31 Extra Long-Aged Bottles of Bourbon, Rye, and Scotch for the Whiskey Super-Fan In Your Life

There is a stubborn assumption when it comes to whiskey, that older is always better. But the truth is a lot more complicated than that. Though bottles with older age statements on the label certainly tend to cost more than their younger counterparts, an important balance has to be struck between the spirit itself and the influence of that vessel, lest each sip taste like little more than the liquid equivalent of oak.

The best well-aged whiskeys are fantastic, but so much of their success is based on a combination of not just the spirit and the barrel, but also on the nature of where it’s being aged: Hotter environments generally lead to a more overt wood influence over a shorter period of time. Humidity, the sizes of the barrels, and the proof at which the spirit enters it also play important roles in the character of the whisk(e)y. The wrong combination of factors will lead to an unbalanced final dram.

The recommendations below are all excellent examples of how profoundly delicious whiskeys can be when aged for an extended period of time, but it’s important to note that defining “extended” is just as much a geographical issue as it is anything else. When it comes to single malt Scotch whisky, for example, 12 years is not terribly old. For some Bourbon, six or seven years is getting up there. Inherent differences in the spirits themselves, the regulations governing their respective production methods, the types of barrels that are used, the climatic differences between, say, Rothes, Scotland, and Cleremont, Kentucky, and more, dictated how I defined “well-aged” here.

Best Extra Long-Aged Bourbon 

Baker’s Limited Edition 13 Year Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

This re-release of the highly regarded and well-aged whiskey was worth the wait. Sweet wood tannins frame baking spices, dark caramel, carob, black walnuts, and charred orange peels. The long finish lingers with cola spice and black licorice before a final grace note of peanut brittle.

Bardstown Bourbon Company Blended Straight Bourbon Whiskeys Finished in Château de Labaude Armagnac Casks

Composed of 12-year Kentucky and 10-year Tennessee Bourbons, this is a sweet sipper with notes of dried apricots and Nilla Wafers, as well as vanilla crumpet, which mingles with carob and springtime flowers. Lemon marmalade and caramel round out the finish.

Eagle Rare 10 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Never before has the “rare” in the name been so accurate. This excellent whiskey is becoming ever more difficult to find at retail, so grab several if you see them. Expect an elegant dram thrumming with clove, cinnamon, peanut brittle, and gently charred vanilla, as well as Amarena cherries, chocolate ganache, and grilled peaches with a flurry of toasted coconut. 

Four Roses 2022 Limited Edition Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

The 2022 iteration of the annual release includes whiskeys ranging from 14 to 20 years of age, comprising the distillery’s famous selection of mash bills and yeast strains. The result is both upfront with its fruit — red apples, mashed cherries, compressed watermelon, and raspberries — and sweetly spiced, too. It finishes with cooked brown sugar and ginger candies.

Garrison Brothers Lady Bird Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey Infused with Honey and Finished in Cognac Casks

The 114 proof of this unique and delicious whiskey (it was aged for a total of seven years and eight months) offsets the sweetness of the honey, which itself is countered by the tea-like tannins of the barrels. A swirl of cooked honey, sun-warmed hay, almond blossoms, vanilla-roasted pineapples, and maple pralines is really well executed. As an added bonus, $5 of every bottle sold is donated to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

Hardin’s Creek Kentucky Series Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Each of the three whiskeys in this series was bottled at 17 years, but aged in different Kentucky warehouses: Frankfort, Cleremont, and Boston. The resulting lineup is a fascinating embodiment of just how important where a whiskey is aged, in addition to how long that aging happens for. The Frankfort warehouse, for example, was more humid, causing the finished liquid to unfold in layers of coffee beans and cigar humidor, whereas the Boston Bourbon is more honeyed and concentrated, with a clearer influence of the barrels themselves, as well as a sense of freshness against a finishing note reminiscent of toasted coconut sprinkled on French vanilla ice cream.

Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

This is the venerable brand’s oldest Bourbon release yet, a combination of 12 year (87% of the liquid) and 11 year (13%) whiskeys that was bottled at 115.7 proof. It’s powerful, of course, but it carries that strength beautifully. Flavors of graham crackers, candied ginger, charred vanilla, and caramelized white peaches all are underpinned with a savory bass note, and sing with clarity and length.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond Spring 2023 Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Distilled in the spring of 2013 and bottled a full decade later, this wonderful whiskey is full of nougat, candied orange peels, toffee, and honey. The subtle chocolate note that emerges makes the finish reminiscent of a Heath Bar.

Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2023

The annual release of the consumer and critical favorite rings in at 12 years of age and 96 proof — relatively tame compared to so many other high-end bottlings. This elegant Bourbon never sacrifices depth, with flavors that bring together graham crackers and orange marmalade with nut butter and chocolate-coated cherries. The sense of structure and posture to this whiskey is remarkable.

Best Extra Long-Aged Rye, American Single Malt, and Other American Whiskeys

Heaven Hill Heritage Collection 2023 2nd Edition Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey

Blended with 12% malted barley and 8% rye, this 115-proof, 20-year winner is sweet, profound, and lifted. Grilled and caramelized corn leads to flavors of peanut brittle and pecan pralines, as well as honey candies and hard pears.

Heaven’s Door Decade Series 10 Year Rye Whiskey

95% rye and aged entirely in new American white oak, this bottle shows the more honeyed side of a typically spicier spirit. Yet there is still a peppery pop, which makes the flavors of persimmon, nectarine, and caramel-coated apples that much more appealing.

Laws Whiskey House Bonded Saint Louis Valley Straight Rye Whiskey

Going beyond the requirements for bottled-in-bond whiskey, this seven-year rye is spicy and linear with a core reminiscent of hot granite. The tangerine and kumquat notes, as well as the warm maple syrup on waffles, lend a sense of softness to an otherwise assertive dram.

Little Book Chapter 07: In Retrospect

As always with the annual release of Little Book, this newest one is a thoroughly unique blend, in this case comprised of 18-, 17-, 9-, and 4-year Kentucky Straight Bourbon; 10- and 4-year Kentucky Straight Rye; and 5-year straight malt whiskey finished in applewood-smoked barrels. The sum of those fascinating parts is a whiskey whose cinnamon-stick spine drips with caramel and clove, and is joined by what can only be described as a note reminiscent of eating a raisin-studded sticky bun as a neighbor starts their fireplace. There’s also some white peach and  mashed pear in there. This phenomenal whiskey isn’t always the easiest to find, but it’s more than worth the hunt. As for the name, “In Retrospect” is a reference to that fact that the constituent components, now even more mature, have all found a place in previous Little Book releases.

New Riff 6 Year Kentucky Straight Malted Rye Whiskey

This bottled-in-bond, non-chill-filtered, 100% malted rye is a velvety treat whose Halloween candy corn and Nilla Wafer notes join cardamom, pink peppercorns, and apricot-studded vanilla flan dusted with cinnamon and cocoa powder.

Old Line Spirits 7 Year Navy Strength American Single Malt Whiskey

Bottled at 114 proof, this whiskey is reminiscent of brown sugar-sprinkled Grape-Nuts and toasted English muffins with orange marmalade: The breakfast of champions in liquid form! Each sip is a languid and warming affair, with heather and nougat alongside a pleasant spine of mineral through the finish.

Orphan Barrel Whiskey Project Scarlet Shade 14 Year Straight Rye Whiskey

Assertive and concentrated on the nose, this well-aged rye has a fascinating herbal and almost chamomile-like character, as well as notes of mint-filled chocolate and clove-studded apricots.

Pinhook Vertical Series 7 Year Straight Rye Whiskey

Appropriately spicy yet with the added benefit of copious fruit, this tannin-structured rye shows notes of orange creamsicle and tangerine alongside floral peppercorns, golden raisins, and honeysuckle. Lifted spice sandalwood informs the long finish.

WhistlePig The Béhôlden 21 Year Small Batch Pot Still Single Malt Whiskey Finished in Rye Barrels

Aged entirely in American oak and in a run of just 18 barrels, this beautiful whiskey references pancake syrup and praline. Shortbread spread with maple butter and a hint of lemon clotted cream make appearances, as do sweet cinnamon and tres leches cake. This is a layered pick that lingers on the palate for well over a minute and a half.

Wolves Lot No. 2 The Malted Barley Series California Single Malt Whiskey

Distilled in Ukiah, California by Charbay’s Marko Karakasevich, aged for 11 years, and produced in a run of only four barrels, this is another terrific expression from Wolves. It’s remarkably reminiscent of drinking dark-roast coffee by a campfire, with a mineral, savory character of black walnuts, toasted almonds, and cacao nibs. Dried black plums and figs pump it up, and against the subtle hoppiness of the distilled California ale in the blend, each sip is both delicious and demands attention.

Best Extra Long-Aged Scotch Whisky

Benriach The Sixteen Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Distinctly creamy with hints of campfire in the background, this briny whisky boasts autumn orchard fruit — think apples and pears — as well as walnuts and cashews, especially through the honeycomb and buttered-biscuit finish.

Bruichladdich 24 Year Black Art Edition 11.1 2023

This scotch whisky is fantastically concentrated, despite “only” ringing in at 88.4 proof. Flavors of candy corn, honeycomb, wispy hickory smoke, orange peels, and old leather find partners in cigar tobacco and dried flowers. Cacao nibs and espresso oils also join the party. Silky, balanced, and long in the finish, expect another hit from Bruichladdich head distiller Adam Hannett.

Glenmorangie 15 Year Single Estate Limited Release The Cadboll Estate Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

This is the third release of the estate-grown gem that leverages two different harvests —aged mostly in ex-Bourbon casks and some in ex-Amontillado sherry ones —  to produce a spirit that is fresh, lively, and layered. Notes of orange creamsicles and apricot preserves are sliced with the floral spice of pink peppercorns, and anchored by honeyed almonds and walnuts. The long finish is kissed with peach pastry cream, making this both wonderfully complex and dangerously easy to drink.

Lagavulin The Distillers Edition Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky

As soon as this 16-year standout is poured, campfire aromas fill the room in the best possible way. The almost oily smoke character is joined by cooked honey, molasses, and flamed orange peels, as well as dried tangerines and cigar humidor. Hints of saline sneak in and linger through the finish, making this bottle especially well-suited to pairing with barbecue.

Speyburn 18 Year Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Bringing together notes of cigar humidor with candied pecans and dried autumn orchard fruit, this nougat- and candied-citrus-studded whisky proves that a great mature single malt doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Strathisla 2007 15 Year Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Exclusively available through The Whisky Exchange, this decade-and-a-half old treat is creamy and filled with notes of warm mashed hazelnuts, honey-flecked Toblerone milk chocolate, and sweet spice. There is a yellow plum note on the finish that is as unexpected as it is unforgettable.

The Glendronach Grandeur Batch 11 28 Year Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Limited in production, this is a full-throttle, decadent whisky whose honeyed peanut brittle character is marked by dark chocolate, espresso, molasses, and creme de cassis. Walnut notes, combined with flavors of sandalwood, oolong tea, and cinnamon stick, are delicious.

The Glen Grant 21 Year Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky

This saw time in both ex-Bourbon barrels and casks that once held Oloroso sherry. It’s a savory single malt in which nuttiness and woodsy spice notes define more subtle nods toward citrus pith and coffee. Yet there is plenty of fruit, too: Dried papaya, pineapple, and savory chocolate notes make their way to the stage, as well as cinnamon-and-honey breakfast cereal.

The Glenlivet 18 Year Batch Reserve Single Malt Scotch Whisky

This is an exceptional expression that has benefited from time spent in first- and second-fill American oak as well as casks that previously held sherry. The result is a creamy, refined dram in which lighter notes of flowers, heather, and honeycomb coexist alongside stone fruit, tobacco, toffee, and sweet vanilla that vibrate through the citrus-flecked finish.

The Last Drop Release No. 29 50 Year Blended Scotch Whisky Finished in a Jamaican Rum Cask

Made from the same liquid (distilled in 1971) as 2017’s Release No. 10, but from a single barrel that was held back until earlier this year to allow for additional aging, the final 18 months of which were in a cask that previously held an overproof Jamaican rum. The impossibly complex result is elegant yet propulsive, and shines with orange peels, caramel drizzled over bananas foster, white cardamom, and pineapple rum baba aromas that set the stage for a spirit that fans out across the entire palate. Flavors of toffee, warm vanilla-flecked caramel, dried figs, and maple all linger through a finish that seemingly lasts forever.

Best Extra Long-Aged Irish Whiskey

Bushmills 30 Year Single Malt Irish Whiskey

An exemplary whiskey that was first aged for 14 years in ex-Sherry butts and Bourbon barrels before spending the next 16 years in first-fill PX Sherry casks, expect roasty notes reminiscent of molasses combined with black licorice, brandied black cherries, dried figs, and cooked honey. The sweetness of dried plums is cut through with peppercorn spice, which sizzles through the long, cedar and brown-butter finish.

Redbreast 21 Year Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey

Interestingly for a whiskey aged for more than two decades, this delicious offering from venerable distillery Redbreast isn’t dominated by wood, but influenced by it. It’s a generous dram (with hints of Grape Nuts on the nose) that rolls along the palate with brown-butter caramel, kouign-amann pastries, grilled plums, and golden raisins. If a 21-year-old whiskey can be an easy-drinker, albeit one that rewards serious contemplation, then this is it.