The 15 Best Whiskey Brands to Buy Now in 2025 From Bourbon to Rye
What are different types of whiskey?
Whiskey is a spirit that is distilled from grain, and usually matured in a barrel for some length of time. There are many different types of whiskey, each with its own specific definition. These include bourbon, American single malt, rye whiskey, single malt scotch, Irish whiskey, and Japanese whisky, but there are many others. The rules vary as far as what grains each has to be made from, the country of origin, and how long it needs to be matured in a wooden barrel.
How should you drink whiskey?
The short answer is however you like it. There is no wrong or right way to enjoy whiskey. That being said, it’s best to at least start by tasting whiskey neat to really discover its character. You can also enjoy whiskey over ice, with some water, or in any number of classic cocktails like a Manhattan, Old Fashioned, Boulevardier, or Sazerac.
How did we choose the whiskey on this list?
We considered different factors when picking these whiskeys, with the main emphasis on taste. Because after all, despite a bottle’s availability or the hype surrounding it, that is the most important thing. Tasting whiskey involves a combination of sensations, including the nose, palate, mouthfeel, and finish. And each category has different characteristics, so part of the process is to consider how an individual pick fits into its style overall. The bottles on this list represent the best whiskey brands based on all of these options, providing a good overview of selections you can easily purchase in person or online that are high quality examples of each individual category.
Why should you trust us to pick the right whiskey?
Jonah Flicker has been writing about whiskey and other spirits for a decade, visiting distilleries around the world to meet the people behind the bottles and find out more about their stories, and tasting hundreds of different expressions every year. He is a judge for the John Barleycorn Awards and New York World Wine and Spirits Competition, and his work has appeared in many other national lifestyle outlets besides Robb Report, including Esquire, Food & Wine, Men’s Journal, CNN, USA Today, and more.
