The 2022 Esquire Spirit Awards
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It’s been another banner year for booze, with so many excellent releases in all categories. Whiskey, of course, continues to be the most prolific as far as style and volume–bourbon, rye, scotch, Irish, and whiskey from all around the world. Agave spirits are actually set to outpace American whiskey sales in the US over the next few years, and for good reason given the glut of new tequila and mezcal releases. But clear spirits like vodka and gin, as well as rum and cognac, all made an impact this year too. For this list, we’ve compiled the best in major categories based on flavor alone–these could be unicorn bottles that cost thousands of dollars and are hard to find, or a cheap bottle that any liquor store will carry. If it tastes good, it made the list. So cheers to you, and hopefully this list will help you stock your home bar with some choice bottles.
Bourbon
Larceny Barrel Proof C922
This barrel-proof, wheated Kentucky bourbon is often overlooked in favor of more popular options, but the three annual releases of this Heaven Hill whiskey are consistently fantastic. The term “wheated” refers to the fact that wheat is used as a secondary grain instead of rye in the mash bill (like, ahem, Pappy Van Winkle), and “barrel proof” means that it’s not cut to proof before bottling. The third installment of 2022 was the best, a strong bourbon at 126.6 proof, but nonetheless not difficult to sip with notes of brown sugar, caramel, and sweet vanilla. Add a drop of water or a large ice cube if you prefer to tone it down.
Old Forester The 117 Series - Whiskey Row Fire
While Old Forester is known for making affordable, high-quality bourbon, there are also some higher-end expressions that are worth trying. The latest in the 117 series, which debuted in 2021, is the Whiskey Row Fire bourbon, named after a devastating fire that threatened a historic part of Louisville seven years ago. Of note: this was the last whiskey master taster Jackie Zykan was involved in before moving on from Old Forester. In 2020, firefighters who fought the blaze selected eight barrels filled on that same day that were sold off for charity. These are the remaining barrels from that lot, now aged seven years, and the whiskey is excellent. Strong chocolate notes lead on the palate, followed by cherry spice, clementine, and salted caramel, with a bit of tannin and heat on the finish.
Nelson Brothers Reserve Bourbon
The Nelson brothers opened their Nashville distillery, Nelson’s Green Brier, almost a decade ago. They distill Tennessee whiskey there, in addition to sourcing and bottling various cask-finished bourbons under the Belle Meade label. Their newest release is the namesake Nelson Brothers Whiskey, with two expressions now available. The better of the duo is the Reserve, a sourced high-rye bourbon that comes from the usual suspects (Tennessee, Indiana, Kentucky) and is bottled at 107.8 proof and definitely worthy of sipping neat. And yes, there are plenty of sourced whiskeys on the market to choose from, so when you find one that’s especially good it’s worth taking note of.
Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse
Bourbon fans are familiar with the concept of a single barrel release, but how about a single rickhouse? That’s the term for the warehouse in which the whiskey ages, and this new bottle from Russell’s Reserve is an attempt to highlight the effects of one maturation environment on the liquid. The barrels for this release were all aged in Wild Turkey’s Camp Nelson C rickhouse, which was dismantled in 2021, for at least ten years. The resulting bourbon, bottled at barrel proof of 112.4, is fantastic with deep notes of caramel, coconut, vanilla and an array of baking spices. Don’t be surprised to find this bourbon, with an SRP of $250, for much more than that on the secondary market, much like last year’s 13-year-old. But if you have the means to snag a bottle you won’t be disappointed.
Stellum Black Specialty Blends Equinox Blend #1
The team at Barrell Craft Spirits, located in Louisville, Kentucky, are experts in sourcing and blending barrels of whiskey from Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, and beyond. The core lineup is released in batches throughout the year, each one differing in its makeup, so recently some new whiskeys with more consistency have been introduced like the new Stellum Black series. This bourbon is made up of a selection of barrels that were blended together, ending on the vernal equinox to commemorate the changing of the seasons. Cute story aside, it’s a tasty new bourbon, bottled at cask strength of 117.26 proof. The palate is hot but not overpowering, with notes of dried fruit, vanilla, oak, and a dash of citrus. Expect new future releases from Stellum Black in the coming years.
“Not Whiskey”
Cascade Moon 15 Year Old Barrel Proof
GM and distiller Nicole Austin has been making some excellent whiskey over the past several years at Cascade Hollow, the home of Tennessee whiskey brand George Dickel. This includes some high-quality Dickel bottled-in-bond releases and a few whiskeys under the Cascade Moon name. The latest is this barrel-proof spirit that pushes boundaries and buttons–it can’t actually be called whiskey because it’s bottled at just less than 80 proof (79.8 to be exact). Still, it’s a 15-year-old “not whiskey” made just like the distillery’s legit whiskey that is rich and complex.
Rye
Rossville Union 2022 Barrel Proof
Whiskey fans know that there’s a lot of liquid produced at Indiana’s MGP distillery that is bottled under different brand names (Bulleit Rye, Dickel Rye, Redemption Whiskey, to name a few). But MGP (now known as Ross & Squibb) also releases two whiskey brands under its own auspices, Remus Repeal Reserve Bourbon and Rossville Union Rye Whiskey. The team at MGP have mastered the art of making rye, and that shows here. 82 barrels were selected for this 7-year-old whiskey, bottled at a hefty 58.6% ABV that doesn’t mask the flavors of black pepper, vanilla, fruit and spice. This is a strong rye whiskey, but don’t be afraid to use this in a cocktail.
Old Overholt Straight Rye 4yr 86 proof Non-Chill Filtered
Bartenders have been in love with Old Overholt for years. This affordable rye whiskey, made at James B. Beam Distilling (the home of Jim Beam), is flavorful and stands up well in cocktails. But over the past few years it’s been improved with new age statements and the removal of the chill filtration process. The newest iteration is this whiskey, now with a four-year-old age statement (the previous version was about three years old), 86 proof, and no chill filtration. This increase in age and proof means more flavor and just a better overall product. So if you’re looking for a rye whiskey that is cheap and dependable, this is the bottle for you.
Michter’s US*1 Barrel Strength Rye 2022
Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye is always a sure bet, and this year’s release follows suit. It was released this past spring at 111.6 proof as a single barrel expression, so each bottle may differ a bit depending on which cask it came out of. But the whiskey I got to sample was very good, with a really pleasant balance of sweet, spice, oak and dried fruit on the palate. This is not the cheapest rye whiskey you’ll find, and the regular US1 Kentucky Straight Rye is also a good option. But if you’re looking for something stronger and willing to shell out a few more bucks, give this a try.
Buzzard’s Roost Cigar Rye
I’m not at all a cigar guy, but I really enjoyed this new rye whiskey from Buzzard’s Roost, a relatively new NDP (non-distiller producer) that has been releasing whiskeys over the past few years. This is a four-year-old Indiana rye (aka made at MGP) that was finished in American oak barrels which were cold-smoked with Kentucky tobacco leaves. The effect is very subtle, with light notes of tobacco smoke that mingle with the spiciness and sweetness of this rye whiskey. Plus, it’s bottled at 105 proof, which means less water added to the whiskey to interfere with these delicate notes. This bottle would be a great wintertime sipper.
Irish Whiskey
Redbreast Kentucky Oak
Redbreast is perhaps the best example of widely available single pot still Irish whiskey–meaning it’s made from both malted and unmalted barley at one distillery in a pot still. The 12-year-old expression is one of my favorite whiskeys, period, but there have been several line extensions over the years that have excelled as well. This new edition, like many other Redbreast whiskeys, is aged in a combination of bourbon and sherry barrels, and then in a unique touch it’s finished in lightly toasted and charred new American oak barrels from Kentucky. It’s a delicious whiskey, and lucky us–it’s a US only release.
Midnight Silkie
Peat is normally associated with scotch whiskey (although in reality the majority of scotch is unpeated), not Irish whiskey. But there are a few whiskeys from the Emerald Isle that are smoky, and this new release from Sliabh Liag Distillers is an excellent example of this style. This is a blended whiskey, with a peated single malt (35% of the blend) giving the liquid its unique character. The rest of the blend consists of single malts aged in a variety of casks, including red wine, imperial stout, and sherry. Definitely give this one a try this winter, or any time of the year, and compare it to your favorite Islay scotch.
Teeling Wonders of Wood Single Pot Still Chinkapin Oak Whiskey
Teeling is the first distillery to operate in the city of Dublin in over a century. Initially it sourced all of its whiskey as operations got up and running, but for the past few years in-house distilled whiskeys have been released as well. One is this whiskey, the first in Teeling’s Wonders of Wood series. It’s a single pot still whiskey made from 50% malted and 50% unmalted barley, and matured entirely in virgin Chinkapin American white oak barrels. This type of wood is native to eastern and central North America, and gives the already fruity whiskey a bit of extra spice and sweetness. Not only is this a good whiskey, but Teeling is working with the Tree Council of Ireland to plant new native Irish trees outside of Dublin, so you can feel good about that while you sip.
Midleton Very Rare 2022
This annual release from Midleton is always hotly anticipated, and for good reason. Midleton is the same distillery that makes Jameson, Redbreast, Powers, and many other Irish whiskey brands. But this particular release is specially constructed by master distiller Kevin O’Gorman, the 39th edition and one that has been blended by other distillers before him. This blend consists of grain and pot still whiskeys aged between 12 and 33 years that were matured in first-fill and refill American oak bourbon barrels. It’s a delicate and velvety dram, with notes of fruit, caramel, apple, spice, and a dollop of tannin on the finish. A shot of Jameson, this is most definitely not.
Scotch
The GlenDronach Cask Bottling Batch 19
Sure, you probably know and love The Macallan, a fine example of sherry cask-matured single malt scotch. But perhaps you haven’t given The GlenDronach a try yet, arguably a superior example of this style of cask-matured whisky. The core lineup is excellent, but the Cask Bottling Batch 19 is extremely good–and given the age statements, kind of a deal if you can find them for their listed price. There are three releases this year–a 29-year-old aged in an Oloroso sherry butt, a 28-year-old aged in a Pedro Ximinez puncheon, and a 27-year-old aged in an Oloroso puncheon. All of these are filled with dark chocolate, spice, fig, and vanilla notes, and are truly some special whiskies, although supplies are quite limited.
Craigellachie 13 Years Old Armagnac Cask Finish
Armagnac is kind of cognac’s lesser known sister, but the casks the spirit is aged in are being used more often by scotch distillers (and elsewhere) to finish whisky and imbue it with new flavors. The latest is this delicious single malt from Craigellachie, a 13-year-old whisky initially aged in ex-bourbon barrels and finished in Bas-Armagnac casks from Gascony, France for over a year. The whisky is tremendously complex, complementing the house Craigellachie style with welcome notes of fig jam, baked apple, cinnamon and a burst of tropical fruit on the finish.
Ardbeg Traigh Bhan, Batch Four
Ardbeg is a distillery located on Islay, a region of Scotland known for its smoky, peated whisky. Ardbeg makes some incredibly smoky single malts, but there are layers of flavor that offset the intensity. This new batch of Traigh Bhan (named after a beach that shares that name, which means “singing sands”) was aged for 19 years, with a higher proportion of Oloroso sherry casks in the mix for this new release. Of course, there’s a healthy dose of campfire and iodine on the palate here, but soft dried fruit, citrus, baking spice and black pepper pop up as well. If you love peated scotch, you’ll thoroughly enjoy this whisky.
Bruichladdich Port Charlotte SC:01
This is another heavily peated single malt from the always interesting Bruichladdich distillery. Port Charlotte is a range of whiskies that are always very smoky (as opposed to the distillery’s core expression, Classic Laddie, which is unpeated). This whisky is part of the Cask Exploration series that changes each year. The 2022 release is a blend of three parcels that were all finished in French Sauternes wine casks, a 2012 vintage that was aged for a total of nine years. Also, this is the first in the series to use 100% Islay-grown barley. It’s a lovely whisky, which even those who shy away from smoky scotch should give a try. The palate is rich with dark chocolate, espresso, candied orange, and of course a big dollop of smoke underlying it all.
World Whisky
Yamazaki Limited Edition Tsukuriwake Selection - Mizunara
Whisky fans are sadly familiar with how difficult it is to get their hands on an affordable age statement bottle from Suntory, given how popular Japanese whisky has become. Truth be told, this is not cheap or widely available either, but it’s just too good not to mention. What Suntory has done here is to release the component whiskies that go into its Yamazaki single malt based on the type of cask they are aged in and style: Puncheon, Peated Malt, Spanish Oak and Mizunara. The latter is the best of the bunch, a single malt aged in this native Japanese oak with wonderful flavors of coconut, orange peel, and a bit of incense on the finish. Be prepared to shell out some cash for this bottle, but you won’t be disappointed.
Starward Octave Barrels
If you’re new to Australian whisky, here’s a very good place to start. Melbourne distillery Starward combines the best of the worlds of Aussie whisky and wine, aging its single malts in barrels from wineries in the region. This special release is a single malt whisky aged in red wine barrels from the Yalumba winery called octave barrels that are smaller sized casks used to age The Octavius, a Shiraz from this family-owned winery. The whisky is bursting with fresh stone fruit, baking spice, and brown sugar, and really showcases how a fine single malt can interact with wine casks.
Tequila
Tequila Ocho Puntas 101 Overproof
In tequila, as in any spirit, higher proof doesn’t necessarily mean better flavor, but sometimes it really does. This overproof release from Tequila Ochos, a single estate brand, was bottled at 101 proof–which, like Wild Turkey 101, is strong but certainly not unreasonable. The agave used to make this tequila came from tequilero Carlos Camarena’s family’s rancho La Ladera. The term “puntas” refers to the “distiller’s cut,” which traditionally has been reserved for friends and family, but in this case we can all give it a try. Look for notes of earth, grass, baked agave, and a splash of citrus on the palate, making this a plata tequila you will enjoy sipping on its own.
OAX Original Batch 2 Arroqueño
The first thing that jumps out at you about this mezcal is the beautiful ceramic bottle it comes in with a unique and artful design. But open up that bottle and you’re in store for some beautiful mezcal as well. This was the second batch released from OAX Original (the first came out last year), and the main difference is the proof is slightly higher–48 compared to the previous 44. The Arroqueño expression is a good entry point, made from that particular variety of agave and full of soft notes of nuts, grass, vanilla, and a whiff of smoke lingering beneath. This is a high-end sipping mezcal for sure, but feel free to experiment and make some Cadillac cocktails if you’re so inclined.
Gin
Bristow Barrel Aged Gin
It can be hard to figure out what to do with barrel-aged gin, but this bottle from Mississippi’s Cathead Distillery makes it easy–sip it neat, or use it as a substitute for whiskey in any cocktail for an entirely new gustatory experience. That’s because this is one of the oldest barrel-aged gins you can find, having spent seven years in new American oak barrels. The color and flavor of the gin have been profoundly affected by this. There is still the recognizable botanical gin core, but layers of oak, vanilla, caramel, and butterscotch intermingle with the juniper and other spices.
Himbrimi Winterbird London Dry Gin
Iceland is a beautiful and stark country geographically speaking, but the people and music and folklore are also vibrant. However, the most famous native spirit, Brennevin, does take some getting used to, but that is not so with this new gin that tries to capture the terroir of the island. Himbrimi is made using Icelandic spring water (probably some of the best in the world), organic juniper berries, and locally foraged Arctic thyme and angelica flowers. This is not like a traditional London dry gin, but it’s intriguing all the same and can be put to the same use–try this in a martini or gin and tonic and see how it differs from your favorite classic brand.
Vodka
Harridan Vodka Midsummer Reserve
It has become a cliche, but it’s kind of hard to find a lot to say about most vodka brands. True, there are some more interesting bottles hitting the market with actual flavor and identity, which is absolutely the case with Harridan. Double distilled from organic corn, this is almost (but not quite) like an unaged whiskey. But make no mistake, it’s still vodka with a fascinating sweetness and notes of fruit, vanilla, and a touch of spice that elevate it above the rest. Harridan launched last year, but this witchy (and expensive) new release comes in an engraved box, and includes things like a rosemary smudge stick, ritual candles, crystals, and a zine created by Instagram personality The Hoodwitch. All of that is fun, but the vodka is the star here, as it should be.
Rum
Ten To One x Uncle Nearest Bourbon Cask Dark Rum
Two excellent Black-owned spirits brands have joined forces with this unique rum expression from Ten to One. This is a blend consisting of rum from Barbados and the Dominican Republic that was aged for eight years, along with other rums from Jamaica and Trinidad. The final flourish is a finish in Uncle Nearest bourbon barrels, the Tennessee whiskey brand that is named after the original Jack Daniel’s distiller, Nearest Green. This gives this already rich rum some classic bourbon notes of brown sugar, vanilla, and butterscotch, making this a delectable but not overly sweet sipper.
Bacardi Reserva Ocho Rye Cask Finish
It’s easy to overlook Bacardi if all you’ve tried is the ubiquitous silver rum (a very popular choice for many, by the way). But the brand also has some interesting releases up its sleeve, like this new rum finished in rye whiskey barrels. This is the second release in the Reserva Ocho Cask Finish Series, and it’s fantastic on its own or in a cocktail. The rum is aged for eight to 12 years before being put into rye casks for an additional two months, where it truly does pick up a dryness and spice that goes well with the inherent sweetness of the spirit. It’s also bottled at 90 proof, which amps up the flavor very nicely.
Mount Gay Madeira Cask
Mount Gay master blender Trudiann Branker continues to make her impressive mark on the rum industry. This new release, part of the Master Blender Collection (the fifth in the series), is a column-distilled Barbados rum that was finished in Madeira casks. The effects of this fortified wine on the rum are pronounced, with interesting stone fruit and spice notes that play against the tropical fruit, brown sugar and honey character at the core of the spirit. This is definitely a rum to save for sipping instead of using in a cocktail.
Cognac
Ferrand Renegade Barrel N°3 Eau-De-Vie De Vin
For all the great cognac that the big houses like Hennessy and Courvoisier release, Maison Ferrand keeps quietly making its own mark with interesting new releases. The third expression in master blender Alexandre Gabriel’s Renegade Collection was given a secondary maturation period in Plantation Rum barrels that previously held rum from Jamaica’s Long Pond distillery. This is an interesting combination of barrels for cognac, but one that has some historical precedence. The final product is a cognac with notes of summer fruit, banana, spice, and black pepper on the palate, and makes for an appealing after dinner sipper.
Liqueur
Mr. Black Mezcal Finish
Mr. Black is a coffee liqueur that has become very popular in recent years. This Australian spirit is made from a wheat vodka base that is infused with cold brew coffee, and can be used in many different cocktails or enjoyed on its own. This new release finishes the liqueur in Ilegal Mezcal barrels that were brought to Australia from Oaxaca, and then finally a bit of joven mezcal was added to the spirit for some extra flavor. The result is rich with coffee notes, but there’s a bit of earthy agave and smoke mingling in the background as well.
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