BARLEYCORN SPEAKS! The Best Whiskeys Of Fall 2023 And Where To Buy Them

Presented by Master Blender Sandy Hyslop, Chivas Regal XV is the latest addition to the legendary Speyside whisky house’s portfolio, a port cask finished blend that is, as the name implies, aged at least fifteen years. With a “toasted oak, cooked apple and thyme” nose and a palate of “sweet cream, apples, and orange zest,” the judges conclude that “this has everything you want in a blend.” “It’s light, sweet, and balanced with malt and oak, pleasantly dry on the nose, and sports a short-and-sweet finish that’ll keep you coming back for more. If you walk into a bar and say, “’ Gimme a Scotch,’ this is what you should be served.”

Coming off the heels of last year’s ‘Best Irish Single Malt’ at the World Whiskies Awards 2022, The Devil’s Keep 2023 Edition by The Craft Irish Whiskey broke the top ten highest-scoring spirits this Fall. Not one but two judges awarded this single malt an elusive 95-point rating. And as it turns out, this is no ordinary Irish sipper. The Devil’s Keep is a luxury collectible of which only 333 bottles of double-distilled single malt are available worldwide. To create this beauty, single malt whiskey is double distilled and aged in a five-cask ‘quadruple oak’ process.

The bourbon geekdom is freaking out over this Elijah Craig Barrel Proof offering by Heaven Hill. And after becoming the highest-ranked spirit in our Fall Barleycorn Awards, it’s clearly for good reason. “Loaded with baking spice, citrus peel, and sweet honey, this is a stunningly complex whiskey for its proof,” raved one judge, whose accolades were shared by the entire panel. The high score here was 96, with surrounding scores in the mid-90s across the board. This is a herculean feat in the Barleycorn competition, where multiple 94+ scores are scarce.

Selected by Uncle Nearest Master Blender, Victoria Eady Butler and bottled cask strength at a robust 61.75% ABV, the judge’s consensus on this Uncle Nearest Single Barrel is a “big and badass whiskey that also manages to be delicate and floral.” Batch 061 not only scored a Double Gold Medal with a high score of 98 and Best Single Barrel Whiskey, but it also cracked the top five highest-rated spirits in the competition. Check out the website below to find a bottle.

Cedar Ridge Single Malts have consistently topped the ASM category in the Barleycorn Awards for several years, and this Fall is no exception. Judges bestowed Best American Single Malt to Cedar Ridge Quintessential Special Release, the first in a new series presented by Master Distiller Murphy Quint. This 1st Anniversary release is a combo of 6-year-old single malt finished in a first-fill amontillado sherry butt and 6-year-old peated malt aged in an ex-bourbon barrel. According to one judge, the result is a “fine example of how nuanced an American Single malt can be. The highlight is a finish of burnt marshmallow and barley malt syrup that lingers beautifully.”

Kentucky Peerless is located in the heart of Downtown Louisville on North 10th Street, where Master Distiller Caleb Kilburn and the Peerless team produce this “lovely” sweet mash rye. Bottled non-chill-filtered and cask strength, Peerless earned a high mark of 94 as it edged out the also excellent A.M. Scott Distillery Barrel Proof Rye and Peerless Small Batch Double Oak Bourbon to top the category this Fall. From here, Peerless will compete in a head-to-head smackdown with our Barleycorn Spring 2023 rye whiskey champion, Sagamore Spirit 8-Year-Old, for the title of Best Rye Of 2023.

Made from a “low rye” recipe of 51% Rye, this “dangerously drinkable” single barrel from A.M Scott Distillery in Troy, Ohio, beat out serious contenders, including New Riff and Uncle Nearest, to score top honors this Fall. Our judges loved this whiskey’s “light, dry, and bready” nose that becomes “sweet on the palate, with toffee and a bit of caramel.” But it’s perhaps the alcohol integration judges were most in love with as one begged the question: “Seriously, where did they hide the alcohol?! Whatever the proof is, it’s delicious.”

“This Tennessee whiskey comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.” There is a lot to like about this distillery-made 5-year-old Bottled-In-Bond TN Whiskey. Created from a mash of GMO-free 70% Corn (grown on the master distiller, Lee Kennedy’s farm), 15% Rye and 15% toasted Malted Barley, this 100% pot still whiskey is aged five years in a char #4 barrel, filtered through sugar maple charcoal, and bottled non-chill-filtered at 100 proof. The result is a “dark fruit and honey” nose with “flecks of meaty leather,” leading to a palate “loaded with caramel, more sweet honey, cherry, and baking spice.”

Presented by Heaven Hill Master Distiller Conor O’Driscoll, this second 2023 release of Bernheim Barrel Proof was bottled in September. This “SPECTACULAR” whiskey represents the best in class amongst the small, proud, and probably under-appreciated collection of American wheat whiskeys out there. Like Bernheim’s flagship wheat whiskey, B923 has a mashbill of 51% Wheat, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley before aging the distillate in new charred oak between 7-9 years. The result is a “hefty wheat whiskey that’s pretty nuanced despite being a high-octane ass-kicker.”

“Really like nothing else I’ve ever tried.” After scoring Best World Whiskey in our Barleycorn Awards Spring Competition, Abasalo is back this Fall to be named Best Corn Whiskey as the Mexican corn whiskey sweeps the category in 2023. And it’s easy to see why judges praised this whiskey’s “sugar, honey, and maize aromas” backed up with “corn flakes, banana taffy, and a pungent earthiness on the palate.” “Mexico – come for the tequila, stay for the whiskey!”

This “tasty” bourbon by M&O Owner and Master Distiller Doug McLaughlin ranked among the top ten entries in our fall competition, unanimously earning double gold scores from our judging panel. This triple pot distilled bourbon is made from a four-grain recipe of corn, rye, red wheat, and malted barley, aged over 3 years in a char #4 barrels. The result is a “unique” whiskey with a “rich and buttery nose with oak, leather, tobacco, and dark fruit.” On the palate, our judges love this whiskey’s chocolate malt and dark fruit flavors with a hint of old oak and warming spice.” “Not your typical bourbon,” as one judge points out, “and I am absolutely here for every delectable sip.”