The Top Non-Bourbon American Whiskeys of 2022

This is the 28th release for The Last Drop, a spirits brand which features rare and extraordinary spirits from around the world. This Signature Blend was created by Sazerac Master Blender Drew Mayville who has held this position since 2004. During that time, Mayville has been preserving small quantities of his favorite whiskeys from Buffalo Trace. This blend features selected vintage Kentucky straight bourbon and rye whiskeys and is bottled at its uncut, high proof of 121.4 proof. Only 1,458 bottles are available for purchase globally. (SRP $3,999)

The 2022 release for Michter's 10 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Rye is set for July of 2022. This Kentucky straight rye is made with rye, corn, and malted barley . As with most recent releases, it was selected by master distiller Dan McKee, along with master of maturation Andrea Wilson. Due to limited supply, this will be the only 10 Year batch released for the year as the 10 Year Bourbon is being delayed until 2023. (SRP $185)

This is the fourth bottled in bond Tennessee whisky released by George Dickel since Nicole Austin took over as General Manager and Lead Distiller of the brand. Made using a mash bill recipe of 84% corn, 8% rye, and 8% malted barley, this whisky was distilled in the fall of 2008. After distillation it was chill charcoal-filtered and placed into new, charred American oak barrels for 13 years. Available as of September 2022. (SRP $44.99)

This is the second batch for Redwood Empire's Rocket Top Bottled in Bond Rye. Like the previous edition, this is a grain-to-glass offering from the California distillery which is blended from rye distilled in spring 2017 using different mash bills. Ultimately, the final blend works out to a mash bill of 87% rye, 5% wheat, 5% malted barley, and 3% corn which differs from the previous release. It was aged for 5 years in 53-gallon American oak, primarily toasted and charred to level 3. Released September 2022. (SRP $89.99)

This 2022 Special Release bottling from Jack Daniel's features an American single malt whiskey made from 100% malted barley, a first in the history of the brand. After distillation, the new make whiskey goes through the brand's charcoal mellowing process before entering new, charred American oak barrels for a minimum of 4 years. After this initial maturation process, the whiskey is then transferred into Spanish oloroso sherry casks from Antonio Paez Lobato Cooperage for 2+ years. It's bottled at cask proof, which for these bottles is between 106.1-107.8 proof. Available as of November 2022. (SRP $70 for 700ml)

Released in April 2022, this barrel proof straight rye is distilled at Ross & Squibb (fka MGP) in Indiana. It's made with a blend of straight ryes with various rye mash bills. This annual limited edition release features an age statement of 7 years, a first for the brand. For this 2022 release, 82 barrels were selected yielding 3000 six-pack cases. It's bottled at 117.2 proof. (SRP $69.99)

This release in the Cascade Moon series features a 15 year-old spirit which was made from a mash bill of corn, rye, and malted barley. It's bottled at barrel proof. However, as the bottling falls below 80 proof (40% ABV), it cannot be classified as as a whiskey, but as a "spirit distilled from grain." Bottled at 79.8 proof, it's available for a limited time as of June 2022 in Tennessee, Texas, and California. (SRP $124.99)

This is the second release of Square 6, an American whiskey brand made at Heaven Hill's Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. Just one barrel of whiskey is made each day at this microdistillery in Louisville, Kentucky. Notably, this release is made using a new mash bill recipe for Heaven Hill — 63% rye, 24% corn and 13% malted barley. It is also the highest percentage of rye used by Heaven Hill to date. Bottled at 95 proof, this is available beginning October 2022 at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience and at select retailers in Kentucky. (SRP $89.99)

A Midwinter Night's Dram is a seasonal release from High West and this bottling marks the 10th annual edition. It begins as a blend of straight rye whiskeys which are made from two mash bill recipes: one is a 95% rye/5% malted barley distilled in Indiana and the other is an 80% rye/20% malted rye made at High West in Utah. Then the rye blend is further finished in ruby and tawny port casks. Prior to 2018, the brand sourced the rye whiskeys for this release, but it now features its own distillate. Please note: The Act reflects the batch number (Act 10 is the 2022 release) while the Scene is the bottling date. Available in limited quantities as of October 2022. (SRP $150 nationwide $125 Utah only)

Voyage 26 of the Jefferson's Ocean Aged at Sea portfolio is the first rye whiskey for the brand. It was created by taking fully mature rye whiskey and rebarreling the lot -- 75% was placed into char #3 barrels and the other 25% was placed into new, toasted barrels. After six months at sea, the rye was bottled without chill-filtration at 96 proof. Available as of April 2022. (SRP $79.99)

This rye whiskey from New Riff expands on the brand's 2021 Malted Rye Whiskey release. Like that whiskey, this bottling is made from 100% malted rye. It's aged for 5 years and then further aged for one additional year in sherry casks -- 12 oloroso and 3 Pedro Ximenez. The finished whiskey was then vatted in fall 2021 and allowed to mingle until bottling in spring 2022. It's bottled without chill filtration at barrel strength of 112.7 proof. Released May 2022. (SRP $64.99)

Created by Master Distiller Greg Metze, this American whiskey is a limited edition release in Old Elk's Master's Blend Series. It's a combination of two of the brand's whiskeys: Old Elk Straight Wheat Whiskey which has a 95% wheat, 5% malted barley mash bill and Old Elk Straight Wheat Bourbon which has a 51% corn, 45% wheat, 5% malted barley mash bill. The bourbon whiskeys are aged between 6-8 years and are blended and bottled at 107.1 proof. Released April 2022. (SRP $99)