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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 American Whiskeys of 2025 start with those ongoing releases or new ones released in 2025 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 review hundreds of whiskeys each year spanning a wide price range and availability in order to inform readers of all budgets and experience levels. Ultimately, we must agree on which whiskeys make the list, and which do not - combining the diversity of our different palates.
Part of Barrell Craft Spirits’ premium limited edition Black Label Series which debuted last fall, Barrell Decade is a blend of Canadian whiskeys that was distilled each year from 1995 to 2005, or 20-30 years old if you run the numbers. The blend underwent secondary finishing in Spanish brandy and Hungarian oak casks in an effort to enrich the flavors of the whiskey. Clocking in at a whopping 142.7 proof, which puts it in HAZMAT (hazardous material) territory, this whiskey is not for the faint of heart. But those who do enjoy high proof pours will be handsomely rewarded. Decade is filled with delicious sweet flavors that are complemented by fruit notes throughout, along with the perfect amount of spice and oak notes to add contrast. Barrell Whiskey Decade is bold and memorable, utilizing all of its age and proof points to produce one of the most standout whiskeys in today’s increasingly crowded whiskey space.
SRP: $199 / 750mL
WHERE TO BUY: FROOTBAT | SEELBACHS
Due to Bill Samuels Sr.'s wish for the company to remain focused on their one core bourbon product, Maker’s Mark, the following generations of Samuels have been forced to find creative ways to expand the company’s line of whiskeys over the years. Star Hill Farm Whisky, therefore, is a monumental shift for the company best known for their iconic red wax drip.
Eliminating corn from the whiskey and doubling down on wheat (which the Maker’s Mark brand is synonymous with) zeroes in on the core of what Maker’s Mark is. The shift to a wheat whiskey also allows them to offer a radically different flavor profile than their core expression. Compared to the standard Maker’s Mark, Star Hill Farm Whisky provides much more aromatic spice and robust fruit, against traditional Maker’s Mark flavors; all without the help of stave finishing. The whiskey stands out not only from the standard Maker’s Mark but among the other few wheat whiskeys on the market as well. Star Hill Farm Whisky is a bold new Maker’s Mark Distillery product for a new generation of whiskey drinkers - a reboot of sorts for the 21st Century that’s refreshingly adventurous and contemporary.
SRP: $100 / 750mL
WHERE TO BUY: FROOTBAT
Jack Daniel’s 14 Year Tennessee Whiskey is the iconic brand’s first 14 year aged-stated whiskey in more than 100 years. The release joins the annual releases of Jack Daniel’s 10 Year and 12 Year Tennessee Whiskeys. While Jack Daniel’s 14 Year shares the same mashbill and maple sugar filtering process as the distillery’s flagship brand, unlike the flagship, the barrels spend nearly half of their aging time on the upper floors of the company’s rickhouses before being moved to the first floor to curb evaporation loss and tame the oak extraction from the barrels.
Clocking in at over 126 proof, this first release of Jack Daniel’s 14 Year takes everything you love about high proof Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey and makes it a shade darker, a touch drier, more developed, and of course adds more oak. It’s not just a treat for hardcore Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey fans, but frankly for anyone who enjoys an exceptional high-age, high-proof American Whiskey. Jack Daniel’s 14 Year Tennessee Whiskey is the iconic Jack flavor profile you know and love through and through, just with more everything, putting it at the center of the modern American whiskey renaissance.
SRP: $150 / 700mL
WHERE TO BUY: FROOTBAT
Launched in 2022, the Heaven Hill Heritage Collection features some of the distillery’s oldest inventory of aging whiskey. While age is certainly a factor in every Heritage Collection release, the other large variable is the mashbill, which varies year-to-year and highlights one of the distillery’s six core mashbills. The 2025 release shares the same mashbill as the standard Bernheim. Additionally, high aged barrels often experience a lot of evaporation, providing a low yield, however Heaven Hill helped mitigate that for this year by using 277 barrels to produce this 19 year old release.
Wheat whiskey lovers are in for a treat, as there are few high aged wheat whiskeys as old as the 2025 Heaven Hill Heritage Collection release. While its lower proof may raise an eyebrow, you’ll quickly notice the complexities of its components and how much black pepper and baking spices dominate the sip. To the delight of whiskey lovers everywhere, Heaven Hill Heritage Collection: 19 Year Old Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey offers a rare glimpse into Heaven Hill’s aged whiskey stock by highlighting an unusually high aged wheat whiskey.
SRP: $300 / 750mL
WHERE TO BUY: FROOTBAT
A. Smith Bowman Distillery’s Oak Series was “designed to explore cask maturation in different oak varietals from around the world, as well as the effect charring has on the flavor of whiskey.” Hungarian oak aging (and finishing) is somewhat of a hidden gem in the American whiskey space. Few producers have harnessed the influence it has on whiskey. It falls in line with French oak barrels, offering robustness and similarities to double-oaked bourbons, but without the extra dryness and tannins typically found. As a result, Abraham Bowman Oak Series: Hungarian Oak is a full-flavored sip that is somehow also well balanced - a feat that’s not easy to achieve when dealing with such potent notes of molasses, seasoned oak, black pepper, and clove. There were many bold whiskeys released in 2025, but very few that found the right balance of flavor, intensity, and uniqueness as Abraham Bowman Oak Series: Hungarian Oak did.
SRP: $80 / 750mL
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