There’s a lot going on in the whiskey scene in America in 2023. American single malt is growing at a breakneck pace, bourbon and rye are ever-expanding, and blended American whiskey is finally getting its due (thanks to people finally taking it seriously). There isn’t a corner of the country — or a single state — where you can’t find a decent pour of local whiskey these days.
Yes, Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee make the lion’s share of all American whiskeys (and it’s not even f*cking close). But states like Washington, Texas, California, New York, Virginia, and so many more are absolutely bursting with amazing local whiskey that’s certainly worth seeking out.
Today, I’m going to name my #1 favorite pour of whiskey from each of the 50 states in this big ol’ country of ours. There are a few parameters at play here though:
- The vast majority of these whiskeys are hyper-regional and will not be available nationwide. That’s kind of the whole point.
- New and small whiskey scenes — think Hawai’i, Nebraska, New Hampshire, etc. — aren’t going to have bottles that even begin to compete with Kentucky, Indiana, or Tennessee. But that’s not the point either. This is about the best of what exists, sometimes in places where whiskey isn’t that big (yet).
- Price isn’t a consideration. There are $30 bottles on this list and $5,000 bottles. Some whiskey regions aren’t big or old enough to warrant high prices. Some (like Kentucky) are.
- Yes, I’m biting the bullet and picking only one whiskey from Kentucky even though I can easily list 100 you should try. Ironically, the Kentucky pick was the easiest decision on this list.
- This is the best of what I have tasted. As a professional whiskey writer, judge, and consultant, I’m lucky enough to taste a lot (I’m already into 1,000 pours this year). But even I have blind spots. There could be local whiskeys that are so new I haven’t even heard of them yet.
- Maybe most importantly, each of these whiskeys must be made with whiskey produced in their home state. That means a local bottler using MGP of Indiana juice in, say, Kanasa or Nevada, or California will not qualify as a Kansas, Nevada, or California whiskey even if the brand is marketed as one. The whiskeys on this list have to be fermented, distilled, and aged in their home state. I am making an exception for whiskeys with partial out-of-state whiskey in a blend. Still, this rule removes a massive swath of blender-created-bottlers from the mix.
Finally, there is no ranking here. We all know in our hearts that Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee would dominate anyway. Instead, I recommend using this list more as a travel companion. If you find yourself in a certain state or region, use this list to find the whiskey to seek out locally. Visit the distilleries, talk to the team, enjoy a flight, and leave with a great bottle of hooch. Let’s dive in!
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Alabama — Dettling Single Barrel Cask Strength Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 55.4% (Varies)
Average Price: $79
The Whiskey:
This Alabama whiskey is all about that grain-to-glass experience. What really stands out, though, is that this whiskey aged for only four years yet has a deep profile. The whiskey takes on a dark hew thanks to it being stored at the top of the rickhouse in hot and balmy Alabama. The results are bottled from a single one of those barrels without any cutting or fussing.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this one starts with cornbread that’s been baked in lard in a cast-iron skillet with an almost burnt crust, plenty of salted butter, and a dollop of honey that’s been cut with orange oils.
Palate: The palate takes that cornbread, crumbles it up, and mixes in fresh cracked Tellicherry black peppercorns, dried roses, a touch of cedar, and a mild echo of orange-laced tobacco leaves.
Finish: Finally, the sip layers in a wintry spice combo that leans toward cinnamon sticks soaked in mulled wine and apple cider that leads towards a soft finish with a dried mint that’s… almost menthol tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This was getting some serious hype in 2021 and then kind of fell off the radar in 2022. That’s a shame as this is excellent whiskey and one that’s definitely worth seeking out in 2023.
Alaska — Port Chilkoot Wrack Line Rye A Blend of Straight Rye Whiskeys
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $40
The Whiskey:
This 70% Alaskan rye focuses on organic grains, double distilling, and aging for three years in newly charred American oak. Those barrels expand and contract during warm summers and severe Alaskan winters before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a brightness to the spice on the nose, kind of like peaches stewed in cinnamon and nutmeg with plenty of syrup.
Palate: The palate is light yet full of floral notes, oaky vanilla, and peppery rye spices.
Finish: That line of stonefruit sweetness comes in late which leads to a spicy warm finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a good standard rye. I’d use it more for mixing Manhattans or old fashioneds than as a sipper though.
Arizona — Lost Lantern Single Distillery Series Mega Mesquite Whiskey Del Bac Arizona Single Malt
ABV: 60%
Average Price: $100
The Whisky:
This Arizona malt is made from a mash (recipe) of 60% malted barley and 40% mesquite-smoked malted barley — mesquite smoke basically being the Southwest’s answer to peat. The whiskey was left to age in 15-gallon barrels (the average barrel size is 53 gallons) with a good char and a touch of toasting. Three barrels were then chosen for this cask-strength bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Classic BBQ smoke and fat mingles with burnt sugars and savoriness over dark orange and winter spice.
Palate: The richness of the palate is built with soft vanilla, smoked BBQ fats, dark pepper, and a soft sense of orange creaminess.
Finish: The end fades pretty quickly through smoked meats, sweet burnt sugars, and soft wintry orange spice.
Bottom Line:
Only 180 bottles were made. That’s rare. Overall, this is a unique whiskey that’s worth trying that will get into Del Bac and Arizona single malts. But if you can’t find this exact bottle, anything from Del Bac will be a solid choice.
Arkansas — Rock Town Single Barrel Cask Strength Arkansas Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: Varies
Average Price: $72
The Whiskey:
Rock Town is all about using Arkansas ingredients to make Arkansas whiskey. The mash is made with local corn and wheat that’s grown right outside of Little Rock (82% corn, 95 wheat, and 8% malted barley). Every step of the process happens on site from the milling of the grains to the aging of the juice. After four years, barrels are hand-selected for single-barrel bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a hint of minerality on the nose next to fresh honey, dark cherries, peaches, pie crust, and a touch of maple syrup.
Palate: The palate has a sense of tangerine next to bran muffins with a whisper of green grass and vanilla wafers.
Finish: The end is full of soft toffee and mild woody spiciness with a clear vanilla-orange foundation.
Bottom Line:
This is a pretty well-developed local whiskey. Overall, this is a solid cocktail bourbon that’s worth seeking out if you’re local.
California — Old Potrero Single Barrel Reserve Straight Rye Whiskey (S1B45)
ABV: 65.16%
Average Price: $86
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is a bit of a throwback with a West Coast vibe. The juice is 100 percent rye whiskey made at Hotaling & Co. in Potrero Hill, one of San Francisco’s most iconic spots for booze. As of this year, the spirit is being distilled on the waterfront in San Francisco but still carries that Anchor Brewing heritage. With that move, the bottle also got a brand new design that leans into San Francisco’s sea-faring history.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Molasses heavy bran muffins mingle with dry cinnamon sticks, Granny Smith apple skins, and Red Hots next to rum-raisin and a twinge of an old oak stave and craft grain porridge with a caramelized edge.
Palate: The palate leans into ginger snaps with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg next to vanilla pudding right out of the cup and a dry sense of cedar kindling.
Finish: The end holds onto the dry woodiness with a layer of salted caramel raisins, sweet porridge, and vanilla candy on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice, crafty rye whiskey. It’s well-balanced and gives you the best of the crafty and classic vibes. Overall, use this is fruit-forward cocktails and on the rocks sipping.
Colorado — Stranahan’s Diamond Peak Colorado Single Malt Whiskey Extra Anejo Tequila Cask 2023
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $78
The Whisky:
The second Diamond Peak release of 2023 is a 100% Colorado malt. The whiskey barrels were five to eight years old (all-new American oak) that was batched and re-barrelled into Jose Cuervo’s Reserva de la Familia Extra Añejo Tequila for two more years of resting. Finally, those barrels were batched, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This pops with a deep pink peppercorn next to floral honey (think wildflowers and mountain sage) next to soft salted toffee rolled in roasted almond and dipped in lush vanilla caramel.
Palate: That wild sage and lush toffee drive the palate toward a sense of old cedar planks, deep and dark berry leather, and a lush sense of vanilla over salted caramel and marzipan.
Finish: That creamy and lush vibe drives the end with more salted caramel, marzipan, and vanilla cream with a hint of honey-soaked dates and salted cinnamon candies with a whisper of rose-hued tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is a “wow” for me. It’s so delicate yet deep AF — you really cannot go wrong if you’re looking for an easy sipper that takes you on a long malted journey.
Connecticut — Litchfield Distillery 5-Year Double-Barreled Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
Litchfield is one of those local Connecticut craft distilleries that do a little bit of everything. Their Double-Barreled 5-year-old is a highwater mark of the operation. The juice is made from locally grown Connecticut grains. That whiskey is then aged for a few years. Finally, it’s proofed with local water and re-barreled to add an extra layer of woody depth to the bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The sip starts with an almost vinous note that goes into sweet caramel and spice.
Palate: There’s a clear vanilla essence through the woody oak.
Finish: The aged-grape flavors come in again with a slight sweetness before a warm, woody, and spicy finale.
Bottom Line:
This is a solid and easy-drinking whiskey. It’s definitely worth ordering a pour if you’re in, say, New Haven and looking for something local.
Delaware — Dogfish Head Let’s Get Lost American Single Malt Whiskey
ABV: 51%
Average Price: $64
The Whiskey:
All whiskey starts off as beer so it makes a lot of sense when brewers start distilling. Industry darling, Dogfish Head, did just that with this expression. The base is 100% barley with a mix of Pale Malt, Crystal Malt, Coffee Kiln Malt, and applewood smoke Malt. That mash is fermented with Dogfish Head’s own ale yeast before distillation, aging, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Orange and honey mingle with a salted nuttiness next to vanilla pudding and a touch of dry cherry tobacco.
Palate: The palate has a touch of that fruity yeast next to a slight chili-choco vibe that leads back to the tobacco with a cinnamon Red Hot edge.
Finish: The finish really leans into the dryness of the chili-chocolate’s bitter end — to the point of conjuring an espresso bean next to a touch of smoked cedar.
Bottom Line:
This is a very solid and beloved award-winning American Single Malt. There’s a nice depth to it. I’d usually pour this over some rocks and enjoy it slowly after an IPA.
Florida — St. Augustine Distillery Port Finished Bourbon
ABV: 51%
Average Price: $80
The Whiskey:
This Floridian bourbon rests for three years in new American oak, giving it a classic base. Then the booze goes into port casks from San Sebastian Winery next door to the distillery for up to six months (depending on the Florida heat). The end result is a unique bourbon that’s both enticing and refined.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a touch of woodiness but the star of the show is the red berries that are both tart and sweet next to a dusting of winter spices.
Palate: Vanilla and hints of mint show up on the palate with white pepper, mild florals, and a little bit of ripe cherry.
Finish: The end leans into oak, dark chocolate bitterness, and a whisper of ripe red berries with a touch of clove.
Bottom Line:
This is another great cocktail bourbon that I’d argue works really well as a food-pairing whiskey. The subtle yet sharp woody spice and berries with that mild floral edge add a nice depth to a meal or as a digestif in a cocktail afterward.
Georgia — ASW Distillery Space Hide Commemorative Scotch Trooper Single Malt Whiskey
ABV: 58%
Average Price: $149
The Whiskey:
Ameireaganach is a very bespoke Georgian distiller that leans into specialty malts (kind of like a super niche craft beer brewer). This bottle is made with a mash bill (recipe) of 76% Speyside distilling malt and 24% applewood smoked malt. That single malt then goes into new oak barrels for a few years before re-barrelling into sherry barrels for a final spell.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a clear sense of oatmeal loaded with brown butter, raisins, and wet brown sugar with a hint of summer squash next to mild malted crackers with this distant whisper of spicy-sweet tang that’s kissed with smoke.
Palate: The fresh new oak shines through the malted oatmeal with a deep and moist vanilla cake frosted with bourbon buttercream, drizzled with salted caramel, and dusted with dark cacao powder with a twist of brandied cherry and mild espresso-laced tobacco.
Finish: The fresh wood has a light wet cedar vibe on the back end with more brown sugar and this dark lurking sense of umami-forward Bachan’s BBQ sauce.
Bottom Line:
This is a wild ride of a whiskey. It’s also a very limited release (225 bottles only) so you’ll need to snag one now or forever hold your peace. If you can’t get one, then I highly recommend looking into any of the other whiskeys from ASW. They’re white-hot in Georgia right now.
Hawai’i — Ko’olau Old Pali Road Whisky
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $75
The Whisky:
Ko’olau’s Old Pali Road is a special whiskey. The spirit is made from local Hawaiian-grown corn and mineral water straight from a volcanic spring. Then the booze is aged for a short spell before being blended with five-year-old mainland whiskey to create a balanced elixir.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a clear sense of banana fruit and dried plums upfront on the nose with a layer of creamy winter spices.
Palate: Vanilla cookies and winter spice kick around on the palate with a light sense of banana bread and pineapple upside-down cake.
Finish: The end leans into the winter spice, vanilla, and banana with a very short finish.
Bottom Line:
This is perfectly fine and worth mixing cocktails with if you’re in Hawai’i. I am intrigued to see how it will tasted when they release expressions that have aged longer.
Idaho — Grand Teton Private Stock Straight Corn Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $80
The Whisky:
This high-altitude whiskey is made with 100 percent Idaho-grown corn. That corn is mashed with pure Rocky Mountain water, which is also used to proof the juice before bottling. But first, the whiskey spends 6.5 years resting in oak before single barrels are picked for a bottling run.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Maple syrup and clove-studded oranges lead on the nose with rum raisin, mild sour butter, and a hint of old cellar beams.
Palate: The palate is lush with a warm sense of mulled wine spices and sour cherry next to cinnamon buttered toast and soft yet sweet corn muffins.
Finish: The end has a smooth vanilla base with a hint of date and black tea next to buttery cornmeal with a hint of brown sugar.
Bottom Line:
This is a pretty damn good corn whiskey. It’s great with a single rock or a few drops of water to really let it bloom in the glass, but you’ll want to focus on cocktails at the end of the day.
Illinois — FEW Bottled-in-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey
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:
Nose: 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.
Palate: 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.
Finish: 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 and thereby made the best whiskey in Illinois.
Indiana — Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Bottled-In-Bond Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $62
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:
Nose: The nose opens with dark stewed cherries and spiced prune compote next to cinnamon waffles with a hint of maple syrup and dark chocolate chips.
Palate: The palate is pure silk with notes of Cherry Coke next to clove-studded oranges dipped in dark chocolate with a flake of salt with whispers of apple fritters, eggnog spices, and singed cherry bark with maybe a hint of apple wood in the background.
Finish: The end has a subtle warmth thanks to wintry mulled wine spices that lead to fresh pipe tobacco kissed with dates and chocolate and packed into an old cedar box for safekeeping.
Bottom Line:
When it comes to Indiana, it’d be so easy to choose an MGP bottle — there are a million of them out there and a lot are great. This is better. This is both fresh/fun and so classic that it felt seminal. If you can get your hands on a bottle of this (click that price link!), then you’ll be in for a true bourbon treat.
Iowa — Cedar Ridge Distillery The QuintEssential American Single Malt Whiskey Batch 010
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $55
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is all about a grain-to-glass experience. The juice is made with 100% 2-Row Pale Malted Barley (the same stuff used in some of the biggest craft beers) from up in Saskatchewan. The whiskey is matured in ex-bourbon barrels for an undisclosed term. That whiskey is then finished in a combination of brandy, rum, wine, port, and sherry barrels before it’s vatted. The whiskey’s blend is then made using the solera method — where the vat is never fully emptied before the next barrel is added.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is immediately full of bright fruit with a peach and pear vibe that leans into a malty banana bread with plenty of butter, cinnamon, and walnut next to a touch of Almond Joy (but the good ones from a high-end shop).
Palate: The palate is soft and subtle with hints of spiced malted gingersnaps, light cream soda vibes (maybe a light sasparilla), and a mellow and creamy base of chocolate that’s not dark but not milky either.
Finish: The mid-palate has a nice sweetness that’s slightly apple adjacent with an apricot hint that mellows into a final note of chewy toffees with rum-raisin lurking on the very backend.
Bottom Line:
This is Cedar Ridge at its most powerful and delicious, and thereby Iowa’s premiere whiskey experience. This is just good American single malt and will get you excited about experiencing more American single malts (and Cedar Ridge’s larger whiskey line).
Kansas — Union Horse Distilling Rolling Standard Midwestern Four Grain Whiskey
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $39
The Whiskey:
This Kansas whiskey is a uniquely American whiskey expression all around. The bottle marries two American whiskey styles with four separate grains involved. It’s part American wheated bourbon and part American single malt. Locally sourced corn, wheat, rye, and barley are utilized in the mash. Then the booze is mellowed in used oak barrels from Missouri until it’s just right.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The grain-to-glass whiskey opens with classic notes of oaky vanilla, banana, cloves, and mild pepperiness.
Palate: On the palate, a maple syrup earthy sweetness cuts through along with a roasted almond fatty nature.
Finish: Dark pitted cherries come into play right before the rye kicks in with a hint of cinnamon on the mildly spicy finish.
Bottom Line:
This is good, standard American whiskey. It’s not life-changing but it makes a great cocktail. Sometimes that’s enough.
Kentucky — Michter’s US*1 Limited Release Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 20 Years Old
ABV: 57.1%
Average Price: $4,889
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. Alongside Master of Maturation and Bourbon Hall Of Famer Andrea Wilson, McKee bottles the bourbon as-is without cutting it with water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A sense of dark cherry with deep rummy molasses, dried rose petals, old almond shells, and cedar bark mingle with a fresh pipe tobacco leaf just kissed with apple and pear essence with a hint of vanilla oils and old wintry wine spices.
Palate: The taste leans into smoldering vanilla pods with a sense of old oak staves from a dusty old cellar next to sweet cinnamon and cherry over dried sage and sharp spearmint with a clove syrup base and a dash of toasted marshmallow sweetness.
Finish: The end is full of dark cherry and woody spice with moist marzipan, burnt orange oils, and chewy fresh tobacco wrapped up in old leather and cedar bark with a hint more of that old cellar sneaking in.
Bottom Line:
This was my favorite bourbon of 2022 so, naturally, it’s going to be my pick for the best Kentucky whiskey. It’s unequivocally a classic from top to bottom and one of the best whiskeys WORLDWIDE (!) that money can buy.
Louisiana — LA1 Louisiana Whiskey
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $61
The Whiskey:
Donner-Peltier Distillers out in Thibodaux has been distilling and aging award-winning whiskey for years now. The spirit is a unique one that incorporates locally grown rice into the mash bill alongside the classic ingredients of corn, rye, and barley.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a clear sweetness from the rice that accents the corn that leads to classic hints of caramel and orchard fruit with a woody base.
Palate: A funky rye note comes in with an almost pumpernickel essence on the palate followed up by a brown sugary sweet winter spiciness.
Finish: The finish is bold and brings the peppery rye spice with notes of oaky vanilla next to buttery toasted rye bread and hints of deeply roasted cacao nibs.
Bottom Line:
This is an easy-going pour that works as well on the rocks as it does in a Sazerac (well, maybe a little better in a Sazerac).
Maine — Fifty Stone Single Malt Highland Style Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $49
The Whiskey:
This is a Scottish-style single malt made in Portland, Maine. The distillers take 100% locally grown barley and malt it with locally sourced peat and seaweed. This imbues a clear and unique smokiness you won’t find in any other single malt.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This one opens up with a clear sense of the barley via a warm scone covered in salty butter and honey before a very subtle smoked orchard fruit vibe comes in.
Palate: There’s a briny nature — like you’re about to enjoy a crab boil off a campfire right on the beach — that dominates the palate with smoked orchard fruits and even smoked honey.
Finish: Finally, you do sense the sea spray through the smokiness on the finish alongside the honey with salty butter and a faint whisper of smoked salmon chowder.
Bottom Line:
This is a great pull if you’re looking for something very unique and you’re already in Maine. That maritime vibe runs deep and gives this unique feel that’s kind of unlike anything else out there.
Maryland — Sagamore Spirit Reserve Series 8-Year-Old Straight Rye Whiskey
ABV: 55.7%
Average Price: $86
The Whiskey:
This newest spring reserve release from Sagamore Spirit is an eight-year-old rye made from locally-grown Maryland grains. The whiskey was batched and bottled as-is to highlight the deep maritime aging in Maryland.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose draws you in with dried cherries dipped in dark chocolate and sprinkled with ground clove and allspice and then dipped in old vanilla syrup made with burnt pods and orange peels.
Palate: A soft cherry sweetness plays with a classic winter spice mix — think cinnamon sticks, anise, clove, orange rind, holly — next to ginger rock candy, peanut butter cookies, and a hint of rum-raisin.
Finish: That sweet/rummy dried fruit drives the finish toward clove-laced plum jam, peanut brittle, vanilla oils, and a whisper of pine resin layered into rum-raisin tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is just classic from top to bottom with a depth that’s beautiful. If you’re looking for a quintessential pour of Maryland rye whiskey, this is it.
Massachusetts — Triple Eight Distillery The Notch Nantucket Island Single Malt Whisky 15 Years Old
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $569
The Whiskey:
Like many of the single malts on this list, this hinges on the quality of the beer brewed as the base. They use the much-coveted Maris Otter barley that’s processed on-site at the brewery before being sent to the distillery to start this whisky. The hot juice is then barreled and stored next to the sea. This expression is a blend of whiskies aged in former sherry barrels, Cognac barrels, wine casks, and Sauternes barrels (a sweet French wine).
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Ripe, dried, and stewed red and black berries mingle with rich marzipan and very dark salted chocolate with a creamy base, a whisper of chili pepper, and a twinge of clove before a subtle layer of old hay bales and what feels like … summer on a farm … kicks in. It’s almost an ineffable feeling that arises from the nose of this whiskey.
Palate: Dark and woody spice barks arrive after a sense of old vanilla and nougat wafers but before dried dark berries take on a hint of tartness and almost espresso bitterness with a creamed vibe.
Finish: That creamy espresso leads back to the salted chocolate with a faint whisper of red chili pepper, cinnamon bark, and fresh allspice next to luxuriously creamy honey and berry cake.
Bottom Line:
This is an old-school single malt that even the hardest of core Scotch whiskey aficionados will drink and praise. As enticing as that is, you’re going to be hard-pressed to find this one outside of the distillery. Fear not! That just means that it’s high time for a road trip to Massachusetts!
Michigan — Journeyman Distillery Corsets, Whips, and Whiskey
ABV: 66.25%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
This Michigan whiskey is 100% wheat whiskey. The grains are 100% organic and grown locally around Michigan. The whiskey then ages for an undisclosed about of time before it’s blended into a final product that looks to Irish whiskey for inspiration.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a clear sense of toffee and vanilla cake on the nose with a dash of woody winter spices, eggnog creaminess and nutmeg, and a light whisper of smudged sweetgrass.
Palate: The palate leans into the smoldering grassiness while warm dark spices add a sharpness before stewed pears and plums mingle with clove, anise, and cinnamon bark.
Finish: Next, oily vanilla pods arrive with a whisper of old leather and tobacco wrapped in dry sweetgrass on the warm and buzzing finish.
Bottom Line:
This whiskey won a ton of awards this year and last, including Best in Show/Whiskey of the Year at Fred Minnick’s Ascot Awards. Hype aside, this whiskey lives up to all those accolades as a devilishly fun sipper and one hell of a cocktail base. The distillery experience and food are worth the trip as well. So don’t sleep on getting a good meal when picking up a bottle of this.
Minnesota — Tattersall Interstate Whiskey American Single Malt Aged 4 Years
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $45
The Whiskey:
This Minnesota whiskey uses Wisconsin malted barley — one that’s smoked with cherrywood and another that’s dark roasted. The hot juice is filled into new oak barrels for a four-year rest before batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Hefty crafty graininess presents on the nose with a sweet porridge vibe cut with honey, dried red fruit, and nuts.
Palate: Dried red chilis give way to dark chocolate-covered espresso beans on the palate with a light sense of dry grain husks and chocolate malts.
Finish: Those chocolate malts drive the finish with a hint of orchard fruit on a thinnish end.
Bottom Line:
This is a fine single malt that shows promise for the future of the brand. It had a super grainy/crafty/young nose but actually did balance out by the end and would work well in a highball with good fizzy water and bold garnish.
Mississippi — Cathead Old Soul Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $45
The Whiskey:
This is a blend of two bourbons. The base is a five-year-old, high-rye mash bill bourbon from MGP. That juice is cut with a four-year-old bourbon distilled in Mississippi that also has a high-rye mash bill. Once batched, the juice is proofed with local water and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with classic bourbon notes of caramel, vanilla, cherry, and oak before veering toward old leather and a faint hint of grilled tropical fruits.
Palate: The palate leans into that old leather with a faint wisp of pipe tobacco, Cherry Coke, and spicy gingerbread cake.
Finish: The cherry becomes leathery by the end with cinnamon bark and clove buds next to vanilla cream and a light sense of wood.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice, classic pour of whiskey. It’s simple and easy, which is nice sometimes. Yes, there’s Indiana in play here but the core is Mississippi whiskey.
Missouri — Still 360 Missouri Straight Bourbon Whiskey Single Barrel
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $52
The Whiskey:
“Missouri” straight bourbon has to be made with corn grown in Missouri only while also being fermented, distilled, aged, and bottled in the state. The juice from Still 360 has a pretty standard mash of corn, rye, and barley all things considered. In this case, the barrels are five years old before they go into the bottle only slightly cut with local water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is like opening a can of creamed corn that leads towards a vanilla husk, cherry tobacco, and a note of egg nog spice.
Palate: Those cherries carry through to the palate with a sense of brandy-soaked cherries dipped in dark chocolate next to a spicy tobacco leaf and a touch of butterscotch hard candy.
Finish: The tobacco leaf drives the dry-yet-warming finish through dried cherry, soft vanilla husks, and a twinge more butterscotch.
Bottom Line:
This is a solid choice if you’re in a Missouri cocktail bar.
Montana — Glacier Distilling North Fork Rye Whiskey
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $38
The Whiskey:
North Fork Rye won gold at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, which helped put it on the map. The whiskey uses a mellow mash of rye and corn, charred American white oak aging, and local water for proofing to create a wonderfully balanced and easily drinkable sip.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The sweetness from the corn meets you upfront on the nose with a salted caramel creaminess, a touch of cherry vanilla, and dry sweetgrass.
Palate: The taste opens with a clear sense of oaky vanilla and mild caramel that’s cut by a mellow rye peppery nature and smudging sage.
Finish: Hints of orchard fruits and whispers of the corn marry that rye spice to propel the finish towards sweetgrass and peppery end.
Bottom Line:
This is basic stuff that gets the job done. There are no bells or whistles but it doesn’t need them. Just enjoy this for the simple and tasty whiskey that it is … maybe in a cocktail.
Nebraska — Cooper’s Chase Bourbon American Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $25
The Whiskey:
This is one of the few craft bourbons coming out of Nebraska these days. The juice is a bit of a sphinx though, the distiller doesn’t publish the mash bill or aging process besides that it’s all done in-house in Nebraska.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose has a classic mix of vanilla, caramel, and spice with a slight oaky edge.
Palate: The palate delivers on that while adding in apple cores, cinnamon tobacco, and a touch of buttery toffee.
Finish: The end is short and sweet with a slight mineral water vibe cutting through the warmer end of the sip.
Bottom Line:
This is pretty standard stuff but gets the job done if you’re in Nebraska.
Nevada — Frey Ranch Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey
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 in Nevada. The grains (corn, wheat, rye, and barley), fermentation, distilling, aging, and bottling all happen on-site at Frey Ranch.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fruity cherry gummies mingle with raw sourdough bread dough, vanilla beans, dry grass, and burnt brown sugars on the nose.
Palate: 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.
Finish: 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 a nice one that leans pretty heavily into the “crafty” sweet-grain vibes. It’s fresh and fun, but, clearly, something you’re going to use to make cocktails with.
New Hampshire — Tamworth The Old Man of the Mountain Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $70
The Whiskey:
This New England bourbon is all about grain-to-glass with a local mash bill of 82.4% organic yellow corn, 11% organic rye, and 6.6% malted barley. The juice is then aged for five years in medium-charred Kentucky barrels before it’s bottled according to bottled-in-bond regulations.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is all about that rich Christmas cake brimming with candied and dried fruits, dark spices, and nuts soaked in brandy topped with a dollop of vanilla-infused brandy butter.
Palate: The palate delivers on those promises of the nose while adding hints of dark chocolate-covered cherries, cedar, spicy tobacco, and a hint of Tellicherry black peppercorns.
Finish: That dry spiciness drives the finish to an end that’s warm yet sweet with that cherry.
Bottom Line:
This is very nice, almost surprisingly so. It’s an unexpectedly deeply hewn whiskey with an approachable flavor profile that really benefits from a bit of water to open it up. That aside, you really only need to seek this out if you’re in New England/New Hampshire.
New Jersey — All Points West Malt and Grain Pot Still Whiskey
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $64
The Whiskey:
This New Jersy whiskey leans into Irish whiskey traditions with a lower corn mash bill. The whiskey is fermented in a pot still with German and Irish malts alongside corn and water from New Jersey’s mountains. The juice is then aged for 24 months before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Cedar and cherries mingle with vanilla and toffee on the nose with a very distant whisper of campfire smoke.
Palate: Cherry blossoms, honey, cedar, and spicy tobacco lead the palate with a hint of dried roses and a touch of cream soda.
Finish: The finish is longish with a sense of spice, fruit, and flowers lingering the longest.
Bottom Line:
This is a good, standard whiskey. It’s easy-going and worth checking out the next time you’re in Jersey.
New Mexico — Colkegan Single Malt Whiskey
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $53
The Whiskey:
Colkegan is a combination of the Scottish Highlands and New Mexico’s ingredients. Instead of smoking their barley malts with peat, Santa Fe Spirits uses local mesquite logs in the kilning process, giving the base of this whiskey a clear New Mexico vibe. The juice is then aged at 7,000 feet above sea level in a climate-controlled warehouse that drops the temperatures to near freezing before amping them up extremely high while also lowering and heightening the humidity in the room.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a subtle balance of brisk desert smoke next to olive brine umami on the nose and then hints of rich and sweet marzipan arrive with white chocolate fattiness and whispers of vanilla blossoms.
Palate: The smoke carries through with a sense of dark, tart berries and rhubarb, and dry mesquite wood on the taste.
Finish: That berry fruit feel carries on into the mellow finish as the smoke dissipates.
Bottom Line:
This is a great example of that high desert smokiness in whiskey (like Del Bac above). Just make sure to add a little water or a rock to let it bloom in the glass.
New York — Kings County Distillery Bottled-In-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $96
The Whiskey:
This crafty whiskey from New York is a grain-to-glass bourbon experience. The mash bill on this one eschews rye and wheat for 80% locally grown corn supported by 20% malted barley from England. The juice is then aged for four years in small 15-gallon barrels and treated according to the law and bottled in Kings County’s signature hip flask bottles.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This draws you in with a strawberry shortcake with a cornmeal base, topped with fresh berries, buttery vanilla whipped cream, and then dipped in a caramel sauce.
Palate: The palate veers away from all of that and touches on bitter black coffee syrup with brown sugar and butter notes next to oatcakes and vanilla sauce with a hint of spice lingering in the background.
Finish: The end is long and full of chocolate malts, leather, and more of that creamy and buttery vanilla whipped cream.
Bottom Line:
This is a quintessential craft bourbon, truly it goes above and beyond. There’s a deep layer of sweet graininess that leans into fresh fruit and classic bourbon vanilla and spice notes. Overall, that makes this the perfect whiskey for someone looking for something local, tasty, and more on the crafty side of things. It goes without saying, but if you’re in New York, this is the whiskey to chase down and bring home.
North Carolina — Southern Star Paragon Single Barrel Cask Strength Wheated Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 58%
Average Price: $103
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:
Nose: The nose opens with a sense of orange blossoms and an 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.
Palate: 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.
Finish: 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 just plain old solid whiskey and it racks up awards because of that. It will be hard to find outside of the main bourbon markets (and North Carolina), but I’d argue it’s worth the effort to find. This is quality bourbon with a deep richness.
North Dakota — Proof Glen Fargo American Malt Whiskey
ABV: 47%
Average Price: $180
The Whiskey:
This American Single Malt from North Dakota is all about double barreling. The local juice is first aged in new American white oak. Then, that whiskey is moved into an ex-bourbon barrel for a finishing rest.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a clear sense of that bourbon barrel with notes of rich vanilla pudding next to mild spice and a green sense of malts.
Palate: The palate follows that lead while adding in apples, pears, and a touch of honey sweetness.
Finish: The end is long with a touch of oak and vanilla with a grassy finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice example of American single malt whiskey and one of the only high-quality whiskeys coming out of North Dakota right now. That scarcity means that this is definitely the right whiskey to try if you’re driving through the Rough Rider State.
Ohio — Middle West Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey Michelone Reserve
ABV: 62.1%
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:
Nose: A hint of sourdough doughnuts dusted with cinnamon and sugar leads to maple syrup, coconut cream pie, marzipan, and a hint of toffee.
Palate: The palate dries out toward an almond nutshell before hitting a rum-raisin/Cherry Coke vibe next to woody winter spices on the mid-palate.
Finish: That spicy warmth fades toward cedar bark, Almond Joy, and spiced cherry tobacco on the finish with a hint more of that warm doughnut from the nose.
Bottom Line:
Middle West makes the best bourbon in Ohio. Outside of that state, you might not have ever heard of it — or even realize that you’re already drinking it (it’s the original source for brands like Horse Soldier, for instance). This bottle, at cask strength, is one of the better craft bourbons you can buy right now and worth the extra effort to source if you’re not in the Ohio Valley.
Oklahoma — World Whiskey Society Class Collection Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished In Port Cask Aged 10 Years
ABV: 51%
Average Price: $164
The Whiskey:
This whiskey is distilled in Oklahoma but bottled in Georgia. The whiskey in the bottle is made from a mash bill (recipe) of 51% corn, 45% wheat, and 4% malted barley. That hot juice was then aged for almost a decade before going into a huge port cask for a final rest.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sense of grape soda and orange zest on the nose with a hint of crafty bourbon grains, dry grass, and old oak.
Palate: The palate sort of leans into red fruit and dry grass with a light sense of orange and vanilla.
Finish: The end is short and has a touch of vanilla cake and holiday spice.
Bottom Line:
The crafty graininess works with the port finish in a balanced and enticing way. Plus, this just won a double gold medal at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, so there’s that. Moreover, this is kinda widely available so a trip to Oklahoma isn’t a must to try this one.
Oregon — Westward American Single Malt Whiskey Single Barrel Selection Grand Cru Sauternes Cask
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $99
The Whiskey:
This is Portland’s classic American single malt taken up a level. After years of resting, a single barrel was re-barreled in a sauternes cask from France’s Grand Cru Classé estate. 14 months later, Westward bottled that whiskey with a kiss of local water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has a deep nose that takes you on a journey through green chili, soft caramel, burnt orange peels, grilled peach, summer flowers, and Danish filled with vanilla cream and red fruit compote.
Palate: There’s a sharp cherry soda on the palate with a hint of grapefruit, pineapple, and ripe peach next to bright ginger, soft coconut, and a hint of honeyed malt with a whisper of nuttiness.
Finish: That orange comes back on the finish with a soft fresh floral edge next to light cedar bark braided with chewy fresh tobacco dipped in honey and dusted with citrus zest.
Bottom Line:
This is great American single malt and the bottle you should buy to convert any whiskey drinker into the wonderful world of ASM. The distillery tour in Portland is also a blast and the perfect place to buy this bottle.
Pennsylvania — Bluebird Days Whiskey Straight American Whiskey
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $49
The Whiskey:
Country Artist Jordan Davis partnered with Bluebird Distilling in Pennsylvania to create this American blend. The blend is a mix of Bluebird’s oldest barrels of wheat whiskey and bourbon that’s proofed down before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with old oak and leather with a hint of winter spice and a can of corn — just a plain ol’ can o’ corn.
Palate: The old leather drives the palate with a soft vanilla base and a sweet but singed marshmallow sweetness next to more of that mild winter spice.
Finish: The end really leans into the sweetness of it all with a creamy butterscotch and vanilla sheet cake with white frosting that’s cut with cinnamon and clove tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is a fine pour of whiskey that works well as a classic mixer or soft on the rocks pour. It’s standard but has real quality.
Rhode Island — Sons of Liberty Uprising American Single Malt Whiskey
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $40
The Whiskey:
Uprising has its foundation in the local Providence craft beer scene. The malts used in the 100% malted barley mash bill are the same darkly roasted malts (Chocolate Malt, Crystal 45, and Biscuit) used to make a local stout. That beer is fermented with ale yeast, distilled, and then goes into charred American oak and toasted French oak to rest for a few years. Finally, the barrels are blended to create a unique American single malt.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Creamy vanilla and salted caramel enriched the nose with a sense of dark chocolate-covered coffee beans.
Palate: The dark chocolate creaminess drives the palate with a mild nuttiness and winter spice balance.
Finish: The end goes back to that creaminess with a bitter espresso bean vibe and plenty of salted dark chocolate cut with clove and cinnamon.
Bottom Line:
This is another great standard that’s more suited to cocktails than sipping. Still, it’s something definitely worth trying if you’re on a food tour of Providence (definitely go on a food tour in Providence!).
South Carolina — William Alan Small Batch Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 45%
Average Price: Distillery Only
The Whiskey:
This South Carolina bourbon is all about small batching and farm-to-glass experiences. The corn-fueled spirit with a very high malted barley component is aged for four years before it’s re-barreled in new toasted oak barrels for a final three-month rest. Those barrels and then vatted and the whiskey is proofed with local water for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this is very crafty in the best way with a bowl full of white grits cut with butter and brown sugar with a hint of burnt orange, dried rose, and fresh mint rounding things out.
Palate: The palate leans into woody wintery spices before circling back around to those sweet grits, Cherry Coke, ginger juice, and a hint of savory fruit — think pumpkin flesh just touched with cinnamon.
Finish: The end leans into that fresh savory fruit before hitting on a moment of black peppercorns and cinnamon bark with a lush burnt orange finish.
Bottom Line:
This is very crafty but very deep and kind of fun. If you’re getting into that new, grain-forward bourbon style, this is a great bottle to find. You’re just going to need to go to South Carolina to do so.
South Dakota — BlackFork Farms Straight Bourbon Whiskey American Toasted Oak Finish
ABV: 46.5%
Average Price: $95
The Whiskey:
BlackFork Farms is a very new and small crafty whiskey distillery. Heritage corn (grown and smoked on the farm with apple and cherry wood) is mashed with Black Forest German rye, which they smoke on the farm as well. The juice is then aged for a couple of years before the whiskey is re-barreled into new toasted American oak for a final rest.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a sense of apple orchards next to piles of firewood, dry hay stacks, and soft toffee laced with winter spice.
Palate: The palate has a note of corn husk next to peppery rye and dried dill with a touch of sweetgrass braided with cedar bark and tobacco leaf.
Finish: The end layers in dark chocolate and chili spice with singed orchard wood and burnt chocolate tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is pretty damn nice for such a small crafty whiskey. You’re not going to find this outside of SoDak, but it is worth getting a pour or two when you’re trekking through the Black Hills.
Tennessee — Jack Daniel’s 12-Year-Old Tennessee Whiskey, Batch 1
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $84
The Whiskey:
Jack Daniel’s doesn’t hide any of its processes. The mash at the base of this whiskey is a mix of 80% corn, 12% barley, and 8% rye. Those grains are milled in-house and mixed with cave water pulled from an on-site spring and Jack Daniel’s own yeast and lactobacillus that they also make/cultivate on-site. Once fermented, the mash is distilled twice in huge column stills. The hot spirit is then filtered through 10 feet of sugar maple charcoal that’s also made at the distillery. Finally, the filtered whiskey is loaded into charred new American oak barrels and left alone in the warehouse. After 12 years, a handful of barrels were ready; so they were batched, barely proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is creamy with deep notes of old boot leather, dark and woody winter spices, black-tea-soaked dates, plum jam with clove, and an underbelly of chewy toffee-laced tobacco.
Palate: That creaminess presents on the palate with a soft sticky toffee pudding drizzled in salted caramel and vanilla sauce next to flakes of salt and a pinch of orange zest over dry Earl Grey tea leaves with a whisper of singed wild sage.
Finish: The end leans into the creamy toffee chewy tobacco with a hint of pear, cherry, and bananas foster over winter spice barks and a deep embracing warmth.
Bottom Line:
This is so well-balanced, nuanced, and just freaking tasty that it’s in the running for the best of the year. It leaned more into the sweet fruit yeasty flavor notes while still holding onto classic and deep bourbon flavor notes. This is the good stuff, folks, and I’d argue the best Tennessee whiskey money can buy right now (kind of by far).
Texas — Garrison Brothers Guadalupe Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in a Port Cask
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $149
The Whiskey:
This Texas whiskey is hewn from 90 30-gallon barrels of four-year-old bourbon that were transferred into 26 59-gallon Tawny Port casks for a final maturation of over one year. That whiskey is then bottled as-is after a touch of water was added.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this bursts with raspberry, blackberry, redcurrant, and blueberry all stewed with plenty of holiday spices and folded into a cobbler topped with dense buttery buttermilk biscuits.
Palate: The palate leans into the spice with a focus on clove, nutmeg, and a 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.
Finish: That chocolate-bitter vibe drives towards a finish full of cinnamon-spiked dark chocolate tobacco leaves, stewed plums, and a dollop of floral honey.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the best American craft whiskeys on the market right now. The balance of soft craft bourbon notes beside the deep port is perfection. Plainly speaking, this is delicious whiskey. It being “port cask finished” or “craft bourbon” or “Texan bourbon” is just a sidenote to how well made this is at its core.
Plus, Garrison is becoming far more widely available outside of Texas, making this a lot more gettable right now.
Utah — High West A Midwinter Nights Dram Blend of Straight Rye Whiskeys
ABV: 49.3%
Average Price: $140
The Whiskey:
Each year, this limited drop varies slightly. This release was a mix of MGP rye (95% rye) and High West rye (100% rye) finished in French oak barrels that held ruby and tawny port. The barrels picked for this batch were between four and seven years old with the older barrels coming from Indiana and the younger ones from Utah.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is a pretty complex nose with sour berries next to dried apricot, woody and slightly sweet cinnamon, French toast, and a mild note of something umami (dried mushrooms perhaps).
Palate: The palate gets more savory with a rhubarb vibe as dark chocolate with a serious woody spiced edge meets old leather laced with years of tobacco, lush vanilla cream, and salted caramel.
Finish: The end is as silky as eggnog with a whisper of black tea bitterness and minty tobacco rounding things out.
Bottom Line:
High West’s A Midwinter Nights Dram is hotly anticipated every year and this version lived up to the hype and then some. Yes, this has some Indiana product in the mix, but the Utah juice, aging, and blending are what matters most here. Moreover, if you’re in Utah, it’s worth grabbing a meal at the distillery when you pick up your bottle. You won’t be disappointed.
Vermont — WhistlePig PiggyBack 100 Proof Bourbon Whiskey Aged 6 Years
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $49
The Whiskey:
This newer whiskey from WhistlePig mixes locally made Vermont whiskey with Indiana whiskey to create a bespoke bourbon. The mash bill leans into the corn with a good measure of rye in the mix. The whiskey barrels are left alone for six years before batching, proofing, and bottling on the farm in Vermont.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a soft leathery nose that leads to caramel corn and a nutty spiciness with a hint of old oak.
Palate: The nuttiness drives the palate toward fresh maple syrup that turns creamy with an almond vibe, plenty of winter spice, and a hint of black tea.
Finish: That tea calms down toward a wet chamomile with a dollop of honey, a twist of orange, and a pinch of sweet cinnamon with a lingering sense of oak in the background.
Bottom Line:
This is a pretty good whiskey. If you’re a fan of WhistlePig, you’re going to dig this. If you like classic bourbon vibes, you’ll be a fan too. I’d sip this over some ice or in a simple cocktail. Plus, it’s a WhistlePig product which means that you’ll be able to find this Vermont whiskey relatively easily.
Virginia — Virginia Distillery Co. Courage & Conviction Cuvée Single Cask American Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 59.2%
Average Price: $150
The Whiskey:
This whisky is made with 100% malted barley. That whiskey is then loaded into French red wine or Cuvée casks for a minimum of three years (each cask is hand-selected for its distinct flavor profile). These single casks were chosen for their beauty as a stand-alone whisky that doesn’t need any adulteration or cutting with water. The honey barrel is then bottled as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is seriously buttery with a touch of brandy butter next to lightly salted caramel with a vanilla whipped cream that merges into a fruity backbone with hints of raisins, new leather, and maybe a whisper of damp straw.
Palate: Malts shine through first on the palate as hefty brown spices create a serious heat (from those ABVs) before a cherry tobacco chewiness kicks in with a hint of pear candy under all that malty spice and warmth.
Finish: The mid-palate really leans into the dark and stewed cherry tobacco vibe as a hint of dry hay, reeds, and umami (sweetish tomato paste maybe?) poke in very late on the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is a high watermark for Virginia Distillery Co. — it’s my favorite expression from the brand. It’s also a perfectly balanced whiskey with a great finish that helps build a refined and deeply hewn tasting experience. I love this over a single piece of ice on a slow-sipping day.
Washington — Woodinville Moscatel Finished Straight Bourbon Whiskey
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 rest. 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:
If you are in Seattle, Washington, this is a must-try. If you’re not, fear not. This is finally available nationwide, so just hit that price link above.
West Virginia — Smooth Ambler Founders’ Cask Strength Series Rye Aged 5 Years Batch Two
ABV: 61.6%
Average Price: $54
The Whiskey:
This 100% West Virginia whiskey is made from a mash of 88% rye and 12% malted barley — no corn needed here, folks. The barrels are left to age in the Appalachia hills for five long years before coming together in tiny batches and bottled as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a hint of leather and pine tar on the nose with a hint of tart red berry and burnt toffee.
Palate: The palate opens with a bourbon vibe with dark cherry, soft vanilla cream, and light old oak staves with a hint of bitter dark cacao.
Finish: The end leans into cinnamon bark and clove layered into a vanilla tobacco leaf that’s braided with wet cedar, dry leather, and old bouquet garni with a light sense of an old cheese cellar lurking on the very backend.
Bottom Line:
This is a great example of the good work happening in West Virginia right now. It’s also just a damn good whiskey.
Wisconsin — J. Henry Small Batch Wisconsin Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 5 Years
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $54
The Whiskey:
This whiskey benefits greatly from Wisconsin’s mild yet varied weather — think warm summers and bitterly cold winters with proper fall and spring rains. The whiskey is a blend of only 16 barrels of five-year-old bourbon.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Butterscotch and vanilla-lemon pudding lead the nose with a touch of orange peel and honey.
Palate: The palate leans into the spicy warmth with Red Hots and cloves next to cherry tobacco and more of that butterscotch.
Finish: That vanilla-lemon pudding comes back into play late, as the finish sweetens into a creamy yet spicy end.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice, standard whiskey with a lovely flavor profile. It’s the sort of whiskey that you should seek out when you’re in the state.
Wyoming — Wyoming Whiskey The Ten Anniversary Edition Straight Bourbon Whiskey
ABV: 51.7%
Average Price: $249
The Whiskey:
This is a low-corn bourbon made with a mash of 68% corn, 20% rye, and 12% malted barley that’s left to rest for 10 long years. The barrels were hand-selected by Master Distiller and legend Steve Nally and Master Blender and Master Distiller Nancy Fraley, giving the final product some serious pedigree for the whiskey nerds.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This leans into classic bourbon notes of black cherry, sticky toffee pudding, pecan pie, and marmalade before veering toward dried ancho chili powder and a touch of pistachio and honey.
Palate: That dark cherry turns syrupy before maple sap kicks in with a sense of toasted marshmallow, creamed honey, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, and blueberry pie with a big dollop of bourbon vanilla ice cream.
Finish: The end has a sense of sweet potato pie covered in candied pecans next to toasted oak that’s been dipped in cherry tobacco.
Bottom Line:
Former Maker’s Mark Master Distiller Steve Nally did help create this limited edition blend, so there are some Kentucky blood, sweat, and tears involved. Still, this is all Wyoming and a damn fine pour of slow-sipping whiskey.