The 2023 Best Whiskey Awards by Whiskey Raiders: Recognizing the Top Whiskeys and Brands of the Year

2023 was an exciting year for the whiskey world. Producers galore released superb expressions, and we had the honor of tasting a whole lot of them.

For the second year in a row, we’re recognizing our favorite whiskeys and brands in the Best Whiskey Awards by Whiskey Raiders.

The 2023 Best Whiskey Awards by Whiskey Raiders

Best Up-and-Coming Brand: Holladay Distillery

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It feels odd to call the Weston, Missouri-based Holladay Distillery an up-and-comer. After all, it has a lengthy history dating back to 1856, when it was founded by successful businessman Ben Holladay, who was born and raised in Kentucky and moved to St. Louis at age 17.

However, Holladay Distillery underwent a $10 million renovation in 2015 and in 2022 released its first bourbon in 30 years. We tasted that bourbon in 2022 and enjoyed watching Holladay’s ascent in 2023, as it released its Soft Red Wheat and Soft Red Wheat Rickhouse Proof bourbons and received critical acclaim galore.

Prediction: Ben Holladay Distillery is about to explode in the US market and become one of America’s favorite craft whiskey brands.

Here’s why 🧵👇

— Bourb Your Enthusiasm! (@BourbEnthusiasm) January 3, 2024

2023 was a massive year for Holladay and one that truly put the brand on the map in the eyes of whiskey enthusiasts everywhere, including us. Holladay is making damn good bourbon, and we can’t wait to see what’s next from this exciting brand.

Best Craft Producer: Corbin Cash

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A farm-to-glass distillery in Atwater, California, Corbin Cash is owned and operated by the Souza family and dates back to 1917.

Corbin Cash caught our attention in 2023 with its 1917 Merced Rye Whiskey, distilled from a 100%-rye mashbill using a local rye strain (Merced) grown at the farm.

Bottled at 61.5% ABV, this rye is rich, oaky and remarkably spicy. Certain drinkers may not love this whiskey, but any fan of a good, spicy rye will love it, and at $45 a bottle, it’s tough to beat if a bruising and spice-heavy rye is your jam.

Corbin Cash also had two rye whiskeys bottled by Lost Lantern in 2023, appearing in the independent bottler’s spring and fall collections.

Corbin Cash hosts a small but eclectic range of spirits, ranging from sweet potato vodka to gin to a sweet potato liqueur. While Merced Rye is Corbin Cash’s only whiskey so far (aside from a blend of the rye and sweet potato liqueur that the distillery labels a “blended whiskey”), we’re excited to see more from this producer.

Best Celebrity Whiskey: Whiskey JYPSI Legacy Batch 001

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In May 2023, Grammy-nominated country music artist Eric Church debuted his celebrity brand, Whiskey JYPSI.

Alongside entrepreneur Raj Alva, Church started a company, Outsiders Spirits, to launch the Whiskey JYPSI brand. The first release from Outsiders Spirits, Whiskey JYPSI Legacy Batch 001 is a blended whiskey made of 70% 7- and 8-year-old Indiana bourbon, 21% 20-year-old Canadian rye whiskey and 9% 4-year-old Indiana single malt whisky. It is bottled at 115 proof.

With relatively older whiskeys, an interesting blend and a premium price tag of $199.99, it’s clear Church didn’t want to do what many celebrities do: bottle a middling spirit, slap their name on it and profit.

The first release from JYPSI impressed us with a light, sweet and buttery nose; a rich palate that blends together tannin with notes of red fruits, tobacco and salted caramel; and a lovely finish that ties the pour together with sweet malt, pleasant oak, toffee, crème brûlée, cocoa and vanilla bean.

This impressively wild blend works so well you’d never know it was a celebrity whiskey — and that’s a compliment.

Whiskey JYPSI Legacy Batch 001 earned a Double Gold medal at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Best Finished Whiskey: WhistlePig The Boss Hog X: The Commandments

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Each fall, the Vermont-based WhistlePig Whiskey releases its crown jewel of the year: The Boss Hog. This October marked the 10th annual Boss Hog release, and as usual, it was fantastic.

Commandments is Canadian rye whiskey finished in two types of unusual barrels. The first contained an unorthodox spirit that WhistlePig distilled from rye and whey and infused with aromatic resins from Boswellia and Commiphora trees. After being finished in American new oak and those resin barrels, The Boss Hog X was further aged in craft mead casks.

Each Boss Hog release promises something wildly different from anything we’ve had before, and the 10th edition was no different. This whisky is powerful and loaded with clover honey, cider, black tea, sweet oak, pleasant acidity, pine and maple on the nose. The palate is rich and syrupy with more clover honey, lemon, lime, pepper, slate and pine. The finish is long with lemon, honey, sweet oak, cream and pepper.

In our book, Boss Hog X wasn’t able to top its 2022 predecessor, Siren’s Song, but it’s a uniquely delightful expression nonetheless.

Best Canadian Whisky: Found North Batch 008

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To any follower of the Canadian whisky scene, this result should come as no surprise. Found North has totally turned the category on its head, repeatedly releasing the best whiskies we’ve tasted out of the Great White North.

Batch 008 is spectacular, even for the sky-hgih standards Found North has established for itself. This is a blend of whiskies aged between 18 and 26 years, matured in Madeira, new American, ex-bourbon and Hungarian oak barrels. Bottled at 124.4 proof, the final mashbill on this whisky is 87% corn, 12% rye and 1% malted barley.

On the nose, this whisky is punchy and sweet with berry, tobacco, caramels, cream, honey, pepper, oak and soft baking spice.

The palate is rich, viscous, syrupy and decadent with plenty of oak, sweet buttercream, red berries, tannin, pepper, baking spice and caramel. The finish is packed with sweet buttercream, honey, caramel, brûlée, sweet oak and a dash of berry.

Best American Single Malt: Westward Whiskey Milestone

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American single malt is about as red-hot as an unestablished category can get right now, and the whiskey world is (still) awaiting with bated breath the establishment of an official designation for the American single malt category.

Of all of the American single malt whiskeys we tasted in 2023 — and there were a lot of great ones — Westward Whiskey’s Milestone was the best.

Hailed as the “first-ever annual luxury release,” from the Portland-based Westward, Milestone was crafted from a 21-barrel Solera system, which Westward claims includes some of its “oldest and most precious” whiskey stocks.

Impressively complex despite its low proof of 86, Milestone is rich and elegant on the nose, with aromas of sticky pudding, crème brûlée and custard. On the palate, this singled malt is complex with plenty of toffee, salted caramel and brioche. It’s rich, it’s cake-heavy, it’s viscous, and it has remarkable body for the ABV.

Milestone finishes long and rich with notes of pudding, cinnamon sugar, nougat, caramel and a bit of spice.

Milestone debuted ahead of Westward’s 20th anniversary in 2024, and it’s the best single malt we’ve tasted yet from the Portland distillery. Here’s to the next 20 years!

Best Scotch: Laphroaig Càirdeas 2023

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Càirdeas is an annual limited-edition release from the beloved Islay distillery, Laphroaig. Càirdeas 2023 is a 52.3%-ABV peated whisky finished 75% in White Port and 25% Madeira casks.

Bold, fruity and sweet, this whisky is full of peaches, lime, lemon, honey, custard, cream, ash, brine and barrel char on the nose. On the palate, the peat takes a backseat to sweet and creamy notes of Dole fruit syrup, vanilla, buttercream, lemon, lime, pear and apple. This finish is long and char-heavy with ash, iodine and sweet stone fruit.

This fruit-forward, bold, complex whisky is our favorite Càirdeas release in sometime and was the best scotch we tasted in 2023.

Best Rye Whiskey: 2023 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection: Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye Whiskey

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The Buffalo Trace Antique Collection is among the most anticipated and coveted release for whiskey enthusiasts and hunters each year. Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye was our second-favorite release in the 2023 collection (you can find our rankings here) and the best rye whiskey we tasted this year.

Bottled at 124.9 proof, this rye has a huge nose loaded with brown butter, nutmeg, brown sugar, cracked pepper, rich buttercream and nougat. On the palate, 2023’s Handy is layered and packed with rye character. This rye features notes of brown sugar, cracked pepper, caramel, candied ginger, loads of nougat, brown butter and nutmeg. It finishes long and complex with rye spice and decadent dessert.

Click here to access our list of the 10 best rye whiskeys we tasted in 2023, ranked.

Best Bourbon: A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Bourbon Batch #2

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The best bourbon of 2023 is also the best overall whiskey of the year for us: A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Bourbon Batch 2. Aged 10 years and bottled at a Hazmat proof of 144.5, this bruising bourbon blew us away with its opulence and layered excellence.

The nose is rich and intoxicating with cherry cordial, cola, Werther’s candies, crème brûlée and Madagascar vanilla. A silky, syrupy and chewy palate delivers notes of bold cherry, barrel char, tobacco, crème brûlée and slated caramel. The finish is incredibly long with more cola, cherry, crème brûlée and pipe tobacco.

In his review, Whiskey Raiders Chief Spirits Critic Jay West described A. Smith Bowman Cask Strength Batch 2 as: “Easily the best expression from Bowman I’ve ever had the opportunity to try, this is a mighty pour that’s worth the trouble to find. Incredible stuff.”

Located in Virginia, A. Smith Bowman was acquired in 2003 by Sazerac.

Click here to view our list of the top 10 bourbons of 2023, ranked.

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