![]() ![]() At the beginning of this year, however, Heaven Hill outdid themselves with the release of batch A120, the closest we’ve yet encountered to perfection in the series. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch A120 – In recent years, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof has consistently excelled at balancing intense, barrel-driven notes with more delicate spices and caramels, making it something of a sure-bet when it comes to quality bourbon. It’s a limited release, but still widely available. Notes of spiced apples and pears and hints of tropical fruit give this whisky a character you rarely find in Speyside. Bright and sunny, it’s a stellar example of how Sauternes finishing can elevate a single malt with just the right amount of honeyed sweetness. This one tops them all, a 20 year old release that finishes for one of those years in Sauternes wine casks. In the last 12 months we’ve reviewed no fewer than 8 expressions from the brand. Aberfeldy Exceptional Cask 20 Years Old – Aberfeldy’s been hard at work with new releases both permanent and special issue. Nonetheless, it is – was – amazing stuff. Alas, only 500 bottles were produced and they appear to be long gone. Aged in a mix of bourbon and Oloroso sherry barrels for 11 years then finished in Cognac casks for 17 more years, it’s the most enchanting bottle of Bushmills I’ve ever tried – and one of the best Irish whiskeys I’ve had the pleasure to sample, full of exotic notes that range from maple syrup to incense to flowery potpourri. Bushmills Single Malt Cognac Cask 28 Years Old – If you had told me a year ago that a bottle of Bushmills would hit #2 in our top whiskeys of the year list, I would have said you were probably touched in the head. It’s a great dram year-round, but a particularly appropriate companion to the holidays. Even at cask strength, it’s immensely approachable with big citrus, wood, and spiced almond notes that cascade across the palate without ever diminishing en route to a sweet, silky, and clove-kissed finish. ![]() ![]() The cask strength release is everything we love about classic, sherry-driven Highland Park only dialed up to 12. Being fans of Highland Park ourselves (its Twisted Tattoo made the Top 10 in 2019), we were prepared to like this one. 1 – It flew under the radar this fall when venerable Scotch producer Highland Park decided to casually expand its core lineup to include the first ever release of a full-proof bottling. (All prices reported reflect the current market.)Īs always, we’re revealing one whiskey each day, starting with #10 and highlighting another each day until we hit #1. How to handle special bottlings, one-offs, and anniversary drams that sold out immediately… but which we loved? It’s a tricky calculus to balance availability and adoration, but we’ve tried to do our best in this list to highlight whiskeys you might have a hope of actually getting, while offering praise where it’s deserved, regardless of whether the product is still in stock. While 2020 will be reviled for just about everything else, it was actually a delightful year for brown spirits, and paring down our list of top whiskeys of the year - which initially ran to nearly 30 choices - was a daunting problem. With 2020 finally about to kick itself to the curb, it’s time to look back on the year that was - at least in terms of whiskey.
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