Top 20
The Most Exciting Whiskies of 2023
Our Top 20 whiskies represent a curated collection that deserves your notice.
This assortment features hidden gems offering exceptional value, standout examples leading their respective styles, and superbly crafted bottles worth seeking out. Above all, each whisky in
this list stands out as a beacon of excitement, highlighting the pinnacle of a year filled with remarkable tastings.
Bardstown Bourbon Collaborative Series: Foursquare
Score: 94
53.5% ● $160
Kentucky
Barrell Craft Spirits 6 year old Cask Strength (Batch 035)
Score: 94
58.75% ● $90
Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee
Glenfiddich 12 year old Amontillado Sherry Cask Finish
Score: 93
43% ● $55
Scotland
Teeling Wonders of Wood Second Edition Virgin Portuguese Oak
Score: 93
50% ● $100
Ireland
Each year, Whisky Advocate Buying Guide reviewers collectively sample hundreds of whiskies. These include rare and extremely limited releases, as well as new and emerging labels that will find their way to shelves across the nation. To determine our Top 20, we begin by looking only at whiskies that rated “outstanding” (90 points or higher on Whisky Advocate’s 100-point scale). However, the Top 20 is not simply a collection of our highest-rated whiskies, because many of those are so limited they would be impossible for most readers to locate or purchase. Therefore, in addition to quality (based on score), our selection also prioritizes value (based on price) and availability.
An important step in gauging the true merit of these whiskies is blind tasting review by a panel of international reviewers. The review panel tasted the eligible whiskies in a series of blind tasting flights to arrive at the final list. The panel did not know the identity of the whiskies being tasted—not their producer, country of origin, age, nor price. The average rating from the blind tasting panel supersedes the original Buying Guide rating. The individual reviewer rating will remain noted in the Buying Guide for the record. The final decision for placement considers average score, price, and availability.