All of the Best Whiskeys to Drink in 2026

As we turn the calendar over on a new year, what actually matters in whiskey at the moment?

Some days it seems like nothing much really matters any more, the industry has peaked and become stale. Other days… it seems like, no, everything actually matters and there’s no better time to be a whiskey fan.

The global whiskey landscape is indeed in a sort of paradoxical times. It seems to be contracting, as certain distilleries go bankrupt and out of business. And yet, the overall whiskey market surprisingly grew last year, up nearly 5 percent to $71.66 billion overall.

Likewise, we’re told that the economics of the time are causing so many drinkers to go back to cheaper, value bottles; but statistically we are still seeing more and more interest in the allocated, premium, luxury, and collectible bottles out there. Perhaps that’s because so much great stuff continues to be released, as you’ll see below.

At VinePair, we cover trends and developments in whiskey over the course of any given year, both via news and feature articles, as well as dedicated buying guides. But selecting one standout bottle from every subcategory of whiskey early each year offers a unique snapshot into what wowed us over the last 12 months.

From bourbons to ryes and Scotch to Japanese, these are the best whiskeys to drink in 2026.

Why You Should Trust VinePair

Throughout the year, VinePair conducts dozens of tastings for our Buy This Booze product roundups, highlighting the best bottles across the world’s most popular wine and spirits categories.

As part of this work, VinePair’s tasting and editorial staff samples thousands of bottles every year. This helps us keep a finger on the pulse of what’s new and exciting. Crucially, it also provides us with the context needed to distinguish the simply good from the truly great — whether from a quality or value-for-money perspective, or both.

VinePair’s mission is to offer a clear, reliable source of information for drinkers, providing an overview applicable to day-to-day buying and drinking. Learn more about VinePair’s tastings and reviews department here.

How We Taste

We believe in tasting all products as our readers typically would: with full knowledge of the producer and — importantly — price. Our tastings are therefore not conducted blind.

For every whiskey roundup and tasting, all expressions were sampled in Glencairn glasses and allowed to rest for a few minutes prior to tasting. We then evaluated the aromas, flavors, texture, and finish of each whiskey.

How We Compiled the List

Before we explore this year’s selections, here are a few notes on how we compiled this list, especially given the sheer subjectivity of the notion of “best” when it comes to alcoholic beverages.

In order to provide our readers with the most comprehensive and thoroughly tested list of the best whiskeys to buy, VinePair invited producers, distributors, and PR firms working on their behalf to send samples for consideration throughout the year. These bottles were submitted free of charge — producers didn’t pay to submit nor did VinePair pay for the products. All were requested with the clear understanding that submission does not guarantee inclusion in any final list. Not only would such an agreement contradict our editorial ethics and samples policy, it simply wouldn’t be possible to include everything we received.

For this larger whiskey roundup, our aim was to provide a comprehensive picture of the myriad styles and expressions that make up the broader whiskey category. Ultimately, we wanted to highlight the bottles we’d reach for given the chance of choosing any — but only one — in each of the respective subcategories. These may not be the absolute best of the best in their respective styles, nor did they necessarily debut within the last year. Instead, they are bottles we’re confident drinkers across the country should be able to find with relative ease, at which point we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend buying them. For those seeking the absolute crème de la crème, we have you covered toward the end of this list with our splurge and limited-edition recommendations — some of which command prices well above MSRP on secondary markets.

All the Best Whiskeys to Drink in 2026

Best Bourbon: Russell’s Reserve 10-Year-Old Bourbon

When recommending a bourbon these days, your first thought always has to be: Can the person I’m talking to actually, realistically find it? Thankfully, in a bourbon world where everything decent is becoming allocated, Russell’s Reserve 10-Year-Old Bourbon remains a stalwart of quality, affordability, and availability. From Wild Turkey’s higher-end line — saluting longtime master distillers Jimmy and Eddie Russell — this 90-proof bourbon is an exercise in balance and precision. The nose is warm and inviting, with notes of vanilla bean, toasted oak, and a touch of cinnamon spice. On the palate, it opens with classic caramel and butterscotch, then evolves into rich dark fruit and baking spice, all wrapped in a silky, well-aged oak. It’s complex enough to satisfy seasoned bourbon enthusiasts who’ll want to drink it neat, yet accessibly proofed for those newer to the category, and likewise built for classic cocktails like the Old Fashioned.

Average price: $40
Rating: 92

Honorable Mention: Stonestreet Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ‘Founder’s Edition’

A fairly youthful, modestly proofed, sourced bourbon bottled by Jackson Family Wines doesn’t necessarily sound promising — but just you try it. Distilled by Green River Distillery in Owensboro, Ky., the nose is soft and approachable; the palate, likewise. But there’s some serious depth and complexity, too, with prominent notes of vanilla, berry compote, and Graham crackers. Barrel tannins bolster the finish and cement its credentials as a bona fide sipper and a new brand to watch.

Average price: $60
Rating: 92

Best Rye: Lost Lantern Far-Flung Rye II

This is the Vermont-based independent bottler’s second blend of multiple ryes, aged five to nine years, from multiple distilleries in multiple states, all listed on the label. Those include: Kentucky’s New Riff, Kansas’s Union Horse, Maryland’s Baltimore Spirits Co., Ohio’s Middle West, and Wisconsin’s Wollersheim Distillery. No surprise, this is an incredibly complex rye whiskey. It’s grassy, minty, a bit citrusy, and very spicy, though maybe that’s not a surprise, either, considering the cask-strength 124 proof.

Average price: $100
Rating: 93

Honorable Mention: Sagamore Spirit Small Batch Rye Whiskey

Maryland once specialized in rye production — even ranking third in rye distilling to Kentucky and Pennsylvania — though the state had quit producing it for decades until distilleries like this well-funded upstart began popping up in the mid-2010s. Nosing the whiskey, you immediately realize this is unique from the Kentucky and MGP (Indiana) archetypes. Produced from a blend of two straight rye mash bills, aged four to six years in high-char American oak barrels, the nose is pleasantly spicy. The palate balances those herbs and baking spices with more sweetness, caramel, and brown sugar. While elegant enough to sip, the price makes it highly attractive for cocktails.

Average price: $39
Rating: 93

Best Single Malt Scotch: The Glendronach ‘Ode to the Dark’

This is the richest and highest-ABV expression in The Glendronach’s three-bottle “The Master’s Anthology” collection. The distillery, whose name translates to “valley of the brambles,” is known for sherry cask aging, and this expression proves to be the collision of those two identities. The Glendronach stans will relish in the classic, decadent profile dialed all the way up to 11 — dark berries, fragrant herbs, black coffee, and bitter chocolate. At 50.8 percent ABV, it is bold and unabashed, with a savory and spiced crescendo.

Average price: $150
Rating: 94

Honorable Mention: Oban 15 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky

This ain’t your grandma’s Oban! A new U.S.-only, limited-edition release, this arrives with a little more age and a lot more booze than the distillery’s flagship offering. It likewise spends its final years maturing in oloroso and Palo Cortado sherry casks. Thus, the nose is a mix of dried orchard and stone fruits alongside savory sherry notes. The proof is intense throughout, meaning everything present on the nose is amplified on the palate, with some added salinity and smoke.

Average price: $150
Rating: 94

Best Blended Scotch: Compass Box Scotch Whisky Nectarosity Blended Scotch Whisky

Introduced in 2024 by the avant-garde blender, Nectarosity combines Highland malts and Lowland grain whiskies from 11 different distilleries. With a flavor profile inspired by patisseries, it draws on virgin American oak, first-fill ex-bourbon and Palo Cortado sherry casks to achieve its sweet, inviting, “baked goods” profile. The nose offers citrus zest and stone fruit with just a kiss of vanilla and honey in equal measures on the nose. The palate leans on marmalade and caramelized bananas, for a decadent sipping experience.

Average price: $65
Rating: 93

Honorable Mention: Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

A blend of Speyside single malts — reportedly Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, Kininvie, and a few others — Monkey Shoulder is, no doubt, deliberately crafted with cocktails in mind. It’s silky on the palate, well rounded in flavor profile, versatile for all usage occasions, and widely available for less than $40 — a no-brainer for your bar cart.

Average price: $33
Rating: 87

Best Irish Whiskey: High N’ Wicked ‘Rose Tattoo’ Single Malt Irish Whiskey

Perhaps the Irish whiskey category needed more oddball cask finishes to get the shot in the arm necessary to elicit more geek approval. (Or perhaps this is sacrilege, you might say.) Whatever the case, this importer and bottler started by two former Brown-Forman execs is producing some pretty unique offerings like this 10th expression in High N’ Wicked’s Limited Singular Series. This non-age-statement release employs ex-Amarone casks that surprisingly don’t overwhelm the base spirit. The malt still comes through strongly, perhaps due to a 59.9 percent ABV that is never bruising. Sure, there is a lot of dried fruit and wine tannins on the palate and finish, but the complexity and balance somehow remain in check. It shouldn’t work, and yet it does.

Average price: $146
Rating: 94

Best Japanese Whisky: Kanosuke Hioki Pot Still Japanese Whisky

There’s more to Japanese whisky these days than the monolith of Suntory. This craft upstart was founded in 2017 at a distillery along Fukiagehama Beach in Kagoshima Prefecture. A spinoff of a 140-year-old shochu distillery, a mash bill of unmalted and malted barley is distilled in three Miyake copper pot stills of differing neck shapes, along with vacuum distillation, which the distillery believes creates varying, complex distillates. Aged in new American white oak casks of a larger puncheon size (450 liters) so as to not get over-oaked by the region’s climate, you’ve never quite tasted Japanese whisky like this. It’s lush on the palate, sweet with hints of peaches and plums, even a touch savory, though with a soft, pleasing finish.

Average price: $115 (700 mL)
Rating: 95

Honorable Mention: FUJI Single Malt Japanese Whisky

This new core product from the Gotemba-based FUJI distillery is the brand’s first single malt released to the U.S. It’s made from 100 percent Japanese malt, distilled on a copper pot still, and aged in American oak barrels and French oak red wine barrels. There’s a lot going on here: fresh-cut flowers, peaches, tropical fruits, citrus zest, honey, and caramel. A brand to watch in the category for sure.

Average price: $100
Rating: 93

Best Peated Scotch: Laphroaig Càirdeas 2025 Lore Cask Strength

Every year Laphroaig releases a special Càirdeas bottling for “friends” of the Islay-based distillery. (That’s you!) The most recent edition is a cask-strength version of the distillery’s popular Cask Lore offering, which it bills as its “richest and most complex expression.” A blend of single malts that have aged from seven to 21 years in various casks, including ex-bourbon, European oak, oloroso sherry, and quarter casks, this is bottled at a whopping 59.6 percent ABV. This is purely for lovers of peat as there is smoke present from the second you uncork the bottle. Yet, there’s also an assortment of baked fruits and notes of citrus, vanilla, caramel, and seawater to get lost in, giving it a balance and complexity that is quite remarkable.

Average price: $110 (700 mL)
Rating: 93

Best Single Barrel Whiskey: The Balvenie Single Barrel 12 Year Old

If single barrels have long dominated the bourbon world, they are becoming more mainstream in Scotch circles these days. This well-respected Speyside producer has offered them off and on since 2013. Each numbered barrel yields a maximum of 300 bottles. And while batches will vary, all seem to be bright and energetic, with clean and defined notes of fruit and honey. Bottled at a thoughtful 47.8 percent ABV, this should be a mainstay in your liquor cabinet or on your bar cart as it lands perfectly in terms of age, ABV, and price.

Average price: $80
Rating: 93

Best Barrel-Proof Whiskey: New Riff Kentucky Single Malt Whiskey (Spring 2025)

American Single Malt is a category that has struggled to catch on with connoisseurs, but New Riff proves it’s not to be taken lightly. Composed of six different mash bills (including ones used more typically for barleywines and Belgian Trappist ales), fermented and distilled with Kentucky techniques, matured in a multitude of casks for at least seven years, and bottled at cask strength (115.2 proof in this case), this is one complex beast. There are tons of barrel notes on the nose with just a hint of peat smoke and citrus. The palate leans more fruity, alongside hints of chocolate, leather, and oxidized sherry. Even if you ignore the rest of the burgeoning category, do not ignore this — easily the best American Single Malt out there and one of the most sippable barrel-proof whiskeys around.

Average price: $70
Rating: 93

Best Cask Finished Whiskey: WhistlePig The Boss Hog XII: Feather & Flame Straight Rye Whiskey

How does WhistlePig keep nailing these insane — nay, ridiculous! — cask finishes?! Here, using sourced 95/5 MGP rye from Indiana, this liquid spends its secondary maturation in barrels seasoned with pulque curado crafted from agave, cacao, and Mexican chiltepín, guajillo, and pasilla peppers. It may sound like a gimmick, but they pull it off. The nose has the classic 95/5 rye herbal notes, while the palate is spicy and sharp, with hints of citrus zest, nicely balanced with sweeter notes of Werther’s Original and Mexican hot chocolate. The finish is pleasant and lingering, with the chili peppers tickling the back of your throat. Truly one of a kind.

Average price: $600
Rating: 95

Best Budget Whiskey: Rieger Straight Rye Whiskey

This legendary Kansas City distillery, revived in 2014, has quickly homed in on distilling a great product that is always available at a fair price. Its rye is made from a high-rye mash bill (96 percent rye) distilled on both pot and column stills, aged for at least four years, and non-chill filtered. This is a “value” rye with character. The nose is a bit bourbon-y, though backed by an earthy, woody aroma. The creamy palate brings in a sort of mint chocolate chip note, leading to a spicy, lingering finish.

Average price: $30
Rating: 90

Best Splurge Whiskey: Michter’s 20 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Most bourbons become way too over-oaked once they reach two decades of maturity — thus rendering their equally bloated price a bit farcical — but that is 100 percent not the case with this semi-occasional release. Last year’s minuscule bottling comes from sourced liquid purportedly from Brown-Forman’s Kentucky distillery. At 57.1 percent ABV, the age has taken all the edges off the proof — there’s little heat or burn. Instead, there are luscious aromas of vanilla and butterscotch on the nose. The palate balances that sweetness out with dark chocolate, dried fruits, and barrel spice. The finish is long and coating, demanding you come back for more. But at this price, let’s be prudent and nurse this gorgeous bottle as long as we can.

Average price: $1,200
Rating: 97

Best Limited-Edition Whiskeys:

Abraham Bowman Oak Series: Hungarian Oak

From Sazerac’s “other” distillery, in Virginia no less, comes this experimental bottling that takes 12-year-old bourbon and ages it exclusively in charred Hungarian oak barrels. It’s a lot less woody than you might expect, with a nose leaning toward vanilla soft serve and butterscotch and a palate unveiling those sweet, dessert-y notes often generated by Hungarian oak: apple turnover, orange marmalade, cinnamon sugar. While the price may seem like a steal, bottles were only available via lottery, with an in-person distillery pickup mandated.

Average price: $80
Rating: 96

Bomberger’s PFG (Precision Fine Grain)

The PFG acronym refers to an in-house production technique that even necessitates a trademark. From the Michter’s Legacy Series, this is Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, aged in new toasted and charred American oak barrels, before going into second customized, proprietary-toasted PFG™ barrels made out of a blend of air-dried and seasoned woods from various origins. Whether that’s marketing mumbo jumbo or not, the proof is in the pudding. This is an insanely complex whiskey, fruity and spicy, floral and charred, chocolatey and creamy.

Average price: $140
Rating: 94

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey

Last year’s top BTAC offering was their annual high-end release of uncut, unfiltered rye. Despite its youth — just six years of maturity — it was by far the most well rounded in 2025’s series. The nose offers spicy oak balanced by some citrus and orchard fruit. The palate is an explosion of flavor: baking spices, dried fruit, and nuts, with a warm and lingering finish, though certainly some burn. Bottled at 129.8 proof, it admittedly drinks pretty hot, which is its one demerit.

Average price: $150
Rating: 97

FAQs

What is the best whiskey for newbies?

Stonestreet Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey “Founder’s Edition,’’ with its modest proof and accessible flavor profile (vanilla, Graham crackers, etc.), along with a price that won’t bust your wallet, make it appealing to someone looking to inch their way into sipping whiskey.

What is the best whiskey?

Based on tastings of hundreds of whiskeys from around the world this year, the best bourbon is Russell’s Reserve 10-Year-Old. The best rye is Lost Lantern’s Far-Flung Rye II. The best single malt Scotch is The Glendronach “Ode to the Dark.” The best Irish whiskey is High N’ Wicked “Rose Tattoo” Single Malt Irish Whiskey. The best Japanese whisky is Kanosuke Hioki Pot Still Japanese Whisky.

The article All of the Best Whiskeys to Drink in 2026 appeared first on VinePair.