Every whiskey drinker has their go-to bottle. For us, it’s been Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond pretty much exclusively for the past several years. However, that doesn’t stop us from trying new whiskies. One does not have to look far to find a new name, an upstart, a new distillery, or maybe something we’ve overlooked on the shelf. As we march into a New Year of possibilities, we wanted to take a moment to reflect on our favorite new whiskies we tried in 2023.
The rules for this reflection are pretty simple. We sat down and talked about our favorite spirits we tried this past year. The only rule we had was that it had to be something we hadn’t tried before or hadn’t had in a very long time.
Here is the list of our favorite new whiskies we tried in 2023 in no particular order.
1. Floki Icelandic Single Malt Whiskey
We were fortunate enough to take a trip to Iceland this past fall. While we were there, we made sure to check out Iceland’s only whisky distillery, Eimverk Distilling. While there, we got to try the numerous spirits they distill. Our favorite of the bunch was the Floki Icelandic Single Malt Whisky.
Iceland is a unique environment. There are not many trees in the country. That, of course, led to one of the most repeated jokes we heard while traveling. What should you do if you get lost in an Icelandic forest? Stand up.
Floki Icelandic Single Malt Whisky is one of the most unique single malts you will likely try. Like many distillers through the history of whiskey making, one must figure out how to use the ingredients available in a region to create a drinkable whiskey. In the case of the Icelandic People, they learned to smoke their whiskey with sheep dung rather than peat or wood.
The final product is light, smokey, and delicious. If you find yourself near Reykjavik, you should go to Eimverk Distilling and try it for yourself. One tip: Make your alcohol purchases at the duty-free store in the Keflavik Airport before you depart Iceland. It will save you a pretty penny in taxes compared to buying from the distillery.
2. Widow Jane Lucky Thirteen
The Widow Jane Lucky Thirteen was one of the last bottles of whiskey we picked up in 2023. It was given to me as a birthday gift. I’d tried other offerings from Widow Jane and was very impressed. I’d also seen various Widow Jane offerings pop up as recommendations in many of my news feed’s “best whiskey” articles. When I saw the Widow Jane Lucky Thirteen bottle, I knew I had to ask for it for my birthday.
Widow Jane Lucky Thirteen is aged for, you guessed it, thirteen years. Lucky Thirteen is sourced from “the best barrels from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana,” according to the Widow Jane website. Once those barrels reach Widow Jane in Brooklyn, NY, they are blended and proofed using limestone water from nearby Rosendale, NY.
Say what you will about sourced whiskey. It takes a long time to distill and age whiskey, so it makes sense why an upstart distiller would choose to source their product. However, blending those barrels to create an exceptional bottle is another task. In our opinion, The folks at Widow Jane are crushing it. The Lucky Thirteen is an excellent expression.
3. Brush Creek Railroad Rye
Brush Creek’s Railroad Rye was one of the first new bottles we tried in 2023. The awesome folks at Brush Creek gave us a complimentary bottle, which we reviewed in early 2023. Railroad Rye is another sourced whiskey from an upstart brand that we really enjoyed.
Brush Creek sources their whiskey from Indiana. The barrels are loaded into railcars in Chicago, IL, and shipped the old-school way across the country, hence the name Railroad Rye. Most whiskey sits in a rick house until it’s ready to be bottled. The movement and churning of the whiskey inside the barrel along its journey pulls just a bit more flavor from those barrels. Once it arrives in Saratoga, WY, it is aged a bit longer before being bottled.
Two new updates we saw on Brush Creek’s Instagram are worth nothing. First, Brush Creek expanded their distribution to Kentucky and Indiana so more people can try it without traveling to Wyoming. Second, Railroad Rye was also awarded Gold by the American Spirits Council of Tasters and at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2023. Keep an eye out for Railroad Rye near you.
4. Stranahan’s Mountain Angel 10-Year Single Malt
When I moved to Colorado in 2008, I quickly discovered Stranahan’s Single Malt Whiskey. Their Original Single Malt bottle with the yellow label promptly became one of those bottles I always had on hand. Stranahan’s was the first bottle of American Single Malt I ever tried, and for a while, it was the only single malt I’d ever experienced.
As I started to explore different whiskey brands and styles, Stranahan’s was a distiller I continued to revisit for their various offerings. We kept returning to their offerings. From the Original to the Sherry Cask, Snowflake, and eventually their experimental distillery exclusives, we couldn’t get enough. This winter, we finally purchased a Mountain Angel 10-Year Single Malt bottle. We were not disappointed.
Stanahan’s Mountain Angel 10-Year Single Malt is one of the best, if not the best, American Single Malt you can buy. It is everything we love about the Original, but better. It is more flavorful and more satisfying. Don’t pass up this bottle if you see it in any retailer near you.
5. Whiskey Del Bac Dorado
Whiskey Del Bac is a distiller that has been on our radar for a long time. They have been operating in my hometown in Tucson, AZ since 2011. However, I hadn’t tried their offerings until the spring of 2023.
During one of our trips to the Old Pueblo, we stopped in a local liquor store looking for a bottle of Whiskey Del Bac. We ended up leaving the store with both the Classic and Dorado. Both are exceptional.
Although we love the Classic, their superior offering is their Dorado if you like a smokey single malt. The mesquite they use to smoke their barley gives the Dorado a wonderful campfire flavor. It reminds me of winter nights on the patio around a firepit in the desert.
Whiskey Advocate gave Whiskey Del Bac Dorado a 90-point rating, reflecting this bottle’s excellence. A tour and tasting at Whiskey Del Bac is a must-try if you visit southern Arizona. Make sure you pick up a bottle of the Dorado before leaving.
Closing Thoughts
Although there were many whiskeys we tried for the first time last year, these were our favorites. We didn’t include anything that we tried as a pour. We focused on the best bottles we were able to acquire. If you see any of these in your local retailer or travel near these distilleries, stop in and try them for yourself.
Happy Exploring!
