of creamy yet still floral honey softens everything.
Bottom Line:
This was one of my favorite everyday sippers this year (I actually killed this bottle at home). It’s so light yet runs this deep gamut of iconic flavor notes without overpowering any single part. It’s pure subtle peated balance sip after sip.
6. Teeling Whiskey Single Malt Aged 33 Years Pineau Des Charentes Finish
ABV: 49.7%
Average Price: $3,795
The Whiskey:
This latest release from Teeling’s ultra-rare whiskey line is an oldie but a goodie. The whiskey was distilled back in 1989 and spent 30 years mellowing in ex-rum casks before it was batched and re-barreled into Pineau Des Charentes wine casks for three more years of rest.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Black tea-soaked dates, stewed prunes with cardamom and clove, and white mulled wine drive the nose toward floral honey that’s so fresh you can still feel the honeycomb and this whisper of dried apricot rolled with roasted almonds.
Palate: That medley of apricot and almond pops on the palate as grilled pineapple combines with clove-laden tobacco and spice cakes with a hint of brandied cherries dipped in salted dark chocolate with a whisper of orange oils lurking in the background.
Finish: That cherry vibes carry on throughout the finish as the winter spices get woody and dry and attach to sharp and spice tobacco with a hint of old worn boot leather, soft marzipan, and a touch more of that honeycomb.
Bottom Line:
This is an incredibly rare and incredibly delicious whiskey. If you get your hand on a pour, you’ll say “goddamn!” when you sip it.
5. Midleton Very Rare Vintage Release Irish Whiskey 2023
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $250
The Whiskey:
The 2023 edition of the esteemed Midleton Very Rare is the 40th release from the brand, which is a milestone for sure. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of single pot still and grain whiskeys from the hallowed grounds of the Midleton Distillery in County Cork. The key to this blend is the balance of the pot still and grain whiskeys with a spotlight on refill casks for aging and a tad more pot still whiskey in the mix.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Apple orchards on a sunny day greet your nose with fresh apricot, tangerine, and savory melon next to malted spiciness, fresh ginger, and fresh espresso pepperiness over honey, marzipan, and a fleeting sense of white wildflowers.
Palate: The palate is lush from the jump and hits on notes of creamy honey mixed with dried chamomile buds, soft distillery grains, and sweet oak with hints of marmalade, leathery dried apricot, and more marzipan.
Finish: That dried stone fruit mingles with woody winter spices on the end as soft cedar planks and honeyed malt gently rest on your senses.
Bottom Line:
This whiskey is the epitome of dialed-in. It’s so clearly hewn with a deep yet precise profile. It’s kind of like seeing the clouds part and the sun shining in after the rain when it hits your nose.
4. Kavalan Oloroso Sherry Oak Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $209
The Whiskey:
This version of Kavalan takes their iconic Solist release and adds a touch of local mountain spring water to just proof it down. That sherry-finished whisky is then bottled for this iconic release.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dried red berries, figs, and dates lead to marzipan richness and soft winter spice powders that are just kissed with red mulled wine and vanilla cakes.
Palate: The palate is lush from the jump with layers of moist holiday fruit and nut cakes, candied orange, brandy-soaked cherry, soft marzipan, and plummy jams over soft buttermilk scones.
Finish: A hint of dark salted chocolate pops on the finish with a sense of clove-laced berry cobbler, soft vanilla buttercream, and a fleeting sense of old oak cellars with sweet dirt floors.
Bottom Line:
This whisky tastes like sitting in your grandmother’s as he serves you your favorite dessert as a kid. This is a whisky that transports you in a real way to a time and place.
3. Shirakawa 1958 Single Malt Japanese Whisky
ABV: 49%
Average Price: $31,563
The Whisky:
This is believed to be the earliest/oldest known single-vintage Japanese whisky ever bottled. The whisky comes from the stocks of the Shirakawa Distillery and is a miracle barrel that survived decades before batching, proofing, and bottling for this extremely rare release.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Pine trees dripping with sap intrigue the nose with a sense of dried orange and pomelo peels before beeswax leads to old incense sticks from a shop that’s 100 years old with this moment of green leaves and soft wet stone sitting in dry black dirt.
Palate: The taste leans into the green leaves with a hint of blossom before the incense makes a comeback with a hint of ash, soft woody spice, and dry oak staves stacked up like firewood next to a moment of espresso tobacco.
Finish: The softness of the pour gets silky on the finish as more beeswax and just lit wicks drive the end toward soft slate, old oak, and orchards at the end of winter.
Bottom Line:
This is an insanely rare whisky that I was lucky enough to taste this year. And yes, it slaps. If you can find a pour, try it. It’ll be educational.
2. Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Aged 27 Years Ruby Port Casks
ABV: 54.6%
Average Price: $674
The Whiskey:
This is the mountaintop of Irish whiskey and Redbreast. After triple distillation, the whiskey is left in ex-bourbon, ex-port, and ex-sherry casks for at least 27 years before batching and bottling at cask strength with zero fussing.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Bright red berries and mango skins (that are almost freaking juicy) mix with seared pineapple spears, roasting herbs, and spiced wood barks dipped in rock candy syrup and rolled in roasted walnuts and vanilla pods.
Palate: The palate is like silk with a sense of plums, figs, and cherries fresh from the vine next to dried chili over cinnamon bark, whole nutmeg, and toasted clove before lush brandy butter and a whisper of menthol pipe tobacco arrive.
Finish: That tobacco wanes as the fruits stew into a spiced holiday cake soaked in the best brandy and served with a dollop of the richest vanilla cream.
Bottom Line:
If you buy one Irish whiskey this year, make it this. This whiskey is phenomenal. It works wonders as a slow sipper neat or on a rock. It also makes a killer Manhattan.
1. Hibiki Suntory Whisky 21 Years Old 100th Anniversary Suntory Whisky
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $7,000
The Whisky:
Sticking with Hibiki’s 100th anniversary, this new version of Hibiki 21 is going to be on a collector’s wish list. The whisky in the bottle is a blend of malt and grain whiskies chosen and blended by Suntory’s legendary Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo alongside his blending team. The team specifically chose Mizunara oak casks for the heart of the whisky out of respect for their shared Japanese heritage.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Jasmine blooms draw you in on the nose with a hint of savory fruits like dragonfruit and kumquat with a hint of star fruit next to burning incense coming from a distant sensor on the other side of the room.
Palate: Old potpourri with a hint of sandalwood drives the palate toward a super subtle sense of acacia bark next to a faint whisper of betel nut and maybe some floral honey with an almost crisp edge.
Finish: Spiced whisky wood staves arrive late on the finish with a sense of dried jasmine and lavender next to dried coriander and a fleeting sense of sweet incense in the far distance on a cold night.
Bottom Line:
This is the most unique and wildly delicious whisky I’ve tasted in a while. There’s just so much going on with this pour that it’s almost hard to define beyond “Wow…!”
Again, I know this is elite whisky with a high price tag. But this feels like a true once-in-a-lifetime pour that’ll help redefine your path as a whisky drinker.
