Today’s whisky world has never been more exciting—and the Spring 2018 issue of Whisky Advocate takes you deep inside some of the most cutting-edge distilleries to investigate how their innovative techniques are shaping what’s in the glass. Can you create mature whisky in just a week without using a barrel? We answer that question, pitting “alternatively aged” whiskies against their traditional counterparts in a blind matchup.

American craft distillers are also showing their capacity for innovation, from smoking grains over unique woods to distilling single-varietal heirloom corn to betting big on sustainable techniques. Meet the visionaries who are transforming American whiskey.

Meanwhile, whisky distilling is taking hold in countries large and small—from the powerhouse distillers of Japan and India to tiny players in Bolivia, Iceland, and Indonesia. Take a journey around the world in 80 whiskies. And don’t miss our list of the 10 Greatest Whisky Innovations in history—or our Spring Buying Guide, featuring over 120 reviews of scotch, bourbon, and more.