Whiskey Experts Recommend These 8 New Limited Edition Bottles for Gifting

Glengoyne White Oak 24

It might not have the profile of some of Scotland’s bigger distilleries, but the Glengoyne uses the country’s slowest stills to produce some truly delicious single malts. Its new 24-year-old White Oak is matured in American first-fill ex-bourbon and virgin oak casks for 24 years and bottled at 95.6 proof (47.8% ABV).

With notes of vanilla, lemon, and honey, this release provides a refreshing profile for its age. “For something so old, it is incredibly light and airy, with just a little bit of acid that helps to cut any of the overly tannic profile you’d get in something at this age point,” says Ben Wald, spirits specialist and head of beverage programming for The Flatiron Room.

Ichiro's “On the Way” Floor Malted 2024

Among Japanese whisky aficionados, few distilleries are as legendary as Chichibu. It has a unique, multigenerational history with master distiller Ichiro Akuto at the helm. Each “On the Way” release marks a new chapter in Akuto’s lifelong journey to discover the best whisky Japan can offer. 

The 2024 release is made entirely of floor-malted barley, which means the malt is laid out on the malting floor and turned by rake to dry. “Floor malting is a traditional [but] uncommon practice, where the malter can influence the final result,” says Jason Valdez, general manager at Los Angeles whiskey and cocktail bar Wolf & Crane. 

“[Using] several hogsheads including mizunara, puncheon, and wine casks, the flavor combination allows for fruity, floral, and grain [notes] to pull through and finish with a slow honey heat,” says Valdez.

Russell’s Reserve 15

It’s been a banner year for Wild Turkey. It released the outstanding Master’s Keep Triumph and celebrated master distiller Jimmy Russell’s 70th year with the brand. But Wild Turkey’s biggest achievement in 2024 is probably Russell’s Reserve 15, the oldest bourbon released in the Russell’s Reserve line. 

This 15-year-old whiskey is pulled from barrels aged on the distillery’s legendary Camp Nelson campus. It stands as a testament to the blending abilities of the Russell family. 

“It’s mature and broad without tasting over-oaked. This is something I wish I could sip on every single day,” says Wald. “All the flavors I love about Russell’s 10-year just gain depth and complexity without any one note overpowering the thing that makes Wild Turkey Wild Turkey.” 

If you have trouble finding Russell’s Reserve 15, we also recommend the latest bottle in the Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse series, which was blended from barrels aged in Camp Nelson’s Rickhouse B. 

Little Book The Infinite: Edition 1

From the legendary James B. Beam Distillery, Little Book is a series all about eighth-generation master distiller Freddie Noe’s love of whiskey blending. Noe worked his magic in past releases with bourbons, ryes, and malt whiskeys to create some truly unique blended whiskeys. 

The Infinite marks a new concept in the Little Book line. Edition 1 is the first of a planned annual release in which Noe will add another whiskey to the blend. The aim is to create an ever-evolving “infinity blend” of some of America’s oldest whiskey stocks.

The Infinite is off to a great start. The first edition is rich, dense, and chocolatey, with notes of warm baking spice and tobacco. “It’s so hard to describe how it tastes other than just an ultimate expression of what the Beam distillery has been up to, and what can happen when you let their blending team loose on the amazing stocks of mature whisky they have,” says Wald.

WhistlePig The Boss Hog XI: The Juggernaut

Over the past decade, WhistlePig has made a name as one of the world’s most adventurous rye whiskey producers. The annual Boss Hog series showcases some of its wildest and rarest ryes. The distillery’s 11th Boss Hog release was inspired by Thandai, a milky South Asian drink often made with nuts, seeds, spices, and sugar. To recreate those distinctive flavors, WhistlePig crafted unique barrels to imbue the rye with notes of saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, fennel, poppy, and black peppercorn.

“The regular nose of WhistlePig combined with the flavors in Thandai is quite powerful,” says Wald. “It’s a huge spice note you don’t get on a lot of rye whisky these days. Then the palate is so incredibly fruit-forward, with lighter spices that give way to this fruity vanilla finish that is quite pleasing.”

Hibiki 40

Hibiki is one of the best-known Japanese whiskies in the world. Hibiki 40 is a blend of five 40-year-old whiskies blended by the masterful Shinji Fukuyo. Limited to just 400 bottles, this is one of the House of Suntory’s oldest, rarest, and most unique whiskies produced. Truly a special gift for the discerning whisky connoisseur.

“I think this expression taught me about each cask more than any other experience,” says Valdez. “Forty years is a very long time for whisky to interact with its cask. Mizunara notoriously needs many trips around the sun to even get a hint of its value, so in its older form, it shows up in a buttery, coconut, florality [form]. Chita adds a great tropical fruity note. Hakushu, peated complexity, Spanish oak, [offers] a surprising bitterness; and White Oak [helps] to bind them and ground them back into this wonderfully light, layered experience in golden liquid form.”

The Glen Grant 25

This new release from The Glen Grant is one of the oldest expressions ever bottled by the Speyside distillery. Aged for 25 years in ex-bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks, this single malt forgoes chill filtration and is presented in its natural color. Bottled at 92 proof (46% ABV), it’s packed with the traditional flavors for which the distillery is best known. The 25-year-old joins the 21- and 30-year-old whiskies that make up The Glen Grant’s Glasshouse collection.

With notes of dried stone fruit and toffee, The Glen Grant 25 presents an accessible, but complex profile. Spend more time with the whiskey, and you’ll find notes of dark chocolate, orange peel, and nutmeg. The satisfying finish showcases baking spice, caramel, and gentle stone fruit flavors.

Westward Whiskey Milestone Edition No. 2 A Discovery of Spice

American single malt whiskey still has a way to go to catch up with the prestige of the malt whisky produced in Scotland. This special bottling from Portland-based Westward Distillery proves that the gap is quickly closing. Using a 21-barrel solera system, master blender Miles Munroe took some of the distillery’s most unique whiskeys and crafted a 97-proof American single malt packed with flavor.

“Miles took the signature spice notes of Westward and really dialed them up to a pleasingly intense level,” says Wald. “Grounded with the presence of stout casks, the spice never gets too intense to be enjoyable. With the additional sweetness from the rum cask, this is an amazingly complex dram that is just the beginning of what is possible with American single malt.”

Knob Creek 18

An annual fall release, the limited edition Knob Creek 18 is the perfect gift for anyone who appreciates a well-aged bourbon. Aged twice as long as Knob Creek’s core bourbon, this whiskey pushes the oak influence as far as possible, yet it deftly maintains everything fans love about James B. Beam Distilling’s Knob Creek line.

“This whiskey is big,” says Wald. “It’s got all the oak and caramel flavors you love from Knob Creek, dialed up to 18. But at no point does it feel overpowering. Knob Creek has a really specific tasting profile, and it is a testament to the distilling and blending team that, after 18 years, it is still as good as it is.”