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 a whole bunch of choices we reviewed all through 2023 and give you 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 many of the whiskeys we picked for 2023 value greater than $100, just one lands in what we’d contemplate unicorn territory. That stated, it actually deserves to be represented right here, so we couldn’t go away it out. Need extra choices? Try our vacation buying information.
As at all times, we’re revealing one whiskey every day over the subsequent 10 days till we hit #1 on Christmas Eve. Whilst you’re making ready for the large reveal, be at liberty to take pleasure in a few of our earlier prime 10 whiskey lists: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017. It’s also possible to search a number of shops at wine-searcher to seek out the perfect costs on all these merchandise and extra.
Agree, disagree? Love us? Hate us? Pontificate within the feedback or on social media and tell us what you suppose!
Keep tuned for tomorrow after we’ll replace the listing with our #6 choose, counting down the highest 10 till Christmas Eve!
7. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Elusive Umami – Placing “Umami” within the title of $400 whisky looks as if a loopy alternative, 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 function these wealthy, meaty umami flavors – mushrooms, white pepper, sesame… all of the stuff of an incredible Asian meal, simply in whisky kind. 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 listing in recent times, Octomore hasn’t made an look in our prime 10 since our inaugural listing 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 at times, 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 sort of compelling. A comparatively low degree of peat (128.9 ppm) lets notes of spiced fruitcake, tobacco leaf, and crimson berry shine by means of earlier than the standard coastal notes of campfire, seaweed, iodine, and lemon zest oscillate their method 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 listing earlier than 2030. 115.4 proof. $260 -RT
9. Cragganmore Distillers Version 2023 – Perennially underrated, Cragganmore is without doubt one of the greatest offers in Scotch whisky because of its poor title recognition – and with this particular version from the 2023 Distillers Version assortment, it will get even higher because of 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 on the lookout for a brand new day by day dram from the world of single malt received’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 combat fairly exhausting to get this whiskey on the listing over a lot of different glorious contenders, however since I’m the boss round right here, I received the battle in the long run. A part of that combat stems from the truth that this was a restricted launch that’s more and more exhausting (however not unimaginable) to seek out. And it’s a pity, as a result of it’s certainly one of 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 may problem every thing you suppose you recognize about bourbon. Right here’s hoping Filibuster tries one thing related once more subsequent 12 months. 112.8 proof. $120 -CN
Extra reporting by Drew Beard, Frank Dobbins, and Rob Theakston.
