Whisky Advocate’s Top 20 Most Exciting Whiskies of 2024
- Jul 16
- 7 min read
Updated: Jul 24
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age.
Whisky Advocate’s Top 20 of 2024: Our 19-Bottle Sipping Room Collection & Story
Written by Nancy Fae
Introduction
The year 2024 wasn’t just another lap around the sun for us. It was the year the Sipping Room came to life. A year of intention, discovery, and a little bit of madness, if we’re being honest. When Whisky Advocate released its Top 20 Most Exciting Whiskies of 2024, we looked at each other with that familiar spark — the one that says, Are we really doing this? And of course, we were going to try and collect all 20.
Nineteen bottles later, after hunting across states, paying more than we care to admit on the secondary market, and celebrating each acquisition like a small victory, we proudly placed our nearly-complete collection in a premier spot in the Sipping Room. One bottle short — Bernheim Original Barrel Proof (Batch A224) — but not one ounce short on pride.
This collection marks the inaugural year of our Sipping Room, a snapshot of our ambition, curiosity, and shared joy. It’s a story of the chase, the pour, and the life we’re building one bottle at a time.
About The Whisky Advocate TOP 20
Whisky Advocate’s annual Top 20 list is more than a ranking. It’s a curated snapshot of excellence, accessibility, and excitement in the whisky world. As they describe it:
“Each year, the Whisky Advocate Buying Guide's expert team samples an array of whiskies, encompassing rare, limited editions, and up-and-coming brands likely to hit store shelves nationwide. Our Top 20 list starts with whiskies scoring 90 or above (“outstanding”) on our 100-point scale. But, this list isn't just our highest-rated whiskies; many are too rare for general access. Hence, we also weigh in value (price) and accessibility.
A crucial step in assessing these whiskies' true worth is a blind tasting by an international panel. Reviewers taste the contenders in a series of blind flights, unaware of each whisky's producer, origin, age, or price. This panel's average ratings take precedence over the initial Buying Guide scores, although individual reviews remain recorded. The final Top 20 ranking is based on a balanced consideration of average score, price, and availability.”
This list is a blend of expertise, rigor, and a little magic — exactly the kind of challenge we couldn’t resist.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age.
List of the Top 20 Most Exciting Whiskies of 2024
— Score 95 ● ABV 59.6% ● $165 ● Scotch Single Malt ● Scotland
— Score 94 ● ABV 50% ● $180 ● Scotch Single Malt ● Scotland
— Score 94 ● ABV 56.4% ● $170 ● Scotch Single Malt ● Scotland
— Score 94 ● ABV 55% ● $160 ● Blended American ● Multiple
5. Heaven Hill Grain to Glass (Distilled 2017; 2024 Release)
— Score 94 ● ABV 53.5% ● $100 ● Bourbon ● Kentucky
— Score 94 ● ABV 62.25% ● $90 ● Bourbon ● Kentucky
— Score 94 ● ABV 50% ● $85 ● Bourbon ● Texas
— Score 94 ● ABV 46% ● $90 ● Single Malt Scotch ● Scotland
— Score 94 ● ABV 50.5% ● $50 ● Bourbon ● Kentucky
10. Bernheim Original Barrel Proof (Batch A224)
— Score 94 ● ABV 62.6% ● $65 ● Wheat Whiskey ● Kentucky
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— Score 93 ● ABV 46% ● $130 ● Scotch Single Malt ● Scotland
— Score 93 ● ABV 59.1% ● $230 ● Bourbon ● Kentucky
— Score 93 ● ABV 56.5% ● $45 ● Blended American ● Kentucky
— Score 93 ● ABV 52% ● $100 ● Bourbon ● Kentucky
— Score 93 ● ABV 46% ● $75 ● Blended Malt Scotch ● Scotland
— Score 93 ● ABV 50.5% ● $200 ● Irish Single Pot Still ● Ireland
— Score 93 ● ABV 50% ● $50 ● American Single Malt ● Virginia
— Score 93 ● ABV 46.5% ● $60 ● Irish Single Malt ● Ireland
— Score 94 ● ABV 50% ● $65 ● Australian Single Malt ● Australia
— Score 92 ● ABV 46% ● $75 ● American Single Malt ● Washington
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age.
His Take (Jeff)
I’ll admit it. I love a good chase. There’s something about tracking down a bottle that isn’t sitting on every shelf that makes the victory sweeter. This list pushed us, challenged us, and made me refresh more online inventory pages than I care to admit.
Nineteen out of twenty feels like a triumph. Sure, Bernheim A224 slipped through our fingers, but the rest? They stand proudly, each one a reminder of the year we built something special. When I look at that shelf, I see more than whisky. I see the miles driven, the late-night searches, the shared excitement when a package arrived.
This collection isn’t just about the bottles. It’s about the story they tell.
Her Take (Nancy Fae)
For me, this collection is a love letter to our first year in the Sipping Room. Each bottle carries a memory — where we found it, what we felt, the moment we placed it on the shelf. I love the diversity of this list: the smoky Scots, the bold Americans, the elegant Irish, the adventurous Australians.
I also love that we didn’t give up when things got difficult. We stayed intentional. We stayed curious. We stayed us.
When I walk into the Sipping Room and see those nineteen bottles lined up, glowing under the soft lights, I feel proud. Not because we have them — but because we chased them together.
Joint Closing
His (Jeff)
This collection reminds me that the best things in life take effort, and that the effort is worth it when you’re building something meaningful.
Hers (Nancy Fae)
These bottles are more than whisky. They’re milestones, memories, and markers of a year that shaped our Sipping Room and our shared joy.
The Good Life
Collecting the Top 20 of 2024 fits perfectly into our Good Life because it celebrates intention, adventure, and savoring the moments that matter. One bottle short, but a lifetime full.
PLEASE REMEMBER TO DRINK RESPONSIBLY
Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age.
Disclaimer: Cigar smoking and drinking alcohol are for adults of legal smoking and drinking age. Life’s Rants promotes the responsible and legal enjoyment of premium cigars and alcohol by individuals of legal age. We do not endorse or encourage smoking or drinking among minors.
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