In the spirits world, it seems that as much as things change they also stay the same. Last year the news arrived that sales of agave spirits were overtaking American whiskey here in the U.S., but that certainly hasn’t meant a slowdown in new bourbon, rye, and single malt releases. While some people thought that cask-finished whiskeys had reached their peak, incredible new expressions from storied distilleries like Wild Turkey and brands like Redbreast arrived, proving that this whiskey technique still has some life in it. Legacy names in American whiskey released cask-strength and extra-aged version of their core products to great acclaim, the biggest name in Japanese whisky celebrated its 100th birthday, and even a fantastic barrel-aged gin arrived that gave new meaning to this niche category. And there were a pair of special Cognacs released this year so good, we couldn’t decide which one we preferred. Here are the 11 best releases in different spirits categories of the year so far.
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Japanese Whisky: Hakushu 18 Year Old Peated Malt Anniversary Edition
Image Credit: Courtesy of Suntory High in the Japanese Alps, the Hakushu Distillery is producing some of the world’s best single malts. The House of Suntory, its parent company, marked a century of whisky-making last year. To commemorate the occasion, it launched this new 18-year-old peated whisky, an elegant single malt that combines a gentle smokiness with notes of citrus and spice. If you’re a fan of the rest of the Hakushu lineup—and even if you’re not—this bottle is worth trying.
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Best Cask-Finished Whiskey: Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Voyage
Image Credit: Courtesy of Wild Turkey Wild Turkey’s Master’s Keep collection offers master distiller Eddie Russell a chance to stretch his wings by experimenting with different blends and cask finishes. The latter technique is on full display here in what is arguably the best expression from this series of high-end Kentucky whiskeys to date. Voyage is a 10-year-old bourbon finished in Appleton Estate rum barrels for five to six weeks, and the result is transformative: Notes of brown sugar, grape jelly, and banana pop in every sip.
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Best Rum: Diplomático 2007 Single Vintage
Image Credit: Courtesy of Diplomático Venezuela’s Diplomático rum has released only eight single-vintage expressions since 1997. The term means that rum produced in an exceptional year—in this case, 2007—is held back and aged in ex-bourbon casks for another 12 years. After careful blending, it’s given a yearlong sherry-cask finish. Notes of ripe cherry, blackberry, pineapple, and dark chocolate are front and center on the palate, making this a rum that whiskey fans will want to seek out.
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Best Rye Whiskey: Old Overholt Extra Aged Cask Strength Rye
Image Credit: Courtesy of Old Overholt Old Overholt is a bartender’s favorite for a reason: It’s a Kentucky-style rye whiskey that’s both affordable and delicious, with a nice balance of sweetness and spice on the palate. Last fall, the brand (which is made at the same distillery as Jim Beam) released this cask-strength, 10-year-old version of the whiskey, much to the delight of rye fans. This is indeed a superlative spirit, bottled at a hefty but not antagonistic 121 proof and chock-full of flavors, including black pepper, caramel, and baked apple.
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Mezcal: Tres Tribus Espadín Capon
Image Credit: Yechiel Orgel/Tres Tribus Juan Coronado, a cofounder of Mijenta Tequila, is also behind the new mezcal brand Tres Tribus, which is made from agave foraged in the Oaxacan wilderness. There are four expressions available, but the standout is the Espadín Capon. It’s distilled from flowered agave, a move intended to enhance and concentrate the spirit’s flavor. It appears to have done that here–every sip reveals a refined but still earthy taste that has notes of fruit and roasted nuts, a bit of citrus, and a subtle backbone of the smoke mezcal lovers have come to appreciate.
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Best Bourbon Bourbon: Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged
Image Credit: Courtesy of Maker's Mark When it comes to wheated bourbon (meaning the mash bill uses wheat instead of rye), Maker’s Mark is a dram par excellence. Last summer, the distillery launched its new Cellar Aged, a blend of 11- and 12-year-old bourbons that makes it the oldest Maker’s expression to date. The barrels used for this release were moved to a cool limestone cellar for extra aging, slowing down the interaction with the wood. The result features notes of dark berries, caramel, citrus, and cinnamon, which make it fantastic for sipping.
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Best Gin: Prosperous & Penniless Barrel Finished Gin
Image Credit: Jason Tinacci/Calistoga Depot If you’re not yet sold on the concept of barrel-aged gin, this bottle might persuade you to give the category another chance. Prosperous & Penniless is distilled in Northern California, an area more associated with wine than with spirits, but there’s a connection here. The gin was distilled in a copper pot still imported from France’s Cognac region, aged for four years in ex-bourbon and French Limousin-oak casks, and finally finished in Chardonnay barrels. The strategy produced a delicate gin filled with herbal and dried-fruit notes that’s adept at both sipping and mixing.
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Best Single-Malt Scotch: Bruichladdich Thirty
Image Credit: Courtesy of Bruichladdich The Islay Distillery Bruichladdich makes some of the most heavily peated Scotch you can find for its Octomore range. These single-malt smoke bombs push the boundaries of flavor, but the core expression—the Classic Laddie—is actually an unpeated whisky. Such is the case with the new Bruichladdich Thirty, a three-decade-old single malt that comes from stock produced before the facility was shuttered in the 1990s. (It resumed operations in 2001.) This is an exemplary single malt with notes of dark chocolate, black pepper, and lemon curd. Despite its age, there’s just a touch of oak that pulls back before becoming overly tannic.
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Best Cognac (Tie): Remy Martin 300th Anniversary Coupe
Image Credit: Remy Martin Storied Cognac house Remy Martin is celebrating its tricentennial this year, so to commemorate the occasion cellar master Baptiste Loiseau created this elegant new expression. It’s a one-of-a-kind blend of eaux-de-vie from the Grande Champagne cru selected from Remy Martin’s “Réserve Perpétuelle,” which includes liquid used in previous releases. This limited-edition bottling is a true example of how important the art of blending is in Cognac, revealing a rich palate with notes of tobacco, spice, dried fig, dark chocolate, and just a hint of tropical fruit.
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Best Cognac (Tie): L’Or de Jean Martell Réserve Du Château Chanteloup
Image Credit: Fabien Sarazin The Cognac category is anchored by the humble VS and VSOP expressions, but the landscape is dotted with special releases, such as this new bottle from the Martell Cognac house. Réserve du Château Chanteloup is a blend of 1,400 eaux-de-vie finished in specially constructed barrels made from 300-year-old French oak. The château in its mouthful of a name is where the barrels worked their magic. There’s a richness to this luxury Cognac, which shows off blossoming notes of espresso, fig, and apricot. In a category deep with high-end bottlings, this is a standout.
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Tequila: El Tequileño Extra Añejo
Image Credit: Courtesy of El Tequileño This exquisite bottle is an example of what’s possible when a distillery hits all the right marks, from agave harvesting to distillation to maturation. El Tequileño Extra Añejo is a blend of three- to four-year-old tequila aged in just three barrels—two of which were previously used to mature Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey and another made from new French oak. This tequila is a rich dark-amber color, and the palate veers from sweet vanilla to cooked agave to crisp pepper. The crystal decanter the spirit comes in is certainly worth displaying, but the liquid inside should be savored.
