See the full ranked list, here:

fredminnick.com/2024/12/30/top-100-american-whiskeys-of-2024-ranked

Watch the full livestream from December 27th, here:

youtube.com/live/iqMJui-MnCU?si=scFRvNHBYGLkUKz0

On Tuesday (12.24), world-renowned spirits expert Fred Minnick unveiled his unranked list of the year’s top whiskeys. This year was special with Minnick including an additional five bottles to his top 100 list, completing his annual livestream on Friday (12.27) to rank them 1-105 with the top 25 being featured on the stream. After 3.5+ hours of blind tasting and ranking, Russell’s Reserve 15 Year took the top rank and earned a spot on Minnick’s Best Bourbons Of The Century So Far list. Today (12.30), Minnick reveals the entire ranked list. 

While he usually compiles his unranked list over the course of the whole year, Minnick tasted all candidates over the course of a week for the first time, publishing his unranked list to his Club Marzipan subscribers. 14 of the top 25 whiskeys came from independent companies, whether from small blending houses or craft distillers. This was also the best year for American Single Malt on Minnick’s list, with one cracking the Top 10 and two in the Top 30.

Here is the official ranked list of 2024’s best American whiskeys:

1. Russell’s Reserve 15 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 117.2 Proof, $250
2. Nashtucky “Nashville’s Connected Spirits Small Batch Rye,” 112.4 Proof, $69.99
3. George T. Stagg, 136.1 Proof, $149.99
4. Nashtucky “Nashville’s Connected Spirits Small Batch Bourbon,” 120.4 Proof, $69.99
5. Little Book “The Infinite” Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 119.3 Proof, $249.99
6. Weller Millennium, 99 Proof, $7,500
7. Larceny Barrel Proof C924 Wheated Bourbon, 125.1 Proof, $69.99
8. Old Line American Single Malt Double Oak Series
9. OH Ingram River Aged Kentucky Straight Bourbon (2024 Flagship), 117.7 Proof, $83.99
10. Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 107 Proof, $200+
11. Brothers of the Leaf Bourbon Finished in Toasted French Oak Batch 2, 116.2 Proof, $95.99
12. Pinhook Straight Bourbon Vertical Series 2024 Release (unfiltered) 9 Years Old, 114.3 Proof, $99.99
13. Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 107 Proof, $500+
14. Very Olde St. Nick “Straight Outta Bardstown” 10 Years Old Bourbon, 131.6 Proof, $200
15. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A124, 119 Proof, $79.99
16. Still Austin Tanager Texas Bourbon “Cigar Blend” 5 Years Old, 98.4 Proof, $149.99
17. Rare Perfection 8 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 129 Proof, $199.99
18. Smokeye Hill Blue Corn Barrel Proof Straight Bourbon, 131.4 Proof, $62.99
19. Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2024 Release, 108.2 Proof, $220
20. Larceny Barrel Proof Wheated Bourbon A124, 124.2 Proof, $79.99
21. Starlight Bottled in Bond Indiana Straight Bourbon Batch 2, 100 Proof, $44.99
22. Middle West Straight Wheated Bourbon “Michelone Reserve” Batch 1, 122.2 Proof, $46.99
23. Remus Gatsby Reserve 15-Year-Old Straight Bourbon, 104.9 Proof, $279.99
24. J. Mattingly 6-Year Kentucky Bourbon Double Staved Batch 1, 119 Proof, $120
25. Barrell Mizunara 6 Years (blend of Straight Whiskeys) First Edition, 116.42 Proof, $96.99
26. Woodford Reserve Batch Proof, 119.5 Proof, $164.99
27. Stranahan’s 12 Year Single Malt Aged in Port Wine Casks, 94.6 Proof, $144.99
28. Nashville Barrel Company 7 Year Straight Bourbon, 115.62 Proof, $64.99
29. Booker’s Bourbon 2024-4, 125.8 Proof, $99.99
30. Knob Creek Small Batch 18 Year, 100 Proof, $159.99
31. Bluegrass Elkwood Reserve 9 Year, 120 Proof, $149.99
32. Tumblin Dice 8 Year Curated Small Batch Barrel Proof, 116.4 Proof, $80
33. Bardstown Bourbon Co. Whiskey “Bourbon Lore” Collab, 112.5 proof, $169.99
34. Sazerac Straight Rye 18 Years Old, 90 Proof, $124.97
35. Ponfeigh Westsylvania Rye, 117 Proof, $85
36. Cedar Ridge Distillery ‘The QuintEssential’ Special Release – Portside Single Malt, 92 Proof, $56.99
37. Kentucky Peerless Double Oak Batch 18, 108.7 Proof, $88.99
38. Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Rye, 123.2 Proof, $99.99
39. 2XO The Sneakerhead Blend, 104 Proof, $99.99
40. Kentucky Peerless Rye, 107.6 Proof, $109.99
41. New Riff 8 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye, 100 Proof, $86.99
42. Willett Bourbon 8 Year Wheated Bourbon, 108 Proof, $259.99
43. Brothers Bond Bourbon Regenerative Grain, 95 Proof, $59.99
44. Milam & Greene Triple Cask A Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskies, 94 Proof, $54.98
45. Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye Sherry Finish (dumped on 7-18-2023), 113.1 Proof, $89.99
46. Lost Lantern Far Flung Bourbon, 126.6 Proof, $100
47. Remus Repeal Reserve Bourbon Batch 8, 101 Proof, $119.99
48. Booker’s Bourbon 2024-3, 131 Proof, $99.99
49. Angel’s Envy Bourbon Cask Strength 2024, 124.6 Proof, $279.99
50. Bulleit Rye 10 Year Old, 91.2 Proof, $48.99
51. Wild Turkey 8 Year “Jimmy Anniversary,” 101 Proof, $45.99
52. The Magi Blended Rye, $149.99
53. K.Luke Blended Bourbon Batch 10, 120.2 Proof, $109.99
54. Jefferson’s Ocean Double Barrel Rye, 96 proof, $79
55. Brothers Bond Bourbon Cask Strength, 115.1 Proof, $75
56. Chattanooga Whiskey Founders Blend, 100 Proof, $55.99
57. Bomberger’s Bourbon 2024, 108 Proof, $134.99
58. New Riff 8 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 100 proof, $86.99
59. Barrell Bourbon Batch 36, 114.44 Proof, $79.99
60. Keepers Heart Irish + American Whiskey, 110 Proof, $28.99
61. Doc Swinson’s Alter Ego, Sherry and Cognac Finish, 95.8 Proof, $80
62. Epoch Reserve Maryland Straight Rye (100% rye), 100 Proof, $45.99
63. Leopold Brothers 8 Year Bourbon, 110 Proof, $64.99
64. Bardstown Bourbon Rye Amrut Finished Bourbon, 110 proof, $159.99
65. Old Stubborn Potstill Wheated Bourbon Batch 1, 123.8 Proof, $250
66. Union Horse Bourbon Kansas Straight Bourbon Bottled in Bond, 100 Proof, $62
67. Makers Mark Cellar Aged, 115.7 Proof, $229.99
68. Crater Lakes Reserve Straight Oregon Rye, 96 Proof, $45
69. Bywater 4 Grain Louisiana Bourbon, 93 Proof, $48.99
70. Nashville 8-Year Straight Rye Cask Strength, 112.96, $90
71. Woodford Reserve, 90 Proof, $40
72. New Riff Winter Whiskey Bottled in Bond (Malted Oat and Chocolate Malt), 100 proof, $74.99
73. Middle West Straight Wheat Whiskey Batch 1, 125.1 Proof, $49.99
74. Lythgoe 9 Year 4 Grain Kentucky Straight Bourbon Founders Collection, 94 Proof, $89.99
75. Woodinville Founders Find from Bourbon Mash 12 Years, 107 Proof, $129.99
76. Cock of the Walk Proprietors Reserve Lot 3, 112.1 Proof, $150.99
77. Forbidden Bourbon Batch 3, 96 Proof, $134.99
78. Old Pepper Bottled in Bond Rye, 100 Proof, $50
79. Smooth Ambler Contradiction Rye Batch No. 56, 105 Proof, $36
80. Parkers Heritage Malt Cognac Finished Whiskey 14 Years Old, 107 Proof, $170
81. Michter’s Cask Strength Rye, 110.4 Proof, $90
82. Copper Fox Pot Distilled Chestnut American Whiskey, 96 Proof, $65
83. Old Elk Wheated Bourbon 8 Years, 100 Proof, $96
84. Smoke Wagon Small Batch, 100 Proof, $40
85. Penelope Bourbon 4 Grain Blend Batch 19, 114 proof, $64.99
86. James E Pepper Straight Bourbon Decanter, 105.4 Proof, $52.99
87. Preservation Pot Distilled Wheated Bourbon (Cask Strength and Unfiltered), 100 Proof, $149.99
88. Hooten Young Rye, 93 Proof, $64.99
89. High West Bottled In Bond Rye, 100 Proof, $79.99
90. Whiskey Acres 7 Year Illinois Straight Bourbon, 107 Proof, $72.99
91. Boulder Straight Bourbon Cask Strength, 128.4 Proof, $85
92. Garrison Brothers 2024 Laguna Madre, 101 Proof, $399.99
93. Savage + Cooke American Whiskey Finished in Zinfandel Barrels, 113 Proof, $44.99
94. Lawrenceburg 10 Year Rye Whiskey Batch 1 (recently renamed distillery to Larrikin Bourbon Company), 122.3 Proof, $99.99
95. 291 Colorado Whiskey Rye Finished Aspen Wood Staves, 101.7 Proof, $75
96. Green River Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 117.3 Proof, $49.99
97. Lasso Motel Cognac Finish Bourbon, 100 Proof, $74.99
98. Kings County Bottled in Bond New York Bourbon, 100 Proof, $134.99
99. Rabbit Hole Boxergrail 8 Year Cask Strength Rye, 103.8 Proof, $300
100. Pacific Coast Spirits 6 Year California Wheated Bourbon, 114 Proof, $90 Proof
101. Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish, 91.4 Proof, $200
102. Pursuit United Double Oaked Rye, 108 proof, $69.99
103. Woodinville Bourbon 8-Year, 100 Proof, $134.99
104. Liberty Pole Peated Rye Batch 6, 111.4 Proof, $64
105. Ben Holladay Rickhouse Proof 6 Year Old Bourbon, 120.1 Proof, $66.99

Minnick also recently announced his third-annual bourbon experience during Super Bowl week with Fred Minnick Live Presented by the New Orleans Bourbon Festival, happening February 7th at the New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District Hotel. The event will feature blind tastings, a silent auction and a live taping of The Fred Minnick Show, as well as guest celebrity appearances from award-winning country artist Dierks Bentley, singer-songwriter Dani Rose and many others. 

For more information, visit fredminnick.com.

For more information, please contact:

Rebecca Shapiro | Shore Fire Media | rshapiro@shorefire.com

Jaclyn D. Carter | Shore Fire Media | jcarter@shorefire.com

Olivia Troutman | Shore Fire Media | otroutman@shorefire.com

Nick Jurich | Shore Fire Media | njurich@shorefire.com