Hi Bourbon enthusiast
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You must be 21 or over to enter this website. If you're not old enough to drink, then you're not old enough to read Breaking Bourbon.
Please read and drink responsibly.
Each year we taste and review hundreds of American whiskeys, which are predominantly bourbons but also include ryes, malts, finished whiskeys, and other classifications of American-made whiskeys. Our annual “Best Whiskeys of the Year” series features five categories: “Best American Single Malt, “Best American Whiskey,” “Best Rye,” “Best Finished,” and “Best Bourbon,” finally culminating with our overall #1 Whiskey of the Year.
Our Best Finished Whiskeys of 2024 start with those ongoing releases or new ones released in 2024 and rated 3.5 barrels or higher, but are not based purely on our initial tasting and individual rating. Instead, we retaste and discuss this wide range of whiskeys extensively. We ask questions, such as is the whiskey exciting, memorable, unique, and most importantly, how does it compare to the rest of the field for the year.
We look for whiskeys that move us, and dig into whiskeys that may be off the beaten path. While availability and price are factors, they are not absolute. The intent is to highlight the whiskeys of the year that stand out the most to us, even if they might be difficult to obtain - and the reason we maintain evergreen “Best of” lists to highlight more readily accessible whiskeys. Ultimately, we must agree on which whiskeys make the list, and which do not - combining the diversity of our different palates.
Just when you think you know everything there is to know about finished whiskey, a surprise pops up. That was the case with Blue Note Honey Cask Rye. The industry has seen its fair share of honey-finished bourbons, but ryes…that’s a different story. Bourbon and honey go well together, but with many of them, there seems to be something missing. Often overly sweet flavors that just didn’t meld well with the base whiskey, honey-finished bourbons have been a mixed bag.
What makes Blue Note Honey Cask Rye work so well is contrast. Contrast is key and that seemed to be the case with many finished whiskeys in 2024. The palate opens with flavorful notes of clover honey, creating a rich and sweet base. But before the sweetness gets carried away, rye spice flows in, bringing a warming kick that contrasts beautifully with the initial sweetness. Likewise, the finish offers aged leather and toasted oak grounding the entire sip, starkly contrasting the honey notes found in the palate. The result is a whiskey layered, comes at you in different directions, but is never messy or overdone.
Honey finished ryes aren’t as common as bourbon-based ones, and Blue Note Honey Cask Rye proves that many producers initially overlooked such an amazing pairing of rye and honey, instinctively looking towards bourbon because of its popularity. But unbeknownst to the wider industry a diamond in the rough was right under everyone’s noses. But so much of it was also the result of precision finishing time, a critical nuance in getting the finishing barrel to exert its influence in a controlled manner and not overpower the base whiskey. Blue Note nailed it which is why Blue Note Honey Cask Rye is one of the best releases of 2024.
Barrell Craft Spirits isn’t afraid to experiment with a wide range of base whiskeys and finishes. And despite the extremes they tinker with, they are methodical and persistent in finding balance and harmony with their releases. The company launched their “Cask Finish Series” in September 2023, starting with Tale of Two Islands and Amburana, which were followed by Mizunara in April 2024, and most recently Ice Wine in September 2024.
Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series: Ice Wine is a complicated whiskey. It starts with a base blend of 11 bourbons ranging in age from 5 to 15 years old. The bourbons originate from 4 states: Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee, and Wyoming. The blend covers 4 grains in the underlying mashbills, which includes both rye and wheat as the secondary flavoring grains. Ice wine is a dessert wine that’s harvested and procured from grapes frozen on the vine, resulting in a high concentration of sugar and a finished product that’s known to be sweet and acidic. Barrell draws out the sweetness of the ice finish delicately, but it’s pervasive and prominent throughout the sip. It starts with a rich and vast array of scents on the nose that range from earthy, to traditional, to fruity, and more. It has a wonderful velvety texture, with a sip that’s highlighted by sweet fruit with dashes of spice that settles on a traditional base and then turns towards more savory notes as it trails off.
When it comes to finished whiskeys, Barrell Craft Spirits dropped the mic with Barrell Bourbon Cask Finish Series: Ice Wine Finish Edition 001. The whiskey is rich, expressive, complex, and unique, but at the same time grounded and highly drinkable. It’s a testament to bourbon blending and finishing in its truest form.
Better known for beer than for bourbon, New Holland Brewery aptly named after their location in Holland, Michigan has been distilling since 2005. Using a prohibition-era pot still and an unusual bourbon mashbill that contains five times more malted barley than rye, their bourbon has a very specific flavor profile that absolutely stands out. Taking it one step further, Dragon’s Milk’s Origin series highlights toasted and other barrel finishes, amplifying their signature style to a deeply satisfying degree.
The Dragon’s Milk name and custom glass bottle with 3D scales screams dragon theme, which stands out within the bourbon space that more often features brands that pay homage to history. Amplifying that effect by collaborating with Dungeons & Dragons, a game with a cult following that transports its players to a surreal fantasy world that was introduced in 1974, takes it to another level. Fitting for the release, the bourbon was finished in casks that previously held mead, one of the world’s oldest alcoholic beverages that is made by fermenting honey and water with yeast, and can have distinctive sweetness with fruit and spice notes.
With the release of Dragon’s Milk X Dungeons & Dragons Origin Mead Cask Bourbon release, New Holland Distillery takes everything great about mead and perfectly synergizes it with their signature Dragon’s Milk bourbon flavor profile. Honey, plum, stewed fruit, dark chocolate, and roasted coffee are just a few of the intriguing flavors this whiskey mash-up delivers. It’s a clever tie-in between two Dragon-based brands that results in a bourbon that is fun, unique, and highly drinkable, highlighting one of bourbon’s hidden gem distilleries.
Garrison Brothers Distillery out of Hye, Texas, often elicits pretty drastic opinions. Many love the distinct style that their Texas bourbon encapsulates, while others aren’t sure if they can get behind the blast of flavors that are produced in such a short amount of time due to the harsh aging environment it ages in. The company’s 2024 Lady Bird flips that script completely on its head, delivering a pour that all whiskey drinkers can get behind.
Garrison Brothers take their HoneyDew whiskey, which is made up of their small batch bourbon infused with honey before additional aging is applied, and re-barrels it in French Cognac XO casks for an additional 3 years. Plainly put, Lady Bird Garrison Brothers has been able to produce a unique and nicely integrated whiskey that plays off the strengths of each of its components. The sip is one of the most rich and flavorful finished whiskeys to come to market in 2024, taking the best parts of its finishing components and producing something whose sum is greater than its parts. Garrison Brothers Lady Bird is a masterclass on what’s achievable when you’re willing to experiment.
Amrut Distillery is located in Kambipura, India, and produces a unique style of single malt whisky that most American whiskey drinkers probably haven’t had a chance to try. Known for their ongoing unique collaborations, Bardstown Bourbon partnered with Amrut to age two rye whiskeys in used Amrut barrels for an additional 18 months. The resulting Bardstown Bourbon Company Collaborative Series: Amrut delivers a full-flavored expressive sip.
Finishing American whiskey in used single malt barrels is a rarity, especially when it comes to rye whiskey. Utilizing a single malt barrel from Asia is practically unheard of, which is what makes Bardstown Bourbon Company Collaborative Series: Amrut so captivating. The whiskey encapsulates traditional rye notes but also adds more fruit and malt notes in a silky sip. Utilizing a finishing barrel type that most consumers will not be familiar with results in a fantastic combination of flavors for the latest Bardstown Bourbon Company Collaborative Series release. It’s a whiskey that will get you talking about its root components and increase your knowledge of worldly whiskeys that you may not have encountered before.
