It’s that time of year again! Like every other reviewer, critic, or WhiskeyTuber, it is time to spend countless hours agonizing over which Bourbon, Whiskey, Rye, or American Single Malt should make my Top 5 of 2025. So, with that said, what are the Bourbon Bossman’s® Top 5 criteria of the year? Well, that is pretty easy, as there are only two requirements. First, the bottle needs to be a 2025 release and secondly, it should have received a review score from me of Save It! (5); that is it.
Please remember, I am not an advocate of purchasing bottles at secondary costs. If you can find one of these bottles still on the shelf or you come across next year’s special release at a reasonable price, then go for it. Otherwise, no bottle I have ever tried is worth putting your financial security at risk, let alone paying double or triple the MSRP for.
As a reminder to first-time readers, please keep in mind that this list is purely my personal opinion and may be subjective. These annual lists will differ vastly from reviewer to reviewer. With that said, here are my favorite bottles of 2025.
Best Bourbon or Whiskey of the Year
This year there were eight bottles in the running for best Bourbon of the Year. These Top 5 were decided through a blind tasting. There is one honorable mention that is just so unique that is needed to be included.
#1 – Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 19-Year-Old
- Distiller: Distilled and Bottled By Heaven Hill Distillery
- Mash Bill: 51% Wheat, 37% Corn, and 12% Malted Barley
- Proof: 100
- Age: 19
- Year: 2025
- MSRP: $300
- 2025 National Average: $450
- Official Website
- Bourbon Bossman® Review
#2 – Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Beacon
- Distiller: Distilled and Bottled by Wild Turkey Distilling Co.
- Mash Bill: Undisclosed
- Proof: 118
- Age: 10 & 16 Year
- Year: 2025
- MSRP: $300
- 2025 National Average: $500
- Official Website
- Bourbon Bossman® Review
#3 – Calumet Farm 18-Year-Old Trophy Decanter Centennial Bourbon
- Distiller: Bottled by Three Springs Bottling Company, For Western Spirits
- Mash Bill: 74% Corn, 18% Rye, and 8% Malted Barley
- Proof: 118
- Age: 18
- Year: 2025
- MSRP: $499
- Official Website
- Bourbon Bossman® Review
#4 – Knob Creek 21-Year-Old
- Distilled and Bottled by James B. Beam Distilling Co.
- Mash Bill: 77% Corn, 13% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
- Proof: 100
- Age: 21
- Year: 2025
- 2025 MSRP: $250
- 2025 National Average: $400
- Official Website
- Bourbon Bossman® Review (Releasing Soon)
#5 – Parker’s Heritage 19th Edition
- Distiller: Distilled and Bottled by Heaven Hill Distillery
- Mash Bill:
- 40%: (15 Year Wheated Bourbon) 68% Corn, 20% Wheat, and 12% Malted Barley
- 40%: (12 Year American Whiskey) 50% Rye and 50% Malted Barley
- 20%: (11 Year Corn Whiskey) 80% Corn, 12% Malted Barley, and 8% Rye
- Proof: 122.5
- Age: 11
- Year: 2025
- MSRP: $180
- 2025 National Average: $700
- Official Website
- Bourbon Bossman® Review (Releasing Soon)
Honorable Mention – High West x Casa Noble: The Noble Share
- Distiller: Bottled by High West Distilling
- Mash Bill: Blend of Two Rye Whiskeys:
- High West Distillery | Age Undisclosed | 80% Rye, 20% Malted Rye
- Ross & Squibb Distillery | 4-10 Years | 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley
- Proof: 98.6
- Age: NAS
- Year: 2024
- MSRP: $175
- 2025 National Average: $209
- Official Website
- Bourbon Bossman® Review
Best Rye of the Year
This year there were three bottles in the running for best Rye of the Year; Woodford Reserve Cask Strength Rye, Thirteenth Colony Cask Strength Rye, and Michter’s 10-Year Rye. The number one bottle was decided through a blind tasting.
- Bottle: Michter’s 10-Year Rye
- Distiller: Bottled by Michter’s Distillery
- Mash Bill: Undisclosed
- Proof: 94.4
- Age: 10 Years
- Year: 2025
- MSRP: $199
- 2025 National Average: $250
- Official Website
- Bourbon Bossman® Review
Best American Single Malt of the Year
I will say that this is the only bottle of American Single Malt Whiskey that I tried and felt deserved high praise this year.
- Bottle: Stranahan’s Founder’s Release
- Distiller: Distilled and Bottled by Stranahan’s
- Mash Bill: 100 % Malted Barley
- Proof: 120
- Age: 12 Years Old
- Year: 2025
- MSRP: $215
- 2025 National Average: $259
- Official Website
- Bourbon Bossman® Review
As always, several releases made other reviewers’ top lists that I was unable to find in NoCo or Colorado. Although there were several I was unable to enjoy in 2025, these are the top ones that I have the most FOMO about and wish I could have tasted:
- Jack Daniel 14 Year
- Bombergers PFG
- Russell’s Reserve 13 Barrel Proof
- Eagle Rare 12
- Jack Daniel’s Tanyard Hill Rye
- Michter’s 10-Year Bourbon
- Evernorth Artic Spirit
If you are curious about bourbon, and enjoy reading reviews, please feel free to subscribe and follow my continued adventures into 2026.
Please remember, drinking bourbon is a personal adventure, so do not be afraid to drink it neat, with ice, or add some water. It’s your bourbon, you bought it, and you should enjoy it how you want to enjoy it!
Cheers! Prost! Sláinte!
Bourbon Bossman®
Leave a Reply