Are we in a golden age for whisky?

In the whisky business, with and without the ‘e’, innovation is not widespread. Be it the confines of the Scotch Whisky Regulations, which are restrictive (or protective, depending on your point of view) on what can be called ‘Scotch’, through to the ideals upheld in bourbon-making or the new Japanese whisky regulations, most of the world’s whisky production has to lean into liquid as their marker. This demands ever greater quality and developments in taste and flavour to deliver more complexity in the glass.

This constant push for improvement is not easy with a spirit that has been around for hundreds of years. Yet here we are in 2023 and I can confidently say that in my near two decades of writing about spirits, this is the finest vintage in terms of quality releases and interesting innovation in whisky that I can remember.

Even as I write this, there are sample bottles of real intrigue lingering in my eye-line. One that stands out – shouting ‘drink me!’ – is from Jack Daniel’s, the stalwart ‘Tennessee Whiskey’. JD is a much-loved whiskey worldwide and the brand has released a series of flavour innovations over the past decade or so, from cinnamon to apple and beyond. It has established itself as a good time pour, rather than something to sit and savour.

Yet this sample bottle is labelled ‘Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt’ and is matured in Oloroso sherry casks. What’s this? Jack doing single malt? Well I never. A JD to be sipped and savoured, and one with a price point of just under $100. Made from 100% malted barley, it retains the ‘Tennessee’ element via a process of filtration through ten feet of maple charcoal before maturation. The proof of the pudding is in the eating, however, and opening it I find a rich, robust, raucous single malt that captures some of the finesse of a young Scottish single malt and the energy, sweetness and flavour of a traditional American whiskey. A big win.

Sitting next to the sample of Jack’s own single malt is a tiny bottle of blended Scotch whisky. The new release from Royal Salute, one of my personal favourite blends, is Royal Salute Time Chamber, a 53-year-old expression that is housed in a bespoke bottle from Royal Academy artist Conrad Shawcross. His incredible creation for this whisky looks like an arrow passing through the sound barrier; it is utterly beguiling. Not so my sample bottle: a 5cl screw-top affair is designed to showcase the liquid alone.

And herein lies an observation on this year’s whisky releases. No matter how much effort, thought, creativity and design goes into the packaging, every release stands or falls on the quality inside the bottle. Thankfully, on the whole this year, I have seen both packaging and liquid stand shoulder-to-shoulder, and this Royal Salute is no exception. It is light and nutty on the nose, with a delicate vanilla and honey-led palate, and a finish that hints at ginger and cinnamon. Expert whisky-making indeed. Bottled at 41.5% abv and retailing at $120,000, only 21 of these pieces of art will ever be made.

Behind these two samples sits a taster of Laphroaig 36-year-old. The first release from the distillery’s new collection entitled ‘The Wall’, it is limited to just 200 bottles. A whiskey rare to find at such old age, I can confirm that the richly textured layers of peat smoke, oak spice and leather make this one of the whiskies of 2023, in a truly remarkable year.

In the hall of fame for 2023, I could list many drams from far and wide, yet it is the ones that I can talk about again and again, across a range of price points and styles that I would list as my top drams of the year. This includes a remarkable bottle of Ardbeg 22-year-old, bottled by The Whisky Exchange to celebrate five decades of retailing fine spirits; the limited edition Hibiki 21 Japanese blended whisky released to celebrate 100 years of Suntory, the brand’s owner, making whisky in Japan. Then there’s anything released by Wire Works English whisky distillery. These are just the tip of the iceberg in a remarkable year.

And as I type the final lines of this celebration of whisky, there is a knock at the door; another delivery man with another small box, containing another small whisky sample. Will this live up to its peers, its 2023 alumni, in what may be a golden age for whisky? There is only one way to find out. Pass me a glass, please…