There’s a massive amount of great whiskey on the shelf these days. I can write that and just be talking about the mainstream bourbon, rye, and Scotch whiskeys that you can find across the United States. Then you take a step back and look at the whole world — it begins to boggle the mind. There’s a whole-freaking-lot of really good whiskey out there, folks. Different ingredients, terroir, systems, and (most importantly) people are driving whiskey to new heights in pretty much every corner of the planet.
All of that is to say that it’s high time that I rank 50 of my favorite whiskeys from all over the world. But before I dive in, it’s important to note that this list is in no way exhaustive. I didn’t add in whiskeys from particular regions or countries to simply have them represented on this list. I’ve had whiskeys from Germany, Finland, Denmark, France, Italy, Thailand, South Africa, Belize, and so many other places but none of those particular products made this “best of” list. Here’s why:
- You’ll never be able to find them in the U.S.
- Those whiskeys don’t quite stand up to the ones I’ve listed below.
US and Scottish whiskeys were intentionally excluded too — they would dominate and make this a rehash of other articles we’ve written. If you want those, check here:
- The Best Whiskeys In Each of the 50 States.
- The Best American Whiskeys in 2023.
- The Best Bourbons For 2023, Ranked.
- The Best Scotches For 2023, Ranked.
What did make the list were international whiskeys from Japan, Taiwan, India, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Wales, England, Canada, and Israel with definite consideration for actually being able to try these whiskeys in the U.S. (price points aside). I even added some Canadian whiskies that are bottled in the U.S. to add to the accessibility factor. After all, it’d be nice if you could actually get some of the whiskeys on this list, right?
Lastly, I did rank these whiskeys. There’s a nice range from solid mixers to some of the absolute best sipping whiskeys on the planet. There’s also a very wide range of flavor profiles — meaning that there should be something below in my tasting notes that speaks to your palate. And if not… maybe it’s time to try something new? Let’s dive in!
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50. Nikka Days Smooth & Delicate Blended Whisky
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $66
The Whisky:
This whisky from the legendary Nikka Distillery blends grain and peated malt whiskies. The mix is fine-tuned as a mixing whisky, primarily for highballs.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a hint of caramel malt and butterscotch that leads to a soft minerality with a hint of a cold campfire.
Palate: There’s a hint of floral malts on the taste that lead back to that creamy butterscotch with a hint of soft spice by way of a smoked maltiness.
Finish: The finish is very thin but does have notes of honey, malted crackers, and soft orchard fruit.
Bottom Line:
This is the whisky to have if you’re making whisky highballs. It’s calibrated to perfectly suit some fizzy water, lots of ice, and a straw.
49. Fuji Japanese Whisky
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $59
The Whiskey:
This whisky is a blend of grain and malt whiskies made at the Mt. Fuji Distillery. Once blended, the whisky is proofed with local springwater from the volcano and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Subtle notes of stone fruit drive the nose toward honey and oatmeal with a hint of marmalade.
Palate: The palate leans into fresh peaches and apricot with a sense of white grape soda and dried pear all drizzled with fresh and floral honey and rolled into a malted crumble dessert.
Finish: The orchard fruit just keeps going on the finish fresh tart apple, pear juice, lychee, and more of that marmalade before hitting a sweet and floral honeyed end.
Bottom Line:
This is a nicely subtle whisky that works very well in a cocktail with a fruity focus.
48. Suntory World Whisky AO A Blend Of Five Major Whiskies
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $149
The Whisky:
This whisky from Suntory blends five whiskeys from the five big whisk(e)y regions on the planet. The blend is Irish whiskey from Cooley Distillery, Scotch whisky from Ardmore Distillery and Glen Garioch Distillery, American whiskey from Jim Beam’s Clermont Distillery, Canadian whisky from Alberta Distillery, and Japanese whisky from Yamazaki Distillery and Hakushu Distillery.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a nice mix of maltiness and spiced creaminess with a touch of tropical fruit and old oak staves on the nose.
Palate: That spice leans toward cinnamon bark and allspice with oakiness to it next to a hint of smoldering apple wood and maybe some rock candy.
Finish: There’s a whisper of sweet smoke next to seared peaches and dry tobacco leaves with a whisper of vanilla.
Bottom Line:
This is the ultimate international or world whisky to try given what’s in the blend. Overall, I’d focus on using this for highballs with good fizzy water and nice but strong garnish (think rosemary sprigs or grapefruit).
47. Northcross Triple Wood Irish Whiskey
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $24
The Whiskey:
This new whiskey is a classic blend that leans into the oak. The whiskey is built from triple-distilled Irish whiskey that’s mellowed in ex-bourbon, ex-sherry Oloroso, and new American oak casks. Those casks were then blended, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a clear sense of grain-forward Irish whiskey on the nose with honey-dipped Graham Crackers next to light sweetgrass, mellow nuttiness, and a hint of summer flowers.
Palate: The palate leans into milky chocolate with a hint of orange oils, buttery croissant, and creamy toffee with a light whisper of that malty honey from the nose.
Finish: The end has a marzipan lushness with a very light sense of dried cherries dipped in milk chocolate with a flutter of spiced malts.
Bottom Line:
Overall, this is a very easy-going Irish whiskey at a great price. I’d tend to use this for cocktails but it’ll work over ice if you’re looking for a “don’t have to think about it” pour.
46. 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 is 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 deeply flavored malt that feels very classic (in a Highlands of Scotland sorta way). I’d tend to use this for highballs and cocktails but it’s perfectly suitable over some rocks.
45. Jameson Black Barrel Proof Irish Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $68
The Whiskey:
This new take on the double-charred, barrel-aged whiskey above (Black Barrel) amps up the ABVs, allowing a lot more character to shine through in the actual bottle. The difference is that the barrels chosen for this expression were perfect at 100 proof instead of 80.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: That bitter char comes through on the nose with a subtle espresso bean oiliness next to almost burnt buttery toffee and a touch of walnut.
Palate: The palate builds on that nuttiness to the point of a walnut cake full of Karo syrup, plenty of dark holiday spices, and a touch of vanilla pudding.
Finish: The end really amps that vanilla up to the point that you’re almost chewing on vanilla tobacco while the wood comes in with a dry cigar box vibe next to ground winter spices, more nuttiness, and a hint of dry straw in an old fruit orchard.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the best Irish whiskeys on the shelf for mixing cocktails.
44. Method And Madness Single Grain Irish Whiskey Matured in Bourbon Barrels Finished in Virgin Spanish Oak Casks
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $69
The Whiskey:
This is Midleton’s craft whiskey venture — they built a stand-alone craft distillery in the middle of the campus for this whiskey. The single-grain spirit is matured in unused Spanish oak and old bourbon casks. That’s then small-batched and proofed with that soft County Cork water and bottled in a throwback art-deco bottle.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with dry pencil shavings leading towards dry pine boxes, potpourri, and a hint of grapefruit pith.
Palate: The taste is driven by cinnamon bark and clove berries, with a pink eraser vibe next to soft vanilla beans.
Finish: That vanilla moves the mid-palate towards a finish full of ripe figs, light spice, and sweet potting soil.
Bottom Line:
This is funky and fun. If you’re looking to take your favorite whiskey cocktail in a totally new direction, this is the play.
43. Hatozaki Omakase Collection Pure Malt Whisky Mizunara Cask Finish 8 Years Old
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $93
The Whiskey:
This Japanese whisky is a pure malt — meaning that it’s a blend of different single malts from different distilleries. The whisky in the bottle is hewn from 10 casks of five to eight-year-old single malts that were aged in both ex-bourbon casks and traditional mizunara white oak casks from the famed Hokkaido and Yohoku forests. Once vatted, the whisky went into the bottle with a touch of local spring water but no coloring or filtering, yielding only 3,560 bottles.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Old sourdough bread baskets greet you on the nose with a sense of dry sweetgrass bales, old winter spices, and dried apple and pear chips just kissed with sea salt.
Palate: That sea salt turns into nori on the palate with a touch of winter spice barks and dried orange peels over bread crusts roasted with herbs and butter.
Finish: The end leans into the woodiness of the spice and oak with a salted vibe that’s inching toward dry seagrass.
Bottom Line:
This is a funky and umami-forward whisky. It’s not for everyone, but will pair amazingly well with a sushi and sashimi feast.
42. The Gael Irish Whiskey
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $93
The Whiskey:
The latest batch from J.J. Corey leans into the oldest barrels in their inventory. The juice is made from a 60/40 malt and grain whiskey split. The barrels range in age from seven to well over 25 years old — they’re all sourced. Those barrels are masterfully blended and then released in small, limited-edition batches of only a few thousand bottles.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has a malty nose with a ginger and honey cookie vibe with a ton of raisins, apples, pears, and maybe even a hint of orange.
Palate: The palate has a svelte buttercream feel that leads to a malted milkshake, a hint of cinnamon, and plenty of dates and figs.
Finish: The end amps up the spice towards a woody feel with apple skins and pear cores leading to a hint of rum-raisin and honey.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice sipper with great nuances. I dig it over a big ol’ rock or in a nice whiskey-forward cocktail.
41. 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: It should come as no surprise that 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:
This is a great spicy whisky that will work wonders in a fruity cocktail that needs a spicy foundation. It’s also growing on me as a simple yet spicy sipper over some ice.
40. 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 old and fresh at the same time, it’s a great magic trick of blending to find that balance successfully. In the end, I’d pour this over ice or use it in a citrus-forward cocktail.
39. 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:
This is a nice and deep whiskey that I could see sipping over some rocks or folding into a solid cocktail. If you’re looking for something that’s purely classic and versatile, this is worth trying.
38. Clonakilty Irish Whiskey Cask Finish Series Port Cask Finish
ABV: 43.6%
Average Price: $53
The Whiskey:
This fan-favorite whiskey just released its latest batch. The whiskey in this one is a nine-year-old Irish grain whiskey blended with a classic Irish single malt. The whiskey was then proofed down slightly and re-loaded into Port casks from the famed Douro Valley. Those barrels were stored next to the Atlantic Ocean in Ireland until they were just right.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with bright fruit — orange, lime, and lemon zest next to peach skins and juicy apricots — next to light notes of brown spices, raisins, and lightly sweetened oak staves with a hint of must.
Palate: The palate leans into the stone fruit with a stewed vibe next to dried red chili flakes, cinnamon, cardamom, and a hint of orange chocolate with whispers of lemon-lime soda.
Finish: The end leans into the dark spices on the finish with a plummy vibe, a hint more of that soft oak, and a final dash of peppercorn.
Bottom Line:
This is just good, solid, right-down-the-strike-zone whiskey.
37. 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 a luxurious whiskey that has a deep sense of malted whiskey vibes. Still, this whiskey benefits from a big piece of ice to really open it up.
36. 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 a soft and very summery pour of whiskey. It’s light and almost airy, like a seaside breeze in a fruit orchard. Pour it over a big ol’ rock and enjoy it.
35. Lot 40 Dark Oak 100% Rye
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $50
The Whiskey:
This version of Lot No. 40 is made from 100% Canadian rye grains. It’s twice distilled and then rests in low-char American oak for a few years. Before it’s blended, the whiskey is re-barreled into heavily-charred oak for a final rest. Once it hits just the right spot, it’s batched, lightly proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with a complex nose full of dried sweetgrass, cinnamon toast, clove-studded orange skins, rich salted caramel, and vanilla beans soaked in cherry liqueur.
Palate: The palate leans into a fatty dark chocolate fudge with spiced apple cider, sweet and rich cherry syrup, apple fritters with a powdered sugar frosting, and a hint of vanilla tobacco with a woody edge.
Finish: The finish layers some dark cherry syrup into that vanilla tobacco and adds a mild spiciness thanks to the cinnamon and orange.
Bottom Line:
This is a great Canadian whisky. It’s versatile as well and works really nicely over some ice or in your favorite cocktail.
34. 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 (recipe) 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:
This was a nice rye whiskey that felt like a good bridge between classic Irish whiskeys and bolder ryes from the U.S. Overall, if you’re looking for something a little different but still very drinkable, then grab one of these.
33. Uncle Nearest Rye Single Barrel Whiskey, Barrel No. 1
ABV: 60.5%
Average Price: $89
The Whiskey:
This new whiskey from Tennessee’s Uncle Nearest — it dropped on December 15th, 2022 — is made from Canadian rye. The 100% rye whiskey is aged in New York for four years before it’s finished in British Columbia for a spell. Finally, the barrels were shipped to Tennessee and bottled 100% as-is, one at a time.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is a butterscotch bomb in the nose — that tells me it’s likely Canadian or at least 100% rye. There is a sense of dry grains, sweetgrass, and wild smudging sage that rounds the nose’s path toward orchard fruits and old honey pots.
Palate: That dry grassy and graininess drive the palate toward a rich butterscotch and warming ABV heat that’s part sharp cinnamon spice and part alcohol.
Finish: That spicy warmth dominates the finish for a while and then fades toward apple and cherry bark with a hint of pear/apple cider cut with clove and cinnamon next to a final rush of sage and sweetgrass tied to light apricot tobacco.
Bottom Line:
The number of times this crossed the U.S. and Canadian borders makes this a very international feeling pour. Overall, this is a very solid Canadian rye that rocks neat, over ice, or in your favorite cocktails.
32. Pōkeno Discovery New Zealand Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $121
The Whisky:
This Maori malt was rested in a trio of barrels. First-fill ex-bourbon, Olorosso, and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks were used. Those casks were vatted and the whisky was just touched with water for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens softly with a sense of Black Forest cake with a soft chocolate sponge cake countered by lightly spiced cherry compote with the faintest hint of dark orange and vanilla.
Palate: That creamy vanilla drives the palate toward an almost sour cherry with a hint of salt next to burnt orange and soft winter spices over honeyed malt.
Finish: The end is creamy and lush with a sense of dark chocolate sauce cut with white pepper, vanilla, and salt next to dark blood orange syrup dashed with sour cherry, clove, and star anise with a fleeting sense of caramel malts.
Bottom Line:
This is creamy and delicious. Sip it over a nice piece of ice.
31. Bushmills Irish Single Malt Aged 16 Years
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $125
The Whiskey:
This single malt whiskey starts off by getting triple distilled. It’s then aged for 15 years in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks. The batched whiskey is then transferred to port pipes for a final nine-month rest before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This starts out with a spicy red berry jam next to a whiff of marzipan laced with bourbon vanilla, a hint of old leather, apple cores, and a light Christmas cake spice on the nose.
Palate: That almond creates a smooth foundation with more of that spicy red jam alongside an apple/honeyed sweetness and velvet mouthfeel while those wintry spices meld with the malts to create a berry-cinnamon tobacco profile.
Finish: The end of this one is long-ish as the spice, jammy fruit, and almond paste slowly fade out, leaving you warmed with a sense of malts and dark fruit.
Bottom Line:
This is the high water mark of the main Bushmills line. There are better Bushmills on this list. But if you start here, you’ll be in a very good spot.
30. Indri Single Malt Indian Whisky Trini — The Three Wood
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $62
The Whisky:
This whisky starts off with Six-Row malted barley grown in Rajasthan. The whisky is then filled into three types of casks — ex-bourbon, ex-wine, and ex-sherry casks — and left to rest through extreme temperature shifts from season to season, ranging from 120+F in the summer to freezing in the winter. That, in turn, allows for a lot of expansion and contraction of the wood, which lets the spirit have more direct contact and rest with/from the wood.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose greets you with a hint of Earl Grey next to rich toffee with a nice sense of apricot jam with a line of cinnamon and clove next to creamed honey and a touch of tangerine rinds and passion fruit-infused malts.
Palate: The palate opens with a sweet oakiness next to vanilla pods before a hint of bruised peach arrives and slowly boils down to fresh mango, seared pineapple, and a hint of pomelo pith.
Finish: The end dries out toward rummy macerated peaches and mango with a hint of dried banana leaves and warm brown spices.
Bottom Line:
This is another whiskey that’s just good. Get it, drink it, and love it.
29. Waterford Irish Single Malt Whisky The Cuvée
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $85
The Whisky:
Waterford is an interesting experiment in whiskey, in general. This expression utilizes the distillery’s many single-farm-origin whiskeys to create something heightened. The whiskey is a blend of those single farm whiskeys that highlight the terroir from all around Ireland, along with Waterford’s high-level skills.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Red apple peels and rye crust open the nose before soft soil and green grass take over.
Palate: The palate is all about the butterscotch candies, with light florals, oat cookies, orange peels, and fresh mint acting as support.
Finish: The mid-palate has a clove candy vibe that leads to white pepper, grapefruit peel, dark chocolate and cherry tobacco, and a final note of poppyseed cake.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the most interesting whiskeys being made right now. If you’re looking for a palate expander, try this and take your time with it.
28. Hakata Whisky Aged 16 Years Sherry Cask
ABV: 42%
Average Price: $139
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 16 years, those casks were vatted and this whisky was bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is like a walk through an old barrel house on a cold day that leads to a peach cobbler dusted in fine sugar and toasted coconut next to a sense of caramel malts dipped in vanilla cream.
Palate: Woody pear and toasted almonds dance with fresh and meaty raisins on the palate before a rich creme brûlée with almost burnt toasted sugar strings lead to this sense of large flakes of sea salt.
Finish: A note of rain-covered slate and cedar arrives late and leads back to sheets of just-dried sea salt that’s kissed with mushroom powder and ground and dried pear.
Bottom Line:
This is a wildly unique whisky. If you’re looking for something that takes you somewhere completely new, this is the bottle to get. Just make sure to add some water or a single ice cube to let it bloom and reveal even more profile depth.
27. M&H Apex Single Malt Whisky Small Batch Dead Sea
ABV: 56.5%
Average Price: $163
The Whisky:
Milk & Honey Whisky Distillery is putting Israel on the single malt map. This expression is their standard malt that’s wholly aged at the Dead Sea, the lowest place on earth. Besides the pressure and salt in the air, the temperature also takes huge swings from near freezing to above 120F, which helps accelerate and deepened the aging process.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sense of mocha lattes and spiced biscuits next to spearmint tobacco, cedar boxes, and a touch of orange dark chocolate balls all dancing on the nose.
Palate: The taste is subtle and builds layers of woody winter spices over coriander seeds, white pepper, and spearmint next to wet Earl Grey tea leaves, cinnamon-apple tobacco, and a sense of sweet and old oak staves.
Finish: There’s a light gingerbread sharpness to the finish with a hint of honey, cinnamon bark, and a flake of saltiness.
Bottom Line:
This was just damn good whisky. It’s pretty much perfect over a large ice cube.
26. Redbreast Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Kentucky Oak Edition
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $126
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 a great around-the-campfire sipper. It also rules in simple whiskey-forward cocktails.
25. 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 bold and complex whiskey. Take your time with it, add water, and really dig deep. You’ll be rewarded and educated.
24. WhistlePig Double Malt Rye 18-Year-Old
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $450
The Whiskey:
This Canadian whisky is made from two malts with a lot of rye. The mash bill is 79% rye, 15% malted rye, and 6% malted barley. That whisky was left to mellow for 18 long years before heading to Vermont for batching, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a sense of cedar kindling and whole nutmeg bulbs next to cinnamon toast, orange marmalade, and spiced apple cider with a hint of cellar must.
Palate: The palate leans into the dark marmalade and spicy apple cut with tart dried red berries, fresh vanilla pods, sweet oak, and a flutter of potpourri.
Finish: The end is soft and full of spiced nuttiness with a touch of dried apple chips, burnt orange, marzipan, and winter-spiced tobacco leaves layered with cedar bark in an old leather pouch buried in a cellar.
Bottom Line:
If you buy one WhistlePig on this list … You get it.
23. 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 old and woody but has so much more to offer if you give it time (and a little water to help it bloom).
22. 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 getting into the very good Irish whiskey. This stuff is pretty much unassailably delicious however you want to drink it.
21. 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 an excellent pour and a blissful way to introduce newbies to the style.
20. Amrut Fusion Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $85
The Whisky:
Amrut is the original Indian single malt and this expression highlights the bridge between Scottish whisky heritage and Indian whisky ingenuity. The mash is hewn from both Indian unpeated malts and Scottish peated malts. That spirit is them aged outside of Bangalore until the barrels hit the right spot for blending with a drop or two of local water and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is like putting your nose into a big bowl of stewed fruits — mango, peach, blood orange — that has big woody chunks of spices — cinnamon, clove, anise, cardamom — floating in it with a hint of wet Earl Grey tea leaves and this flutter of briny smudged seaweed.
Palate: The palate leans into that blood orange with a robust cinnamon bark and black pepper bite next to lush malty brioche.
Finish: The end has a spiced stewed mango tobacco vibe that’s wrapped up in very distant echoes of peated seaweed and old oyster shells.
Bottom Line:
There’s a uniqueness to this whisky that’s hard to find anywhere else. If you’re looking to get into Indian whiskies, this is a great place to start.
19. Starward Vitalis 15th Anniversary Limited Release Single Malt Australian Whisky
ABV: 52%
Average Price: $150
The Whiskey:
This limited edition whisky from Australia’s biggest brand celebrates the 15th anniversary of the distillery. The whisky in this bottle commemorates the brand’s finishing program that made it famous. The whisky was blended from six different barrel types, focusing on tawny port, rum, bourbon, and Apera barrels between four and 11 years old.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with rich, buttery toffee candy next to rum raisins, salted dark chocolate bars, grilled pineapple, bruised apricots, and tangerine skins.
Palate: The palate leans into the raisin vibe with black-tea-soaked dates, stewed prunes, and mashed dried apricot next to tart red currants with a hint of mango skin and savory papaya.
Finish: That’s all countered by a mid-palate full of toasted coffee beans and creamy mocha latte notes next to a hint of dark and warm spiciness on the back of the finish with a dash of tart berry tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This feels like a classic single malt that goes that little bit further — veering toward greatness.
18. 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 U.S.-only release is a stellar introduction to Maori single malt whisky and a damn fine pour of whisky overall.
17. 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. 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 wost 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:
I just tried this again recently and it popped on the senses in all the right ways. Drink it neat, add some water, and then enjoy the ride.
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 selects the barrels that hit the exact right notes and meticulously blends 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:
This is really, really good. It has a crazy price point, but who cares when the whisky is this tasty?
15. Found North Cask Strength Whisky Aged 10 Years Batch 004
ABV: 62.4%
Average Price: $145
The Whiskey:
This blended whisky is a mash-up of corn and rye whiskies, which equate to a mash bill of 80% corn, 19% rye, and a mere 1% malted barley. Those whiskies are sourced from barrels that are between 21 and 25 years old. Once vatted, the whisky is bottled as-is with no water, filtering, or coloring.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This whiskey opens with a sense of dark dried fruits — rum raisin, dates, prunes — next to mulled wine sourness and sweetness with plenty of cinnamon, star anise, and clove next to a hint of creamy eggnog nutmeg.
Palate: The palate is largely the same with a soft warmth from the ABVs that gives way to woody spiced plum tobacco, a big slice of fruit cake, and a dose of vanilla oils cut with orange oils.
Finish: The end has a dark fruit tobacco vibe that’s accented by a sweet sense of vanilla and caramel.
Bottom Line:
This is a spectacular Canadian whisky and might be my favorite Canadian whisky right now.
14. Amrut Neidhal Indian Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $105
The Whiskey:
This Peated Indian single malt whisky is from the famed Amrut Distillery. The juice is a special release of 12,000 bottles that highlight the “Neidhal” or coastal region and the tropical vibes of Southern India.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a clear sense of briny and smoky peat on the nose with a hint of smoldering papaya and mango skins and maybe some burnt sugar cane next to deep tropical fruits and spice malt biscuits.
Palate: The palate has a nice mix of grilled tropical fruits with burnt sugars, singed spice barks, and a fleeting sense of rich tobacco with a moist toffee cake filled with nuts.
Finish: The end is short but sweet with a smoky vibe filled with savory and sweet fruits, spicy tobacco, and nutty creaminess.
Bottom Line:
This is probably my favorite Indian whisky at the moment.
13. Waterford Irish Single Malt Whisky Heritage Hunter
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $129
The Whiskey:
This new release from whiskey-nerd-beloved Waterford out in Ireland is named after pioneering plant breeder Dr. Herbert Hunter. The initial grow for the barley for this whiskey was started with a 50-gram bag of Hunter barley. Over several seasons, they produced enough barley to fill 50 barrels of whiskey with the help of two other almost extinct heritage barley varieties, Goldthorpe and Old Irish. Finally, the whiskey in the bottles ended up being a blend of 45% first-fill ex-bourbon, 19% new American oak, 21% French oak, and 15% Vin Doux Naturel barrels (a Southern French sweet wine).
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sense of old black potting soil on the nose with a rush of freshly bailed hay, bushels of red apples, orange marmalade, and a whisper of fresh rain on slate roofs.
Palate: That orange turns into an orange upside-down cake with a cinnamon/clove caramel drizzle next to old prunes, oatmeal cut with raisins and brown sugar, salted butter, and a twinge of old cedar planks with singed edges and a faint echo of sage.
Finish: That sage leads to a green pepperiness and a hint more of savory green herbs with plenty of orange oils and dried fruits next to a final note of soft spice.
Bottom Line:
This is a one-of-a-kind whiskey from Waterford. It’s delicious and dark and different. This is something that’ll change everything you think you know about Irish whiskey.
12. Cotswolds Bourbon Cask Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 59.1%
Average Price: $102
The Whiskey:
This English single malt is made with 100% locally grown barley that’s floor-malted on-site in the Cotswolds. Those malts are fermented with two yeast strains (Anchor and Fermentis) with demineralized village water to extract fruity flavors from the malt. After pot still distillation, the hot juice is filled into ex-bourbon barrels from Kentucky for a long rest. Finally, those barrels are batched and the whiskey is bottled completely as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Vanilla malted shakes and thick crème brûlée dominate the nose with a sense of date-fueled sticky toffee pudding with salted toffee, fresh orange zest, and big flakes of salt.
Palate: The palate opens with bold dark dried fruits — rum raisin, figs, prunes — that lead to a moist vanilla cake frosted with cinnamon-honey buttercream icing and dusted with nutmeg, cinnamon, and dark chocolate shavings.
Finish: The end sweetens slightly with a honeyed fig vibe next to old wicker porch furniture, cinnamon-spiced tobacco, and soft vanilla malted biscuits dipped in rum-raisin salted chocolate sauce and honey.
Bottom Line:
England makes some great single malt. Don’t sleep on this, especially if you’re already a fan of classic unpeated Scottish single malt.
11. 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 gives 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 a wild ride. You have to take your time, apply water, and really let this open up. If you do, you’ll be in for a galaxy of flavor notes — some of which will blow your mind.
10. 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 is a fantastic whisky that is so out of leftfield in the best possible way.
9. 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 feels like sitting in an old wine and cheese cellar and feasting on preserves, cheese, roasted meats, stewed fruit desserts, brandy, sherry, and whisky all night. And yes, it’s better than the cask strength version that you’re going to proof down anyway.
8. Teeling Whiskey Single Malt Aged 32 Years Purple Muscat
ABV: 53.7%
Average Price: $3,269
The Whiskey:
This whiskey was distilled all the way back in 1990. 28 years later the whiskey was re-barreled into one cask from Portugal, a Purple Muscat French oak cask, and left alone for another four years (a very long time for a finishing barrel). Finally, 2022 was the year and the cask was drained and 238 bottles of this elixir were sent out into the world as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a fleeting sense of dark chocolate malts next to black cherries tossed in smoked salt, walnut cake with plenty of cinnamon and nutmeg, and tart red berries swimming in a cream cut with vanilla pods.
Palate: The palate dried out those cherries and adds in some meaty prunes, dates, and figs next to old cellar beams with an echo of prosciutto fat somewhere deep in that body of the palate.
Finish: The end leans into woody mulled wine spices and rich creamed honey with a touch of buttery milk chocolate with a nutty edge and slight tobacco burn.
Bottom Line:
No notes, no complaints.
7. 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 caked soaked in the best brandy and served with a dollop of the richest vanilla cream.
Bottom Line:
This is the best-ever holiday pour of Irish whiskey.
6. Yamazaki Mizunara Japanese Single Malt 2022 Edition
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $6,999
The Whisky:
This is one of the most sought-after whiskies from Yamazaki. The juice spends over 12 years maturing in Mizunara casks only — this isn’t some whisky that’s “finished” in old Mizurana casks for a few months. After over a decade of mellowing, the casks are hand-picked for their excellence, vatted, and just proofed before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sense of winter spice that meanders from woody cinnamon bark toward cloves, allspice, anise, cardamon, and even some soft nutmeg before light yet. creamy vanilla custard leads to a thin whisper of sandalwood and lavender.
Palate: The palate hints at agarwood with a dash of old potpourri next to sweet cinnamon and allspice in a slightly sour mulled wine with a bit of brown sugar lurking in the background.
Finish: The end leans into the woodiness of the spices with a bit more floral incense burning beneath it all.
Bottom Line:
This is an incredible Japanese whisky. If you’re looking for something a little funky, woody, and floral, this is the one to get.
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 might not be the deepest or most complex whiskey on the list, but it’s certainly one of the best. This whiskey is just f*cking delicious.
4. 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 is delectable and one of the best Japanese whiskies that money can buy. You know what to do.
3. Hibiki Suntory Whisky 21 Years Old
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $1,306
The Whisky:
This is a combination of Suntory’s Hakushu and Yamazaki with Chita, a corn-based whisky. Those spirits then spend 21 long years resting American, European, and Japanese oak. Each barrel is carefully selected and blended with precision to create the ultimate expression of Suntory’s stable of whiskies.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This draws you in with supple white summer flowers next to soft green grass underneath pear and peach trees with notes of sandalwood, green tea touched with mint and rock candy, and a whisper of old cellar beams with cobwebs.
Palate: White chocolate leads on the palate as orange blossoms, alder bark, cherry-infused cedar planks, passionfruit, and dried-out honey chips mingle to create a round and soft mouthfeel.
Finish: The mid-palate is fruity-sweet and gives way to a hint of nutmeg with maybe a hint of plum and vanilla lurking in the background. The finish is almost salty with a touch of wax paper, white pepper, and those summery white flowers before notes of a very soft cedar plank settle across your senses.
Bottom Line:
2. Bushmills Aged 30 Years Single Malt Irish Whiskey
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $1,899
The Whiskey:
This is a serious whiskey from Bushmills. The Irish single malt rests in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks for 14 years. Those barrels are batched and then re-filled into first-fill Pedro Ximénez sherry casks for another 16 years of slow aging. Finally, that whiskey is proofed down and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a mix of mincemeat pie and sticky toffee pudding on the nose with salted toffee sauce, rich buttercream, and leathery dried fruit countered by soft and powdery dark winter spices.
Palate: The lushness is amazingly silky with fresh figs, black-tea-soaked dates, and rum-soaked raisins with burnt orange, old vanilla pods, and poppy seed dessert rolls with brown sugar syrup icing.
Finish: The dried and dark fruits get leathery as the toffee sweetens with a touch of old oak stave and cellar floor dirt lurking in the background of the finish.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the best whiskeys (Irish or not) that money can buy.
1. The Yamazaki Single Malt Japanese Whisky Spanish Oak 2022 Edition “Tsukuriwake” Selection
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $3,999
The Whisky:
This Japanese single malt is all about marrying fine Japanese whisky with Spanish oak. The whiskies are aged exclusively in oak from Northern Spain. After the flavor profile hits the exact right depth, the barrels are vatted and proofed with a dash of water for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a medley of sultanas, dates, prunes, dried cranberries, and maybe some candied grape before veering toward a big umami note that’s halfway between a sun-dried tomato and a dash of powdered mushroom.
Palate: The palate opens with a rich sticky toffee pudding with plenty of winter spices, black tea-soaked dates, and almost creamy toffee next to orange oils and a hint of dark roasted espresso beans.
Finish: The end takes on a buttery vibe as creamy dark chocolate attaches to those espresso beans and a final hint of orange sneaks in late.
Bottom Line:
Gun to head, this is my favorite all-time whisky on this planet at the moment. You can bury me with a bottle of this because I’ll need it in the afterlife too.