The Best New Whiskeys to Drink This November

Scotch | 43.7% ABV | Aged 85 Years
Yeah, you read that right — 85 years. It’s the oldest single malt Scotch ever bottled, and independent bottlers Gordon & MacPhail went an extra mile in presentation, wrapping the liquid in an entwined branch decanter designed by American architect Jeanne Gang. Only 125 of these are available worldwide, and you can read more of the backstory here. I got to try this at the auction house Christie’s, where one bottle is going up for bid in November. Even with just two tiny sips, I can say this is something special. There’s surprisingly a lot on the nose (orange peel, leather, cinnamon) and the liquid itself is full of cherry, apricot oak spice, tobacco and a hint of (non-peat) smoke.

Bourbon | 64.5% ABV | Aged 9 Years
Rye | 54% ABV | Aged 12 Years
Famous for its bourbon — and particularly its thrice-yearly barrel proof bourbon — Elijah Craig just launched its first barrel-proof rye. It offers a nice amount of toasted rye “kick,” along with hints of cinnamon, nutmeg, apple, caramel and tobacco. Following this initial release, Elijah Craig’s Barrel Proof Rye will be released three times annually, every January, May and September (and the A, B, C labeling system for those will continue as with the barrel-proof bourbon releases). The third barrel-proof bourbon release of the year (and one that goes below the brand’s usual 10-12-year-old maturation) is the usual deliciousness, a menagerie of cinnamon (think Red Hots), vanilla, tobacco, caramel and apple.

Bourbon | 56.5% ABV | Aged 7 Years
Previous cask-finished bourbons from this independent bottler included Amburana, A Tale of Two Islands Rum Finish, Mizunara, Ice Wine and P.X. Sherry. This time out, the limited-edition series focuses on ex-Armagnac casks, which infuse this cask-strength blend of straight bourbons from Kentucky, Indiana and Tennessee with hints of cloves, candied strawberry, walnut, coffee and dried fruits. 

Bourbon | 53.4% ABV | Aged 10 Years
Private Select is part of Penelope Bourbon’s 2025 Estate Collection, which the brand describes as five distinct expressions with a minimum age statement of 10 years. The expanded collection includes a reimagined Founders Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, the introduction of new Omega Straight Bourbon Whiskey finished in Omega French Oak barrels, and the award-winning Single Barrel and Private Select bourbons. We got to try Private Select, which features an unusual mash bill of 74% corn, 20% rye, 1% wheat and 5% malted barley. Butterscotch dominates the flavor profile here, with hints of cinnamon, caramel, red fruits, oak spice and even a hint of smoke.

Bourbon | 46.85% ABV | Aged 5 Years
Bourbon | 47.5% ABV | Aged 6 Years

Inspired by the nine-hole Sweetens Cove golf course in Tennessee, this celebrity-backed brand just released two new bourbons. There’s a bit of a pivot here, as both releases are modestly priced and a bit younger and more straightforward than the first releases back in 2020. The 5-Year Aged Tennessee Straight Bourbon Whiskey is full of orange zest, caramel, oak spice and cloves; it’s approachable and versatile. Meanwhile, the Sweetens Cove Dunwoody 6-Year Aged Wheated Tennessee Bourbon offers a more varied profile, with hints of butterscotch, red fruits and cinnamon, along with a drier finish. 

Bourbon | 63.5% ABV | Aged 17 Years
King of Kentucky dates back to 1881, but the latest iteration of the brand (owned by Brown-Forman) is focused on a limited-edition annual release. Now in its eighth year, this year’s expression is a single-barrel bourbon aged 17 years. Only 5,000 bottles of the 2025 edition are available, with proofs running from 124.4 to 135 (our sample was 127), and each bottle is filled, bottled, wax-dipped and numbered by hand inside a custom canister. I’m sometimes wary of extra-aged bourbons, but this one is a standout. There’s plenty of barrel character, of course, but the caramel, fruit, cloves and butterscotch notes lend this a nicely rounded profile with lots of personality.

Scotch | 43.8% ABV | Aged 30 Years
Ignoring the 2024 in the name (it just came out here), this offering from the Highlands single malt distillery is limited to 936 bottles globally. The 30 was matured in American white oak ex-bourbon barrels, then finished in a combination of select Colheita and Tawny Port casks from Graham’s Port. It’s lovely and warm, full of red berries, vanilla, malt, dark chocolate, gingerbread and a slight nuttiness.

Scotch | 55.3% ABV | No Age Statement
Elements is a way for this Islay whisky brand to experiment with aspects of its production techniques. For the third edition of the series, this involved a kiln fire that burned longer and at significantly higher temperatures than usual (there’s a whole story and illustration imprinted within the whisky’s packaging). Non-chill-filtered and cask strength, L 3.0 offers a lovely butterscotch note to the distillery’s usual peaty character, along with an oily, rich mouthfeel and hints of blackberry, lemon, dark chocolate and coffee.

Bourbon/Armagnac Blend | 44.4% ABV | Aged 6+ Years
BHAKTA is going all in on making bourbon–Armagnac blends for this side project, and this latest bottle is just $35. Specifically, it’s a bourbon-forward blend with a touch (20%) of Armagnac, including a 1973 vintage. Heads up that “10” is the average age of all the liquids, so you’re getting alcohol that’s anywhere between six and 52 years old. You can also scan the bottle’s QR code to interact with an AI-powered brand persona, H.W. Hogsworth (or just access directly from the website). As for the booze itself? It’s a really nice balance of red fruits, cherry cola, oak spice and caramel — great for cocktails but also a nice sipper.

Scotch | 46% ABV | No Age Statement
The Isle of Skye distillery Torabhaig just released the fourth chapter in its Legacy Series. Named after the narrow sea that runs beside the distillery, Sound of Sleat was matured in American oak using new oak casks and ex-bourbon casks. Aiming for an “elegant interpretation of heavy peat” (this one was peated to 78PPM), it offers a wonderful oily, waxy mouthfeel and a palate full of apricot, vanilla, sea salt and campfire smoke.

Rye | 52.4-54.2% ABV | No Age Statement
The best-known and most collectible whiskey from this Vermont distillery is the annual Boss Hog release. Edition XII is possibly the most unusual release yet — this is a rye that spends several years in American Oak barrels, before entering barrels seasoned with flavors inspired by two ancient Aztec drinks: pulque, a sour, millennia-old alcoholic beverage made from the fermented sap of the agave plant, and xocolatl, the ancient bitter and spicy drink made from cocoa beans from which modern chocolate is derived. I’ve found prior releases that stray a bit too much, but this one is great: Caramel, cooked agave, cacao, honey, baking spices and an overall sense that you’re drinking a boozy Mexican coffee or hot chocolate.

Bourbon | 64% ABV | No Age Statement
The fourth iteration of the Single Rickhouse Collection — a series that explores the impact of a barrel’s location in a warehouse during maturation — involved cooler, slower aging conditions, including more shade and airflow. The barrels were selected from a 1946-built rickhouse tucked under trees and near the Kentucky River. The highest proof (128) Russell’s Reserve release to date, Camp Nelson E is layered with dark fruit, baking spices, vanilla, oak spice, tobacco and orange peel. It’s delicious and on par with some of my favorite Russell’s releases. layered notes of dark fruit, baking spice and rich oak.