Is French Whisky About to Get the Japanese Whisky Treatment?

The fifteenth dram in my flight of French whisky is Armorik Double Maturation Single Malt, and I’m slightly relieved it’s the last. It looks delicious, especially golden thanks to the copper hue inside New York City’s Brandy Library, and tastes even better. Owner (and Frenchman) Flavien Desoblin hints that he’s got a few more bottles stashed away, but my palate is tapped out. “We don’t sell many French flights,” he laments, gesturing to a near-full Brenne 10-Year Limited Edition bottle that he’s had for a few years. “It’s a shame because this is a very exciting time. Soon, French whisky could be as big as Japanese whisky.”

It’d be easy to mistake Desoblin’s giddiness for the burgeoning French whisky category as national pride, but when you consider that France is the number one consumer of whisky, per capita, of all countries, and that there are currently 60 active distilleries in France, while another 40 have applied for licenses in the past year alone, you can see where Desoblin is coming from. We’re about to get hit with a crush of French juice, right as Japanese distillers are forced to discontinue age statements — and even some blends — because we drank it all.

Between cognac, Armagnac and brandy, French distillation has deep generational roots, but the demand for whisky is far higher. “French law limits cognac production to specific months so the distillers started making whisky in the off-seasons,” Desoblin shares. “When cognac wasn’t doing great, farmers got government subsidies to uproot grape vines to plant barley and other grain fields. Now everyone’s realizing the terroir in many regions where smaller distillers are cropping up is really suited for the grains.”

Now a hotbed of distilleries, Brittany is considered the origin of French whisky. Home to makers like Armorik, a distillery that’s been churning out under-the-radar, pot stilled single malt juice that rivals any scotch in a blind tasting for decades. Desoblin notes that the terroir not only factors in the glass — a whisky from Charente (a cognac region) or Gers (an Armagnac region) will have a different flavor profile than an Alsace (a riesling region) offering — but it’s used as a vital marketing tool to differentiate brands since the French whisky is still too nascent to have a distinct style unto itself.

Common traits do emerge, evident after my too-expansive flight. Generally, French whisky isn’t big and bold, like American offerings; it’s elegant and silky, soft and round, palatable and balanced. If this all sounds like Japanese whisky, you’re on the right track. “The French palate likes substance and complexity,” Desoblin says. He points to Alfred Giraud Heritage, a triple malt blend aged in extremely rare ex-cognac casks that is so absurdly divine, I attempt to lick any remnants from the empty dram. “This is the turning point of French whisky,” he beams. “It’s incredible. When we look back in fifteen years, we’ll say [owner and founder] Philippe Giraud changed the whole game.”

The kicker: the liquid in the bottle is a mere three years old, far less than high-end whiskeys made Stateside. If you were French, or you knew Philippe Giraud, you might not mind.

The whisky inside the Alred Giraud Heritage bottle is the result of decades of blending and aging knowledge. Giraud is a renowned name within the cognac community. Philippe’s great-grandfather Alfred, for whom the brand is named, was the cellar master of Remy Martin for more than 30 years, while Philippe’s uncle was a master cooper (a barrelmaker). “We’ve since built a distillery,” Giraud says, “but we started buying the best distillates we could find. We debated because we could have a single malt in a few years, but we have four generations of blending knowledge. We wanted to use it.”

Those choice single malt selections, including Rozelieures from Lorraine and Armorik from Brittany, were perfect for Georges Clot, the brand’s master blender (another former Remy cellar master, too). They’re placed into new oak casks, made from a Giraud family forestry operation. “We cut our trees and split the wood because the wood has to stay outside in the rain and the cold for one to two years,” Giraud explains. “You want the rain and weather to wash away the strongest tannins, but you still need enough to give the whisky structure.”

Twelve to 18 months later, the first marriage happens and the blend heads into the ex-cognac casks, all of which are at least 30 years old, with plenty pushing 50. “[Ex-cognac casks] gives it sweetness and a gourmand touch that’s typical of old cognac,” Giraud says. “You can taste a hint of it and it’s even in the nose, to some extent.” The rareness of the casks means the whisky is rare, too; a mere 5,000 bottles of Heritage are produced annually (a subtly peated iteration, Harmonie, is limited to a scant 2,000), and it’s only for sale in New York, though a few additional states will see it in 2020.

Recently, the distiller became the first French whisky to malt its own barley, after outsourcing frustrations abounded. By growing, picking, and malting its own barley, Giraud believes complete control over the process will enable a higher quality product. Downfield, Giraud is experimenting with different kinds of wood and casks that contained Armagnac or white wine, hoping to have a new innovation on shelves by the winter.

Desoblin notes that hurdles and headwinds still exist for French whisky. “Japanese food, particularly sushi, has become integrated into our lives, so whisky as an extension of that was something we can easily understand,” he says. “French food and culture don’t have that same level of penetration, so it’ll take a bit to catch on.” Our bet: it won’t take long.

What to Look for

Editor’s Note: Due to limited production, distribution in the United States isn’t widespread, meaning few French whiskies are widely available. Check for availability at your local liquor store.

Alfred Giraud Heritage Malt Whisky

The one to beat. Floral and spice notes meld well and hints of pear pop on your palate. The new oak creeps in slightly but is balanced by the sweetness from the cognac. If you can find it, it runs between $150 and $200.

Rozelieures Rare Single Malt Whisky

This single malt from Loraine was the first from the region to open, back in 2000. It matures in old sherry, cognac, and sauternes casks, and the resulting liquid is rich and luscious, with plenty of dried fruit notes. Rozelieuers’ Smoked version, made with local peat, is equally divine. You can find it for about $50.

Moutard Esprit de Malt

Champagne producers Moutard age this two-year-old whisky in ex-champagne barrels and ex-ratafia barrels. The latter is a fortified wine produced from champagne grape remnants. You can taste the youth in the glass but it’s lively and delicious. It’ll come to the US later this year.

Armorik Double Maturation Single Malt

Aged for at least 12 years, this drinks like a single malt scotch. Some notes of the sea seep into the maturation process from coastal Brittany distiller Warenghem, who only uses local oak and grains, giving it a wholly unique and full flavor with a long, welcome finish. Where available, it’s typically around $80.

Brenne Single Malt 10 Year

Four perfectly blended single barrels comprise this soft, fruity, super-drinkable ten-year-old. Hints of honey and cherries shine through. While it’s light-bodied, it’s heavy on flavor. You can drink this one all night.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

The Complete Buying Guide to Buffalo Trace Whiskey: Important Brands and Bottles Explained

There is perhaps no American whiskey maker more respected or awarded as Buffalo Trace Distillery. The brands under its umbrella are some of the biggest names in whiskey — Pappy Van Winkle, E.H. Taylor, W.L. Weller and so on. But the shuffling and mass coalescing of major whiskey brands can make it strenuous to know your Pappys from your Wellers, and harder still to recall the $1,000 difference between Antique Weller 107 and the Antique Collection’s William Larue Weller. That’s why we’re here. From impossible-to-find grails to $10 mixers, Buffalo Trace offers it all. Here’s your cheat sheet.

Mashbills

All Buffalo Trace whiskey comes from one of four recipes. In whiskey-making patois, recipe means mashbill, or the specific levels of corn, malt, rye and barley combined to distill the beginnings of every bottle.

The catch? The distillery has marked the exact balance of barley, corn, wheat and rye as proprietary (though many try to crack the code). So we know which bottles start as which mashbills, but we don’t know specific percentages of each ingredient. Some one-off expressions — like Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Rye — are exceptions to the rule.

Mash #1: a low-rye bourbon mash (Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, E.H. Taylor, George T. Stagg, Benchmark)
Mash #2: a higher-rye bourbon mash (Blanton’s)
Wheated Mashbill: replaces rye content with wheat (Pappy Van Winkle, Weller)
Rye Mashbill: mash made with a little more than 50 percent rye (Sazerac)

Pricing

Bottles from brands Pappy Van Winkle and W.L. Weller can cost hundreds of dollars, if you can even find them, but Buffalo Trace isn’t the one to blame. The distillery distributes all of its whiskey with longstanding suggested retail prices (SRP). Take Pappy, a brand with bottle prices that climb well into the four-digit realm. In an honest world, you’d be able to find one for as low as $60.

Prestige

The whiskey landscape is run almost entirely by a handful of conglomerates and mega-corporations, and Buffalo Trace Distillery stands out. Names like Van Winkle, Weller, E.H. Taylor and Blanton’s are some of the most sought-after bottles of brown on the planet, and that’s before mentioning the coveted Antique Collection and O.F.C. Vintage releases.

While all those names carry weight with collectors and award show judges, its humbler mainline bottles are no less noble. Dating back to 2000, Buffalo Trace and Eagle Rare — the brand’s two most available brands — have earned more awards than are worth counting.

How to Score Bottles

All Buffalo Trace Distillery whiskeys are distributed “on allocation.” This means there’s a specific number of bottles allocated to each state throughout the year across its whole catalog. This is done to ensure retailers, restaurants and consumers in every state get a shot at some.

Your best shot at nabbing prized bottles comes down to being a good customer, which starts with communication. Frequent the shops in your area and talk to the person behind the counter. Ask when they usually get the bottle you’re hunting for and reward information with your patronage. Remember that if you’re looking for something (especially a Buffalo Trace Distillery whiskey), others are too — they don’t have to give you information, but they may be more inclined to do so if you’re a regular.

Beyond that, know your release periods. Bottles of Pappy are allocated October 1 and typically hit shelves mid-October to early December. The Antique Collection is also distributed in the fall. Most other regularly distributed bottled arrive on shelves in the first week of the month.

Notable People

None of the names you see gracing bottles in the Buffalo Trace catalog were made up. They refer to real people from the distillery’s past. Here’s the short list:

William Larue Weller: The inventor of wheated bourbon whiskey. Much of Weller’s work — whiskey education, distilling and tinkering — was done in the early to mid-1800s. Bottles of Weller became so popular he’d dip his thumb in green ink and print it on each bottle to ensure authenticity.

E.H. Taylor, Jr.: Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor was a mid-19th-century banker turned bourbon hero. Taylor laid funding down for a number of distillers and later opened the O.F.C. Distillery. He was also instrumental in the legitimizing of the bourbon industry, playing a key role in getting the Bottled-in-Bond of 1897 through Congress.

George T. Stagg: Stagg worked hand-in-hand with Taylor in the creation of O.F.C. and later bought it off him. He re-named the distillery after himself and it remained the way for almost 100 years before being renamed again. This time the newly minted distillery was called “Buffalo Trace.” Now Stagg’s name appears on just one bottle in the Antique Collection that’s one of the most collectible whiskeys in the world.

Albert B. Blanton: Blanton took over George T. Stagg’s distillery in 1921 and steered it through both the Great Depression and Prohibition (he convinced the government to let them continue making “medicinal whiskey”). He’s perhaps most famous for his stature as the founding father of the single barrel bourbon.

Julian Sr. “Pappy” Van Winkle: The cigar-toting man plastered on every bottle of Pappy is Pappy himself. Co-founder of the forward-thinking Stitzel-Weller Distillery, Pappy, along with the Wellers, showed the world the power of old, wheated bourbon.

Elmer T. Lee: Blanton’s protégé. Lee joined the distillery in 1949 and became its first Master Distiller. He’s credited as one of the people responsible for bourbon’s return to form in the ’70s and ’80s, along with other bourbon legends Booker Noe, Jimmy Russell and Parker Beam.

Harlen Wheatley: A four-time James Beard award nominee, Buffalo Trace’s Master Distiller since 2005 probably wouldn’t include himself in this list, but everyone else would. Since his ascension, Wheatley has led the distillery to unprecedented consistency in competition results year after year. He’s also spearheaded Buffalo Trace’s innovative initiatives like the new Old Charter Oak and Warehouse X.

Buffalo Trace Distillery Whiskey Brands

Buffalo Trace

SRP: $25
Recipe: Mashbill #1
Age: Aged at least 8 years
Notable: Named Gear Patrol’s Best All-Around Bourbon

Buffalo Trace’s namesake whiskey is the distillery’s second most-affordable bottle, behind Benchmark, which makes the value all the more remarkable. The bottle is cut to an easy-drinking 90 proof and, because its made alongside your Staggs, Wellers and Van Winkles, every bottle is a lottery ticket. You could wind up with a normal bottle of Trace or something a little more special. Caramel and vanilla do the heavy lifting on the palate while an oaky brown sugar finish rolls in nice and slow. It’s a rare affordable bourbon that checks boxes for ability to drink neat or in cocktails.

McAffee’s Benchmark Old No. 8 Brand

SRP: $12 SRP (Most affordable Buffalo Trace Distillery whiskey)
Recipe: Mashbill #1
Age: Aged at least 36 months
Notable: 2018 Gold Medal Winner at Los Angeles and New York Spirit Competitions

Just call it Benchmark. With a suggested retail price of $12, Buffalo Trace Distillery’s cheapest juice has earned a place in the hearts of whiskey writers, cash-strapped bourbon drinkers and anyone trying to avoid party guests drinking the good stuff. Its ultra-low price makes it a strong choice for a punch mixer, and the slightly watery 80 proof mean neat drinking is relatively easy (don’t bother watering it down further). Served straight, it hits you with honey and a bit of orange peel on the nose and a medium-strength slow burn on the tongue. Expect a lightly oaky, fairly cherry-forward follow through.

Eagle Rare

SRP: $30
Recipe: Mashbill #1
Age: Aged at least 10 years
Notable: Jim Murray’s 2019 Best Bourbon, Under 10 Years

Amid a shrinking market of well-aged, realistically priced bourbons, Eagle Rare keeps its feathers above water. The 90-proof bottle separates itself by retaining its exceptionally rare 10-year age statement and a retail price below $50. On top of its small mountain of awards, it was named the best bourbon whiskey (up to 10 years) you can buy by whiskey’s single most important reviewer, Jim Murray. In a whiskey world where transparency is disappearing and exclusivity is burgeoning, Eagle Rare is positioned as a affordable luxury for the everyman.

Eagle Rare bourbon can generally be described as a richer, deeper, better Benchmark. Made from the same mashbill, it follows much of the same beat – a honey-orange peel nose and manageable burn, especially. Once its coated the palate, things change: expect less fruit, more wood, undercurrents of toffee and a bit of spice.

E.H. Taylor

SRP: $40 to $70 (varies with individual expressions)
Recipe: Mashbill #1
Age: Aged at least 4 years (Bottled-in-Bond requirement)
Notable: All bottles (except Barrel Proof) are Bottled-in-Bond

Carrying the name of one Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr., Buffalo Trace Distillery’s E.H. Taylor collection has a bottle for every whiskey drinker. By virtue of hosting such a wide range of expressions — small batch, single barrel, barrel proof, straight rye and a host of valuable one-offs — the brand rides the line between everyday drinkers and bottles worth getting into a fistfight over. Generally speaking, the order of value for regularly allocated E.H. Taylor goes like this: Small Batch, Straight Rye, Single Barrel and Barrel Proof.

Head and shoulders among the group of one-offs is a legendary bottle known as Warehouse C Tornado Surviving bourbon. With “1st and Only” scrawled under the masthead, this bottle is the product of a warehouse ripped apart by a tornado, the barrels inside open to the elements of a sticky Kentucky spring. The result is a bottle rife with weirdness and nearly impossible to find — that is, unless you’re willing to drop close to $3,000 for it.

It’s difficult to nail down tasting notes for E.H. Taylor because it comes in such variety, but there are some throughlines: unless it’s rye, it carries a corn-driven sweetness, vanilla notes throughout and a buttery mouthfeel and finish.

Pappy Van Winkle

SRP: $60 to $270 (varies with individual expressions)
Recipe: Wheated mashbill
Age: Aged 10 to 23 years
Notable: A bottle of 23-Year-Old Pappy Family Reserve was gifted to the Pope by a Kentuckky priest

The flagbearer for those that roll their eyes at those willing to spend a months (or multiple months) rent on a little bottle of alcohol. Other than its stuffed trophy cabinet and sickening price tags, it’s known for its use of wheat — the famed wheat mashbill that all its whiskeys (except the rye, obviously) start as — and very high age statements. Though the Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve line is the most coveted (and the only one with “Pappy” included in the name), you’ll be hard-pressed to find a bottle for less than $1,000.

But how does it taste? Though ages differ rather dramatically from bottle to bottle, Van Winkle bourbon’s defining trait is its wheated mashbill, which makes for a soft sipping, low burn, enormously rich glass. There is citrus, sherry, wood, leather, pepper and cherries, too. That blend of impossible smoothness and mind-bending depth are what Pappy is known for.

Blanton’s Single Barrel

SRP: $60
Recipe: Mashbill #2
Age: Aged between 6 and 8 years
Notable: Claims to be the first single barrel bourbon ever

Blanton’s was founded in 1984 by bourbon legend Elmer T. Lee. Two rules define its character and charm: it’s single barrel, which means every bottle is filled with whiskey from one barrel, and it’s aged in Warehouse H — one of few rickhouses in the world built entirely out of metal. The metal construction means the rickhouse lacks significant insulation, so all the barrels inside are exposed to far more aggressive temperature and humidity shifts than traditional wood or brick rickhouses. The result of this practice is a citrusy nose, vanilla driven palate and dry, mellowing, slightly bitter finish.

Sadly, of the four expressions — Original, Gold, Straight from the Barrel and Special Reserve — only the Original is available in the US, while other bottles are sold in select international markets. This is because the brand is owned by a Japanese company called Takara Shuzo, who purchased it from another company called Age International. So while Buffalo Trace makes and owns the whiskey, it doesn’t necessarily control where Blanton’s is and isn’t.

Antique Collection

SRP: $99 (Re-sale prices will be significantly higher)
Recipe: Mashbills vary
Age: Age varies
Notable: the bourbon drinker’s holy grail find — re-sale prices can reach well over $3,000 a bottle

There are many limited runs of good whiskey that gets way too much hype. Buffalo Trace’s Antique Collection is not in this category.

Released every fall, Antique Collection is the release of all releases for bourbon hunters. Made up of five American whiskeys — William Larue Weller, George T. Stagg, Eagle Rare 17-Year, Thomas Handy Sazerac Rye and Sazerac Rye 18-Year — it regularly hauls in loads of the biggest awards in the industry. Jim Murray named the Handy rye the best rye of the year in 2019, while the Weller took home the prize for best whiskey of the year (across all whiskey categories, worldwide). If you find any bottle for its suggested retail price of $99, buy a fistful of lottery tickets. Otherwise, expect to pay two to three times as much.

W.L. Weller

SRP: $25 to $99
Recipe: Wheated Mashbill
Age: Aged 7 to 12 years (depending on expression)
Notable: Claims to be the first wheated bourbon ever

Weller is the less sexy version of Pappy. As such, it’s earned a reputation as the bourbon drinker’s bourbon. It’s nowhere near as difficult to find as Pappy, though it’s becoming more and more difficult to track down itself. In order of rarity, here are four mainline bottles of the stuff: Special Reserve, 12-Year, Antique and William Larue Weller (part of the Antique Collection).

Special Reserve is the original and most accessible — a NAS (no age statement) bottle that serves as the ideal entryway into wheated bourbon (you can find bottles anywhere from $25 to $50, generally). The 12-year and Antique 107 are split by age and proof, with the Antique 107 being the highest proof of the Weller bottles and the 12-year being the second longest-aged. And as is customary, the most coveted of the group comes from the Antique Collection, and the William Larue Weller is routinely the most sought-after bottle in that group, too.

When discussing wheaters, the general assumption is extra-long stints in barrels is a good thing. This runs against how most seasoned drinkers describe rye-based bourbons. The trade-off is the younger bottles are, to many, lesser. The four- to seven-year-old Special Reserve hits you with a lot more ethanol flavor on the nose and palate than the 12-year, for example. With Weller, the higher the age, the more the whiskey blooms into the creamy, nutty, grassy, toasty booze everybody wants.

Old Charter Oak

SRP: $70
Recipe: Mashbill #1
Age: Aged 10 years
Notable: Every new bottle is aged in a different type of oak

Confusingly, Old Charter Oak is both a very old and very new line of bourbon. An older bottle bearing the name has been scantly distributed in a few southeastern markets since the 1930s. The newer line was announced at the end of 2018. Think of it as a science experiment framed around a single chain in the whiskey making process: wood. Every subsequent release will be bourbon aged in barrels made from oaks of different types, ages and regions. The first bottle was aged 10 years in oak from Mongolia and tastes like baking spices, nuts and a lot of wood. Buffalo Trace Distillery says to expect very limited releases four times a year.

Sazerac Rye

SRP: $27 to $99
Recipe: Rye Mashbill
Age: Aged 4 to 6 years
Notable: Made with the lowest possible percentage of rye for rye whiskey designation

Sazerac’s ryes taste a lot closer to bourbon than rye — or at least what we’ve come to expect from rye whiskey. Thanks to a rye industry that erupted alongside bourbon, loads of distillers were quickly bled dry of their rye stocks — MGP, an Indiana-based mass distilling operation, seized the opportunity to sell its rye whiskey to everybody who wanted it. And because their brand of rye is so rye-forward — reportedly 95 percent mashbill is rye — the whiskey drinking public quickly grew accustomed to super spicy rye.

It’s speculated both of Sazerac’s ryes — the 6-year-old (sometimes called “Baby Saz”) and world-beating 18-year-old — are made with a 51-percent rye mashbill, which is the absolute bare minimum rye content. This means the stuff isn’t going to body slam your taste buds like your Bulleits, Redemptions and George Dickels.

Sold everywhere with street prices that don’t wander far from the SRP, Baby Saz shouldn’t be hugely problematic to find or buy. The 18-year — part of the aforementioned Antique Collection — is another matter entirely.

Ancient Age

SRP: $10+
Recipe: Mashbill #2
Age: At least 36 months
Notable: The most affordable bottles made with Buffalo Trace’s high-rye bourbon mashbill

Ancient Age is another slightly confusing brand made by Buffalo Trace, but not owned by it. The ultra-affordable brand is another holdover from the Age International days, only Ancient Age keeps much of its juice in the US. Nowadays, Buffalo Trace bottles it in 80 and 90 proof variants (the 90 proof is called Ancient Ancient Age 10-Star). If you find a bottle called Ancient Ancient Age 10 Year, you should buy it immediately — the bottle was a Kentucky-exclusive popular with bourbon nerds that was discontinued years back.

O.F.C Vintages

SRP: Price varies
Recipe: Mashbill not given
Age: Age varies
Notable: Buffalo Trace’s oldest and most expensive line of whiskey

Upon its founding in 1870, O.F.C. was the most scientific distillery out there. Column stills, copper fermentation vats and a first-of-its-era steam heating system. The bottles made with its hallowed label are the rarest under the Buffalo Trace banner. Unless you take part in charity auctions (good on you), you’re unlikely to lay eyes on a bottle with the copper-embossed “O.F.C.” label. These are bottles of brown that pre-date Buffalo Trace itself, bottled from old bourbon stock bought up from other companies. The latest release, a 25-year-old bourbon, has a set retail price of $2,500.

5 New Bottles of Whiskey You Have to Try in 2020

A treasure trove of interesting and lesser-known whiskeys was unveiled and lost in the hubbub of the decade’s closing. From a bourbon brand’s first-ever rye to an indie whiskey landing on more shelves, here are five of the most intriguing bottles of brown to hunt down in the new year.

Old Forester Single Barrel (Barrel Proof)

Before your hopes get up, allow me to crush them: Old Forester is not releasing a single barrel product at retail. The brand just announced it’s bettering its existing private barrel program, which allows store owners to purchase a single barrel to bottle and sell at their store.

What’s new: Old Forester Single Barrel bottlings will now be available in 100 proof and barrel proof offerings instead of its former 90 proofing. The brand says it’s doing to sate “demand from bourbon fans, bartenders and distributors that are looking for a higher-proof and unique flavor profile.” The 100 proof bottles are priced at $50 while the barrel proof sit at $80. You’ll also be able to buy bottles at Old Forester’s Visitor’s Center in Louisville.

Elijah Craig Rye

At first glance, Elijah Craig Rye makes no sense. It’s a bourbon brand that’s routinely turned out some of the best whiskeys in America for decades. Then you realize Heaven Hill, the company behind Elijah Craig, is among the most respected rye producers in the country. Heaven Hill Distillery’s Rittenhouse ($25) and Pikesville ($50) ryes are both in contention for best-in-class in their own categories, and the Elijah Craig rye shares some of their DNA. Made of a mashbill of 51 percent rye, 35 percent corn and 14 percent malted barley, it’s only a couple percentage points off its predecessors (plus, according to Heaven Hill, it’s made with older whiskey, too).

Bad news: availability is limited to North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Oregon at launch, with rollout beginning later this month. The suggested retail price is $30.

Video: How Bourbon is Made

High West American Single Malt

If Japan and Scotland have trademark single malts, why don’t we? That’s the question hundreds of American distillers have been asking and attempting to remedy for a few years now, and one High West answered for itself in typically weird High West fashion. It’s a blend of whiskeys matured between 2 and 9 years, some of which are peated and some aren’t, and part of the blend is finished in port wine barrels. It’s launching exclusively in Utah for $80. For more American Single Malt variants, check the American Single Malt Commission’s member list.

Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond Single Barrel

This isn’t new whiskey, but it’s going to be new to most people. Based in Danville, Ky., Wilderness Trail is an independent whiskey darling, and starting late winter 2020, it’ll be available in Ca., Wa., Nv. and Tx. on top of the states it already has shelf space in (check this map for details). Wilderness Trail first gained notoriety for successfully operating as a sweet mash whiskey making outlet, which turned the heads of whiskey luminaries like Fred Minnick and Chuck Cowdery.

Larceny Barrel Proof

Retailing around $25 and available all the time, regular old Larceny has shared the title of best entry-level wheated bourbon with Maker’s Mark for years. Starting this month, you’ll be able to drink it a staggering 30-plus proof points higher. Heaven Hill says the Barrel Proof variant will release thrice yearly and will retail for $50.

Note: Purchasing products through our links may earn us a portion of the sale, which supports our editorial team’s mission. Learn more here.

The 14 Best Rums for Every Occasion, at Every Price Point

The definitive guide to the best rum of 2020 explores everything you need to know to get into the rum game, from crucial terms to key label identifiers and a curated list of the best bottles for every boozy situation at every price point.

With rum-focused bars opening at an increasing speed and top-shelf bottles popping up on liquor store shelves across the country, rum has come a long way since the days of pirate-laden jugs and soap-scented vacation crushers. But despite a recent status boost, it’s hard out here for a would-be rum guy. This guide breaks down everything you need to know to get into the rum game, from crucial terms to key label identifiers and a curated list of the best bottles for every boozy situation at every price point.

The Short List

Best Value Rum: Plantation Barbados 5 Years

Average Price: $23
Proof: 80
Distiller: Plantation Rum/Maison Ferrand
Country of Origin: Barbados

It’s not the cheapest on the shelf, but this crowdpleaser from Cognac powerhouse Maison Ferrand is worth every penny. The pot and column still blend sits in spent bourbon barrels for three to four years before jetting across the pond for a one to two year stay in French oak at its lauded parent company’s Château de Bonbonnet. The result is mahogany-hued layers of toasted coconut, orange peel and vanilla, finished with a hit of cinnamon-dusted marzipan.

Best Cocktail Rum: Don Pancho Origenes Reserva 8 Year

Average Price: $35
Proof: 80
Distiller: Don Pancho Origenes
Country of Origin: Panama

A quality cocktail rum should always aim to strike a happy medium—dark but not too sweet, light but not too dry, bold but mutable, interesting enough to stand on its own but mellow enough to cushion an onslaught of sugar and acid. This Panamanian head-turner, aged for a minimum of eight years in used Kentucky bourbon casks, hits all the marks by delivering a steady stream of supple brown butter, vanilla, roasted chestnut, and spiced wet tobacco.

Best Sipping Rum: Foursquare Rum 2007 Single Blended 12 Year

Proof: 118
Average Price: $86
Distiller: Foursquare Distillery (R.L. Seale & Co. Ltd)
Country of Origin: Barbados

Dubbed “the Pappy of rum,” the celebrated distillery behind this limited edition expression is helmed by fourth-generation trader and distiller and renowned rum advocate Richard Seale. This formidable cask strength expression — a pot and column still blend aged separately in ex-Bourbon barrels for 12 years before marrying in the bottle — is as exceptional as it is accessible. Cream and apple pie bursts on the nose while tropical fruit plays across the palate, followed by a rush of toffee and peppery oak that lingers.

Rum Terms to Know

Overproof: Rum bottled at more than 50 percent ABV (or 100 proof).

Proof/ABV: All rum imported into the US must list its alcohol content on its label. Most rum is bottled in the 80 proof range, or 40 percent ABV, with overproof running between 75 percent to 80 percent ABV and flavored rums dipping slightly below to 35 percent ABV. As a rule of thumb, rums between 80 and 110 proof are more suitable for sipping while weaker and stronger rums are better suited for layered cocktails.

Average Price: $23
Proof: 80
Distiller: Plantation Rum/Maison Ferrand
Country of Origin: Barbados

It’s not the cheapest on the shelf, but this crowdpleaser from Cognac powerhouse Maison Ferrand is worth every penny. The pot and column still blend sits in spent bourbon barrels for three to four years before jetting across the pond for a one to two year stay in French oak at its lauded parent company’s Château de Bonbonnet. The result is mahogany-hued layers of toasted coconut, orange peel and vanilla, finished with a hit of cinnamon-dusted marzipan.

Best Cheap Rum: Cruzan Light Aged Rum

Average Price: $9
Proof: 80
Distiller: Cruzan Rum Distillery
Country of Origin: US Virgin Islands

If you’re looking to jazz up your Coke or spike a tropical party punch without breaking the bank, this Virgin Islands stalwart will do the trick. The newmake spirit is aged on oak for one to four years then filtered to remove the wood-influenced color, making for a surprisingly sturdy white option with light vanilla flavors. It drinks clean and dry, complemented by an relaxed oakiness ideal for mixing.

Best Gateway Rum: Diplomático Mantuano

Average Price: $26
Proof: 80
Distiller: Ron Diplomatico Diplomático
Country of Origin: Venezuela

Spanish-style rums are great sipping rums as they tend to share flavor profiles with familiar brown spirits like bourbon and brandy. This Venezuelan mainstay is a blend of column, batch kettle and pot still rums aged for a maximum of eight years in used bourbon and malt whiskey barrels. Notes of stone fruit and juicy dates dominate the nose, giving way to warm vanilla, chestnut and a tinge of oak that finishes long and dry.

Best Everyday Rums

Best Overproof Rum: Lemon Hart 151

Distiller: Lemon Hart Rum
Country of Origin: Guyana
Proof: 151
Average Price: $33

Overproof rums are tricky. Notoriously powerful, unrepentantly bold and literally explosive, most home bartenders have no clue how to handle them. Here’s a hint: they were made to tiki. Take this brazen Demerara—loaded with salted caramel, fruity esters, baking spices, bitter citrus peel and a heaping spoonful of black pepper. It’s perfect for adding heat, dimension and depth to everything from basic Planters Punches and Hurricanes to more complicated Zombies and Mai Tais.

Best White Rum: Flor De Caña 4 Year Extra Seco

Average Price: $20
Proof: 80
Distiller: Flor De Caña
Country of Origin: Nicaragua

This bargain-priced Nicaraguan refresher opens with a nuanced bouquet of almond butter, vanilla, and orange blossoms followed by crisp green apple, banana, and tobacco on the mid-palate. It’s versatile and reliable and an excellent go-to for warm weather classics like mojitos, punches and daiquiris.

Best Spiced Rum: Chairman’s Reserve Spiced

Average Price: $27
Proof: 80
Distiller: St. Lucia Distillers
Country of Origin: St. Lucia

Spiced rums get a bad rap because the category was long defined by overly sweet frat party juice, rife with artificial colors and other additives. Done right, a good spiced rum goes hard. This column and pot still combo spends five years on American oak before being dosed with an all-natural mix of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, vanilla, coconut, allspice, lemon and orange. After blending, it goes back into the barrel for six months to seal in all those flavors. Herby, refined and intoxicatingly festive, it’s a dessert in a glass.

Best Dark Rum: Koloa Kaua‘i Dark Rum

Average Price: $36
Proof: 80
Distiller: Koloa Rum Company
Country of Origin: USA

Much like its spiced sister, dark rum doesn’t typically make it onto a rum connoisseur’s hit list, but this bottle from Hawaii’s Koloa Rum Company is worth trying (for a solid Dark ‘n Stormy, at least). Distilled in a copper pot still from crystallized sugar, it’s left unaged and instead infused with an extra serving of caramelized sugar for a sexy espresso-toned exterior and a dry, vanilla-laden finish.

Best Gold Rum: Rhum J.M E.S.B. Gold

Average Price: $35
Proof: 100
Distiller: Rhum J.M
Country of Origin: Martinique

Despite tipping the scales at 50 percent ABV and spending just one year aging in re-charred bourbon barrels, Rhum J.M’s award-winning gold rhum agricole exudes remarkable maturity. Complex yet approachable, the spirit ably showcases Martinique’s rich terroir in its brilliant amber hue, snickerdoodle spice and satisfying notes of hazelnut, cedar, fresh hay and banana.

Best Cocktail Rum: Don Pancho Origenes Reserva 8 Year

Average Price: $35
Proof: 80
Distiller: Don Pancho Origenes
Country of Origin: Panama

A quality cocktail rum should always aim to strike a happy medium—dark but not too sweet, light but not too dry, bold but mutable, interesting enough to stand on its own but mellow enough to cushion an onslaught of sugar and acid. This Panamanian head-turner, aged for a minimum of eight years in used Kentucky bourbon casks, hits all the marks by delivering a steady stream of supple brown butter, vanilla, roasted chestnut, and spiced wet tobacco.

Best Upgrade Rums

Best Sipping Rum: Foursquare Rum 2007 Single Blended 12 Year

Proof: 118
Average Price: $86
Distiller: Foursquare Distillery (R.L. Seale & Co. Ltd)
Country of Origin: Barbados

Dubbed “the Pappy of rum,” the celebrated distillery behind this limited edition expression is helmed by fourth-generation trader and distiller and renowned rum advocate Richard Seale. This formidable cask strength expression — a pot and column still blend aged separately in ex-Bourbon barrels for 12 years before marrying in the bottle — is as exceptional as it is accessible. Cream and apple pie bursts on the nose while tropical fruit plays across the palate, followed by a rush of toffee and peppery oak that lingers.

Best Rum to Gift: The Real McCoy 14-Year-Old Limited Edition

Average Price: $75
Proof: 92
Distiller: Foursquare Distillery (R.L. Seale & Co. Ltd) & Real McCoy Spirits
Country of Origin: Barbados

Explosive and sophisticated, this 2019 small batch exclusive was bottled by Real McCoy using 14-year-old juice from Barbados’s legendary Foursquare Distillery. If Richard Seale touched it, you know it’s gold, and this one’s no exception. Initially smacking of clove spice and Big Red heat, each sip is richer than the last.

Best Craft Rum: Privateer Navy Yard Barrel Proof

Average Price: $45
Proof: 110
Distiller: Privateer Rum
Country of Origin: USA

It’s no exaggeration to say that Massachusetts’s Privateer Rum is putting out some of the country’s most impressive and inspired small-batch spirits. Derived from 100 percent Grade A Molasses under the watchful eye of Master Distiller Maggie Campbell, the copper-colored charmer rests for a minimum of two years on new American oak before landing in the bottle at a deceptively quaffable 55 percent ABV. It smells like vanilla and tastes like Dr. Pepper.

Best Splurge Rum: Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend 25 Year

Average Price: $250
Proof: 90
Distiller: Appleton Estate
Country of Origin: Jamaica

If you’ve got the cash to burn, this limited edition blend from Jamaica’s iconic Appleton Estate is a bucket-list must. A nod to longtime Master Blender Joy Spence, the elegantly silhouetted bottle is almost as pretty as what it contains; a satiny blend dating as far back as 1981, Spence’s first year with the company. Open the bottle and the room smells like orange zest and ginger. Take a sip and and taste the rum rainbow: butterscotch, marzipan, oatmeal raisin and tropical fruit give way to clove, allspice, pepper and dark brown sugar. There’s nothing like it.

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