The Best Whiskey Bottles to Buy for Your Collection

Best Tennessee Whiskey

Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey

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If you aren’t familiar with the story of Nathan “Nearest” Green, an enslaved man who taught Jack Daniel how to make whiskey, you should be. He is believed to have perfected the proprietary Lincoln County Process for making Tennessee whiskey, which includes a maple charcoal filter that sets it apart from other methods of production.

After chronicling Green’s contribution to the history of American whiskey-making, Fawn Weaver created the brand in celebration of his legacy, and the label 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey is a treat. A blend of whiskeys between 8 and 14 years, sumptuous caramel, dried fruit, and a hint of cinnamon make 1856 a must-have for your bar.

Price at time of publish: $57

ABV: 100 Proof | Age: 8 Years | Volume: 750 milliliters

Best Irish Whiskey

Redbreast 12 Cask Strength

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Redbreast uses both malted and un-malted barley to create its 12-year-old Cask Strength Whiskey, which whisky critic Jim Murray included in his 2020 Whisky Bible as Irish Whiskey of the Year. The brand takes the pot-distilled spirit and ages it in both ex-bourbon barrels and Oloroso sherry butts. The typical Redbreast 12-year-old is bottled at 80 proof, while the Cask Strength clocks in at a substantially higher 111.6 proof, which gives the juice more intense flavors and aromas. It’s a fruity dram, rich with big spicy notes, a pop of vanilla, and a strong and long finish.

Price at time of publish: $92

ABV: 111.6 Proof | Age: 12 Years | Volume: 750 milliliters

Best Sipping Whisky

Glenmorangie Signet Single Malt Whisky

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For the men and (now) women of Tain, making Glenmorangie Signet is a labor of love. Over one week a year in the Scottish highlands, the company distills the chocolate malt barley into spirit—a more difficult feat than processing the core variety—before being laid to bed in a woody slumber.

After an unspecified length of aging, Glenmorangie mingles it with some of its oldest stocks. The result is a beautiful dram that's perfect for sipping fireside with friends, rich with notes of bitter chocolate, a sherried sweetness, and a punch of spice.

Price at time of publish: $165

ABV: 92 Proof | Age: No Age Statement | Volume: 750 milliliters

Best Japanese Whisky

Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt Whisky

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In recent years, the world has fallen hard for Japanese whisky; there simply isn’t enough to go around, so it can be a bit tricky to get your hands on a bottle. The great thing about Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt is that you can still find it on shelves. It’s a brilliant drink—light and full of subtle complexity.

Named for Masataka Taketsuru, the father of Japanese whisky and the label’s founder, this expression is blended for balance. Malt plays off notes of apple and butterscotch, while a spicy note flickers across the palate. It’s no wonder Jim Murray named it the best Japan has to offer.

Price at time of publish: $55

ABV: 86 Proof | Age: No Age Statement | Volume: 750 milliliters

Best Rye Whiskey

Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Cornerstone Rye

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Cornerstone Rye is Wild Turkey’s fourth release in its limited-edition Master’s Keep Series, and to be quite frank, it’s hard to believe it hasn’t all been snapped up yet. Master distiller Eddie Russell concocted this expression using a secret stash of 9- to 11-year-old ryes.

Sure, it’s a bit on the pricey side, but a bottle is well worth the splurge. Big notes of vanilla, apple, honey, pepper, and oak make it a decadent mouthful. It has a substantial feel as it swirls around the tastebuds as well as a long, sweet, spicy finish.

Price at time of publish: $160

ABV: 109 | Age: 9 Years | Volume: 750 milliliters

Best Bourbon Whiskey

Booker’s Bourbon

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Originally hand-bottled by then-Jim Beam master distiller Booker Noe as gifts for his closest friends, the brand started selling a small amount to the public back in 1992. Today, the folks at Beam put out four limited releases of Booker’s Bourbon every year, and they are consistently brilliant. The current release is called “Granny’s Batch,” named in honor of current master distiller Fred Noe’s grandmother Margaret Beam Noe, who was the youngest child of Jim Beam and mother of Booker Noe.

Fred Noe used barrels from two different production dates, aged in six spots in four rack houses to blend this bourbon that clocks in at a boozy 126.1 proof. It hits all the right notes, with vanilla at the forefront, with a swirl of cocoa, a hint of peanut butter, and a few pops of baking spice along the way.

Price at time of publish: $47

ABV: 126.1 | Age: 6 Years | Volume: 750 milliliters

Best Scotch Whisky

Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Year Old Whisky

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Scotch whiskies made on the island of Islay are famous for their robust smoky profile imbued from the peat-fueled fire used to roast the barley. Ardbeg embraces that tradition and makes some of the finest bottlings for those who love a big mouthful of smoke. Traigh Bhan 19 is no exception.

This single malt is rich and smoky, but what elevates it to the next level is that through that peaty layer explodes a shimmering and intense pineapple note that radiates on your tastebuds and will forever alter the way you experience single malt Scotch.

Price at time of publish: $259

ABV: 92.4 Proof | Age: 19 Years | Volume: 750 milliliters

Best Cheap

Four Roses Bourbon Yellow Label

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Previously known as Four Roses Yellow Label, this iconic bourbon is a steal at around $20. It’s one of those bottles that is often relegated to the bottom of the whiskey aisle shelf, but as Garth Brooks might croon, it’s good to have friends in "low places."

Four Roses uses two different mash bills and five strains of yeast to create spirits which, in the case of this bourbon, are then aged at least five years. The result is a quite approachable glass of bourbon—soft in the mouth and impactful in nearly any cocktail.

Price at time of publish: $16

ABV: 80 Proof | Age: 5 Years | Volume: 750 milliliters

Best Canadian Whisky

Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye

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When Jim Murray “crowned” Northern Harvest Rye 2016 World Whisky of the Year in his Whisky Bible, a great number of whisky aficionados were shocked and some even bit dismayed. But it is delicious.

Every bottle is 90 percent rye (Crown Royal doesn’t say what makes up the other 10 percent of the mash bill), so it’s rye forward but not quite as spicy as you’d expect. Big notes of apple and cherry ride an undercurrent of clove and lemon. It’s an explosive drink with a lovely, long, and creamy finish. Plus it makes a killer Manhattan.

Price at time of publish: $33  

ABV: 90 Proof | Age: 3 Years | Volume: 750 milliliters

Best for Old Fashioneds

High West Bourye

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"To be or not to be" is certainly the Bard’s most famous query. But "bourbon or rye" is the bartender’s most common interrogative on taking an old fashioned order.

But why choose? The Utah label High West’s Bourye takes a pair of straight bourbons plus a rye and blends them into sheer magic. Bottled at 92 proof, it’s a wonderfully complex whiskey with notes of gingerbread, nuts, caramel, cinnamon, clove, mint, and tea. That rich melange integrates well with traditional Angostura aromatics but could inspire a bolder selection of bitters in your next old fashioned.

Price at time of publish: $90

ABV: 92 Proof | Age: 10 years | Volume: 750 milliliters

Best Under $150

GlenDronach 15 Revival Single Malt Whisky

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Best in Show Whiskey at the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, GlenDronach Revival 15 Year Old is a stunning single malt. Discontinued in 2015, This Highland whisky’s return has been much heralded.

Aged in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks, Revival spends at least a decade and a half asleep in the Spanish wood. When it’s finally time to wake the whisky, the lengthy nap has created a beautiful, dark dram, full of splendid fruity flavors as well as dark chocolate, honey, and a touch of mint. For single malt lovers, this bottle is an absolute must-buy, especially at the price point.

Price at time of publish: $50

ABV: 92 Proof | Age: 15 Years | Volume: 750 milliliters

Best Honey Whiskey

Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey

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Sure, serious whiskey drinkers might scoff at the idea of a honey-flavored whiskey, but if you’re making a hot toddy or a whiskey-based cocktail for someone who likes drinks on the sweeter side, Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Honey could be the ticket.

Technically, it’s a whiskey liqueur, as it’s honey liqueur blended with the iconic brand’s famed Old No. 7 Tennessee whiskey and bottled at 70 proof. The addition of honey gives it a natural sweetness that’s both tasty and versatile. Mix it over ice it with some ginger beer and some citrus for a refreshing Tennessee Buck. 

Price at time of publish: $13

ABV: 70 Proof | Age: No Age Statement | Volume: 750 milliliters

Best for Beginners

Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon Whiskey

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Because of the high alcohol content, Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon might seem like an aggressive choice for a novice whiskey drinker, but beginners typically start with ice, which substantially shuts down the flavors.

Wild Turkey 101 and its high rye mash aged in white American oak easily stands its ground against even the largest cube. Plus, it’s a classic whiskey with archetypical bourbon flavors like caramel, cinnamon, and char. As whiskey newbies level up their ability to enjoy more intensity, they can reduce the amount of ice or water they add and suss out new and more subtle notes along the way.

Price at time of publish: $15

ABV: 101 Proof | Age: Between 6-8 years | Volume: 750 milliliters

Best Flavored

Knob Creek Smoked Maple Bourbon Whiskey

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Flavored whiskey can be a bit tricky. Some of it can hardly be called whiskey at all, but Knob Creek Maple is made with all the craft and care of the label’s original expression with a hint of maple sweetness that complements the traditional bourbon flavors of caramel, vanilla, and oak.

A pleasant dose of smoke helps give this whiskey balance and prevent the sugary quality from becoming cloying. It’s a lovely addition to enhance your cocktail repertoire, and if you are keen on living a bit dangerously, it makes a fun adult ice cream topping.

Price at time of publish: $22

ABV: 90 Proof | Age: No Age Statement | Volume: 750 milliliters