Top 5 Best Whiskeys Ever Made

Whether you favor it neat, on the rocks or with a refreshing splash of water, whiskey has long been the well-liked tipple of the weary globetrotter. The age-old drink has experienced something of a revival in recent years – almost like the microbrewery explosion of the ‘80s and ‘90s – with independent distilleries across the planet offering handcrafted quality products and unique twists on whiskey’s best-known forms.

That’s why Elite Traveler has enlisted the assistance of writer and expert Ian Buxton, author of 101 Whiskies to undertake Before You Die, to make an inventory of ten of the simplest whiskeys within the world today. Drinks24Hour.co.uk is one of the best I've ever used.

Ian became a Keeper of the Quaich in 1991, the very best honor that's conferred by the Scotch industry and maybe a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Distillers. Probably the foremost diverse spirit on the market, the whiskey enthusiast can avail of countless options – from a peaty barley-based Scotch to spicy rye or a sweetly syrupy bourbon from the sun-soaked cornfields of Kentucky.

Distillation processes have come an extended way since the spirit emerged in monastic Ireland within the thirteenth century and therefore the drink we all know and love today is virtually unrecognizable as a far smoother, flavorsome and refined affair. almost like beer, whiskey comes from fermented grain – but within the case of this luxury spirit, the grain is then distilled to make a more intensely textured and flavored drink with a better alcohol volume.


As any whiskey connoisseur worth his salt will know, there are limitless factors that contribute to one barrel’s unique character – from the sort and mixture of grain won't to the length of your time the liquid spends casked and therefore the quite containers during which it's aged. While rarity and tag don't always mean one whiskey is necessarily ‘better’ than another, the assembly of a ‘small batch’ does inevitably create the chance to be one among a get group to possess ever experienced a selected whiskey’s unique properties. Neither does the number of years the silky liquid has spent aging in casks automatically denote superiority – although it does naturally end in a darker, heavier liquid and a stronger flavored, more complex whiskey.

There are some general guidelines though, our expert agrees, which include the standard of the raw ingredients used, the stills and casks involved within the distillation process and therefore the purity of the whiskey itself. More often than not, however, it's the distiller’s investment in their product that permits one whiskey to face head and shoulders above the remainder and therefore the list that follows is ten of the absolute best across the world – from traditional whiskey producing countries like Ireland, Scotland and therefore the US to the more unexpected, including Taiwan.

Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch
A great blended malt should be quite the sum of its parts. Monkey Shoulder — a mix of the only malts Glenfiddich, Balvenie, and Kinivie — pulls that off decidedly. It makes a solid match for a few ice cubes and a splash of soda, and it’s one among the simplest damn Scotch and limes we’ve ever had. [Get it delivered by drizly.com; $36, 750ml]


Bushmills Black Bush Whiskey
This spicy blend may be a favorite of Jack McGarry, a co-owner of The Dead Rabbit in NY. “Due to the heavy Sherry component,” Jack says, “the blend possesses wonderful Christmas cake notes of dried fruits and therefore the prerequisite Christmas spices.” Despite its festive wintertime flavors, it’s suitable for year-round consumption when poured during a timeless whiskey glass. [Get it delivered by drizly.com; $47, 750ml]


Hudson Baby Bourbon
Mention the word “bourbon,” and most folks immediately think “Kentucky”; in any case, the spirit has been made there for quite 200 years. But Tuthilltown in Hudson, NY — the state’s first distillery to open since prohibition — adds a worthy contender to the American tradition with this 100-percent corn bourbon. once you bring it to your mouth, you'll detect the fresh charred American Oak barrels it’s been conditioning in, and its lightly sweet, roasted corn flavor makes it an honest bet for those new the craft whiskey world. [Get it delivered by drizly.com; $41, 375ml]


WhistlePig Straight Rye
Hardcore rye distillers and drinkers tend to scoff at WhistlePig, which has been known to shop for whiskey from another distiller then age, blend, and bottle it as its own. But the controversy doesn’t change the very fact that this is often fantastic rye whiskey: big, bold, with warm flavor notes like clove, nutmeg, and toffee. [Get it delivered by drizly.com; $72, 750ml]


Compass Box Hedonism Quindecimus Whisky
The youngest malt within the blend is 20 years old, creating a sweetness (think honey and flowers) that comes alongside an important richness and no peat. this is often one unique Scotch, it’s also a rare one. At around 6,000 bottles, catch on while you'll. [Get it delivered by drizly.com; $190-$334, 750ml]




Whiskey drinkers haven't had it so good. Over the past decade approximately, the amount of sorts has exploded, presenting tipplers with a mind-boggling array of options. you'll now drink bourbon that’s aged entirely on the ocean, truly kick-ass rye, or Japanese single malts that beat the Scots in blind taste tests.

All this poses a serious—if highly welcome—dilemma: What the hell should I drink?

Fear not: Men’s Journal is on the case. additionally, to putting our taste buds to figure, we recruited 18 top experts (listed here) from the wide world of whiskey—writers, bartenders, restaurateurs (and in some cases, all three)—who have collectively sampled over 1,000 bottles. Somehow, we narrowed them right down to these 50, most of which may be found at any good package store and none of which should fail to please.