New Year’s Eve festivities are here. 2024 is about to dawn and it’s high time for a great whiskey to ring in the new year. And while there’s more than enough bubbly to go around, we’re going to call out some great whiskey — all under $100 — to sip in between all that champers.
Below, we’re naming 20 whiskeys from all categories that slap this time of year. We’re naming great single-barrel bourbons, Scotch peat monsters, subtle single malts, divine Irish whiskeys, and some wonderfully fun ryes. Long story short, there’s something for everyone, it’s all affordable, and it’s all pretty easily findable (generally speaking).
So continue to scroll, folks. Read those tasting notes and find the whiskey or whiskeys that speak to you. Then smash those price links to grab a bottle before the ball drops and 2023 becomes 2024. Let’s dive in!
20. Four Walls The Better Brown Made with a Blend of Irish Whiskeys and American Rye Whiskeys
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $29
The Whiskey:
The team from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, and Rob McElhenny) have released their first permanent mainstream whiskey. This new release is an Irish American whiskey made with American rye and Irish whiskey (a blend of malt and grain whiskeys). The whiskey is batched in the U.S. and proofed down to a very dive-bar-friendly 80-proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Hints of dried chilis, old leather, vanilla-laced honey, apple tarts, and caramel candy mingle on the nose.
Palate: The Irishness arrives in spades on the palate with bright apple orchard vibes next to flora honey, a hint of yellow straw, light nutshells, and a moment of sultanas just kissed with caramel.
Finish: The apple swings back around on the finish with a sense of fresh apple cider just kissed with cinnamon and caramel before fading toward leathery malt.
Bottom Line:
This is a great place to start. This whiskey is built as a crowd-pleaser from top to bottom. There’s no pretension in the juice but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a refined pour that’s perfect for cocktails, highballs, and on-the-rocks sipping.
19. Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye Tennessee Rye Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $33
The Whiskey:
The base of this new Bonded whiskey is Jack’s signature rye whiskey with a mash bill of 70% rye, 18% corn, and 12% malted barley fermented with their own yeast and lactobacillus. The juice is then twice distilled via column stills and then slowly filtered through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal. That filtered whiskey then rests in a barrel for four long years before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Ripe peaches, bananas, and Granny Smith apples lead on the nose with a light sense of molasses winter ginger cakes, a touch of cinnamon bark, and light hints of dry sweetgrass that’s just smoldering.
Palate: The taste really leans into the toffee with a good dose of banana creaminess before veering toward roasting herbs and more sweetgrass braided with cedar bark, pipe tobacco, and smudging sage.
Finish: The end warms up just enough with banana bread cut with dried ancho chili layered into light dark chocolate tobacco leaves and more of that sweetgrass.
Bottom Line:
This is the whiskey you want to mix with all night. The subtle rye is nicely spiced in a sweet way, making this great for wintry cocktails with a festive vibe.
18. Wyoming Whiskey National Parks No. 3 Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 52.5%
Average Price: $79
The Whiskey:
This year’s Wyoming Whiskey Fall 2023 release is the third edition of the National Park series. This year Grand Teton National Park is the star of the show with a minimum five-year-old batch of bourbon aged in the plains of Wyoming as they descend from the Rockies.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Wyoming Bourbon’s signature orange creamsicle opens the nose with a sense of wet brown sugar, fresh unsalted butter, and little cups of toffee pudding before a hint of dry black tea leaves arrives.
Palate: The orange attaches to floral honey on the palate with a sense of coffee cake, Nutella, and soft vanilla pudding swimming in caramel sauce.
Finish: Pecan waffles with pancake syrup sweeten the finish before that black tea sneaks back in with a mild sense of leathery tobacco and the stick from an orange creamsicle.
Bottom Line:
This whiskey has the promise of travel built into the label and juice. Who wants to go to a National Park in 2024? Let’s make plans while sipping this on New Year’s Eve! Seriously though, this is a subtle and wintry sipper that’s sure to wow as the ball drops this year. It also makes a mean orange-forward old fashioned.
17. Lost Lantern Blend Series “Shadow” Whiskey
ABV: 63.15%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
Lost Lantern released one last set of whiskeys to close out 2023 and it included this great American malt blend. The whiskey is a peated American malt with smoky single malts from Boulder Spirits in Colorado, Cedar Ridge in Iowa, and McCarthy’s in Oregon. Each barrel was four to seven years old when batched for this release, yielding only 500 cask-strength bottles.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A rich and full smoke flavor draws you in on the nose with a sense of berry brambles burning on a fall burn pile as spiced oak and dark spiced plums stewing in brandy round things out.
Palate: Blackberry crumble with a good dose of cinnamon crumble leads on the palate as the smoke arrives from smoldering smudging sage and spice barks next to a deep brandy-soaked plumminess.
Finish: The end leans into the plumminess and dark berries with a deep sense of smoldering fall leaves and orchard barks on a cold and rainy day.
Bottom Line:
This is a wonderful spicy fruity dessert course whiskey for after a big meal. Pour this one over a big rock and let it wash over you.
16. Ardbeg An Oa Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46.6%
Average Price: $70
The Whisky:
This is a quintessential Islay peaty whisky. The juice is aged in a combination of Pedro Ximénez, charred virgin oak, and ex-bourbon casks before being married and rested again in Ardbeg’s bespoke oak “Gathering Vat,” allowing the whiskies to really meld into a cohesive pour.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Slow-smoked peaches mingle with soft cherrywood and a bundle of smoky savory herbs — sage, rosemary, ramps — on the nose.
Palate: The palate is soft and buttery with a sweet burnt toffee vibe next to nutmeg, walnut, Earl Grey, and maybe a touch of woody maple syrup.
Finish: The end takes its time and meanders through salted black licorice, wild florals, more singed savory herbs, and a hint of black-pepper-covered brisket fat that’s been heavily smoked over sea-soaked driftwood.
Bottom Line:
Okay, this probably going to be the most divisive pick on the list. This is a peat monster and not for the light of heart. But if you have some folks in your crew who want bold and ashy, then this is going to be a delight, especially over a big rock as a slow sipper. This also makes a great smoky old fashioned.
15. Nelson Bros. Whiskey Straight Rye Whiskey
ABV: 46.25%
Average Price: $44
The Whiskey:
Nelson Bros. Whiskey Rye is a marriage of Kentucky and Tennessee in a bottle. The whiskey was made in Kentucky and then sent to Tennessee where it finished its maturation before batching, proofing, and bottling in Nashville.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark and sharp cloves floating in piney honey open the nose toward hints of star anise, allspice, coriander, and red chili … you know what? It’s five-spice with a touch of fresh mint and dried apricot.
Palate: That apricot stars dried on the palate as freshly ground nutmeg over a spiced creamy nog that circles back around to syrupy mint with a sense of old leather boots and cedar bark.
Finish: That leather and cedar bark braids with menthol tobacco on the finish as almonds and dark and sharp cinnamon leads to another whisper of five spice on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This ended up being a great cocktail whiskey this holiday season at my house (we killed two bottles already). This whiskey just works wonders in any wintry cocktail or as a slow sipper on the rocks when you want something a little grassier. This will be a crowd-pleaser, trust me.
14. Virginia Distillery Co. American Single Malt Whisky Courage & Conviction Double Cask Reserve
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $71
The Whiskey:
This new fall release from Virginia Distillery Co. features double asking. That means that the whiskey was aged a minimum of five years in first-fill bourbon casks and European red wine Cuvée casks before slow batching with a touch of water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with deep honey and candied orange next to apricot jam over scones with a hint of malted spice and brandy-soaked oak staves.
Palate: Black Forest cake by way of honey-pear-floral malted crackers drives the palate toward winter spice barks, soft milk chocolate sauce, and a dash of lemon malt meringue.
Finish: Fresh gingerbread and soft oak round out the finish with a nice dose of spice, chocolate, and malt.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the best American single malts of 2023. It’s a beautifully balanced whiskey that shines over a single large ice cube.
13. Knob Creek Small Batch Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 7 Years
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $35
The Whiskey:
This new 2023 rye version from Beam marks the age-statement return of their iconic Knob Creek Rye. The whiskey in this case was aged seven years before batching, slight proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Salted caramel sweetness with a vanilla underbelly drives the nose toward rye bread crusts, a hint of dried savory herbs, apple blossoms, and a whisper of soft leather gardening gloves.
Palate: The spiciness arrives after vanilla cream and salted caramel with a dose of freshly cracked red peppercorns, dried red chili, and sharp winter brown spices next to a spiced oak.
Finish: The sweetness and spiciness coalesce on the finish with a deep sense of fruit orchards full of fall leaves and apple bark.
Bottom Line:
This is another stellar rye that works wonders in cocktails — think Manhattans, boulevardiers, and Sazeracs. Our recommendation is to make a batched Manhattan with this one for ease of pouring all New Year’s Eve long.
12. Fortuna Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 51%
Average Price: $84
The Whiskey:
This whiskey — a revival of a centuries-old dead brand — is from the new company founded by partners Pablo Moix and Peter Nevenglosky, based around the Rare Character Whiskey shingle. The whiskey in the bottle is rendered from six barrels of six-year-old whiskey that’s expertly batched and bottled with just a touch of local Kentucky water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fresh orange blossom and nasturtiums mingle on the nose with honeycomb next to stewed plums with hints of clove and allspice.
Palate: The palate is luxurious with a sense of salted caramel, cherry Dr. Pepper, and sticky toffee pudding with plenty of winter spice, dark orange zest, brandy butter, and black-tea-soaked dates.
Finish: The end has a sense of plum pudding with burnt sugars and orange tobacco kissed with star anise and clove, rolled up with wild sage and cedar bark, and wrapped in old leather pouches.
Bottom Line:
This is a wonderfully balanced sipper from Kentucky. The sweetness and spice are like a long wintry Kentucky hug in a glass.
11. Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2013 Aged 10 Years Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $72
The Whiskey:
This year’s Bere Barley 2013 is a 10-year-old malt made from very specific Scottish grains. The ancient varietal of barley is grown specifically for this whisky and is long fermented to highlight fruity and floral notes in the end whisky, which is aged in ex-bourbon barrels right on the sea in Islay.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Candied oranges and peach pie drive the nose toward a sense of malted pound cake with plenty of vanilla, poppies, and streusel next to creamed lemon curd, old fudge, and a whisper of marzipan with some pear brandy.
Palate: Malty barley biscuits greet you on the plate with plenty of wet brown sugar, Cream of Wheat cut with butter and pancake syrup, and apricot jam next to soft honeydew, more candied orange, and a sense of toasted coconut next to brandy-soaked marzipan with a hint of rose water.
Finish: A hint of milk chocolate arrives late with vanilla custard over fresh mago, more toasted coconut, rose water, and candied orange marzipan dipped in creamed honey with a whisper of lavender.
Bottom Line:
This unpeated malt from a very famous peated malt distillery is a great celebration of 2023 whisky-making. It’s so dialed in and delicious as a slow sipper. Wow your whole crew with this delightful sipping whisky.
10. Holladay Soft Red Wheat Bottled-In-Bond Missouri Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $59
The Whiskey:
This new kid on the block from Missouri is making big waves thanks to incredible juice. The whiskey in this bottle is made from a 73/15/12 mash bill of corn/red wheat/malted barley that’s grown and processed in Missouri. The whiskey is made at the Holladay Distiller in Weston, Missouri where it’s filled in Missouri white oak barrels and left to age for six years.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich buttery toffee leads to floral honey, moist vanilla sheet cake, and a hint of woody winter spices with a nice layer of brandy-soaked raisins and plums on the nose.
Palate: There’s a deep berry crumble on the palate with a big dollop of rich vanilla buttercream next to cinnamon sticks and spice barks over a hint of marshmallow, strawberry shortcake, and old oak staves.
Finish: Those oak staves get dipped in salted dark chocolate with a hint more of that rich vanilla buttercream next to spiced tobacco rolled with spicy winter cakes stuffed with plum jam and mulled wine.
Bottom Line:
This whiskey feels new and delivers a promise of great things to come from the distiller in 2024. This is the whiskey you pour when you want to get people excited about the whiskey coming next year.
9. Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 55%
Average Price: $83
The Whiskey:
This is a high water mark of what standard Wild Turkey can achieve. The Russells select the “honey barrels” (those special barrels that are as much magic as craft) from their rickhouses for single barrel bottling. The resulting whiskey is non-chill filtered but is cut down slightly to proof with that soft Kentucky water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Vanilla cream spiked with orange oils and sprinkled with toasted coconut mingle with spicy oak and buttery cake on the nose with an underpinning of winter spices by way of a sour mulled wine.
Palate: The palate opens with easy notes of marzipan, subtle dried roses, vanilla pods, more winter spices, and singed cherry bark.
Finish: The end arrives with a sense of Almond Joy next to cherry tobacco dipped in chili-infused dark chocolate with a flake of salt and a pinch of cedar dust and old leather saddles.
Bottom Line:
This is probably the best all-around bourbon on the list. This makes incredible cocktails (simple whiskey-forward ones) and works wonders as a slow sipper over one big rock. It’s pretty much perfect all things considered.
8. Cragganmore 2023 Distillers Edition Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $88
The Whisky:
Cragganmore is an iconic Scottish distillery. This yearly whisky release is matured in sherry casks for 12 years. It’s then transferred into port-seasoned American oak casks for a final maturation phase before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fennel leads to dried fruits — sultanas, prunes, dried fig — and fresh apples on the nose with a hint of tartness and skin next to savory (almost oily) herb branches and leaves.
Palate: The taste, on the other hand, leans into sweet oak, pear candies, fresh figs, and a softness that’s almost hard to believe while this medley of caraway, fresh fennel, and sweet cardamom dance together on your palate.
Finish: The end is full of sweet fruits — think ripe pears, green tomatoes, and star fruit — and has just the right touches of soft oak, oily vanilla, and savory green herbs as it fades towards a final note of wet wicker right after a rain storm.
Bottom Line:
This is a big outlier in that it feels green in the best ways with a delightful orchard fruit vibe. It’s vibrant and will wake up the senses while comforting them.
7. Heaven’s Door Cask Strength “Homesick Blues” Minnesota Wheated Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 61.35%
Average Price: $79
The Whiskey:
This whiskey from Bob Dylan’s brand celebrates the singer’s home, Minnesota. The whiskey is a Minnesota bourbon made with Minnesota grains and distilled in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. The massive temperature swings — up to 116F in the summer and -80F in the winter — make for a very unique aging experience. Still, this whiskey was ready after seven years of rest and bottled in a small batch as cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Creamed honey and salted caramel draw you in on the nose with a sense of prunes and dates mixed with rum raisin and brandy-soaked pears kissed with rich vanilla and freshly ground nutmeg.
Palate: That creamy vibe remains on the palate as creamy vanilla buttercream cut with equally creamy honey dances with soft sweetgrass and smudging sage next to a hint of old oak staves soaked in brandy and just touched with old cellars.
Finish: The musty old cellar vibe accents the sweetgrass and sage with rich pipe tobacco laced with marmalade and brandied pears before the lush vanilla takes back over on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is the whiskey you pour for the music fans at the party. This is a great example of the craft bourbon coming out of Minnesota right now and will be a great pairing for spinning some vinyl as the party peaks.
6. Eagle Rare Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 10 Years
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $47
The Whiskey:
This might be one of the most beloved (and still accessible) bottles from Buffalo Trace. This whiskey is made from their very low rye mash bill. The hot juice is then matured for at least ten years in various parts of the warehouse. The final mix comes down to barrels that hit just the right notes to make them “Eagle Rare.” Finally, this one is proofed down to a fairly low 90 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Old leather boots, burnt orange rinds, oily sage, old oak staves, and buttery toffee draw you in on the nose before a sense of old fallow fruit orchards with falling leaves hints at old brick barrelhouses in the distance with a whisper of dried apple.
Palate: Marzipan covered in dark chocolate opens the palate as floral honey and ripe cherry lead to a winter cake vibe full of raisins, dark spices, and toffee sauce before deep and earthy barrel warehouse vibes arrive with a sense of the cobwebs, mold, and ancient wood takes over.
Finish: The end has a balance of all things winter treats as the marzipan returns and the winter spice amp up alongside a hint of spicy cherry tobacco and old cedar wrapped with smudging sage, old fall leaves, and bourbon-soaked oak stave from decades ago.
Bottom Line:
If you get one whiskey to impress the crowd, make it this one. Eagle Rare makes the best old fashioned on the list and is a killer sipper over a big rock. You can’t lose.
5. Pursuit United Blended Straight Rye Whiskeys Finished in Sherry French Revere Oak
ABV: 54%
Average Price: $74
The Whiskey:
This new rye from the team over at Bourbon Pursuit is a masterful blend. The whiskey is hewn from Bardstown Bourbon Company’s 95/5 Kentucky rye batched with two Sagamore Spirit ryes — one a 95/5 and one 52/43/5 rye/corn/malted barley. Those whiskeys are batched and re-barreled into a French sherry revere cask for a final rest before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sense of dark fruits — black cherry, dates, rum raisin — on the nose that leads to soft and sweet oak next to worn leather, mulled wine, and brandy-soaked fig cut with nutmeg and clove.
Palate: The taste is more on the woody side of the spice with a clear sense of old-school mulled wine with sweet vanilla and star anise over orange rinds and raisins with a slight chili warmth underneath.
Finish: The chili warmth drives the finish toward a soft red-wine-soaked oak that’s spiced with orchard barks and fruits next to vanilla/cherry tobacco just kissed with dark chocolate.
Bottom Line:
This a delectable rye sipper. It’s deeply wintry and works so well neat or over a single rock for all-night sipping.
4. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch No. C923
ABV: 66.5%
Average Price: $74
The Whiskey:
The last drop from Elijah Craig Barrel Proof of 2023 is a big one. The whiskey in the bottle is a 13-year and 7-month-old bourbon that was bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Big notes of stewed apples lead to apple cider spiked with dried red chili, allspice, and anise on the nose before dark chocolate oranges and salted caramels give way to old oak staves with a hint of vanilla-mint tobacco.
Palate: That vanilla creates a silky palate with tons of butterscotch and caramel popcorn with a good flake of salt as cinnamon and chili-heavy cider leads to Christmas nut breads and old leather tobacco pouches with a hint of dark cherry.
Finish: The end amps up the ABVs dramatically as chili, black pepper, and anise drive the end toward an almost cool mint tobacco vibe with a vanilla buttercream underbelly.
Bottom Line:
This is the bourbon you pour when you want to wow the crowd. It’s a huge whiskey with bold flavors that just work. Pour this over a big rock and watch how fast that bottle gets emptied.
3. Talisker 2023 Distillers Edition Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 45.8%
Average Price: $94
The Whisky:
The 2023 Distillers Edition is a classic Talisker that’s aged by the sea and finished for six months in Amoroso sherry casks. The whisky was distilled in 2012 and bottled at 10 years old. It was then finished in another Amoroso sherry cask, making it “double cask” matured.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose runs deep on this whisky with mild hints of beachside campfire smoke whispering in the background as hints of red fruit, wet driftwood, and green peppercorns draw you in.
Palate: The palate embraces the red berries with a slight tartness next to the sweetness as the peat remains dry and distant and tied to the brine of the sea with an almost oyster liquor softness.
Finish: The finish lingers for just the right amount of time as sweet berries and dry peat lead towards soft dark cacao powder with a tiny note of vanilla and one last spray from the sea.
Bottom Line:
This is the Scotch to have on hand to celebrate 2023. It’s one of the best and most accessible (flavor-wise) Scotch whiskies of the year. Trust us, this bottle will get killed faster than you think at any New Year’s Eve soiree.
2. Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Kentucky Oak Edition
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $199
The Whiskey:
This is classic Redbreast tripled distiller single pot still whiskey (made with a mash of malted and unmalted barley). The juice settles for several years in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before it’s vatted and then re-filled into brand new air-dried American oak barrels from the Taylor Farm in Kentucky. After four months, the whiskey is blended and barely proofed before bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a clear sense of almost sweet cedar next to marzipan and old leather with a hint of sour cherry and tart apple skins rounding out the nose.
Palate: The palate starts with a foundational layer of vanilla sauce and builds layers of woody cinnamon, soft nutmeg, and sharp cloves toward dried figs and prunes with a brandy-soaked oak vibe and some stewed cherries.
Finish: The end is nice and buttery toffee with another note of vanilla before the woody spices lead to apple tobacco stuffed in an old cedar box on the slow finish.
Bottom Line:
This is the “big finish” whiskey of any party. This is so delightfully nuanced and just plain delicious with deep winter vibes. Pour it neat and let it flow.
1. Barrel Bourbon Cask Strength New Year 2024
ABV: 56.5%
Average Price: $84
The Whiskey:
Barrell Bourbon’s New Year 2024 is here! This — well, next — year’s blend is a mix of bourbons from eight states. The whiskeys range from five to 15 years old and hail from Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, Wyoming, New York, Texas, Ohio, and Maryland. Once batched, the whiskey was bottled as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a rich and vibrant sense of apple cider cut with orange and vanilla before cherry pie and peaches and cream arrive with sweet and butter caramel, mocha lattes, and lemon cream pie.
Palate: That lemon creaminess drives the palate through old-fashioned doughnuts, more apple cider, spiced winter sugar cookies, and honey-dipped apples rolled into a peach cobbler.
Finish: The lemon and dark chocolate merge on the finish (a very underrated combo) before the vanilla, stewed fruits, dark spices, and sweet sugars drive the end toward spiced oak, soft pipe tobacco, and hints of old boot leather.
Bottom Line:
It’s right there in the name! We know it’s cliched, but you kind of need to at least have one of these on the bar cart for any New Year’s Eve party. Thankfully, this is a delicious whiskey that will not disappoint as a simple cocktail base or easygoing sipper. Happy New Year!
