The Best Whiskey for Your Bar Cart

America's most iconic contribution to the whiskey world, bourbon has a rich, complex, faintly sweet flavor courtesy of its corn mash (all bourbon is required to be made from at least 51% corn) and aging in new, charred oak barrels. This classic bottle out of Kentucky is a prime example of the genre. Made in their historic distillery in Loretto, KY with additions of red winter wheat, it's crafted to be smooth on the palette with notes of caramel and vanilla; the ideal after-dinner nightcap.

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According to legend, Baptist preacher Elijah Craig became the first distiller to age his whiskey in new charred oak barrels in 1789, forever changing the face of the whiskey world and giving rise to the classic bourbon flavor we love. Take a sip of history with this small batch bottle named in his honor.

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For a different twist on the bourbon flavor profile, this bottle filters traditional Kentucky bourbon through Texas mesquite and oak charcoal (Texan actor Matthew McConaughey collaborated on the bottling) for a smooth finish with a hint of smoke that plays perfect harmony for those who can't decide between bourbon and scotch.

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When you need a sip to warm you up from the inside out, this cozy small batch bourbon which sings with notes of dried fruit and decadent holiday spices, is exactly what you want in your glass.

This one of a kind bottling brings together whiskey legends Fred Noe (the seventh-generation Master Distiller at Jim Beam) and Shinji Fukuyo (Chief Blender at Suntory) for a beautifully balanced, truly unique take on bourbon.

While bourbon is iconic, American whiskey-making doesn't begin and end there. For example, this single malt bottling; the first legal whiskey to be produced in Colorado. Made with local malted barley, the aging process in new American white oak barrels (the same type used in bourbon aging) imparts a vanilla note that's offset by a creamy hint of butterscotch and rich leather on the nose.

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Looking for a smooth sip? It doesn't get much silkier than this 80-proof Tennessee whiskey which is filtered twice through charcoal to impart supreme drinkability—even for those who don't normally go for a neat pour.

Jack Daniel may be one of the bet-known names in the whiskey business, but it was the formerly enslaved master distiller Nathan "Nearest" Green that taught him his craft. This award-winning brand, created in Green's memory and with the help of his family, will give you a real taste of America's unsung whiskey history.

Rye has been having a major moment on the whiskey scene, and this bold small batch rye will give you a sense as to why. Aged slowly in intensely charred barrels and then bottled at a potent 100 proof, this bottle offers a hefty kick of peppery rye with hints of vanilla that can stand up to any other ingredients you might mix into your cocktails.

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Made from a blend of 70 percent rye with corn and malted barley, this crisp, spicy rye brings forward notes of deep red fruit thanks to fermentation with yeast from Loire Valley wine and aging in oak barrels.

You may not immediately think of France when you think of whiskey, but this bottle makes a compelling argument for why you should. Aged in multiple casks, including those used to age extra old cognac, this non-peated whiskey nonetheless has a robust, faintly smoky flavor that make for a fascinating alternative to your usual scotch.

The long, lingering finish of this Scotch has made it celebrated by Scotch-lovers. Made from a blend of whiskies from the Speyside and Highland regions, the flavor comes together as a smooth sip full of vanilla and dark fruit notes.

For those who think all Scotch is smoky, we suggest this unpeated bottle, which is aged in sherry seasoned oak casks for a mature and rich body that blooms into an aroma of full of wood spice and dried fruits without a whiff of smoke in sight.

Aged in barrels formerly used for bourbon, this highly aromatic single-malt carries notes of citrus and core fruits accented by that classically bourbon-y caramel note that gives this scotch a creamy finish.

Perhaps the best known of all Irish whiskey, Jameson mixes Irish barley (both malted and unmalted) with French corn and ages the resulting tipple for a minimum of four years in seasoned oak casks for a nutty hint of vanilla and a touch of dried fruit on the back of the palette.

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Designed to capture the distinctive flavor of Irish whiskey, this 12 year old single malt is distilled in copper pot stills and aged in oak casks that previously used bourbon. The malted barley offers a slightly spicy bight that gives way to a citrus note that's sure to excite any whiskey connoisseur.

Japan's first whiskey distillery, Yamazaki was opened by Shinjiro Torii in 1923, but it wouldn't take over the world whisky scene until Jim Murray named it the best whiskey in the world in his Whiskey Bible in 2015. The flavor profile—less smoky than scotch, less sweet than bourbon—provides toasty malt notes and spice with just a hint for fruit.

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Crafted with the goal of creating a forward-looking take on Japanese whisky, this bottle is a breath of fresh air, with an emphasis on fresh. The flavor is light, silky, and clean with hints of apple mixed in with honey notes and a subtle waft of floral on the nose for a singular experience.

This complex Japanese whiskey comes from Nikka, a distillery founded in the 1930 by Masataka Taketsuru, a chemist who had studied distilling in Scotland and help craft Yamazaki's original style. Don't let the name Coffey fool you, there's no java to be found here—rather, Coffey is a type of traditional still used to bring out this whisky's lush honey and vanilla notes.