All whisky needs yeast. When mash gets fermented, it’s yeast that turns sugar from the grains into alcohol, which is then distilled and aged into whisky. While some distillers use standard varieties of yeast, and others, like Four Roses, have proprietary strains, there is a new class of producers foraging the microorganism from their outdoor surroundings. The end result is whisky with new flavor that can’t be found anywhere else.

Taste The Wild (Yeast) With These Bottles

Glenmorangie Allta Single Malt Scotch—92 points, $99
Gingery fruit notes, fresh-squeezed orange juice, vanilla, and black pepper

Griffo Distillery Stony Point American Whiskey (Batch 9)—88 points, $49
Orange, Big Red gum, chocolate, almonds, and sweet grain

Leopold Bros. Small Batch American Whiskey (Barrel No. 1206)—86 points, $33
Dry and nutty; water brings out meaty chili, unsweetened chocolate, and coffee

Chambers Bay Straight Bourbon (Batch 6)—85 points, $43
Oak, orange, cinnamon, clove, cedar oil, roasted nuts, chocolate, and crushed red pepper

Coppersea Excelsior Straight Bourbon (Batch 1901)—84 points, $75
Tannic, orange, oak, cinnamon, cherry Luden’s cough drops, and herbal cough syrup

Firestone & Robertson TX Straight Bourbon—83 points, $50
Lots of wood, pulling tannins, black pepper, vanilla, orange, and bitter almond