Best Whiskeys Released in 2025 (So Far)

The Keepers Release was inspired by the guardians of the barrels at Maker's Mark Distillery — the warehouse team. The bourbon is fully matured in new, charred American oak and finished with custom, virgin French oak staves. Available at US retailers beginning March 2025. (SRP $74.99)

The Glenrothes 15 Year Single Malt is a permanent expression in the distillery’s portfolio. Matured exclusively in European oak casks seasoned with sherry in Spain to the brand’s specifications, this Speyside single malt is selected by Master Whisky Maker Laura Rampling and bottled at 43% ABV. Founded in 1879, The Glenrothes introduced this 15 Year expression to the U.S. market in 2025.

Founded in 1794 by brothers Hugh & John Stevenson, Oban is located in the West Highlands of Scotland. This limited edition single malt expression was aged initially in European oak butts and American oak hogshead barrels. It finished its aging in oloroso & Palo Cortado sherry barrels for over four years. Bottled at cask strength of 55.3% ABV, it's available beginning April 2025. (SRP $150)

Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond 9 Year is the fifteenth nationwide release in the bottled in bond decanter series. Produced by Heaven Hill, Old Fitzgerald is a wheated bourbon brand. This bottled in bond version was distilled in one distillation season (spring 2016). Aged for 9 years before bottling in spring 2025, this release bears a green label as other spring releases have done. As required, it is bottled at 100 proof. Available on an allocated basis nationwide as of May 2025. (SRP $129.99)

High West's 2025 Bourye release features a mix of straight rye and straight bourbon whiskeys aged a minimum of 10 years. The rye portion is as follows: an MGP rye (95% rye, 5% barley malt) and a High West Distillery rye (80% rye, 20% malted rye). The bourbon portion: two straight high-rye bourbon whiskeys from MGP and a Kentucky straight bourbon (78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley). It's bottled without chill-filtration at 46% ABV. Availability in limited quantities nationwide beginning March 2025. (SRP $124.99)

This release is one of the first three in The Glendronach's Master's Anthology series that highlights the character of different types of sherry cask maturation. Ode to the Valley is a non-age statement single malt that is matured in a combination of ruby port casks from the Douro Valley in Portugal and Spanish sherry casks. It is bottled at 46.2% ABV. Available in the US beginning May 2025. (SRP $84.50)

Part of Westland Distillery's Outpost Range in Seattle, Solum is an annual limited-edition American single malt that explores Pacific Northwest peat. The third edition uses 100% Skagit Valley peated malted barley and was matured for 48 months in a combination of new American oak and Westland's own refill casks, replacing the ex-bourbon barrels used in previous editions. The peat was harvested from a bog approximately two hours south of Seattle, retrieved from below the waterline to preserve the bog's ecosystem. Just 5,700 bottles were made available globally beginning January 2025. (SRP $149.99/700ml)

The 2025 release for Michter's 10 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon is set for April 2025. As with most recent releases, the barrels were selected by Master Distiller Dan McKee, along with Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson. Also, like the rest of the Michter's whiskeys supplies are allocated due to the high demand. (SRP $195)

This is the inaugural release from Hawk's Rock Distillery in County Sligo, Ireland. Blended by Master Blender Helen Mulholland and released by the Sazerac Company, it is composed of single malt whiskeys that are each double-distilled and initially aged for a minimum 14 years in ex-bourbon American oak casks. These are then transferred to a variety of finishing casks including French Muscat, French Sauternes, Spanish Pedro Ximénez (PX) sherry, Barbadian rum, and others, for a minimum 20 years of total oak maturation. It is bottled at 94 proof (47% ABV) and available in limited quantities as of June 2025. (SRP $199 /700ml)

Blood Oath is an annual limited edition release crafted by Lux Row Master Distiller & Blender John Rempe. For Pact No. 11, Rempe blended three batches of Kentucky straight bourbon. A 14 year-old ryed bourbon and a 10 year-old wheated bourbon were blended with a 7 year-old ryed bourbon which had been finished in añejo tequila barrels. As with all Pact releases, this was bottled at 98.6 proof (48.3% ABV). For this limited edition release there were 51,000 bottles produced with availability beginning April 2025. (SRP $129.99)