The Best New Whiskeys to Drink This February 

Rye | 60.2% ABV | Aged 11 Years

Given that Elijah Craig 12 Year 3 Month Old Barrel Proof (Batch A925) won Whisky Advocate’s Whisky of the Year in 2025, I was really curious to check out the follow-up release. Made with a mash bill of 51% rye, 35% corn and 14% malted barley, this one is spicy but balanced with hints of caramel, cloves, mint, baking spices, a tiny bit of citrus and butterscotch. It’s an early candidate for more awards this year, that’s for sure.

Bourbon | 56% ABV | No Age Statement

This new limited-edition bourbon release honors the Harlem Hellfighters, the first African American infantry unit to fight in WWI and the longest-serving unit in U.S. military history. Launched in time for Black History Month, Harlem Hellfighters Bourbon is a blended bourbon finished in French oak wine barrels for 191 days, the exact amount of time the regiment spent on the front lines in France. The barrels themselves originate from the same region where the Hellfighters fought, and a portion of the proceeds benefit the Whiskey Valor Foundation, supporting veterans and their families through community programs and initiatives. Worthy stuff, and the whiskey itself is complex and barrel-forward, offering notes of baking spices, vanilla, dried cherries and caramel with a dry finish.

Single Malt | 43% ABV | Aged Up to 7 Years

These French single malts entered the U.S. market last fall, and given our recent appreciation of whiskies from countries you wouldn’t expect, we were happy to try a few different expressions. The Signature (no age statement, predominantly aged in ex-French wine casks but also ex-Islay whisky casks), French Oak 7-Year-Old, Ex-Tequila Cask 7-Year-Old and Ex-Cognac expressions (these were distilled in a continuous Armagnac still with five plates) are all exceptional and balanced. The Signature is a little fruit-forward with a hint of smoke, French Oak has hints of chocolate and oak spice, the Tequila Cask offers agave and vanilla, and the Ex-Cognac features a nice white chocolate note. At these price points, all are worthy of purchase.

Bourbon | 51.75% ABV | Aged 11 Years

New from Cathead Distillery in Mississippi, this blues-inspired bottle is the third release in the Tintype series (the first bottle release, Captain Luke, recently won a Double Platinum award and was named Best Bourbon at the 2025 ASCOT Awards). This is an 11-year-old, cask-strength Old Soul Bourbon (103.5 proof), uncut and unfiltered, featuring a new high-rye (36%) mash bill. The release honors North Mississippi hill country blues icon Kenny Brown. Wonderful notes of caramel and brown sugar on the nose lead to a spicy expression with hints of tobacco, oak char, pecans, cloves and cinnamon

Bourbon | 53.5% ABV | Aged 7 Years

Can a whiskey reviewer become a whiskey brand? (I mean, I hope so!) The Virginia-based Middleburg Barrel Company is led, in part, by Jay West, a writer known for his work at Whiskey Raiders (now The Daily Pour) and t8ke.review. The initial plan has Middleburg sourcing casks from well-known Kentucky distilleries and releasing some as single barrels and some as blends (they’re also doing some aging in their Virginia rickhouses). This first release is a single-barrel, cask-strength Kentucky straight bourbon, which is rich and full of oak spice, tobacco, caramel corn, baking spices and vanilla. It’s an excellent start.

Bourbon | 56.1-60.8% ABV | Aged 9 Years

The second barrel pick from the former Giants QB, this cask-strength expression offers a bold mix of caramel, butterscotch, vanilla and oak spice. The elevated proof really helps this one shine, and it’s also not a bad drink to have if you want the Patriots to lose.

Armagnac/Whiskey Blend | 50.7% – 58.5% ABV | Aged 15 Years*

When discussing this blend from BHAKTA Spirits, there are a few things to keep in mind: It’s not technically a whiskey, and the age statement is an average and not the youngest liquid in the blend. Which doesn’t mean these aren’t going to appeal to whiskey drinkers because they’re quite delicious and affordable. The High Corn is a blend of corn-forward bourbons and Armagnac and comes off as tropical and sweet. The High Rye utilizes high-rye bourbons and has a nice underlying spicy/earthy note while staying somewhat sweet and fruity. And the High Islay is a bourbon/Armagnac blend, but the latter has spent some time maturing in an ex-Islay whisky cask. It adds just enough smoke to turn the blend into something unique — tannic, sweet, a bit medicinal, oaky and full of dried fruits.

Rye | 50% ABV | Aged 5+ Years

Fincasa founder Michael Martinez wants to create a greater awareness of Caribbean/Latin American culture in whiskey and bridge the world between it and rum, so he’s been sourcing ryes from MGP and finishing them in select, origin-specific ex-rum barrels. There have been four releases to date, and I tested out Batch 03, released last summer. It’s a rye aged for five years and finished for about 13 months in ex-Puerto Rican rum casks, then proofed down to 100. The caramel is accentuated here, along with notes of tropical fruit, vanilla, rye spice, molasses and candied cherry. The fourth batch, out now, was aged for seven months in ex-Barbados rum casks, which we’’ll hopefully be trying soon.

Bourbon | 58.5% ABV | Aged 6+ Years

This Utah distillery just launched a limited-edition blend, composed of straight, primarily high-rye bourbons aged between six and 20 years. Caramel, oak spice, sarsaparilla, baking spices, cinnamon and cloves dominate with hints of apple and Earl Grey tea.

Bourbon | 54.25% ABV | Aged 12 Years

This 12-year-old bourbon blend (featuring liquid from KY, IN, TN and WY) underwent a secondary maturation in French oak casks with distinct toast levels designed to “enhance its aromatic depth and enrich its palate.” It came out last fall with a fair amount of year-end recognition, so I’m apologetic for getting to this one a little late. The French oak adds a little earthiness and dryness, which rounds out the sweetness, allspice and vanilla notes.