It’s October and we’re officially neck deep in the fall release season in the Whiskey world. There’s so much new whiskey dropping right now that I had to both extend our monthly roundup to 50 bottles and cut a ton and save them for next month.

Below, I’ve split this monthly list into two sections. In the first part, I’m calling out 25 bottles of whiskeys from various genres. The second half is 25 new bourbons. Yes, 25 new bourbons. There are that many worth paying attention to right now. And yes, I had to cut bottles from both sides of this list. Don’t worry, I’ll get to the extra good stuff before the end of the year.

As for this list, look at it this way: These are all whiskeys that are worth your time, effort, and money to try right now. Each of these bottles is either brand-new (never seen before) or the latest batches of limited releases. There’s no bad whiskey below so they’re not ranked. There’s something for everyone, which means there’s a ton of variation from peated Scottish malts to single barrel bourbons to new American single malts to cask strength ABV bombs to one-off blends we may never see again.

Find the whiskey(s) that speak to you, smash those price links, and try them for yourself. Let’s dive in!

• The Stone-Cold Best Whiskeys To Chase Down This September
• The Best Whiskeys To Chase Down This August
• The Best Whiskeys To Chase Down This July
• The Best Whiskeys To Chase Down This June
• The Best Whiskeys To Chase Down This May
• The Best New Whiskeys To Chase Down This April

Part 1 — THE WHISK(E)Y

15 STARS Fine Aged Rye First West A Select Blend of Straight Rye Whiskeys

ABV: 52.5%

Average Price: $89

The Whiskey:

This new release from 15 STARS is a blend of six, seven, and eight-year-old ryes from Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee. That blend informs the name “First West” as those states were considered the “West” during the early days of the United States in the late 1700s and early 1800s.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a deep winter spice — clove, anise, cinnamon, nutmeg — next to Earl Grey tea, dried cranberry, dried cherry, and a dash of sour plum next to faint notes of dry grassy fall leaves and orchard barks with a whisper of roasting herbs.

Palate: Apricot jam over buttermilk scones dusted with cinnamon leads to dry oolong tea leaves, sweet smudging sage, creamed honey, and a touch of ginger tobacco just kissed with dark chocolate sauce cut with cardamon and clove.

Finish: That sharp gingery tobacco drives the finish with a bitter chocolate underbelly toward lush cherrywood and sour plum sauce with a hint more of those opening winter spices, dry fall leaves, and old cellar floors.

Bottom Line:

This whiskey was just named “Best in Show” whiskey at the New York World Spirits Competition. It beat out stiff competition to ascend to that high accolade. The point is, get some while still can. This is the really good stuff, folks.

Shenk’s Homestead Kentucky Sour Mash Whiskey Small Batch 2023 Release

ABV: 45.6%

Average Price: $179

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is made with a fair amount of rye whiskey over a bit of bourbon in a traditional sour mash style. 2023’s release varied with the use of malted rye in the mash bill, adding an extra layer of malty depth. The whiskey was then aged in specially made toasted French oak that spent 24 months seasoning in France before they were made with barrels that spent 18 months air-drying in Kentucky before they were coppered. The barrels were all batched and bottled with just a touch of Kentucky limestone water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Soft boot leather, dried and candied orange, spiced Christmas cake, fresh vanilla beans, sultanas, and a hint of fresh firewood round out the nose with a hint of almost sweet oak char and simmering molasses cut with almond kissed with dark citrus oils.

Palate: The palate has a nice sweet spiciness like a box of Red Hots next to allspice, clove, and orange with rummy raisins, nutmeg-heavy eggnog, and a whisper of oily espresso bean sneaking in late before a bold yet measured winter spice bark sharpness arrives.

Finish: The end marries the orange oils to soft cedar notes with a woody spiciness next to soft notes of sweet cinnamon, stewed plums, minced meat pies, and brandied cherries layered with chewy tobacco leaves over a lush and creamy finish.

Bottom Line:

This is a unique and delicious whiskey. If you’re looking for something that’s very bourbon-adjacent but goes above and beyond (especially over a big rock), then this is the play.

Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt Oloroso Sherry Cask

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $99

The Whiskey:

Jack Daniel’s has been toying with American single malt for over a year and has finally pulled the trigger on a permanent expression for retail shelves (albeit just on travel retail shelves for now). The whiskey in the bottle is a 100% malted barley juice (that’s charcoal filtered) that was aged in new oak for over half a decade before being transferred into huge Oloroso sherry casks (from Tonelería Páez Lobato) for even more mellowing.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose draws you in with a sense of plums, dates, and figs swimming in brandy next to toffee rolled in roasted almond and dipped into dark chocolate with a hint of spiced wine cut with molasses and fresh green chili pepper.

Palate: The dark chocolate attaches to the black-tea-soaked dates with plenty of nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice next to malted chocolate spiced holiday cakes and a nice flourish of marzipan just kissed with pear oils.

Finish: The end has an almost woody dark chocolate vibe with the green chili making a comeback with a deep leatheriness and nice maltiness.

Bottom Line:

You’ll have to travel to grab this brand-new Jack Daniel’s release. The next time you’re waiting for an international flight, hit that duty-free shop and snag this one. It’s a killer American single malt that’ll shine over a big ol’ ice cube.

Wolves The Malted Barley Series California Single Malt Whiskey Lot No. 2

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $305

The Whiskey:

Lot 2 of this California Single malt just dropped. The whiskey was made with imported Irish malts that were fermented with California ale yeasts. That juice was aged for 11 years before very small batching, which yielded only 2,010 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Nostalgia drips from the nose with oatmeal raisin cookies, old wicker porch furniture, lemon pepper, and dried red fruit leather next to spicy oak and soft apple cider.

Palate: Soft salted caramel and bruised apricot drive the palate with a sense of honeyed oats, old tobacco pouches, and rich malted vibes.

Finish: The end leans into the malted chocolate with a dried fruit feel with brandied pears and old oak staves leading to soft pipe tobacco and hints of floral honey.

Bottom Line:

This is another excellent new American single malt. It’s deeply hewn and a great place to start your ASM journey.

Still Austin Cask Strength Rye Whiskey

ABV: 58%

Average Price: $65

The Whiskey:

This new release from Still Austin uses 100% Texas rye in its mash bill. That whiskey is then proofed and filled into barrels and left to mellow with water getting added over the years (so that water evaporates before the whiskey does). Finally, a few barrels are selected and bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with pure nostalgia — summertime back porch livin’ — with soft cherry pie, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, ginger rock candy, and a note of apricot jam over buttermilk biscuits.

Palate: A note of coffee cake opens the palate toward marzipan cut with pear brandy and a light sense of lemon cake drizzled with mint frosting.

Finish: The mint gets spice on the finish with a sense of candied ginger and brown winter spices before soft salted buttercream and cherries soaked in brandy round things out.

Bottom Line:

This is a tier rye whiskey with serious depth. Pour it over a rock and let it bloom in the glass a tad. Take your time and you will be rewarded with a deep and delicious flavor profile.

New Riff Sour Mash Single Malt Kentucky Single Malt Whiskey Cask Strength

ABV: Varies

Average Price: $69

The Whiskey:

This brand-new whiskey from New Riff is years in the making. The whiskey in the bottle is a blend of single malt whiskeys made with 100% barley mash bills (Golden Promise, Maris Otter, Chevallier heirloom barley, and Scottish peated barley malt) that are aged for seven to eight years in a combination of new charred oak, de-charred toasted oak, red wine casks, Portuguese brandy casks, classic sherried oak casks, and a few others.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Rich malted winter spiced cakes lead the nose toward chili pepper spice, old dried fruits (dates, prunes, figs) all dipped in floral honey, and a light sense of citrus (both candied and dried) before old oak, orchard bark, and fall leaves arrive with a sense of fermented fruit laying on the ground of that orchard.

Palate: The funky fruit and fall leaves drive the taste back toward rich vanilla and spiced malted fruit cakes with a light sense of pipe tobacco and old leather boots before floral honey gives way to bright nasturtiums.

Finish: The floral spiced honey gets malty on the backend with a hint of salt and rock candy before hot tobacco and dried red chili build on the end.

Bottom Line:

This is a fresher American single malt that still packs a hefty and deep profile. Once you have a handle on the flavor notes, try this one in a whiskey-forward cocktail for something unique but lovingly familiar.

Tenmile Distillery Little Rest American Single Malt Whisky

ABV: 46%

Average Price: $224

The Whisky:

This new American single malt from New York is a grain-to-glass experience that highlights slow cooking and aging. The malt is made with 100% New York-grown barley that’s slow-fermented for seven days (about twice as long as the norm). After distillation, the hot juice is left to rest in Francois Freres barrels from Williams Selyem. Those barrels are small batched and whiskey is just touched with local water before bottling in Wassaic, New York.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Floral honey brightens the nose with a sense of fresh vanilla pods with a light warmth that leads to cinnamon bark, apple orchards, malted grains, and a light moment of whole dried chamomile flowers.

Palate: The honey gets creamy and vanilla-laced on the palate with a medley of leathery apricots, more soft summer florals, and a touch of woody spice that’s both bright and just touched by dried fruits.

Finish: The end has a mix of rum raisin and creamed honey with apple blossoms and a touch of malted grains cut with winter spice and salted butter.

Bottom Line:

This has a very bright and fresh vibe. If you’re looking for classic unpeated malt with lush sweetness, this is going to be your vibe.

Bernheim Original Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey Barrel Proof Batch: B923

ABV: 60.2%

Average Price: $64

The Whiskey:

The second edition of Bernheim Wheat Whiskey Barrel Proof is here. This edition is made with a mash bill of 51% winter wheat, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley. That whiskey was then left to age for seven to nine years before prime barrels were chosen for batching. Once batched, the whiskey went into the bottle 100% as-is at cask strength.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Fresh loaves of whole grain bread vibe with rich oaky winter pieces on the nose before soft vanilla cake, hints of dry grass, old leather tobacco pouches, and a touch of dried orange round things out.

Palate: Rich buttery toffee drives the palate toward clove-laced honey next to dry orange oils, salted caramel, rum raisin, and hints of cedar bark braided with smudging sage and dry tobacco.

Finish: Piney honey and salted caramel attach to the tobacco as dry straw and back porch wicker lead to a sense of dry winter spice and soft caramel candy corn.

Bottom Line:

This feels like a whiskey that’s not quite a bourbon and not quite a rye, but something in the middle that’s its own thing. Try this in a whiskey cocktail or on the rocks to really go deep with it.

Four Walls The Better Brown Made with a Blend of Irish Whiskeys and American Rye Whiskeys

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $29

The Whiskey:

The team from It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia (Charlie Day, Glenn Howerton, and Rob McElhenny) have released their first permanent mainstream whiskey. This new release is an Irish American whiskey made with American rye and Irish whiskey (a blend of malt and grain whiskeys). The whiskey is batched in the U.S. and proofed down to a very dive-bar-friendly 80-proof.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Hints of dried chilis, old leather, vanilla-laced honey, apple tarts, and caramel candy mingle on the nose.

Palate: The Irishness arrives in spades on the palate with bright apple orchard vibes next to flora honey, a hint of yellow straw, light nutshells, and a moment of sultanas just kissed with caramel.

Finish: The apple swings back around on the finish with a sense of fresh apple cider just kissed with cinnamon and caramel before fading toward leathery malt.

Bottom Line:

This is a great house pour. It’s not overly done, it’s not washed out by the low proof, and it’s truly nuanced. If you’re a fan of Sunny or simply a fan of good inexpensive whiskey, then this is a no-brainer buy. It’ll make a good basic cocktail, work in any highball, and totally rock as a shot with a beer back.

Keeper’s Heart Whiskey Irish + American Single Barrel Finished in Maple Syrup Barrels

ABV: 55%

Average Price: $59

The Whiskey:

This new release from Keeper’s Heart up in Minnesota blends Irish whiskey with American Rye. Once batched, that whiskey was re-barreled into a maple syrup barrel for another rest. Once that barrel hit the right notes, it was bottled as-is with a hint of proofing water.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Rich vanilla custard with a hint of cotton candy drives the nose toward pecan waffles with salted butter and real maple syrup next to hints of apple fritters, nutty fruit cake, and a touch of leathery tobacco.

Palate: The taste opens with creme brûlée swimming in more maple syrup as deep and rich vanilla tobacco leads to softer notes of almond, malted chocolate, and a hint of winter spice mixes.

Finish: The vanilla creaminess and spices meld on the finish with a touch of spiced warm apple cider, soft almond, and mincemeat pies all grounded by rich and real maple syrup sweetness that nearly takes on a rock candy vibe.

Bottom Line:

This is the bottle for the sweet tooth in the house. That sweetness also lends to making great cocktails and drawing back the sugar component when mixing. Hell, I’d even use this for making pancakes and pies.

Basil Hayden Malted Rye Kentucky Straight Rye Malt Whiskey

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $68

The Whiskey:

Beam just released a new permanent addition to the iconic Basil Hayden lineup. This newbie is a 100% malted rye whiskey that was left to age until just right. The best barrels were batched and proofed down to Basil Hayden’s necessary 80-proof for bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: You’re immediately greeted with spiced dill and soft caramel on the nose next to old oak, soft saddle leather, and a mild sense of rye toast with salted butter and a hint of floral honey.

Palate: Sweet and creamy vanilla arrives on the palate with a nice spice — clove, cinnamon, allspice — before soft sourdough rye bread with a whisper of caraway arrives.

Finish: Chili-spiced chocolate pops late on the palate with a sense of cinnamon toast and vanilla bean before a lush creaminess leads to spiced tobacco with a leatheriness on the end.

Bottom Line:

This is soft and supple with a dynamic profile. It is a little light on the end — that proof is low after all. Overall, I can see sipping this over ice any day of the week.

The Beverly Reserve Barrel Strength American Whiskey Batch 001

ABV: 58%

Average Price: $79

The Whiskey:

This new release from The Beverly is a limited edition small batch at barrel strength. The blend in the bottle is 60% straight bourbon from Iowa and 40% Indiana rye. Those barrels were batched and bottled at Cedar Ridge in Iown for The Beverly, yielding only 550 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Pecan waffles with plenty of butter, vanilla, and caramel open the nose toward maple syrup, cinnamon sticks, red chili pepper, and toasted marshmallows.

Palate: The pecans take on a cookie vibe on the palate as brown butter and rum raisin mingle with cinnamon syrup cut with orange and a whisper of chocolate.

Finish: That cinnamon and orange get buttery and lush with a sense of nut cake covered in caramel drizzle with a flake of salt and tobacco before a warming sense of chili arrives on the very end.

Bottom Line:

This is a warm pour of whiskey that has a nicely nuanced profile. Overall, there’s a sense of dessert and spice that just works. Though I’d pour this over a big rock to really enjoy it.

WhistlePig PiggyBack Single Barrel Rye Whiskey with Lychee and Tea Barrel Finish “Alfa Romeo F1 Team G-Force Finished”

ABV: 48.385%

Average Price: $49

The Whiskey:

This new release from WhistlePig uses the g-forces that F1 drivers endure to finish the whiskey (amping up the interaction between the wood and whiskey in the barrel). The whiskey in the bottles is made. from six-year-old 100% rye whiskey. Those barrels were then batched and then re-barreled in lychee and oolong tea barrels for a finishing touch.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a clear sense of citrus pith next to vanilla, tropical spices, chinotto bark, and soft oakiness with a hint of bright florals.

Palate: Bright tropical fruit and leaves drive the palate toward sweet herbs, green tea leaves, and a hint of tiki cocktail spice with a ton of fruitiness tied to the citruses.

Finish: The end leans into the citrus pith and dry green tea leaves with a light sense of winter spice barks, vanilla pods, and soft almost perfumed oak.

Bottom Line:

This is wildly different. It’s so bright and almost airy. It feels like a tropical holiday in a glass. I’d definitely use this in tiki drinks or as an on-the-beach sipper over plenty of ice.

Bruichladdich Bere Barley 2013 Aged 10 Years Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $72

The Whiskey:

This year’s Bere Barley 2013 is a 10-year-old malt made from very specific Scottish grains. The ancient varietal of barley is grown specifically for this whisky and is long fermented to highlight fruity and floral notes in the end whisky, which is aged in ex-bourbon barrels right on the sea in Islay.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Candied oranges and peach pie drive the nose toward a sense of malted pound cake with plenty of vanilla, poppies, and streusel next to creamed lemon curd, old fudge, and a whisper of marzipan with some pear brandy.

Palate: Malty barley biscuits greet you on the plate with plenty of wet brown sugar, Cream of Wheat cut with butter and pancake syrup, and apricot jam next to soft honeydew, more candied orange, and a sense of toasted coconut next to brandy-soaked marzipan with a hint of rose water.

Finish: A hint of milk chocolate arrives late with vanilla custard over fresh mago, more toasted coconut, rose water, and candied orange marzipan dipped in creamed honey with a whisper of lavender.

Bottom Line:

This is a great slow-sipping whisky. It’s deep and just kind of keeps delivering more and more beautiful nuance the longer you take with it. Start neat, add some water or ice, and then go back in for more. You’ll be rewarded for your patience with this one.

Glenglassaugh Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky “Sandend”

ABV: 50.5%

Average Price: $57

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is a seaside-matured Highland whisky. The unpeated malt rests on the beach on Sandend Bay in a mix of ex-bourbon, sherry, and Manzanilla casks until just right. Those barrels are vatted and then just kissed with water before bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Malted vanilla full-fat ice cream opens the nose toward hints of mango, pineapple, and star fruit with a sense of salted dark chocolate-covered cherries soaked in brandy with a touch of sea breeze.

Palate: Rich salted caramel drizzles over grilled pineapple and those chocolate-covered cherries on the palate as bright grapefruit oils and malted cracked, heavy with sea salt, round out the taste.

Finish: Dark cherries and mango skins dance with driftwood and rum-forward citrus cocktails with plenty of brown spices on the malted vanilla finish with a hint of leatheriness.

Bottom Line:

This is a unique whisky with a good dose of salinity built in. Overall, I’d reach for this when I wanted something unique anything else that bridges bright fruit and deep saltiness in a wonderful fashion.

The Dalmore Cask Curation Series The Sherry Edition Aged 26 Years Finished in Tare González Byass 2002 Vintage — Cask no. 4

ABV: 48.2%

Average Price: $37,500 (set of three)

The Whiskey:

This new release is the youngest of three elite whiskies that The Dalmore is dropping this month. This very limited edition bottle is hewn from The Dalmore’s iconic malt that spent years aging in ex-bourbon casks. The whisky was batched and then re-barreled into a Tio Pepe 2002 Vintage Sherry Cask (Cask #4) for years more of aging until just right. The final product was bottled 100% as-is to highlight the beauty of that finishing barrel on classic The Dalmore.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose draws you in with a bright sense of caramelized oranges, fresh floral honey, and ripe off-the-vine apricots with a deep sense of rich vanilla pods, dry cacao, and fresh almonds with a hint of cherry syrup.

Palate: Raisin-heavy spiced cakes are cut with bright orange zest on the palate as cherry syrup leads to almond cookies cut with vanilla oils and a sense of sultanas baking in the hot sun.

Finish: There’s a buttery sense of a fresh croissant on the finish next to creamy espresso for sipping, ginger rock candy, and lush vanilla cake cut with more orange oil, almond, and poppy seed.

Bottom Line:

This is one of the lightest and airiest The Dalmore expressions I’ve ever tasted. The bright citrus oils take it in a whole new direction while holding onto some of the darker The Dalmore flavor notes on the mid-palate. That makes this an excellent sipper for anyone looking for a lighter and brighter version of The Dalmore.

This is one of three bottles that’ll be released this month in a set alongside 28- and 43-year-old bottles, hence the outrageously high price tag. I’ll be reviewing the whole set at a later date so just consider this a sneak peek of what’s to come.

Lost Lantern Single Cask Series Corbin Cash California Straight Rye Whiskey 7 Years Old

ABV: 64.9%

Average Price: $119

The Whiskey:

This new Lost Lantern Corbin Cash is a seven-year-old rye whiskey. The whiskey was made with 100% Merced rye grown by the Souza family specifically for this whiskey. After seven years of rest in a heavily charred barrel, the barrel was tapped by the Lost Lantern team and bottled 100% as-is, yielding only 146 bottles.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a sense of walnut cake that edges toward zucchini bread with plenty of butter, brown spice, salt, and brown sugar on the nose with a light note of marzipan dipper in melon.

Palate: There’s this sense of sweet roots on the palate that leads back to the melon-laced marzipan, more of that nutcake, and a sense of spice barks dipped in syrupy mulled wine.

Finish: The end has a light grassiness that gives way to creamy floral honey, smudging sage, and a deep nuttiness tied to what almost feels like a moist carrot cake with vanilla frosting.

Bottom Line:

This was a bit of a wild ride with a fascinating savoriness tied to the more classic notes layered into the mix. Buy this if you’re looking for something completely fresh and unique.

Filmland Spirits Presents Ryes of the Robots Small Batch Straight Rye Whiskey The Extended Cut 2023 Batch

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $59

The Whiskey:

This brand-new whiskey release blends Hollywood B-movies with sourced whiskey. The actual juice is a 95/5 rye/malted barley sourced whiskey from Kentucky. Beyond that, not much is known. Though there’s been an incredible amount of work about writing a script and drawing up storyboards around the beautifully designed release.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a nice mix of dark berries and old leather next to cinnamon bark and clove berries with a hint of caramel before veering toward sheet cake and singed marshmallows.

Palate: The palate hits a mint chocolate chip vibe with a dash of black peppercorn before bright red berries floating in vanilla-laced cream lead the taste back toward smoldering marshmallows and a lot of woody winter spice.

Finish: Oak staves and cinnamon bark really peak on the finish next to very mild menthol tobacco just kissed with red berries and more of that creamy vanilla with a whisper of green grass lurking under it all.

Bottom Line:

This is a nice and very classic rye that runs deep. Pour this over a rock and enjoy reading all about the mythology around the bottle. It’s kind of like getting a 50s pulp novel with your rye pour.

Pursuit United Blended Straight Rye Whiskeys Finished in Sherry French Revere Oak

ABV: 54%

Average Price: $74

The Whiskey:

This new rye from the team over at Bourbon Pursuit is a masterful blend. The whiskey is hewn from Bardstown Bourbon Company’s 95/5 Kentucky rye batched with two Sagamore Spirit ryes — one a 95/5 and one 52/43/5 rye/corn/malted barley. Those whiskeys are batched and re-barreled into a French sherry revere cask for a final rest before batching, proofing, and bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a sense of dark fruits — black cherry, dates, rum raisin — on the nose that leads to soft and sweet oak next to worn leather, mulled wine, and brandy-soaked fig cut with nutmeg and clove.

Palate: The taste is more on the woody side of the spice with a clear sense of old-school mulled wine with sweet vanilla and star anise over orange rinds and raisins with a slight chili warmth underneath.

Finish: The chili warmth drives the finish toward a soft red-wine-soaked oak that’s spiced with orchard barks and fruits next to vanilla/cherry tobacco just kissed with dark chocolate.

Bottom Line:

This is just excellent rye whiskey. Pour it neat, over a rock, or in your favorite whiskey-forward cocktail. It won’t fail you.

Starlight Distillery Old Rickhouse Huber’s Bottled-In-Bond Indiana Straight Rye Whiskey Batch No. B2306

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $60

The Whiskey:

This rye from craft distiller Starlight Distillery — part of the Huber Farm and Winery in Southern Indiana — is all about that final blend. The small batch is made from a group of five-year-old barrels and just proofed to highlight the whiskey in those barrels.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The whiskey opens with a nose full of white pepper countered by stewed apples with a twinge of sour cherry tossed in smoked sea salt before a hint of creamy espresso and summer herb gardens arrive.

Palate: The palate has a creaminess that leans toward mocha lattes with a tobacco spiciness, cedar bark, and more of that stewed orchard fruit with an underlying white pepper spiciness.

Finish: The end leans into that white pepper with plenty of warm apple cider spiked with clove and cinnamon over vanilla cake cut with salted toffee and creamy espresso just kissed with chocolate tobacco.

Bottom Line:

This new batch of Starlight Rye is a killer. I’ve been using it for fall cocktails already and it slaps. It also works wonders over a single big ice cube on a slow sipping afternoon.

Boulder Spirits American Single Malt Whiskey 2023 Limited Edition The 10 Essentials

ABV: 49.5%

Average Price: $64

The Whiskey:

This new limited release from Colorado’s Boulder is a blend of five single malt casks. Former armagnac, tawny port, PX sherry, and new American oak were batched for this release after five to 6.5 years of aging. The whiskey was then cut with El Dorado spring water for bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose opens with a medley of pear and apricot (both dried and candied) with spicy forest honey, old leather, and malty Graham Crackers dipped in dark chocolate and just flaked with sea salt.

Palate: The palate is lush with a sense of eggnog spices and creaminess that gives way to pear brandy-laced marzipan and more of that forest honey next to warm maltiness.

Finish: The warmth leans into fresh green chili, nuttiness, and dark chocolate on the end (almost getting into mole territory) before leaning back toward spiced malts with a woody tobacco finish.

Bottom Line:

This is just a good malt whiskey, American or not. It does have a fall/winter vibe to the overall profile, so maybe crack this one open closer to the end of the month.

Ardbeg Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Traigh Bhan Batch 5 19 Years Old

ABV: 46.2%

Average Price: $316

The Whisky:

This year’s Ardbeg Traigh Bhan was bottled during the most humid time on Islay. The barrels were picked specifically to highlight tropical notes from 19-year-old barrels from the seaside distillery. A little water was added after vatting for this bottling.

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Grilled and smoked tropical fruit — smoked mango, grilled pineapple, stewed papaya — open the nose toward saddle soap, fresh green chili pepper, and vibrant spearmint n