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The 15 Best Whiskeys to Drink in 2022
We’re only a few months into 2022. But Mash & Grape, it’s already been a banner year for whiskey. Here are 15 bottles that have already wowed us–and we think they’ll impress you, too.
As always, it’s super-easy to shop online. Just visit our website, add all your favorites to your shopping cart, and then sit back and relax as we ship them straight to your door.
Knob Creek Bourbon and Rye
In an era when it can be hard to track down once-mainstream bourbons like Eagle Rare or Blanton’s, Knob Creek is still refreshingly accessible–and consistently terrific, worthy of a neat pour as well as stellar in cocktails.
Mash & Grape stocks not only the core Knob Creek Small Batch Bourbon, but also a rotating selection of club-only single barrel bottlings picked by Bourbon Enthusiast and other partners. Don’t let 2022 pass you by without scheduling a little trip to the shores of Knob Creek, especially if it’s been a while since you visited.
Oban hits that Scotch whisky sweet spot: just enough smoke to give you a kick, not so much that you feel like you’re drinking whisky in the middle of an electrical fire. The brand’s limited-edition 18 Year single malt showcases the distillery’s remarkable balance in an entirely new way. Aromas of candied orange peel, sea salt, and fresh fruit give way to dried spices, kelp, and sweet oak on the palate. Try it with chocolate for a serious after-dinner treat.
Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select Tennessee Whiskey
Think Jack Daniel’s is all about cheap bar shots at a honky-tonk? Think again. Each bottle of Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Select Tennessee Whiskey comes from a single barrel chosen by master distiller Chris Fletcher. That means each one is a little bit different, but you can expect a variation on Jack Daniel’s signature flavor profile of brown sugar, robust spice, and sweet fruit.
Barrell Bourbon Batch 032
Barrell Craft Spirits has built a cult following for its line of cask strength, full-flavored independently bottled bourbons, ryes, whiskeys, and rums. Get in on the action with the brand’s latest small batch bourbon release, Barrell Bourbon Batch 032.
Made from a blend of bourbons from different states and with different age statements, this richly flavored whiskey dishes up tantalizing aromas of wildflower honey and toasted oak, followed by flavors like cinnamon roll, ginger, and salted butter. It’s a limited edition release, so get it while you can.
Benromach 15-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Benromach is a Speyside distillery, but if you think that means nothing but light, floral whiskeys (or heavy sherry cask finishes), you’re in for a surprise. It’s owned by acclaimed independent bottlers Gordon & MacPhail, which means it has the chops and confidence to make surprising whiskeys that aren’t wedded to the traditional Speyside style.
Sure, Benromach 15-Year-Old has loads of those classic Speyside fresh and dried fruit aromas. But there’s also a touch of smoke–unusual for this region–that gives it a surprising new dimension.
Two Stacks Cask Strength Blended Irish Whiskey
There’s never been a better time to be into Irish whiskey (at least, not within living memory). After decades of stagnancy, a burst of new Irish distilleries, producers, and brands is breathing new life into the historic category. Two Stacks Cask Strength Blended Irish Whiskey is a little bit different than the other blended whiskeys on the market.
Instead of combining grain whiskey with single malt or pot still whiskeys, it’s a blend of five different grain whiskeys, aged in ex-bourbon and virgin American oak casks and then bottled at cask strength. Aromas of tobacco and grilled pineapple introduce a high-octane palate with flavors of caramel, shortbread, and tropical fruits. Water unlocks sweetness and a touch of leather.
Elijah Craig Bourbon Small Batch
Another classic bourbon it’s still possible to buy on a whim, Elijah Craig Bourbon Small Batch is a bedrock component of any home bar. Bottled at a cocktail-friendly 94 proof, this iconic bourbon also remains a real bargain. Rich oak sweetness, aromatic vanilla, and a finish that’s perfectly balanced between dry oak and luscious sweetness make Elijah Craig a first love for so many whiskey drinkers. Unlike many first loves, however, it’s one that just keeps making sense, even decades later.
Deanston 12 Year Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Scotch has a reputation for being hard to like. For every peat-head who loves to drink something that smells and tastes like smoldering tires, there’s another drinker who’d prefer something a little more nuanced.
Enter Deanston. Like all Scottish single malt whisky, Deanston 12 Year is made with a mash bill of 100% malt barley. In this case, it’s entirely unpeated, and the whiskey is aged in American oak casks that give it sweet, delicate notes like hay, vanilla, honey, and fresh orchard fruits.
Nikka Whisky from the Barrel
Japanese whisky was originally inspired by the Scottish tradition, but today, it’s developing its own unique style. Nikka Whisky from the Barrel is a great example of the creativity that animates the Japanese industry. It’s made from a blend of more than 100 different batches of malt and grain whiskies distilled at two different distilleries.
That blend is then returned to a former bourbon cask to mingle before being bottled at just over 100 proof. Bourbon drinkers will find plenty to like here, but there’s an extra nuance of tangerine and cedar that takes this delicious whisky in an entirely fresh direction.
Branch Point Straight Rye Malt Whiskey
Oregon’s Willamette Valley is best known for pinot noir, but Branch Point Distillery is bringing whiskey distilling to this very wine-centric region. Branch Point Straight Rye Malt Whiskey is made with rye as well as rye malt, adding a rich sweetness to rye’s classic robust spice. It’s bottled at 46% alcohol, the sweet spot for sipping and cocktails.
Smooth Ambler Old Scout Single Barrel Rye
We love a good single barrel line. When every batch is a little bit different, buying a new bottle is just more exciting. Smooth Ambler’s Old Scout Single Barrel Rye line is a perfect example. Every batch comes from a different single cask of four-year-old rye whiskey. You’ll always get that robust rye spice, but the nuances (and proof) vary from cask to cask.
Lock Stock & Barrel 18-Year-Old Straight Rye
Rye whiskey has a rough-and-tumble sort of reputation. But Lock Stock & Barrel 18-Year-Old is all grown up. This is mature, sophisticated whiskey–but OK, yes, it can still get a little rowdy. Made from a mash bill of 100% rye, it’s richly spicy and intense, with dense flavors like gingerbread, pecans, cigar, and rootbeer.
Abasolo Ancestral Corn Mexican Whisky
Corn is the most important ingredient in American bourbon, but the grain itself actually originates in Central America. Abasolo Ancestral Corn Mexican Whiskey pays homage to the importance of corn in Mexican cuisine with a whiskey made entirely from an heirloom corn variety called Cacahuazintle, which has been grown for more than 200 generations. It tastes entirely different from traditional bourbon, with deep flavors of roasted corn, vanilla, honey, leather, and black tea.
Milam & Greene Triple Cask Straight Bourbon Whiskey
The Milam & Greene Distillery is based in Texas, where it makes bourbon from a mash bill of 70% Texas corn, 22% malted rye, and 8% barley. A fairly new company, Milam & Greene is just starting to release some of their own-distilled stock, including their Triple Cask Straight Bourbon Whiskey, which blends their bourbon with Tennessee bourbons ranging in age from three to 11 years old. The result is amazingly layered and complex, with fruit, vanilla, and plenty of spice against a backdrop of structured oak.
Love a good Manhattan cocktail? You’ll love this rye whiskey. Sagamore Spirit finished their straight rye in barrels that previously held vermouth, bitters, and cherry brandy, imparting a subtle dose of Manhattan flavor. It’s great on its own, but we recommend really leaning into the concept and using it to make a Manhattan cocktail.