Top Shelf Whiskey Picks From The Distiller Community

William Larue Weller is an uncut and unfiltered wheated bourbon named for the man who is credited with using wheat instead of rye as the secondary flavoring grain in bourbon production. The Fall 2023 release was distilled in the spring of 2011 and was aged in Warehouses C, L, M, and N. It was bottled at 133.6 proof. Availability begins in early October 2023 at select retailers with a suggested retail price of $124.99.

Barrels for the George T. Stagg Bourbon Fall 2023 release were filled in spring 2008 and were picked from barrels which matured in Warehouses C, I, K, L & M. It was bottled after 15 years and 4 months of aging at 135 proof without filtration. Availability begins in early October 2023 at select retailers with a suggested retail price of $124.99.

This 2024 release from Ardbeg is matured in port wine casks and then married with bourbon cask matured Ardbeg— a first for the distillery! Released in celebration of Ardbeg Day 2024 which is held on the last day of Islay's Festival of Music and Malt (Fèis Ìle), this year theme is "Dark Circus." Available globally with the US getting its allotment beginning May 1, 2024. (SRP $129.99)

This limited edition release marks the brand's first release in the single malt market. Made from 100% malted barley, it was distilled in copper stills at Crown Royal's Valleyfield Distillery in Quebec. Bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV), it's available nationwide beginning June 2024. (SRP $54.99)

The Heritage Collection is an annual spring release with each whiskey in the series featuring one of six traditional American whiskey mash bills produced by Heaven Hill. For the 2024 release, the distillery has selected an 18 year-old Kentucky straight bourbon with a mash bill recipe of 78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye. The batch was made from 133 barrels that were filled in December 2005 and matured on the 3rd floor of rickhouse 1I. Limited availability begins nationally in March 2024. (SRP $299.99)

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is an annual, vintage-dated, one-of-a-kind bourbon. It comes together from barrels selected from one specific day of production and released each year on September 2nd to celebrate the birthday of Old Forester founder George Garvin Brown. For the 2022 release, the brand is holding an online lottery on its website from August 24-31st for the opportunity to purchase a bottle. Notified via email on September 2nd, winners will have to pick up the bottle at the Louisville distillery. (SRP $149.99)

Still Austin's Cask Strength edition starts with the same base as its signature bourbon, The Musician. Bottled at a batch strength of 118 proof, the whiskey is made entirely from Texas grains, including 70% corn, 25% rye and 5% malted barley. An initial release of 1,100 cases was made available in May 2021, with another 1,100 cases due for release in the fall.

This is a non-chill filtered bourbon using a recipe selected by Master Distiller Brent Elliott. Four Roses has 10 bourbon recipes available to craft its bourbon offerings which are made from two different mash bills and five different yeast strains. Small Batch Select is made from six of the ten: OBSV, OBSK, OBSF, OESV, OESK, OESF. Each bourbon in the small batch selection will be six or seven years old. This is the first new brand extension for the brand in 12 years. It joins the other permanent releases for the brand. Availability begins spring 2019 in Kentucky, Texas, California, New York, and Georgia with other locations to follow in the future. (SRP $59.99)

Jack Daniel's already offers a single barrel whiskey watered down to 94 proof. The barrel proof, as the name suggests, is bottled at what ever proof the whiskey comes out in the barrel. As each barrel has a different alcohol content due to evaporation during the aging process, there is no standard proof for this bottling.

High West A Midwinter Night's Dram is a blend of straight rye whiskeys using whiskeys from MGP and as of 2018 (the 6th Act) High West's own distillate. The ryes are first aged in new, charred American oak, then they're blended and finished in French oak and ex-port barrels. It's bottled without chill-filtration at 98.6 proof. The name is a take off of Shakespeare's famous play as this dram is a perfect way to keep you warm on a midwinter night. This is a seasonal release with different year releases listed as different acts. The scenes are just different bottling days.