Top 20

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.

Glenglassaugh Sandend

Score: 95
50.5% $70
Scotland

Highland Park Cask Strength (Batch 4)

Score: 95
64.3% $100
Scotland

Westland Garryana (No. 8)

Score: 94
50% $150
Washington

Little Book Chapter 7 “In Retrospect”

Score: 95
59.05% $150
Kentucky

Wild Turkey Master's Keep Voyage

Score: 95
53% $275
Kentucky

Maker's Mark Cellar Aged 2023

Score: 94
57.85% $150
Kentucky

Dewar's Double Double 21 year old Mizunara Oak

Score: 95
46% $150
Scotland

Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest

Score: 94
46% $102
Scotland

Bardstown Bourbon Collaborative Series: Foursquare

Score: 94
53.5% $160
Kentucky

GlenDronach Cask Strength (Batch 12)

Score: 94
58.2% $105
Scotland

Barrell Craft Spirits 6 year old Cask Strength (Batch 035)

Score: 94
58.75% $90
Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee

Blue Run Trifecta

Score: 94
58.55% $180
Kentucky

Hemingway Signature Edition

Score: 94
51% $80
Indiana and Kentucky

Glenfiddich 12 year old Amontillado Sherry Cask Finish

Score: 93
43% $55
Scotland

Old Elk Port Finished

Score: 94
54.05% $90
Colorado

Green Spot Quails' Gate

Score: 93
46% $70
Ireland

Crown Royal Noble Collection Barley Edition

Score: 93
45% $80

Teeling Wonders of Wood Second Edition Virgin Portuguese Oak

Score: 93
50% $100
Ireland

Ezra Brooks 99

Score: 92
49.5% $25
Kentucky

About The Whisky Advocate TOP 20

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.

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