The 100 Best Whiskeys of 2025, Ranked

2025 is coming to a close, which means it’s time to take a look back and give shine to the best of the best whiskeys we tasted our way through.

How the rankings work: These rankings are sorted by The Daily Pour’s Critics’ Score, a number calculated for each bottle by aggregating reviews from trusted critics across the internet and (when necessary) converting them to the 50-100 scale we use.

Taste is subjective, but by using this metric and aggregating multiple reviews, we aim to get as close as possible to objectivity. When ties in the Critics’ Score occur, they’re broken by our in-house score. If there’s still a tie, the whiskey with the most aggregated reviews gets the nod. In the rare case that there’s still a tie, we simply break it by using alphabetical order.

Eligible bottles are whiskeys that 1) Were released in 2025 or the latter half of 2024, so long as they weren’t considered for our 2024 rankings (so we can give love to bottles released late in 2024 that we didn’t have the chance to taste until 2025), and 2) We had the chance to taste. If you’re shocked that your favorite bottle isn’t on this list, it may have been excluded because we regrettably didn’t have a chance to review it (looking at you, BTAC). Price is not considered in our personal rating system (which is factored equally into the aggregate scores), but some critics we aggregate may factor that in to their scores.

If you’re interested in learning more about any whiskey on the list, just click the link embedded in its name.

Without further ado, let’s get into the best whiskeys of 2025!

Honorable Mentions (Great whiskeys that just missed the top 100):

• 110. Westward Whiskey Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish
• 109. Larceny Barrel Proof Batch C925
• 108. Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked Bourbon
• 107. Little Book Chapter 9: None for Granted
• 106. Laphroaig Càirdeas Lore Cask Strength
• 105. Baker’s 13 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon
• 104. Old Forester’s President’s Choice Rye
• 103. Bushmills Private Reserve 12 Year Old Bordeaux Cask Finish
• 102. Oaklore Story Series Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish Four Grain Bourbon
• 101. Knob Creek Single Barrel Bourbon: Eli Manning’s 2025 Bold Pick

100. Virginia Distillery Company The Brewer’s Coalition: Foothills Brewing Sexual Chocolate Stout Cask Finish

From the American single malt distillery’s series in which it finishes its whiskeys in beer casks. This one was sourced from right in Virginia Distillery’s back yard. Virginia whiskey and Virginia beer meet up for a fantastic collab.

99. Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series #13: Double Barreled

The 13th entry in Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Discovery Series was finished in both American and Hungarian oak casks.

98. Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Specialty Barrel: Chinquapin Oak Wheated Bourbon

Heaven Hill took a big swing in year 2 of its Grain to Glass series, aging all three whiskeys in Chinquapin oak. The results were impressive whiskeys that quite noticeably stood apart from the typical Heaven Hill profile.

97. Hard Truth & Mellencamp Whiskey Co. American Odd Sweet Mash Bourbon Bottled In Bond

One of America’s most underrated distilleries, Indiana’s Hard Truth teamed up again with Hud Mellencamp’s (son of John Mellencamp) whiskey brand for an excellent bourbon.

96. 15 STARS Fine Aged Whiskey Three Kings Aged 11 Years

A blend of 11- to 15-year-old wheat, rye and bourbon whiskeys, released by 15 STARS, an up-and-coming independent blender that partners with Bardstown Bourbon Company.

95. Blue Run Flight Series III Filly & Fiddle

One of six releases in Blue Run Spirits’ third Flight Series drop, this is a well-blended mix of bourbon and rye.

94. Barrell Bourbon New Year 2026

Barrell Craft Spirits’ annual New Year bourbon is always a treat, and the most recent release is no different. This one is a blend of bourbons from Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, Wyoming, New York and Ohio.

93. Hardin’s Creek Warehouse R ‘The Mushroom’

The first of Beam’s Hardin’s Creek 2025 Warehouse Series, this one was aged in a one-story rickhouse.

92. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Heritage Barrel

This beloved whiskey from Jack Daniel’s is limited no longer, now available year-round as part of the brand’s Single Barrel Collection.

91. Bardstown Bourbon Company Ferrand

A delightful cognac-finished blend of bourbon and rye from Bardstown Bourbon Co.

90. Remus Reserve Repeal Series IX

A bourbon released annually to celebrate the repeal of Prohibition. This year’s was oaky, spice-forward, leathery, oily and satisfying.

89. Abraham Bowman Oak Series: American Oak

Aged at least 12 years in new charred oak, this bourbon from Buffalo Trace’s Virginia sister distillery is bottled at a fiery 135 proof.

88. Jack Daniel’s 12 Year Old Tennessee Whiskey Batch 3

Jack Daniel’s’ age-stated releases just keep getting better by the year.

87. Booker’s 2025-02 ‘By the Pond’

Our favorite 2025 batch of Beam’s beloved Booker’s series, this one is named for the backyard pond Fred Noe remembers spending time at with his father, Booker.

86. Oban 15 Year Old Cask Strength Oloroso & Palo Cortado Cask Finish

These two types of sherry casks wear themselves very nicely on Oban scotch aged 15 years and bottled at cask strength.

85. Maker’s Mark Wood Finishing Series ‘The Keepers Release’

A sweet bourbon from Maker’s finished in special barrels made with 10 custom toasted new American oak staves.

84. Knob Creek Bourbon Aged 21 Years

The oldest whiskey ever to come out of the James B. Beam Distillery — that’s a big deal. Twenty-one years in new oak is a very long time, but any skepticisms about Knob Creek 21 were erased upon tasting. This is delicious bourbon perfect for oak lovers.

83. Lost Lantern 2025 Single Cask Series #9: Corbin Cash 7 Year Old Rye

Independent bottler Lost Lantern selected this mouthwatering cask of Corbin Cash rye whiskey. If you love bold, brash rye whiskey, this is a must.

82. Fettercairn Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 28 Years

Fettercairn finally arrived in the U.S. in May, and this 28-year-old scotch is excellent stuff. Unfortunately, just 500 bottles were released, each retailing for $1,250, so not the most accessible bottle on this list.

81. Old Forester 1924 10 Year Old

The second annual release of Old Forester 1924, a 10-year-old bourbon bottled at 100 proof. It’s not the most complex bourbon in the world, but it’s sweet, oaky and damn tasty. Truly a bourbon lover’s bourbon.

80. Calumet Farm High Rye Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

A rock-solid Kentucky rye distilled from 91% rye and 9% malted barley.

79. High West the Prisoner’s Share

A blend of bourbon and rye finished in The Prisoner Red Blend wine barrels, this High West release is a great example of wine finishing done right. Red wine sings loudly but stays in check just enough to allow the whiskey blend to shine.

78. Keeper’s Heart 21 Year Old Irish Single Malt Finished in Tokaji Barrels

The Minnesota-based Keeper’s Heart is known for its blends of Irish and American whiskeys but went pure Irish for this one, selecting rare 21-year-old stocks from Cooley Distillery and finishing the whiskey in a Hungarian Tokaji barrel. Only one cask was released, and it’s delicious stuff.

77. Garrison Brothers Sonora

Garrison Brothers won’t stray from its wheated mashbill (with the exception of High Rye, which was a highly limited, distillery-exclusive release), but the Texas distillery managed to find another way to incorporate rye, finishing its wheated bourbon in casks that were previously used to age 12-year-old rye whiskey.

76. Stranahan’s Mountain Angel 12 Year

A 12-year American single malt from the Denver-based Stranahan’s Colorado Whiskey that was finished in port wine casks.

75. Pinhook Vertical Series 9 Year Rye

For its Vertical Series, Pinhook acquired a large number of barrels from MGP and has been releasing a portion of them each year. Everything about each release is the same, except that the barrels are one year older each annual release, making this series a fun experiment that allows consumers to taste the difference that maturation has on whiskey with each release.

74. Starlight Distillery 10 Year Old Bourbon

The first 10-year-old bourbon ever released by Indiana’s Starlight Distillery, this expression was aged in Icône barrels sourced from Napa Valley cooperage Seguin Moreau.

73. Old Forester The 117 Series 1910 Extra Extra Old

This is an extra-aged version of Old Forester’s standard 1910 bourbon, which is double-oaked. This “extra extra” edition spends a whopping 24 months finishing in a second new oak cask.

72. Scotch Malt Whisky Society Cask Cask No. 35.349: Hunky And Chunky

A release from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, this is a 10-year-old Speyside scotch aged in a first-fill ex-bourbon cask.

71. Lost Lantern 2025 Single Cask #6: Frey Ranch Bourbon

A great cask of 125.4-proof bourbon produced by one of America’s best craft distilleries and selected by Lost Lantern.

70. Jacob’s Pardon ‘Cask Collective’ 16-Year-Old Oloroso Sherry Cask-Finished Whiskey

This American light whiskey finished in sherry casks is a delicious sweet treat.

69. Sagamore Cask Strength Rye Whiskey

One of America’s best rye whiskey producers put out a banging cask-strength expression in 2025, aged at least seven years and blended from Sagamore’s Maryland-distilled high- and low-rye rye whiskey mashbills.

68. Bruichladdich Octomore 16.2

The second entry in the 2025 release of Bruichladdich’s annual Octomore series, which delivers some of the world’s peatiest scotch whisky.

67. Yellowstone Limited Edition Aged 10 Years

A lovely blend of bourbons from Kentucky and Indiana bottled at 105 proof. Very drinkable and easy to enjoy.

66. Star Hill Farm American Wheat Whisky

Maker’s Mark’s first non-bourbon was a hit — soft, smooth and sweet.

65. High West Bourye

High West’s well-known blend of bourbon and rye whiskeys was particularly good this year.

64. Angel’s Envy Cask Strength 10 Year Old

Angel’s Envy’s 2025 cask-strength bourbon release is its first ever age-stated product.

63. Old Overholt Cask Strength Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 12 Years

This 12-year-old rye from Beam bottled at cask strength is deep, rich and delicious.

62. Hardin’s Creek Warehouse G ‘The Owl’

Another entry from Beam’s Hardin’s Creek Warehouse Series, “The Owl” matured in Warehouse G, a 9-story rickhouse.

61. Frey Ranch Five Grain Single Barrel Bourbon Barrel #3016

The first whiskey from Frey Ranch featuring corn, wheat, barley, rye and oat — all five of the grains that “Whiskey Farmer” Colby Frey grows on his farm. Oats are notoriously difficult to distill, which is a major reason why you don’t see oat whiskeys very often. Frey Ranch killed it with this one, though — truly delicious bourbon.

60. Bushmills 26 Years Crystal Single Malt Irish Whiskey

This single malt is distilled from crystal malted barley, which undergoes a process that crystallizes sugars within the grain.

59. Woodinville 9 Year Bourbon

The oldest release to ever come out of the Washington-based Woodinville Whiskey Co., this 9-year bourbon is musky, earthy, sweet, spicy, rich and layered.

58. Hardin’s Creek Warehouse W ‘The Beaver’

The third and final 2025 Hardin’s Creek Warehouse release from Beam, “The Beaver” was aged in the five-story Warehouse W. It’s a decadent bourbon layered with notes like French toast, plum and cherry.

57. Compass Box Secrets of Smoke

Compass Box, a beloved independent scotch blender based in London, hit a home run with this blend of whiskies from  distilleries including Caol Ila, Ardmore, Laphroaig and Bowmore. Fans of sweet peat will adore this.

56. Sagamore 10 Year Old Rye

The oldest age-stated whiskey released to date from the Baltimore distillery, this 10-year-old rye is nuanced and perfectly balanced.

55. Little Book The Infinite: Edition II

Beam’s fun infinity bottle-style release was spectacular in its second edition.

54. Jefferson’s Reserve Cask Strength Bourbon

A limited release from Jefferson’s, this cask-strength bourbon was bottled at 130 proof after aging for eight years. Priced quite well for how good it is at $69.99.

53. Larceny Barrel Proof B525

Pleasant, sweet and powerful at 58.7% ABV, this was a great batch of Heaven Hill’s popular barrel-proof wheated bourbon.

52. Penelope 2024 Estate Collection 9 Year Private Select Bourbon

Aged nine years, this bourbon is tasty and fruit-forward.

51. Starlight Distillery Carl T. Huber’s Mizunara Reserve Bourbon

Bottled at 116 proof, this bourbon heavily leans into flavors from the cask.

50. Fettercairn Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 24 Years

Oily, buttery, earthy and fruity, this scotch showcases terrific balance of flavor.

49. Michter’s 10 Year Old Single Barrel Rye

A beloved 10-year rye that benefits from grain spice mingling with soft sweet notes imparted by Michter’s’ signature toasted barrels.

48. Isle of Harris The Hearach of Château Biac

A scotch aged in barrels used to mature The Secret de Château Biac, a highly limited sweet white wine developed at Château Biac in Bordeaux, France.

47. Penelope 2024 Estate Collection Single Barrel 10 Year Straight Bourbon Whiskey

A rich single-barrel bourbon with impressive depth.

46. Scotch Malt Whisky Society Cask No. 53.469: The Ultimate Nuance

This 10-year-old peated Islay scotch is exceptionally balanced and displays nuance befitting its name.

45. Sazerac Rye Whiskey Full Proof

A new release from Sazerac that, at $39.99, is perhaps the best bang-for-your-buck rye whiskey on the market.

44. Stranahan’s Snowflake: Windom Peak

A wild and complex single malt finished in tequila, Rhum Agricole, Peach Brandy, Applejack, White Port and Orange Wine casks.

43. Bruichladdich Octomore 16.3

Extremely peaty at 189.5 ppm and aged in bourbon, Sauternes and Pedro Ximénez casks. Extremely flavorful and impressively balanced considering the high-octane peat levels.

42. Westland Garryana American Single Malt Whiskey Aged 10 Years

The oldest and first age-stated release from Westland, the Seattle single malt house. Aged in Garryana Oak, Pedro Ximénez sherry, rum and bourbon casks.

41. Calumet Farm 18 Year Old Centennial Decanter Bourbon

A delicious 18-year-old bourbon presented in a stunning bottle.

40. Michter’s 10 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon

A winner every year, 2025’s Michter’s 10 Year Old Single Barrel Bourbon lived up to its sterling reputation in 2025.

39. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch B525

A phenomenal batch of a bourbon that has amassed great popularity for good reason.

38. Stranahan’s Founder’s Release Aged 12 Years

Released to celebrate 20-plus years of Stranahan’s, as well as the the ratification of the American Single Malt Whiskey category by the TTB. At 60% ABV, this is the highest-proof release Stranahan’s has ever distributed nationally, according to Drinkhacker. It’s an absolutely delicious malt.

37. Garrison Brothers Cowboy

This Hazmat-proof bourbon might just be the best liquid we’ve ever tasted from Texas’ oldest legal bourbon distillery.

36. Remus Gatsby Reserve 15 Year Old Bourbon

This is just delicious, classic well-aged bourbon. Plus, the bottle is a handsome addition to any bar.

35. Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged Bourbon

Now in its third year, Maker’s Mark’s oldest, priciest and most sought-after release was as good as ever in 2025.

34. 15 STARS Three Ports

Blending excellence on display from 15 STARS, which expertly utilized Tawny, White and Ruby Port casks.

33. Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson E

The highest-proof Russell’s Reserve release to date was phenomenal.

32. Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Rye

Few if any distilleries can rival Michter’s when it comes to delicious rye whiskey that appeals just as much to bourbon fans as rye lovers.

31. Heaven Hill Master Distillers Unity Bourbon

A blend of bourbons aged six, eight, 14 and 32 years, distilled by three different Heaven Hill master distillers. A fun concept and far more than a gimmick. This bourbon delivers classic Heaven Hill profile but elevated to a truly special level.

30. Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch Bourbon

A tremendous batch of LSEB. A blend of four bourbons: 13-year-old OBSV (38%), 13-year-old OESV (35%), 13-year-old OBSK (17%) and 19-year-old OESV (10%).

29. Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Special Release Tanyard Hill Rye Whiskey

Unquestionably one of the best rye whiskeys of the year, with a wide range in proofs; some bottles reach all the way up to 145.9.

28. Bomberger’s PFG (Precision Fine Grain) Kentucky Straight Bourbon

At 29 on this list but would be in our personal top five of the year. One of the best whiskeys to come out of one of the world’s best distilleries. This bottle is absolutely bursting with mouthwatering flavor and deserves a spot on any whiskey enthusiast’s bucket list.

27. Bushmills Single Malt 46 Year

The oldest Irish single malt ever released. Very oaky as you might expect — and very good.

26. Sagamore 9 Year Old Rye

This 9-year-old rye from Sagamore is truly near-perfect rye. Truly delicious.

25. Old Forester President’s Choice Bourbon

The 2025 edition of Old Forester’s extremely covered President’s Choice Bourbon takes the classic OFo bourbon profile and dials it up to 11.

24. Doc Holliday 16 Year Old Cigar Blend Bourbon

16-year-old rumored BuffTurkey finished in Tokaji, Armagnac and White Port casks and bottled at 62.1% ABV. This release from the World Whiskey Society is phenomenal and pairs beautifully with a cigar.

23. Parker’s Heritage Collection 11 Year Kentucky Straight American Whiskey

Heaven Hill’s annual release that pays homage to Parker Beam, the distillery’s late Master Distiller Emeritus. Beam was diagnosed with ALS in 2010, and since 2013, the series has been used to raise money for ALS research and patient care. 2025’s edition is a blend of 15-year-old Kentucky straight wheated bourbon aged in Rickhouse A; 11-year-old Kentucky straight corn whiskey aged in rickhouses DD, GG and BB; and 12-year-old whiskey made from rye and malt aged in Rickhouse Y.

22. Scotch Malt Whisky Society Cask No. 68.115: Let’s Head for the Lobby

A 14-year-old Highland scotch aged in a first-fill ex-Oloroso sherry hogshead. Jammy, nutty and delicious.

21. The Last Drop No. 38: 55 Year Old Single Malt Scotch from the Tomintoul Distillery

Released by Sazerac’s The Last Drop in April 2025, this is a 55-year-old scotch whisky distilled by Tomintoul. Bottled at 59.1% ABV, only 319 bottles were released, each at a suggested retail price of $5,500.

20. Starlight Distillery Single Barrel Bourbon Barrel No. 16264

A truly incredible single barrel from Starlight. It’s classic bourbon at its finest and a reminder of how good Starlight can be.

19. Still Austin Bottled In Bond Red Corn Bourbon

Sweet, bold and just damn-near perfect bourbon. Is any craft distillery doing it better than Still Austin right now?

18. Woodford Reserve Distillery Series Chocolate Whisper Redux Kentucky Straight Bourbon

The highest-proof release ever out of Woodford Reserve is also one of its best.

17. Bruichladdich Port Charlotte SYC:01 2013

The seventh release in the Port Charlotte Cask Exploration series, this peated scotch was aged in a mix of first-fill French oak Syrah wine casks and bourbon barrels. Dynamite sweet-peat scotch.

16. Bomberger’s Declaration Bourbon

The 2025 Bomberger’s Declaration release from Michter’s incorporated Chinquapin oak in the finishing process. It’s a rich, delicious and wholly satisfying bourbon.

15. Brown-Forman King of Kentucky

Among the most sought-after bourbons each year, and for good reason. 2025’s release was a 17-year-old single-barrel bourbon. Brown-Forman Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris selected 63 barrels, resulting in 5,000 bottles released.

14. Bardstown Bourbon Company Distillery Reserve Series: Normandie Calvados Brandy Barrel Finish

Finished in casks previously used to age calvados — a French apple brandy — this was one delectable whiskey.

13. Still Austin Tanager Cigar Blend Bourbon

Designed by renowned blender Nancy Fraley using an old-world cognac technique instead of the usual barrage of cask finishes you see in most cigar-blend whiskeys. Flavorful, delicious, rich, just unreal bourbon. It lived up to the high standards set by last year’s Tanager and then some. Again we say: Is any craft distillery doing it better than Still Austin right now?

12. Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Beacon

A big, bold and flat-out incredible release to close out Wild Turkey’s Master’s Keep series. This is near-perfect bourbon.

11. WhistlePig The BigSheBang 30 Year

WhistlePig’s oldest release ever — and priced accordingly at $5,000.

10. Abraham Bowman Oak Series: Hungarian Oak

A very distinctive and perfectly lovely bourbon from Buffalo Trace’s Virginia sister distillery.

9. Jack Daniel’s 14 Year Old

The oldest age-stated whiskey released by Jack Daniel’s since prohibition.

8. Old Fitzgerald VVS 2025 Bottled-in-Bond 11 Years Aged

VVS stands for “Very Very Special.” This was that. Kudos to Heaven Hill on an incredible year.

7. Keeper’s Heart 32 Year Old Irish Single Malt

A stunning malt that balances honeyed sweetness, fruity notes, oak and hints of peat.

6. The Last Drop No. 39: The Last Drop 22 Year Old Japanese Blended Malt Whisky

A 59.1%-ABV Japanese blend that makes use of liquid Hanyu Distillery, which is exceptionally rare as the distillery has been shuttered since 2004. With only 319 bottles available at $5,500 each, it’s not exactly easy to taste. But if you can, you should.

5. Bardstown Bourbon Company Distillery Reserve: Hokkaido Mizunara Oak Barrel Finish

A special, exceptional release from Bardstown Bourbon Company. This blend of 9-to-18-year-old bourbon and rye whiskeys was finished in mizunara barrels from Japan’s Hokkaido region for a lengthy period of 28 months.

4. WhistlePig The Boss Hog XII: Feather & Flame

The best Boss Hog in quite some time — perhaps ever. Feather & Flame is a straight rye whiskey finished in pulque- and xocolatl-inspired barrels seasoned with pulque curado, which WhistlePig made from agave, cacao and a blend of Mexican chiltepín, guajillo and pasilla peppers. The result is spicy in terms of the usual rye way but also in the pepper-hot sense. It’s a sweet, rich, nuanced and wildly satisfying sip.

3. Redemption Whiskey 18 Year Old Bourbon

Just flat-out exquisite bourbon. Blind your MGP-hating buddies on this and then watch their minds be blown when you reveal who distilled it.

2. Gordon & MacPhail 85 Years Old from Glenlivet Distillery

The oldest whisky ever released delivered with exceptional nuance. The skeptical side of us was expecting a one-dimensional oak bomb (85 years is a looooong time), but this somehow was not that.

1. The Last Drop No. 37: 27 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery

The Best Whiskey of 2025 crown goes to Sazerac’s The Last Drop for bottling an incredibly rare 27-year-old barrel of Buffalo Trace Bourbon. This stuff is oaky, rich, nuanced and utterly delicious. If you’re going to charge $10,500, you’d better be offering damn good whiskey. Mission accomplished.