As a spirits writer and obvious bourbon fanatic, I’ve gotten to taste some great bottles this year. Some distilleries continued to push the envelope in the finishing realm, while others brought back higher age statements or just doubled down on what they do best — making tasty, consistent bourbon year after year.
I’ve been tasked with narrowing my favorites of 2025 to 10, which is quite difficult when you look back on all the fine releases. I also might kill two birds with one stone and make this my official Christmas list. So Santa, if you’re seeing this on the CaskX website, I’ll be happy with any of these stuffed in my stocking. And if you’re interested in investing in bourbon barrels, I know a few folks who can help you out.
But first, here’s a new take on an old classic sung by Willie Nelson and Julio Iglesias.
To all the bourbons I’ve loved before
Who travelled in and out my door
I’m glad I raised a toast
I dedicate this post
To all the bourbons I’ve loved before
To all the bourbons I once caressed
And may I say I’ve held the best
For helping me to grow
I owe a lot I know
To all the bourbons I’ve loved before
In no particular order, here is my top 10 bourbons (and whiskeys) of 2025 …
King of Kentucky
If you’ve ever gotten a chance to try the King, then you should know why it’s on the list. This is the eighth iteration of the King of Kentucky and one of the oldest at 17 years. Because Brown-Forman heat-cycles their warehouses where these barrels age, the angels get a generous share — leaving little in the barrel after a dozen years or so. That’s why the King is always limited, rare and so damn tasty. I compared the taste to eating bananas foster inside a rickhouse, and I stand by that. It also tastes vintage, and I love a dusty note.
Bardstown Bourbon Co. Normandie Calvados Brandy Barrel Finish
I bet you’re surprised not to see the Cathedral French Oak here. BBCo launched the Distillery Reserve Series earlier this year and they started it off with a bang. Yes, the Cathedral was delicious and had such a great story (the oak was leftover from repairs on Notre Dame Cathedral), but I think this Normandie release is slightly more tasty than that bottle as well as the second in the series, the Hokkaido. This one is a blend of 12- and 13-year-old MGP bourbon that was finished for 28 months in Calvados apple brandy barrels from France. The 59-gallon casks imparted some delicious fruit notes on the bourbon, but still, the team at BBCo wasn’t satisfied. So they took the bourbon from the brandy barrels and put it into new, toasted American oak barrels for an additional four months. It’s viscous, it’s rich, and it’s amazingly well-balanced.
Heaven Hill Master Distillers Unity
I first got to taste this at the grand opening of the $200 million Heaven Hill Springs Distillery in Bardstown in September. Made to commemorate this day and also to honor its present and former distillers, the bourbon features the last remaining barrel produced at the original Heaven Hill Distillery that burnt down in 1996. The 34-year-old bourbon was made by industry legend Parker Beam. The rest of the blend features barrels aged 6-14 that were made by former distillers like Beam and Denny Potter, as well as current Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll. As you can imagine, it’s quite tasty and brings a slight hint of vintage to an already A+ bourbon.
Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Beacon
They say this is the last in the Master’s Keep series, and as a Wild Turkey fan, that makes me sad. But I’m sure they’ve got something up their sleeves for future special releases, so don’t cry for me, Argentina. This release is a blend of a 10-year barrels selected by Associate Master Blender Bruce Russell and 16-year barrels picked by Master Distiller Eddie Russell. Bruce’s barrels were some of the first he helped make when he joined his dad and grandpa (Jimmy) at Wild Turkey in 2015. And Eddie’s barrels are some of the last remaining of those made at the old distillery in 2007 and 2008, before it was renovated and expanded in 2011. I have a feeling you’ll see this bottle on many “Best Of” lists this year, and yes, it’s that good. The palate gave me Fig Newtons and baked cherries, but again, there’s this fantastic vintage oak note that persists as well.
Jack Daniel’s 14 Year
If you dive into Jack’s single barrel and other special release whiskeys, you’ll find amazing whiskeys — both bourbon and rye. (I’m in the camp that believes Tennessee whiskey is bourbon, because it is.) Case in point: This 14-year-old release everyone clamored for earlier this year. This is the distillery’s oldest age-stated whiskey in over 100 years. And these age-stated releases (so far a 10, 12 and 14) are a throwback to actual products released in the early 1900s — when Jack Daniel was still alive! The delicious Jack Daniel’s banana note is there in all its glory, as well as heavy oak, cinnamon and caramel apple. Tasty stuff.
Jackson Purchase Bourbon Batch 1
In full disclosure, nobody at CaskX told me which bottles to include on this list. These are 100% my own opinions, and if you were fortunate to try the first release from our partners at Jackson Purchase, then you know why they’re here. This 4-year-old bourbon drinks way above its age, proving that there’s something special going on in Western Kentucky that creates remarkable whiskey. Of course, having Craig Beam and Terry Ballard at the helm doesn’t hurt. I’m excited to watch this brand grow, especially if this is where they’re starting. True ballers.
Bomberger’s PFG
Just about everything Michter’s touches turns to gold, and this 2025 release is no exception. PFG stands for Precision Fine Grain, which means they experimented with various wood finishes after the initial aging in toasted and charred American oak. This second barrel is a new proprietary toasted and charred French oak, and this wood was air dried for a minimum of 40 months near the Charente River in France. The bourbon is viscous and creamy, and I noted hints of honeycomb toffee, tart raspberry and oak. For those of you who love a strong presence of oak, I bet you’ll be pleasantly surprised by this one.
Jim Beam Pin Bottle
To commemorate the distillery’s 230th anniversary, Beam Distilling put out this sexy bowling pin glass decanter as a throwback to similar decanters released between 1940-1990. I was able to grab one of these at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, where I also got a taste. Of course, I was going to buy it no matter what because it looks cool, but I was delighted when the 8-year bourbon tasted so good. Apparently the whiskey in these bottles comes from the same 9-story warehouses where the other bowling pin decanters came from, and they’re bottled at the same proof: 86.8.
Kentucky Artisan Distillery Single Malt
Again, nobody is influencing me on this selection, but it landed on this list because I get to sample it every time I take CaskX clients to Kentucky Artisan for a tour — which, on average, is about once a week. Not only do I taste it for “quality control,” which is what I tell Distiller Marshall Rogers, but I truly think it’s one of the best whiskeys I’ve had at KAD. Made with 100% malted barley and put into a new, charred oak barrel for 5 years, this American Single Malt is straight up Honey Nut Cheerios with a nice balance of nuttiness and oak. There’s a lot here bourbon lovers would enjoy, especially since the distillery chose to age in brand new charred barrels as opposed to a used ones. I like it so much, I have a bottle in my living room cabinet that I sip from when winding down for the day. Not every day, of course, just those days that end in “y.” Heyo!
Archer Eland Suede Rye Whiskey
I had to include at least one you may have not heard about. This rye whiskey comes out of Ohio, and, more specifically, Middle West Spirits in Columbus. A passion project from blender extraordinaire Wendy Peveich, formerly the national brand ambassador for Penelope Bourbon, she launched this brand as a tribute to her mother. The bottle is sleek, and the 7-year whiskey in the Suede expression (there are three other releases) is equally well-balanced, spicy and has layers of flavor. Every time I pour this into my glass, I swear I discover a new note. The whiskey has the standard black pepper and slight mint often found in ryes, but it’s also got this delicious toffee and apple pie crust combo going on. There’s definitely baked goods and baked fruits going on here. When I add a drop of water or two, it opens up a whole new world. Keep your eye on this brand.
