As always, bottles that have made the whiskey of the year list are going to be total bangers across a handful of metrics, but we all know it comes down to the most obvious grading metric: flavor.  As I have said in previous years, I will be making my ultimate whiskey of the year selection based upon the quality of the whiskey, but I also take this one time of year to take into consideration value and availability.

While I’d love to just make this a five hundred word article touting the best tasting bottle I tried all year (and believe me when I say that I would) I just don’t see that as being a great way to recommend all of the impressive whiskey that’s available, and it’s not really a service to loyal readers who come here for reviews and opinions throughout the year.  I say this frequently, but I feel like it can’t be overstated: flavor and value are both extremely subjective, and I’m here to share thoughts on flavor, not to push you to buy allocated bottles or pay secondary prices that I personally would never consider paying.

Each category has been narrowed down to include top bottles from each, and I will name a handful of Honorable Mentions that were truly delicious whiskey, but couldn’t quite make the final cut for Whiskey of the Year due to pricing or availability.

And now…the winners

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation was on the in background, as I began this post, but it’s a bit late hitting the internet than I originally intended; however, with that said, I’ve got a cup of coffee slowly sacrificing itself for the greater good, and a mind full of thoughts on whiskey I have had the opportunity to sip throughout 2025. I hope there are some familiar names in this list, and a few surprises as well. If you can’t find some of these, don’t stress, it’s the holiday season and–perhaps more importantly–it’s just whiskey.

Best Bourbons of 2025

• Chattanooga Whiskey Cask 111
• New Riff Single Barrel Bourbon
• Wild Turkey Rare Breed Bourbon
• John J. Bowman Single Barrel Bourbon
• Old Elk Slow Cut Bourbon
• Blue Note Uncut
• Ben Holladay Soft Red Wheat
• Elijah Craig Barrel Proof

Best Ryes of 2025

• Raconteur Rye Batch 3 “Miz Kiss”
• Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye
• Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye
• WhistlePig 10 Year Rye
• Pursuit United Rye
• Barrell Rye Batch 04

Best Finished Whiskeys of 2025

• High West “The Prisoner’s Share” Red Wine Finished Straight Whiskey
• Coppercraft 7 Year Rum Finished Bourbon
• High West x Casa Noble “The Noble Share” Tequila Finished Rye Whiskey
• Raconteur Rye (Batch 02 – Brazen)
• Barrell Craft Spirits Seagrass

Best Malts of 2025

• Westward Whiskey Cask Strength American Single Malt
• Rare Character Exceptional Series Kentucky Straight Malt
• WhistlePig The BigShǝBàng N. American Single Malt

‘Other Whiskey’ Bests 2025

• Two Stacks “The First Cut” Irish Whiskey
• Chattanooga Whiskey Confluence Project Wheat Whiskey
• Found North Goldfinch Canadian Whisky
• WhistlePig GraveStock Whiskey Wheat Whiskey
• Old Elk Wheat Whiskey

Honorable Mentions 2025

• Flying Ace 13 Year Bourbon
• Drumshanbo Tawny Port Cask Single Pot Still Whiskey
• Found North Helldiver

And the overall winner…

I want to close out the year by saying that, simply put, the Flying Ace 13 Year was at the absolute top of my list for the best whiskey I had all year; however, due to the extremely limited quantity available (1500 bottles) and with distribution limited to Michigan, I couldn’t name this as my whiskey of the year. Granted, thirteen year MGP bourbon that’s perfectly proofed and selected for a limited edition is very likely to make the top of most lists, so I suppose that’s not a surprise, I just couldn’t go without mentioning how truly delicious that bottle is.

Along the same vein, I want to tip my cap to Drumshanbo for their Tawny Port Cask Finish Irish Whiskey as well. This was one of the most impressive releases I’ve had throughout the year, and should be a serious eye-opener for anyone looking to expand their Irish whiskey collection, or just trying to find something new and delicious. An absolute beauty of a whiskey.

Found North makes the list with their Helldiver release, which was remarkably tasty. I can’t overstate how unique and delicious a lot of their products are, and I’m hoping to put more of them in front of you in the upcoming year. Enthusiasts absolutely must take notice of Found North products, if you have somehow missed out in the past, make 2026 the year you remedy that situation.

A few recognizable labels made the list this year, and I will unapologetically name Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye, the WhistlePig summer edition releases, and Barrel Rye Batch 04 until someone can take them down. These releases are moderately available, and represent some of the best flavors in their categories each year. I’m glad to see they have remained out there in the wild.

Coming back around to my whiskey of the year. This was one of the most difficult Whiskey of the Year choices I’ve made, if not the most difficult ever. The shelves are packed with contenders these days, and narrowing down based upon quality, availability, and value is becoming harder each year. Hell, it’s becoming harder by the month. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel (Barrel Proof) remains available across the market for what I feel like is a totally fair price, and the amount of flavor jammed into those bottles will shock many folks in a blind comparison.

If you (or someone you know) is staunchly anti-Jack, make 2026 the year you host a tasting and put some Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel in the lineup. I’d even go so far as to throw the 94 proof offering in there as well just to open more eyes to the potential of the “not bourbon” whiskey that could totally be labeled as bourbon if they chose to do so.

I’ll continue tracking down great bottles and sharing my thoughts on them, and I’ll post whiskey news here as it streams across the media desk, and hopefully get to sample my way through the bottles that have thus far evaded my sweaty paws. Thank you again for another year of reading along and being part of the American whiskey world. I appreciate each and every one of you who reads along, joins Discord to chat, and/or shares on social media. Looking forward to a fun 2026 with as much engagement as possible. Cheers!