Lovers of the United States of America and its whiskies: prepare yourselves. A smörgåsbord of American whiskey, representing many styles and regions, awaits. 

Below you’ll find:

• Three excellent Tennessee whiskies, all of which boast double-digit age statements. One of them isn't even named Jack.

• Seven blends that each bring together multiple whiskey styles in a single spirit (think bourbon and rye in one bottle), with varying degrees of success. 

• A half-dozen straight bourbons made by up-and-coming distilleries—including one that hails from America’s capital city, of all places.

• A brace of whiskies with atypical mashbills and maturation: one cask-strength wheat whiskey you won't want to miss, and a corn whiskey—not a bourbon—with two decades of age on it.

Looking for reviews of more rye? Check out our Rye Tasting Brief.

Tennessee

Jack Daniel's 10-Year-Old (Batch 02)

Some whiskies give away their age on the first whiff, and this is one of them: vanilla extract, cola spice, old leather, maple syrup, earthen barn floor, and the memory of oily, roasted nuts all whisper maturity. The voices rise to a chorus on the chewy, rich palate, that's thick with cola syrup, dark chocolate-covered raisins, vanilla, and maple—but not heavy. A lengthy finish continues those flavors, with a creeping rancio note that veils everything in dignified silence. A world away from Old No. 7.

Jack Daniel's 12-Year-Old (Batch 01)

If you're used to Old No. 7, the deep complexity of its 12-year-old sibling may very well shock you: dark caramel, roasted nuts, cola spices, oiled leather, Raisinets, and Jack's signature bananas, now flambéed, make up a mature, inviting nose. The sweet, thick, and chewy palate oozes with maple syrup and molasses, dark caramel, and vanilla extract, balanced by leather, polished oak, and dark chocolate. More of the same on the finish, with a lingering oakiness that's as compelling as the smoke off a charred barrel.

George Dickel 17-Year-Old Reserve Cask Strength

An unusually low cask strength works out well for this Tennessee whiskey, whose oak profile would otherwise verge on excessively bitter. As it is, there’s plenty of barrel notes, starting with the old leather, brown sugar, and baking spices of the nose, rounded out with dried orange peel and Dickel’s signature macadamia nuts. The proof keeps tannins in check and gives the palate a light texture, with mature, solvent-forward flavors of dark chocolate, dried blueberry, leathery oak, roasted nuts, dried mint, and over-steeped black tea. More of the same on the finish, which is lengthy but not overly complex.

Cross-Category Blends

Bardstown Bourbon Co. Collaborative Series Blend of Straight Whiskies Finished in Foursquare Rum Barrels 2023

Blending 7-year-old rye with 17-year-old bourbon, this whiskey’s Barbados rum cask finish seamlessly adds warmth and sweetness throughout, especially on the palate. To start, however, the nose is fragrant with oak and toasted cedar, spiced black tea, roasted peanuts and cashews, curing tobacco, and maple syrup. Cinnamon and nutmeg-spiced cobbler topping crowns raisins, and cooked plums and cherries on the chewy, but not heavy, palate. With water, brightening citrus notes emerge to complement the dark richness. Leathery oak, maple syrup, spiced dark chocolate, and a hint of tobacco complete the finish.

Sweetens Cove Kennessee

A blend of Kentucky and Tennessee bourbons, finished with toasted sugar maple wood. Both nose and palate are spiced and fruity, with aromas of blackberry jam, Luxardo cherries, spiced orange, Spanish peanuts, leather, and old oak leading to a mouth-filling juxtaposition of dark fruit, baking spices, dark chocolate, leather, and polished oak, with a faint hint of rancio. Water creates a sinuous, silky texture. The lengthy finish balances dark chocolate, polished oak, leather, and interwoven spices.

Proof and Wood The Cabinet Barrel Proof Blend of Straight Whiskeys

Nut oils galore on the generous nose: macadamia nuts, Brazil nuts, roasted walnuts, almond butter, peanuts in the shell. These are balanced by apricots, plums, and blueberries, heartily splashed with vanilla. The same richness persists on the palate, and expands into cinnamon-vanilla muffin batter, cooked berries, dark chocolate, rose oil, candied violets, and, of course, roasted nuts; water imparts a lush and velvety texture. It finishes with dark berries, vanilla extract, and polished oak, sprinkled with dried flowers and generous spice.

Chicken Cock Double Oak

Matured for most of its life in used barrels, this whiskey was then transferred to new charred oak for 18 months, a finish that lends well-woven oak from the nose to the finish. It starts with aromas of root beer spice, sarsaparilla, caramel, vanilla, cherries, and iced tea garnished with an orange slice. The sweet, spiced palate features candied orange peel, cinnamon, clove, crystallized ginger, chocolate orange, and black tea, with a pleasingly soft and creamy mouthfeel. Persistent spices mingled with oak, sweet orange oil, semi-sweet chocolate, and an edge of roasted nuts on the finish.

Whiskey War Barrel Proof

The rye-forward character of this blend of straight whiskies comes right out up front, with the piney, fresh aromas of a stroll through a Christmas tree farm; there’s also eucalyptus, Concord grape, aniseed, maple syrup, and a bit of rubber shoe sole. More fresh, herbal character on the dry palate: pine sap, eucalyptus, black pepper, lemon oil, light brown sugar, and a touch of rubber. Peppery maple syrup to finish, with the dryness of the initial palate giving way to a somewhat mouthwatering sweetness.

Wolves Signature Blend (2022 Release)

An oddball blend of rye and whiskies distilled from beer, composed by Marko Karakasevic of Charbay Distillery. It has a fun, aromatic, and unconventional nose with kiwi, pan-fried pineapple, lemon, and milk chocolate. Peppery and a bit hot on the palate, with tropical hops, cooked fruit, and a distinctly chalky minerality that offers welcome balance, though overall, it finishes with a whimper.

Five Trail Blended American Whiskey (Batch 002CWC22-A)

Molson Coors, the brewing company, has gotten into the whiskey game with this blend of bourbons from Kentucky and Indiana, and single malt from Colorado. Pleasant aromas of cherry danish and cinnamon-pecan coffee cake mingle with oak on the nose, and continue into the spiced and sweet palate. Cherries in cinnamon syrup, brown sugar-crusted pecans, and vanilla are wrapped in assertive tannins, with black tea and bitterness on the finish. A competent, but simple whiskey.

Notable Craft

Green River Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Fragrant flowers—orange blossom, honeysuckle, and candied violets—preface a mature palate of dark chocolate, baking spices, dark fruit, and strong spine of oak, with florals sprinkled throughout and into the spiced finish. It transforms nicely with a little water, the delicate nature suddenly reinforced with more muscular oak and fruit.

Bardstown Bourbon Co. Origin Series Bottled-in-Bond Straight Bourbon

Six years old and made with a mashbill of 68%, 20% wheat, and 12% malt, this bourbon marks a new era for Bardstown Bourbon Co., one of the first fully house-distilled whiskies to be bottled under its own name. A brooding, earthy nose of tea leaves, curing tobacco, peanut shells, cherry skins, dusty oak, and clay precedes the chewy, full-bodied palate: roasted nuts, dark chocolate, black pepper, Concord grape skins, and charred, tannic oak. The finish is spiced and rich with coffee bean, cacao nibs, dark fruit, and more oak. Better without water.

Bardstown Bourbon Co. Origin Series Straight Bourbon

A pleasant nose of orange pekoe tea, clove and nutmeg, light oak, sweet citrus, and a tinge of rosemary leads into a surprisingly hot palate, with flavors of orange peel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and roasted nuts. Water brings out more roasty character, including a bit of coffee bean. Nuttiness at the turn becomes tobacco on the finish, with toasted oak and peppery spice. Well-made but rather simple.

Green River Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Gingerbread spice, horehound, vanilla, dark toffee, dried orange peel, generous oak, and a touch of tobacco leaf on the nose. The medium-bodied palate is spiced and dry, with cacao nibs, cigar wrapper, and a hint of dark fruit, leading into a balanced finish of spice and oak. Water not recommended.

District Made Straight Bourbon

A four-grain bourbon made with Hickory King corn, Abruzzi rye, red winter wheat, malted rye, and malted barley. Intense aromas of mandarin orange, apricot, and peach meet pencil shavings and balsa wood on the nose, while the palate initially shows more restraint, with gently spiced stone fruit and cashew, and toasted tannic oak which comes to dominate. Slightly nutty finish with sweet oak and light persistent spices.

District Made Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon

A mashbill that includes 25% Abruzzi rye and 17% malted rye, in addition to corn, gives this bourbon a rye whiskey-like profile, piney and fresh on the nose, with an overlay of red fruit and soft red grapes, tinged with vanilla. There’s more pine and red fruit on the palate, soft black pepper, semi-sweet chocolate, charred coffee bean, and bittersweet oak; it’s tannic but not harsh, high proof without being hot or heavy. Dark chocolate-covered coffee bean, polished dark oak, and slight lingering pine on the finish.

Other Grains

Bernheim 7-Year-Old Barrel Proof (Batch A223)

A new offering from Heaven Hill Distillery that amps up the proof on Bernheim wheat whiskey to cask strength; yes, it takes water well, and needs it to tame some of the barrel’s tannins. A mature nose of cooked berries and plums, laden with mulling spices, Coke spiked with cherry syrup, antique oak furniture, vanilla bean, and a hint of cigar wrapper. Thickly syrupy on the palate, and chewy with tannin, there are flavors of vanilla, dark chocolate, cooked blackberries and cherries, rich spices—cinnamon, clove, allspice—vanilla, and espresso, with lovely, rich oak waves washing over it all. Extremely lengthy finish with dark chocolate-covered raisins, leather, coffee bean, polished oak, and a touch of tobacco. Symphonic in its texture and harmony; one of the best new American whiskies of 2023.

Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 20-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey

It’s not common to find American whiskey with two decades on it, let alone corn whiskey, and this is a rare treat for fans of rancio. Perfumy spices waft across old leather and antique bookshelves, with plum jam, dried violets, Dr. Pepper, brown sugar, and dry-toasted nuts on the nose. Big texture and weight on the palate, with dark chocolate, coffee, leathery dark fruit, and rich oak, but a distinct citrus flavor injects balanced brightness. It finishes dry, with lengthy dark chocolate-covered coffee bean, tobacco, dark fruit, and persistent leather.