The 10 Best Whiskeys of 2024
Woodford Reserve
Every year, I try a few hundred different whiskeys in all categories, ranging from single malt scotch to bourbon to Japanese grain whisky to Danish sherry cask-finished rye to American single malt—which is now an officially designated whiskey category.
And for my weekly column Taste Test, I’m looking across all categories and styles from major brands and small craft distilleries from around the world to critique the most interesting expressions. Sometimes they can be very good, like below, or sometimes they can be pretty bad (please stop finishing whiskey in Amburana wood, and maybe we don’t need another hazmat proof bottle). Across the 50 bottles I reviewed for Taste Test in 2024, these are the 10 best whiskeys that received my highest ratings on a scale of 100. My top picks range from some expensive unicorns to some much more readily available bottles. Check it out and catch up on something you missed or find out about something new, and happy bottle hunting.
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Abraham Bowman Oak Series French Oak
Image Credit: A. Smith Bowman Distillery The point of this series, as made clear by the name, is to explore the influence that wood has on whiskey as it matures. This French Oak expression from Bowman is deep in color and flavor without going overboard. There are rich notes of cherry, grape, and vanilla on the nose, with a woody, buttery undertone. The palate veers towards the sweeter side of the spectrum, but it’s bright and complex and never cloying. This bottle received the highest score I’ve ever handed out.
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Russells Reserve 15 Year Old
Image Credit: Russell’s Reserve Forget the exorbitant price and scarcity for a moment, and focus on the fact that this is a great bourbon, and one of the best that Wild Turkey has ever released. Sure, on an average day I’d rather drink Russell’s 10 or even my old friend Wild Turkey 101, but this is a special occasion pour that stands out.
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Daftmill 2010 Cask Strength
Image Credit: Krystian Krzewinski This small distillery located in the Lowland region of Scotland released one of the best single malts of the year so far, a U.S. exclusive that knocks it out of the park in terms of flavor, complexity, and overall enjoyment. This new whisky is well balanced and truly delicious, a splash of liquid inspiration that you should try whether you’re unfamiliar with Daftmill or a longtime fan.
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Smokeye Hill Bourbon
Image Credit: Smokeye Hill The reality is that a lot of people like reading about whiskey awards, and sometimes these accolades actually help a brand by increasing hype, popularity, and sales. Such is the case with Smokeye Whiskey, a relatively new brand that picked up some awards over the past year—and it turns out, very deservedly so.This is a very well balanced bourbon that oscillates between notes of deep oak, young wood, fruits, and spice, four flavor corners that all lead to a pleasant, warming finish.
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Heaven Hill 2024 Heritage Collection
Image Credit: Heaven Hill Heaven Hill’s Heritage Collection is an annual release that highlights one of the distillery’s six mashbills. This 18-year-old bourbon avoids being overly oaky or tannic, and is even better than last year’s 17-year-old expression. There are notes of root beer, Cherry Coke, grape Jolly Rancher (weird nostalgic soda/candy theme happening here), and charred oak on the palate, and at 120 proof there’s some heat but not enough to necessarily require adding water.
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King of Kentucky Bourbon
Image Credit: King of Kentucky King of Kentucky isn’t a new whiskey brand, but it is very different from what it once was. This bourbon is fantastic, and though it sounds like a cliche (because it is), it drinks softer than its high proof. There are notes of sweet vanilla, cotton candy, crystallized brown sugar, Cherry Coke, banana pudding, and caramel coating the palate. If you’re a passionate collector with a dedicated whiskey fund, go for it—you will not be disappointed.
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Baker’s 13 Year
Image Credit: Baker’s Bourbon This bourbon doesn’t taste like Knob Creek, Booker’s, or any of the other Small Batch Collection expressions. The signature Beam nutty grain flavor is present, but it’s softened with layers of milk and dark chocolate, espresso bean, dulce de leche, fig, and a backbone of smoky oak. At 107 proof, there’s some heat on the palate, but that minimal dilution also means extra flavor. Overall, this bourbon is delicious, and one well worth seeking out.
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Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Triumph
Image Credit: Wild Turkey Wild Turkey saves some of its most special whiskey for its high-end annual Master’s Keep release, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that liquid is the oldest, rarest, or most uniquely cask-finished in the distillery’s warehouses. In the case of the latest edition, called Triumph, that’s a very good thing: This 10-year-old rye is not flashy, it’s just delicious.
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Jaywalk Rye
Image Credit: Gabi Porter/NY Distilling Co. The new Jaywalk Rye is a strong contender for the best grain-to-glass whiskey in recent years, and it has an interesting backstory that is worth digging into. There is a welcome balance of flavor on the palate—the spice is indeed present but takes a supporting role, leaving the spotlight to shine on deep notes of caramel, espresso, vanilla, custard, burnt orange, black pepper, and a touch of grape soda.
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Woodford Reserve Baccarat Derby
Image Credit: Woodford Reserve The whiskey in this bottle is essentially a newer version of the Woodford Reserve Baccarat Edition that was released in 2020 with some additional aging. The whiskey was finished in a “couture” barrel, made from oak staves seasoned at the Derby Day Winner’s Circle at Churchill Downs, for another 12 months. The distillery could have labeled it as a finished bourbon after using the Cognac cask for secondary maturation, but decided to call it American whiskey instead.
Read the full Woodford Reserve Baccarat Derby Edition review
Authors
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Jonah Flicker
