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The Best Whiskeys To Chase Down This March

Best March Whiskeys
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March has arrived and with it the promise of spring — and new whiskey. Spring is always a big season for whiskey releases. Well, it was before the whiskey boom made releasing whiskey a year-round thing. Still, there are a lot of great whiskey hitting shelves right now and we’re here to sort through the static and find the prime drops.

Below, I’ve listed 20 whiskeys from across regions, categories, and styles. There are easy-going bourbons, single malt sippers, rye masterpieces, subtly finished pours, once-in-a-lifetime releases from Ireland (it is March, after all), and so much more. Long story short, you should be able to find something that piques your interest below.

For clarity, these whiskeys are not ranked — this is about what’s new (released either at the tail end of 2023 and hitting shelves now or released mere days ago). There is far too much distance in the styles to judge them against each other. What I can tell you is that these whiskeys are worth your time and money. Some are going to be easy to get while others will be a pricey hunt to expand your collection.

The key is that these whiskeys are all tasty and deserve a little love this spring. Let’s dive in!

Check Out The Best New Whiskeys Of The Last Six Months:

Jack Daniel’s 10 Years Old Tennessee Whiskey Batch 3

Jack Daniel's 10
Brown-Forman

ABV: 48.5%

Average Price: $73

The Whiskey:

The third batch of Jack Daniel’s 10-Year has arrived. The whiskey is aged for at least 10 years in prime spots in Jack’s best warehouses. During that time, the barrels spend time in the “Buzzard’s Roost” at the top of the rickhouse. Once they hit the right flavor profile, those barrels are moved to the bottom floors of other warehouses to slow the aging down. Finally, the whiskey is batched, proofed, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a dark chili-infused tobacco vibe that leads to creamy AF vanilla, soft cherry hand pies, Granny Smith apple peels, salted toffee rolled in dark chocolate, and a touch of vanilla nougat wafers.

Palate: Those wafers lead to a creamy sense of soft dry grits with a dark sweetness that’s part molasses and part maple syrup next to old cedar planks, dried blackberry, dried pear chips (salted), and fresh chewing tobacco dipped in chili-cherry syrup.

Finish: This fleeting sense of a leafy forest in the spring blooms on the mid-palate and finish before that cherry spice kicks back in with a sense of smoldering braids of cedar, tobacco, and smudging sage counter the lush vanilla and dark fruit.

Bottom Line:

Batch 3 of Jack 10-year hit shelves late last month, putting it on shelves right now. The new version is an evolution of the dessert-forward and bourbon-y Batch 1 and the uber-oaked Batch 2. This batch finds the balance between the two (and frankly blows Batch 2 out of the water). You should still be able to get this at MSRP this month. If you wait any longer, expect prices to skyrocket toward $500 per bottle.

Bernheim Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey Barrel Proof Batch no. A224

Bernheim Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey Barrel Proof Batch no. A224
Heaven Hill

ABV: 62.6%

Average Price: $64

The Whiskey:

The new Bernheim just dropped and it’s a doozy. The whiskey is made with Heaven Hill’s winter wheat mash bill. That whiskey is aged for seven to nine years in Heaven Hill’s iconic open-air rickhouses until just right for batching and bottling 100% as-is at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Rich and molasses-laden oak staves draw you in on the nose with a sense of freshly baked buttermilk biscuits with a cut of salted butter, cinnamon, and clove over caramel sauce and whispers of floral honey.

Palate: That butteriness really amps up on the palate as the clove and honey marry with a sense of dry oak from the cellar, a touch of apricot tobacco, and soft sage and rosemary round the taste out.

Finish: The end is lush with a sense of spiced honey and salted caramel with the biscuit taking on a hint of sourdough bread crust with dry sweetgrass and old oak touching that fruity tobacco on the very end with a warming embrace.

Bottom Line:

This is one of those that’s just a nice pour of whiskey. It’s not overly sweet (this ain’t no bourbon clone) but still has a wonderful lushness that works with the higher ABVs. That proof does make itself known by the end but it never overwhelms. That said, this over a single big ice cube is the play for maximum enjoyment.

Natterjack Irish Whiskey Cask Strength

Natterjack Irish Whiskey Cask Strength
Natterjack Irish Whiskey

ABV: 63%

Average Price: $102

The Whiskey:

This is sourced Irish whiskey that’s made from a unique mash bill of 80% corn and 20% malted barley. That mix is triple distilled and then left to mellow for years in ex-bourbon casks. Before bottling, the whiskey is finished in new American oak for a spell before cask-strength bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Rich orange oils and clove drive the nose toward soft winter spiced and butterscotch candies with this slight sense of cellar floor dirt and old oak staves with a very faint whisper of a cheese cellar and earthy honey.

Palate: That orange really pops on the palate as the clove sharpens with moments of allspice, nutmeg, and cardamom next to more cellar and honeycomb with a twinge of waxiness.

Finish: The honey gets creamy on the end with with a touch of smoldering campfire-roasted marshmallows, soft oak, and mild baking spices in nutty sugar cookies.

Bottom Line:

We need more cask-strength Irish whiskey over here in the U.S. This is a nice sipper that never feels hot for a single second. There’s a nice sharpness to the spice but that’s about it. The rest is a citrus-forward and honeyed sipping experience. That all said, this will make a killer old fashioned or whiskey sour thanks to that citrus.

Still Austin Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey

Still Austin Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey
Still Austin

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $74

The Whiskey:

This brand-new release from Austin’s Still Austin is all about Texas grains. The whiskey is made with 100% Texas-grown rye that’s distilled in Austin and left to rest for four years. During that time, water is added to the barrels so that water evaporates before the alcohol, leaving a rich whiskey for bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is a cherry bomb on the nose with plenty of sharp and fresh ginger, Meyer lemon peels, and apricot jam with a hint of pound cake iced with buttery powdered sugar icing.

Palate: The apricot amps up on the palate as soft and rich marzipan mingles with freshly fried apple fritters, gingerbread, and more of those lemon peels next to a dollop of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

Finish: The end sharpens a tad with clove, cinnamon, and allspice as the cherries make a big comeback with fresh mint tobacco and more of that buttery vibe from the nose.

Bottom Line:

This is another winner from Still Austin. It’s deep and vibrant with a clear sense of uniqueness — this isn’t just a “spicy” rye. There’s nuance here that’s worth your time and effort to find as you sip it slowly and go back in and find more depth. That mint also makes this feel very “springy” and I’m looking forward to trying this one in a mint julep soon.

High N’ Wicked Single Grain Irish Whiskey Foursquare “Mark X 2007” Finish

High N' Wicked Single Grain Irish Whiskey Foursquare "Mark X 2007" Finish
High N

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $89

The Whiskey:

This sourced Irish whiskey from County Cork is very unique pour. The whiskey is made with 95% French-grown corn and 5% malted Irish barley. That whiskey rested in ex-bourbon barrels for years before it was transferred to an Exceptional Rum Cask from Barbados’ Foursquare. After six more months of resting, the whiskey was batched, proofed, and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Nutella and marzipan pop on the nose with a sense of bourbon vanilla, lemon peel, and a whisper of toasted coconut next to a twinge of mango and pineapple with caramelized sugars.

Palate: Those caramelized tropical fruits blend with clove, anise, and cardamom on the palate as a sense of cinnamon bark tobacco and vanilla pods drive the taste toward a rich creamy caramel sauce cut with salt and more Nutella.

Finish: The caramel and hazelnut amp up at the finish as the oak softly arrives with a lush vanilla creaminess with hints of fig and marzipan lurking in the background.

Bottom Line:

This is a caramel-y, fruity, and nutty Irish whiskey that’s just the right amount of rummy. Try this one in a good cocktail with big flavor notes and you’ll be in for a treat. Or just pour it over some rocks with a dash of Angostura Bitters — it’ll work wonders that way too.

Woodford Reserve Masters Collection Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 2024 Batch Proof

Woodford Reserve Masters Collection Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 2024 Batch Proof
Brown-Forman

ABV: 60.6%

Average Price: $149

The Whiskey:

The 2024 Woodford Reserve Barrel Proof just dropped. The whiskey was made by batching just over 100 Woodford barrels from various dates of production, warehouses, and floors to create a barrel-proof masterpiece.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a pecan waffle vibe with tons of real vanilla bean, soft cinnamon brown butter, and maple syrup cut with clove next to a creamy sense of eggnog spices and richness that’s cut with an acidic tropical fruit note (in a good way).

Palate: The tropical fruit note narrows to caramelized pineapple on the palate with a touch of huckleberry jam and strawberries dipped in dark salted chocolate next to toasted oakiness and soft honeyed tobacco.

Finish: Those strawberries drive the finish toward more fresh oakiness with caramelized sugars and carbon mingling with fresh honeycomb, wild berry tobacco, and more lush eggnog spiciness.

Bottom Line:

This is a really nice spicy bourbon. The warmth from the ABVs never overwhelms the varied profile. This delivers depth and fruitiness in a nice balance that goes well beyond the ordinary. Pour it over a big rock and let it wash you away.

Casey Jones Total Eclipse Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Casey Jones Total Eclipse Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Casey Jones

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $49

The Whiskey:

This new bourbon is here to celebrate the total solar eclipses of 2017 and 2024. The whiskey in the bottle is a four-grain bourbon that aged for two years before small batching and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a sense of classic baking spices and caramel with a nice layer of vanilla cream, pecan sandies, and whiffs of orange zest.

Palate: The orange and spice meld on the palate with a clear sense of fresh orange oils and clove next to soft oak, more pecan, and a hint of spiced tobacco leaf.

Finish: The finish is a trio of tobacco, oak, and winter spice with a soft vanilla vibe that leads to a sweet caramel finish.

Bottom Line:

This is a young and fresh bourbon with a classic vibe. Look, this isn’t going to blow any minds but it’s a nice example of something new in the scene from an upstart distillery doing things right. This is a brand worth keeping an eye on.

Isle of Skye Blended Scotch Whisky Aged 21 Years

Isle of Skye Blended Scotch Whisky Aged 21 Years
Isle of Skye Blended Scotch Whisky

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $99

The Whisky:

This new blend from Isle of Skye is a masterful blend of very old whiskies. The blend is made from 20-plus-year-old malts from Skye (Islands region) a Speyside. Once vatted, the whisky was proofed all the way down and bottled.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Salted dried banana chips and fatty walnuts drive the nose toward soft brown sugar cookies with plenty of butter and powdered sugar icing next to a hint of smoked mango and papaya.

Palate: The walnuts take on a dry nutshell vibe on the palate as the butteriness layers into honey with a sense of lightly smoked pineapple, mango, and orange with a dash of salt and oak.

Finish: The end is lush and hints at vanilla husks as the smoked tropical fruits take on a moment of smoky caramelization and spiced tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This is a classic single malt with an aged vibe that never feels “old”. The whisky is soft and supple with a nice nuttiness that’s accented by just the right amount of smoked soft fruits and savoriness. Enjoy this one as a slow sipper and it’ll be just right.

Old Bones Rye Whiskey 15-Year Reserve Straight Rye Whiskey

Old Bones Rye Whiskey 15 Year Reserve Straight Rye Whiskey
Old Bones

ABV: 60%

Average Price: $64

The Whiskey:

This new release from Old Bones is an old Canadian whisky. The juice was made just outside of Montreal from a mash of 53% rye, 39% corn, and 8% malted barley. That whisky rested for 15 years before it was re-barreled in fresh oak for another 15 months of mellowing, making this an 18.5-year-old rye.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a nostalgic sense of caramel corn balls on the nose with red, green, and orange dye (it’s wild) next to soft white pepper and dried red peppercorns over a sense of soft vanilla and apple stems.

Palate: That white pepper sharpens on the palate as the taste slips towards soft caramel sauce, vanilla cream, and wet brown sugar with a note of winter spice barks and chewy pipe tobacco.

Finish: The end dried out with cellar oak, drier tobacco, and fruit stones next to vanilla husks and green pepper pods over a light sense of dried chili pepper flakes and cellar funk.

Bottom Line:

This is a funky and peppery whiskey that is sort of all over the place but somehow pulls it all together by the end. It also feels like a throwback rye to the old days of WhistlePig about 10 years ago when it was getting a lot of positive attention. Use that as your guide when considering this one.

Puncher’s Chance The Unified Belt Triple Cask Irish & American Blend

Puncher's Chance The Unified Belt Triple Cask Irish & American Blend
Wolf Spirit Distillery

ABV: 48%

Average Price: $159

The Whiskey:

This new release from Puncher’s Chance — UFC legend Bruce Buffer’s brand — is a marrying of Irish and Tennessee whiskeys. The three-cask blend is made with a four-year-old Irish single malt mixed with a four-year-old high-rye bourbon and a 14-year-old bourbon finished in sherry casks.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a sense of dark fruits — plum, date, and fig — on the nose with dark salted chocolate, soft spiced oak, and winter nut bread smeared with spiced brown butter and vanilla oils.

Palate: The buttery spice and nuttiness mingle with the dark fruits on the palate as deep and luscious vanilla arrives and sends the taste toward fresh Granny Smith apples and yellow pears.

Finish: The pears stew in brandy and winter spice barks on the finish as the wood sneaks in some dryness next to softly spice apple tobacco wrapped up with smudging sage and vanilla husks with a whisper of wintergreen and honey on the very end.

Bottom Line:

This is another whiskey that’s just good. Its “Irishness” is dialed back but offers a nice lightness on the end with that honey vibe. The boldness of the sherried bourbon is what drives this one though, and it’s deep, delicious, and lush.

Aberfeldy Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Limited Edition Aged 21 Years Argentinian Malbec Wine Cask Finish

Aberfeldy Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Limited Edition Aged 21 Years Argentinian Malbec Wine Cask
Bacardi

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $248

The Whisky:

The latest Aberfeldy 21 release was distilled all the way back in November of 2001. The whisky then rested for 21 years in refill casks in the Highlands. That whisky was then transferred to Malbec French Oak wine casks from Finca Ambrosia Single Estate winery in Argentina for an additional eight months of aging before vatting, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is amazingly fresh and vibrant with a sense of dark and tart blackcurrants, strawberries still on the vine, and clumps of fresh honeycomb next to fields of summer florals and a hint of cinnamon bark.

Palate: Those floral notes meld with the honey on the palate with a rich and fresh vibe that leads to more cinnamon woodiness, a freshly squeezed sense of those blackcurrants, and those strawberries floating in cream with a touch of raw sugar and mint.

Finish: The end adds rose water and fresh lavender to the strawberries, cream, and mint while the honey gets super creamy on the finish with a nice moment of woody huckleberry and spice oak.

Bottom Line:

This is an amazingly vibrant whisky. This is what 20-year-old Scotch whisky should be like — full of surprises and succinct flavor notes that transport you to somewhere deep in your memories. This is a hell of a pour of whisky.

Compass Box Hedonism Blended Grain Scotch Whisky 2024 Limited Annual Release

Compass Box Hedonism Blended Grain Scotch Whisky 2024
Compass Box

ABV: 43%

Average Price: $139

The Whisky:

2024’s Hedonism is here and it’s as bold as ever. The whisky is a blend of grain whiskies from all over Scotland. The lion’s share of the juice comes from the famed Cameronbridge Distillery (renowned for its grain whiskies) with support from Girvan and Port Dundas distilleries.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose feels like arriving at a bakery just as the pain au chocolat comes out of the oven with all that brown butteriness and salted chocolate goodness filling the air next to creamy caramel, rich fresh vanilla pods, and clove buds.

Palate: The caramel and vanilla get super creamy on the palate as touches of clove and cinnamon drive the taste toward soft floral honey and tiramisu.

Finish: A whisper of orange oil arrives late with more clove and cinnamon before the butteriness from the nose comes back with plenty of honey, a dash of coffee powder, and soft cacao.

Bottom Line:

This is tasty AF. Pour this over a rock to let the creaminess go wild — the tiramisu vibe will lean into the mascarpone with a fresh and almost sour vibe that works wonders.

Watershed Distillery Straight Rye Whiskey Barrel Strength Aged 6 Years

Watershed Distillery Straight Rye Whiskey Barrel Strength
Watershed Distillery

ABV: 72.7%

Average Price: $89 (Lottery Only)

The Whiskey:

This is a super limited release from Watershed of only 100 bottles of hazmat rye whiskey (hazmat whiskeys are over 70% ABV). The whiskey is a 57% rye mash bill that was left alone until it was just right and then bottled 100% as-is.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is rich with dark notes of caramel and maybe even some molasses with a deep and spiced tobacco warmth next to raisins soaked in brandy and a touch of dry oats.

Palate: Those raisins and oats combine on the palate to create a rummy and vanilla-soaked oatmeal raisin cookie next to warming winter spices, a lot of oak, and heavy-duty ABV warmth.

Finish: The warmth builds on the finish but then fades out as the caramel and molasses soften toward brown sugar and vanilla cream with a deep chili-cherry-spiced tobacco finish.

Bottom Line:

This is a crazy strong rye whiskey (hazmat!) that works as a sipper. You’ll probably want to pour this over an ice cube it will deliver a great profile of unique and delicious rye whiskey.

Bulleit Single Malt Frontier Whiskey American Single Malt Whiskey

Bulleit Single Malt Frontier Whiskey
Diageo

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $58

The Whiskey:

This is a 100% malted barley whiskey created by bourbon and rye legends Bulleit. The malt was aged in new American oak for a spell before batching, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This is a candy bomb on the nose with sweet Jolly Rancher candies, fruit leather syrup, and tons of cherry and apple syrups with a hint of vanilla and oak backing it up.

Palate: Those sweet fruits vibe on the palate with a thick red berry syrup leading to pear candy and apple juice with a hint of sweetgrass countered by woody warming spice.

Finish: The end mellows dramatically toward soft mocha lattes, a touch of salted caramel, and faint whispers of a garden supply store.

Bottom Line:

This is a huge win for American single malt whiskey. Bulleit is a massive brand and its seal of approval of the style (like Jack Daniel’s and Jim Beam last year) is another important step in the style going mainstream.

While this feels more like a cocktail whiskey, it still has merit as something completely new on the shelf that’s worth at least trying at a bar and in your favorite cocktail.

Penelope Straight Bourbon Whiskey Toasted Barrel Finish

Penelope Straight Bourbon Whiskey Toasted Barrel Finish
MGP of Indiana

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $66

The Whiskey:

This whiskey starts with a fully matured four-year-old MGP of Indiana bourbon (74% corn, 21% rye, and 5% malted barley). Then the whiskey is re-barreled into freshly toasted new oak barrels for a final rest. Finally, this whiskey is batched, proofed, and bottled to highlight that finish.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Crafty grain notes with a sweet and buttery edge draw you in on the nose with a sense of salted caramel, burnt vanilla pods, and old firewood.

Palate: Sweet grits with a good dose of vanilla work well with toasted marshmallows just kissed with campfire licks from a flame as prunes and figs add a dark and fruity depth.

Finish: Salted caramel and salted cherries drive the finish toward deep vanilla creaminess with a hint of cedar kindling and tobacco leaf on the very end.

Bottom Line:

The year’s Penelope Toasted Barrel is a very unique and tasty whiskey. There are classic notes on the surface but the whiskey goes so far beyond that … if you give it time. Pour it neat, add water, go back and forth, and find all that wonderful depth.

Chattanooga Whiskey Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in White Port Casks

Chattanooga Whiskey Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Tawny Port Casks
Chattanooga Whiskey

ABV: 47.5%

Average Price: $45

The Whiskey:

This whiskey starts off very special before getting even more so with the finishing barrel. The base whiskey is a blend of six high-malt mash bill Tennessee bourbons that were chosen and batched for their fruity and wine-like flavors. That whiskey was then filled into seven white Port casks for a final rest before batching, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This smells like an old-world cask on the nose — prunes, dates, spiced yet sweet mulled wine, rum-soaked raisins, panettone, and old oak.

Palate: Dried blackberries soaked in brandy and dipped in chocolate drive the palate toward sweet and fruity dessert wine cut with woody winter spices, soft vanilla, and a touch of fresh figs off the vine.

Finish: That fig drives the finish toward soft brandy-soaked tobacco layered with mulled wine spices and ancient oak staves next to a fleeting sense of thick and spicy dessert wine cut with bourbon.

Bottom Line:

This white port cask finish is just excellent, like pretty much everything coming out of Chattanooga right now. If you find one, buy two.

Bardstown Bourbon Company Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Bardstown Bourbon Company Single Barrel
Bardstown Bourbon Company

ABV: Varies

Average Price: $96

The Whiskey:

This brand-new release from Bardstown Bourbon Company is part of their Origins Series in single-barrel form. The whiskey is their 36% high-rye bourbon mash bill and is selected from prime single barrels from their vast rickhouses. The whiskey is bottled as-is at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Expect a nose full of stewed stone fruits — peach cobbler comes to mind — on the nose with a good sense of baking spices with brown butter, soft brown sugars, and creamy vanilla that leads to salted caramel, touches of dark chocolate, and hints of black licorice with a whisper of fatty roasting herbs.

Palate: The fruit gets brighter on the palate as apricot preserves and blueberry pies drive the taste toward a sense of old rickhouses full of barrels, soft orchard trees on a summer day, and a deep sense of real vanilla pods baking in the sun with a hint of almond nuttiness.

Finish: The end leans into the nuttiness and vanilla husks with a deep oakiness that’s countered by sharp winter spice, grassy smudging sage, and cedar-infused tobacco layered into an old humidor.

Bottom Line:

These brand-new Bardstown single-barrel releases are dominating whiskeys. They run deep and deliver essential Kentucky bourbon profiles. If you’re looking for some of the best Kentucky bourbons right now, look no further.

Michter’s US*1 Limited Release Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

Chatham Imports

ABV: 54.6%

Average Price: $104

The Whiskey:

This rare Michter’s expression is pulled from single barrels that were just too good to batch or cut. Once the barrels hit the exact right flavor profile, each one is filtered with Michter’s bespoke system and then bottled as-is at the strength it came out of the barrel.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Dark cherry and butterscotch candies pop on the nose next to sour red wine mixed with mulled wine spices — lots of cinnamon, clove, and star anise — next to tart apple skins, apple bark, and a hint of singed marshmallow between lightly burnt Graham Crackers.

Palate: The palate subtly leans into spices with a nutmeg/eggnog vibe next to rich vanilla ice cream and smoked cherries with a minor note of fresh pipe tobacco and singed cedar bark.

Finish: The end adds some dried red chili and sharp cinnamon to the tobacco with a pinch of freshly cracked black pepper and a supple sense of a fresh fruit bowl with a lot of red berries.

Bottom Line:

Michter’s just dropped this gem for the first time in two years, making early 2024 pretty freaking exciting. And since this just dropped, it’ll be hitting shelves soon and you might be able to snag one at MSRP. Otherwise, look for this to cost a few hundred per bottle by late spring/early summer.

Jack Daniel’s 12 Years Old Tennessee Whiskey Batch 2

Jack Daniel's 12 Year
Brown-Forman

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $83

The Whiskey:

Jack Daniel’s 12-year Batch 2 is here! 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 bursts forth with soft and bright fruits — kind of like a package of Starbursts — before leaning into a luscious sense of stewed prunes and figs next to mulled wine spices and brandy-soaked vanilla cookies dipped in salted caramel chewing tobacco.

Palate: That Starburst vibe explodes on the palate with all the colors of the fruity sweet rainbow before a thick and creamy vanilla creaminess drives the palate toward burnt orange and vanilla wafers just kissed with Nutella and tobacco stems.

Finish: That tobacco takes on the creamy vanilla with nice layers of dark chocolate, an old barrel house, and soft and smoldering fall leaves wrapped in apple-smoked tobacco leaves bunched into an old cedar box.

Bottom Line:

This is one of the best Jack Daniel’s releases of the modern era. It hit shelves at the very end of February, so you might be able to snag one this month if you search and put in the elbow grease to find one. Trust me, it’s worth that effort. This is a great whiskey.

Clonakilty Atlantic Distillery 32-Year-Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Clonakilty Atlantic Distillery 32-Year-Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey
Clonakilty

ABV: Varies

Average Price: $2,440

The Whiskey:

This is a massive whiskey. The Irish malt was distilled way back in 1991. It was left in old Oloroso hogshead casks next to the Atlantic Ocean to age all those years. Finally, those barrels were pulled for a cask-strength bottling (one cask at a time) for only 500 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Sticky toffee pudding and panettone drive the nose toward soft floral honey with a slight sense of fresh figs swimming in clotted brandy cream and fresh mint with a whisper of walnut.

Palate: The Christmas cake vibes amp up on the palate as soft and leathery prunes mingle with those fresh figs, more walnut, soft cream, and a hint of olive oil with a flake of sea salt.

Finish: The walnuts take on a toasted and salted feel on the finish as a moment of tobacco arrives with a soft winter spice and a touch of candied citrus and dark fruit over salty driftwood.

Bottom Line:

This is a singular pour of whiskey. There’s nothing quite like it. It’s also delicious. But that price … wow. You really have to be into Irish whiskey or St. Patrick’s Day to pay that piper.

That being said, this is a one-of-one.