This limited edition 20 year old assemblage was matured in bourbon barrels, sherry casks, Cabernet Franc casks, Cabernet Sauvignon casks, and Pinot Noir barriques. Rich and sweet on the nose, with marzipan, apricot jam, and fresh pineapple with vanilla custard. Silky, with ginger, cherries, and caramel on the palate. The finish is long, with black pepper, licorice, and slightly tannic oak. (5,000 bottles) £120

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2017)

A pedigree blend gracing your glass with aromas of sultana, prune, glacé cherry, toffee, nutmeg, dense dark fruits, sweet toffee, and cozy Christmas spices. This well-paced, silky blend canters through red apple, cherry, pomegranate, pressed date bars, Brazil nut, nutmeg, and pepper. Cinnamon, black pepper, and apple peel make for a harmonious finish. A suitably glamorous libation for spectators of the sport of kings. £110

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2017)

Delivering a buttery mouthfeel with toasted rye and baking spice notes, Peerless is the only craft producer on our list. It’s hard to pinpoint why this young rye succeeds where others fail, but one point of difference is the use of sweet mash fermentation, rather than the much more common sour mash technique, where spent mash is added to the new fermentation. Furthermore, the Peerless warehouse achieves temperatures upward of 110 degrees. Whatever the technical reasons, Peerless is paving the way and we expect more craft distillers to join them. Number 15 in the 2017 Top 20 

Reviewed by: Fred Minnick (Winter 2017)

Peerless Distilling’s first whiskey in nearly a century; at 2 years old, it’s precocious. Captivating on the nose; fruit-driven, with orange, peach nectar melded with vanilla custard, and nice details of clove and nutmeg. The palate pours big and bold, bursting with fruit alcohol and a face slap of spicy, peppery rye. While it’s a touch hot, the reveal of 53.7% makes this forgivable. A generous splash of water unleashes more flavor, baking spice, and aniseed on the finish.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Winter 2017)

New for 2017, this was matured for 17 years in bourbon casks before being finished in oloroso sherry casks for 1 year. The nose is fragrant, with prunes, oranges, vanilla, and faint wood polish. Ultimately, ozone. Silky palate delivery, with sweet sherry, honey, and dark chocolate-coated orange fondant creams, then a note of angelica. The finish offers spicy plain chocolate and a suggestion of sea salt. £86

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2017)

Most Irish whiskey consumed in the U.S. is blended, and Ireland’s single pot still whiskeys enjoy a cult following. However, Irish single malts, including Tyrconnell 16 year old, are often unfairly overshadowed by their Scottish neighbors. This limited-edition whiskey, made entirely with Irish barley, is double distilled in pot stills like most scotch, then aged in bourbon barrels. Tyrconnell is named for a racehorse, but this whiskey is slow and steady: it’s soft and gentle, yet full-flavored, with warming vanilla, graham cracker, and citrus notes, and rounded spice. Though it may not be as brash as some scotch malts, this thoroughbred is able to go the distance. Number 16 in the 2017 Top 20 

Reviewed by: Adam Polonski (Winter 2017)

This 1964 distillate has a nose of rich toffee, weighty oak, allspice, antique hardback books, dried apple, cracker bread, and banana chips. A fairy tale taste of red apple perfection, as if Snow White polished it on her skirt. This ripens to encompass gumdrops and lollipops. Golden syrup, lime zest, caramel, and vanilla bleed into a conclusion of nutmeg, oak, and apple peel. An auspicious moment for grain whisky. (752 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2017)

A nose of bold sherry, worn leather, figs, malt, white pepper, and ginger. Ultimately, a mildly savory note. Full-bodied on the palate, with overripe damsons and more ginger; spicy sherry and dried fruits develop. Medium to long in the finish, with persistent prickly spices, black coffee, and fragrant oak. (240 bottles for the U.S.)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2017)

Japanese rice whiskies enjoy a cult following for their delicate flavors. This Fukano stands out with its ethereal fruity delights, the result of meticulous vigilance to preserve the spirit’s subtle nature. It brings a supple nose of lychee, ripe peaches, Smarties, watermelon, allspice, and white pepper. A light, slightly syrupy texture is underscored by watermelon and raspberry as it unwraps peach, nectarines, rhubarb, and custard candy, fruit Life Savers, stewed fruits, red berries, and light citrus. Fukano promises to broaden our whisky horizons. Number 20 in the 2017 Top 20 

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2017)

Supple nose of lychee, ripening peaches, candy hearts, watermelon, allspice, and white pepper. A light, slightly syrupy texture with an underbelly of watermelon and raspberry, this year’s release unwraps peach, nectarine, rhubarb, and custard candy, fruit Life Savers, stewed fruits, red berries, and light citrus. It’s surprising just how much flavor is packed into this rice whisky. Finish is dry—the watermelon is gone. (4,411 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2017)

Chapel Gate whiskey aims to resurrect the lost art of the Irish whiskey bond. This delicious debut is built around parcels of aged single malt and grain sourced from County Louth. Fresh hay, floral blossoms, comb honey, dry spice, oak, a crate of whole lemons, and growing spices. Lemon sherbet, clean vanilla, and a peppery grunt resolve flavors of rich barley sugar and a hot pepper finish. (7,000 bottles)

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2017)

Distilled in 1969, the oldest Bunnahabhain ever released was matured in second-fill sherry butts. The nose yields sweet resin, marzipan, ginger, glacé cherries, a hint of cloves, and red berries. The silky palate features Jaffa oranges, dark chocolate, prunes, and more glacé cherries. The finish dries steadily, with slightly bitter tea, white pepper, a savory note, and quite subtle oak tannins for a dram of this vintage. (198 bottles)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2017)

Two oaks are better than one in this single malt, which marries whiskies matured in sherry-seasoned casks of both American and European oak. The sherry imparts aromas of raisins, figs, hazelnuts, blanched almonds, candied orange peel, and leather. A backbone of vanilla sweetness on the palate supports layers of ginger and white pepper, dark chocolate, leather, raisins, toasted hazelnuts, and orange oil. This Macallan joins the core line between the Sherry Oak and Fine Oak ranges. Warming and rich without being syrupy, it doubles up on accessibility with its balance and remarkably affordable price for its quality and age. Number 17 in the 2017 Top 20 

Reviewed by: Susannah Skiver Barton (Winter 2017)

Until recently, Crown Royal, Canada’s best-selling whisky, took a conservative approach to limited-edition releases. The annual Noble Collection is a promising taste of the innovation underway at the Gimli, Manitoba distillery, which includes experiments with single grain wheat whisky, single malts, and more. This first venture into cask finishing uses Cabernet Sauvignon barrels. It is still Crown Royal, but on top of the bourbonesque vanillas and woody notes, rich red fruits jump from the glass. A new direction that moves Crown Royal into the realm of big, beautiful whiskies. Number 18 in the 2017 Top 20 

Reviewed by: Davin de Kergommeaux (Winter 2017)

Benromach’s first triple-distilled single malt was matured in first-fill bourbon barrels. The nose offers peaches with a wisp of sweet smoke, vanilla, and a hint of lime. Voluptuous and very sweet on the palate; intense sugary orchard fruits and stem ginger, with the characteristic Benromach peat smoke dialed back. The finish embraces insistent black pepper, nutmeg, and very mild peat. £45

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2017)

Generously oaked, with toasty oak drive delivering brown spices and earthy dried apple on the nose. The palate pours sweet and rich, with warm corn porridge underscored with dark molasses and maple flavors. There is a lot to like here, from the boiled peanuts to a spiced palate, as the young, house-made whiskey imparts its verve to the 9 year old Indiana bourbon.

Reviewed by: Jeffery Lindenmuth (Winter 2017)

This Perthshire single malt was distilled in 1993 and aged in European oak sherry butts. Brittle toffee, black treacle, aniseed, black pepper, and cigar boxes feature on the rich nose. The bold palate yields full, creamy sherry notes, almonds, ginger, old leather, and a slightly savory tang. Long, warming, and peppery in the finish. (5,514 bottles)

Reviewed by: Gavin Smith (Winter 2017)

Fuji-Gotemba Distillery’s talent for grain whisky is evident here, with a nose of waxy green leaves, whole peppercorn, and fleeting glimpses of lemon peel, lime zest, and white peach amid the airy, floral top notes. It has a serene, calming quality to it. Spicy pepper, orange peel, mouth-coating vanilla, creamy toffee, and crunchy apple, with a clean finish, like orange flesh laid out on hot stones. JPY 5,000

Reviewed by: Jonny McCormick (Winter 2017)