It was one other powerful 12 months for the whisky nerds amongst us – which is, effectively, all of us – as we tried to pare down the lots of of choices we reviewed all through 2023 and provide you with an inventory of the ten that excited us probably the most. Sure, we heard your cries from final 12 months: Too many luxe unicorns, not sufficient attainable juice. We’ve tempered our style for four-figure spirits this time round, and whereas a lot of the whiskeys we picked for 2023 value greater than $100, just one lands in what we’d think about unicorn territory. That stated, it actually deserves to be represented right here, so we couldn’t go away it out. Need extra choices? Take a look at our vacation buying information.
As all the time, we’re revealing one whiskey every day over the following 10 days till we hit #1 on Christmas Eve. When you’re making ready for the massive reveal, be happy to take pleasure in a few of our earlier high 10 whiskey lists: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017. You too can search a number of shops at wine-searcher to seek out the very best costs on all these merchandise and extra.
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That’s it, of us! Glad holidays!
1. Wild Turkey Grasp’s Maintain Voyage – A struggle almost broke out over this whiskey’s inclusion on the checklist. Not as a result of it’s dangerous – it’s wonderful – however as a result of one other Grasp’s Maintain launch, Generations, additionally garnered critical reward from our voting panel. We typically solely embody one whiskey per distillery on the checklist, and the votes between the 2 had been cut up virtually evenly. In the end, the rum barrel-finished Voyage pulled forward due to its unimaginable depth and fruit-laden sweetness that’s in contrast to another Wild Turkey whiskey we’ve ever reviewed. Arduous to place down, it feels tailored for high-end cocktails, however it additionally drinks a bit like one by itself, with none adulteration. Frankly, it’s top-of-the-line whiskeys the distillery has ever turned out. Helluva 12 months for the oldsters in Lawrenceburg. 106 proof. $300 -CN
2. Glenmorangie “A Story of Tokyo” – This newest addition of Glenmorangie’s “Story of” sequence takes every little thing nice concerning the basic Glenmorangie taste profile and pushes it additional, due to some ending time in mizunara oak casks. Candy with orange, vanilla, and caramel on the nostril, it provides a great deal of complexity because it rests within the glass, unfolding layers of sandalwood, black tea, and pepper. The palate retains the sweetness going with notes of milk chocolate, ginger, and anise becoming a member of within the dialog, offering dimension with out getting too syrupy or convoluted. This one is deep in its intricacy, and spending a good sipping session with it’s well worth the funding of money and time. The limited-edition Glenmorangie expressions virtually all the time promise to ship a very good time. “Tokyo” retains the successful methods ongoing and is actually worthy of inclusion right here. 92 proof. $110 -RT
3. Bardstown Bourbon Firm Discovery Collection #11 – This newest bourbon from the tireless whiskeymakers at Bardstown Bourbon Co. got here loopy near nabbing our high spot, a formidable feat for its debut on our coveted checklist. The collaboration bottling with Foursquare rum distillery earlier this 12 months may have simply made the checklist, as effectively, however there was one thing about this eleventh version of its Discovery Collection that simply captured our palates. Balanced, approachable, flavorful – it was cinnamon toast in a glass. Possibly the celebs simply aligned for this one or perhaps using BBCo.’s house-distilled bourbon shares will imply a fair larger stage of high quality for this mix going ahead. I suppose we’ll discover out within the new 12 months. 118.1 proof. $169 -DB
4. Eagle Uncommon Bourbon 17 Years Outdated 
2023 – Regardless of being solely the third oldest Eagle Uncommon expression in the marketplace, Eagle Uncommon 17 is a splendidly oak-driven whiskey. The 2023 model from Buffalo Hint’s Vintage Assortment soars as a result of it strikes a stability between the qualities related to hyper-aged bourbon and the vivaciousness of its considerably youthful counterpart, Eagle Uncommon Single Barrel. Whereas many of us are left to yearly lament the restricted portions and excessive worth of Eagle Uncommon 17, it stays among the many most desired bourbons in the marketplace, and this 12 months’s expression is pretty much as good as any in latest reminiscence – it might, in reality, be the very best. 101 proof. $2000 -FD [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]
5. Teeling Single Pot Nonetheless Virgin Portuguese Oak Irish Whiskey – Dublin-based Teeling continues to hit them out of the park with its common releases at each the ultra-high finish and extra modest choices. Living proof, this latest launch which blends malted and unmalted barley 50/50 and ages it in unused barrels constructed from oaks grown in Portugal. What a distinction switching issues up like this makes, the added tannin of the Portuguese oak including pepper, tobacco, and furnishings polish notes to what may in any other case be a comfortable and ephemeral whiskey. Earthy and brooding on the end, it’s a wintry deal with that lingers within the thoughts as a lot because the palate. 100 proof. $99 -CN
6. Buckner’s Bourbon 13 Years Outdated – Augusta Distillery’s Buckner’s Bourbon is a type of uncommon bourbons that seemingly got here out of nowhere and have become an prompt hit. After garnering widespread fanfare on the awards circuit and reward from seemingly everybody who was fortunate sufficient to style it, we managed to get our fingers on a bottle and, spoiler alert: It didn’t disappoint. What begins as a full throttle punch to the palate quickly mellows out to disclose decadent layers of taste that can hold you coming again for extra with every sip. In a 12 months stuffed with ho-hum releases (alongside the gems, natch), Buckner’s 13 managed to buck the pattern and emerge as a excessive octane showstopper. 140 proof. $200 -FD
7. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami – Placing “Umami” within the title of $400 whisky looks as if a loopy selection, however let’s hear out the Home of Walker, OK? A collaboration between Walker and Japanese chef Kei Kobayashi, there’s no sleight of hand on this one – it’s only a barrel choose, with Walker pulling whiskies from its assortment that characteristic these wealthy, meaty umami flavors – mushrooms, white pepper, sesame… all of the stuff of an important Asian meal, simply in whisky type. The expertise isn’t as overblown as a few of these taste notes may recommend; that is nonetheless a vivid and sunny expertise – only one that delights in its complexity. 86 proof. $369 -CN [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]
8. Bruichladdich Octomore 14.2 – Whereas latest expressions have come extremely shut to creating our checklist lately, Octomore hasn’t made an look in our high 10 since our inaugural checklist in 2017, when the second model of the 10-year-old knocked our socks off. There’s been fairly a little bit of time and plenty of choices between every now and then, and ultimately we arrive on the masterpiece of model 14.2. The distinction of 14.2 to its siblings 14.1 and 14.3 is kind of compelling. A comparatively low stage of peat (128.9 ppm) lets notes of spiced fruitcake, tobacco leaf, and purple berry shine by earlier than the standard coastal notes of campfire, seaweed, iodine, and lemon zest oscillate their strategy to a lingering and extremely satisfying end. It doesn’t have the no-nonsense, uncooked phenolic throat punch Octomore normally doles out, however extra experimentation alongside these traces is a most welcome expertise. I’m sure we’ll be seeing Octomore once more on this checklist earlier than 2030. 115.4 proof. $260 -RT
9. Cragganmore Distillers Version 2023 – Perennially underrated, Cragganmore is likely one of the finest offers in Scotch whisky due to its poor title recognition – and with this particular version from the 2023 Distillers Version assortment, it will get even higher due to ending in Port-seasoned American oak casks. It’s not too heavy on the fruity Port notes, because the malt at its core does the heavy lifting, plus it’s a mere 80 proof, which additional ensures a delicate, easygoing expertise. These searching for a brand new day by day dram from the world of single malt gained’t discover a higher choice launched this 12 months. 80 proof. $90 -CN [BUY IT NOW FROM RESERVEBAR]
10. Filibuster Triple Cask Bourbon Tokaji Completed – I needed to struggle fairly arduous to get this whiskey on the checklist over a lot of different glorious contenders, however since I’m the boss round right here, I gained the battle in the long run. A part of that struggle stems from the truth that this was a restricted launch that’s more and more arduous (however not unattainable) to seek out. And it’s a pity, as a result of it’s one in all my favourite bourbons of the 12 months, mixing Filibuster’s Virginia-born distillate with some MGP inventory and letting all of it simmer in a Hungarian Tokaji wine barrel to complete issues off. The outcomes are magical, making for an intensely candy, nutty, fruity, and fragrant whiskey that can problem every little thing you suppose you realize about bourbon. Right here’s hoping Filibuster tries one thing comparable once more subsequent 12 months. 112.8 proof. $120 -CN
Extra reporting by Drew Beard, Frank Dobbins, and Rob Theakston.
