11 Best Whiskeys We Tasted in November 2024, Ranked

It’s hard to believe we’ve already hit the penultimate month of 2024.

November reminded us of what we were thankful for, and we put great whiskey at the top of that list. Out of the countless whiskeys that have crossed our desks, these 11 whiskeys from far and wide really made a strong impression this month and will be nearly impossible to forget. Without further ado, we’d like to share the 11 best whiskeys we tasted in November.

Rankings explanation: Bottles are ranked by the house scores given by our spirits critics. When ties arise in the house scores, they are broken by our Raided Score®, a number based on the average of notable critic scores. In instances where the Raided Scores® are equal, the whiskey with the highest number of reviews aggregated is ranked higher. In an instance where all of those factors are equal, alphabetization is used as a final tiebreaker.

11 Best Whiskeys We Tasted in November, Ranked

11. High West: A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 12

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This cult-favorite limited-release rye whiskey from Park City, Utah’s High West Distillery is finished in a mixture of port and French oak barrels.

For Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 12, High West uses its signature Rendezvous Rye, which is a blend of MGP rye and High West’s own rye. The latter is distilled from a mashbill featuring 80% rye, a bit lower than MGP’s trademark 95%-rye recipe. High West sells this limited-release whiskey for $149.99.

With notes of toffee, herbs and cherries, High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 12 has a festive nose that channels all things winter. The palate is herbal, with ginger spice and cherry cordials. High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 12 finishes with red berries and strawberries.

With its symphony of cherries, ginger and wintergreen, High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 12 is the perfect whiskey for the upcoming festive season!

10. GlenAllachie 10 Year Single Cask 2010 Virgin Oak

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GlenAllachie is known for using wine casks for its finishing process, and this scotch single malt whisky is a stark departure from the norm for this Speyside distillery.

This single-cask whisky was distilled in 2010 and spent a decade aging in virgin oak before it was bottled in May 2021 at 62.9% ABV.

The nose is big, sweet and bold with char, toffee and rising bread. The palate is full of orchard fruits like apples and pears, interlaced with sweet cream and some bitter oak to add contrast. The finish has a nice kick of heat, leading to a balanced pour with lots of complexity.

GlenAllachie’s 10 Year Single Cask is easy-drinking, with lots of power. Wine-Searcher reports an average price of $160.

9. Ardbeg 19 Years Old Traigh Bhan Batch 6

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Ardbeg’s Traigh Bhan series honors a local natural wonder near the Islay distillery: Traigh Bhan Beach. A bottle typically costs around $299. This small batch scotch whisky spent almost two decades aging in American oak and oloroso sherry casks before it was bottled at 46.2%.

This Islay scotch is a balanced take on what could potentially be a massively smoky dram. The nose is a mixture of buttery pastry with lemon meringue pie and salinity. It finishes beautifully with ash and minerality.

Ardbeg 19 Years Old Traigh Bhan Batch 6 has honey, butterscotch, vanilla and salinity on the palate before concluding with burning wood and honey. Consider it the perfect blend of sweetness and smoke.

8. O.H. Ingram River Aged Flagship Bourbon 2024

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O.H. Ingram’s whiskeys all spend time aging on the Mississippi River in floating barges, making them a distinctive bunch. This annual has an MSRP of $79.99

This bourbon was distilled by Green River in Owensboro, Kentucky, from a mashbill of 60% corn, 36% rye and 4% malted barley before spending 6.5 years aging on the Mississippi River.

With a bold and caramel-driven nose, coupled with buttercream and oak, and a sweet palate with buttercream and pepper, this is O.H. Ingram’s best bourbon yet. The finish of O.H. Ingram’s Flagship Bourbon has a nice pop of blackberry with honey and sweet oak.

7. Middle West Spirits Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon Whiskey Michelone Reserve Batch 001

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Middle West is an up-and-coming distillery based out of Columbus, Ohio.

This dynamic sleeper from an often overlooked part of the country in terms of whiskey production has been on a roll of late, and this wheated bourbon is just another knockout release to add to the collection.

Middle West’s Wheated Bourbon stems from a four-grain mashbill composed of non-GMO yellow corn, soft red winter wheat, two-row barley and dark pumpernickel rye. Middle West Spirits Cask Strength Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey Michelone Reserve Batch 001 has a suggested retail price of $70.

Soft and sweet are the perfect words to describe this wheater, and the nose is full of buttercream frosting, walnuts and French toast. The palate bursts forth with cherries, butterscotch cinnamon and demerara sugar. Middle West’s Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon finishes beautifully, with char and luxardo.

Though this wheated bourbon has a fairly hefty ABV of 61.1%, the heat does not overpower it in the least, making it a delicious option for anybody with a sweet tooth.

6. Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse 2024 Camp Nelson B

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This latest release from Wild Turkey’s Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse Collection, Camp Nelson B has a hefty proof of 120.2, earning it the designation as the highest-proof whiskey to be released from the brand.

Wild Turkey Master Distiller Eddie Russell credits the high elevation and sun exposure the barrel received while it was maturing on the sixth floor of Camp Nelson Rickhouse B.

The nose is full of brown sugar, honey and toffee, coupled with a palate that has plenty of toffee, honey, buttercream and blueberry. This whiskey finishes with fruit, vanilla bean, berries and a bit of funky pepper.

Wild Turkey’s Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse Collection, Camp Nelson B has a suggested retail price of $300.

5. The Perfect Fifth Canongate 14 Year Old Single Barrel American Whiskey

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Bourbon fans and scotch lovers can finally agree on something with the newest release from The Perfect Fifth. For this release, the brand took 3-year-old American whiskey distilled by Heaven Hill in Kentucky, then shipped it across the pond to Scotland, where it matured for 11 more years.

Though we can’t quite call this whiskey a bourbon, we know it was distilled from a “corn-dominant mash.” The Perfect Fifth Canongate 14 Year Old Single Barrel American Whiskey has an ABV of 64.4%, and just 232 bottles were released out into the wild with a suggested retail price of $175.

The nose is delicate and sweet, with espresso, cherry, cinnamon and cranberry. On the palate, picture oak and leather, with white chocolate blueberry scones. The palate finishes with almond and butterscotch, making this a sweet whiskey that packs one heck of a punch.

4. Little Book The Infinite

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With a suggested retail price of $200 and an ABV of 59.65%, Little Book The Infinite is a blend of bourbons from generations of the Noe family, honoring their legacy.

The blend consists of 20-year-old bourbon from Booker Noe, a 14-year-old whiskey from Fred Noe, and a 7-year-old bourbon from Freddie Noe, making it a true family affair.

The nose is full of cracked pepper, fruit with berries and plenty of baked bread. On the palate, there’s a richness with honey, tobacco, leather and some heather. The oak is beautifully integrated, and there’s just a little bit of peanut brittle, which leads to a decadent finish driven by graham cracker, bitter oak and tobacco.

Without a doubt, this is one of Little Book’s more unusual releases, but this lovely bourbon is chock full of complexity, making it an unforgettable one.

3. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch C924

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A stunning release from Heaven Hill with a suggested retail price of $75 and an 11-year age statement, this bourbon clocks in at 129 proof. Distilled as always from a mashbill of 78% corn, 12% malted barley and 10% rye, this is the third and final Elijah Craig Barrel Proof release of 2024.

On the nose, picture rich toffee with candied ginger, a bit of cherries, toffee and maple which adds a pleasant sweetness to the heady bouquet of this bourbon. The palate is rich, with beautifully integrated tannins coupled with espresso and cherry cola. Elijah Craig’s Barrel Proof Batch C924 finishes with espresso, chocolate-covered cherries and root beer.

This expression from Heaven Hill’s Elijah Craig brand is classic and a flavor-packed ride from nose to finish.

2. Larceny Barrel Proof Batch C924

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Larceny Barrel Proof Batch C924 is another uncut bourbon from Heaven Hill, this one aged between 6 to 8 years.

Bottled at 125.1 proof and made from a mashbill of 68% corn, 20% wheat and 12% malted barley, this bourbon has a suggested retail price of $64.99.

The nose on this beauty is full of brown sugar, toffee, pepper and vanilla cream interwoven with maple. The palate is rich with toffee, buttercream, and oak a-plenty. Larceny Barrel Proof Batch C924 concludes with a long finish that is the perfect balance of sweetness with spice.

Fans of Weller should definitely consider Larceny Barrel Proof, another wheated bourbon that could easily go toe-to-toe with it.

1. Bushmills 31 Year The Rare Casks No. 04

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Just 780 bottles of Bushmills 31 Year The Rare Casks No. 04 were released, making this truly a special Irish whiskey. Bottled at 46% ABV and retailing for around $2,500, this Irish whiskey costs a pretty penny and might be hard to find. But boy, is it sure an unforgettable pour.

A nose of peach rings, oak and nougat segues into a palate of peaches and orchard fruit like pear, coupled with gingersnaps and brown sugar. Bushmill’s 31 Year Old finishes with plenty of length, coupled with dessert and fruit.

This beautiful Irish whiskey is probably the best Bushmill’s we’ve ever tasted.