There were plenty of great whiskeys that debuted in 2022, a year that was a banner one for the brown stuff. Naturally, it’s the time of year when numerous publications make their choices for the best whiskeys of the year, and one of the most anticipated comes from our friends at Whisky Advocate. Their team sampled hundreds of different whiskeys over the past year to come up with their list of the top 20, and their top pick is a surprising choice from a familiar name.
Taking the honors as Whisky Advocate’s 2022 Whiskey of the Year is Jack Daniel’s Bonded. The bottled-in-bond Tennessee whiskey debuted in the spring alongside Triple Mash, a bonded blend of Tennessee whiskey, rye and American malt whiskeys. The two-piece collection constituted JD’s first premium line extension in a quarter-century, and the Bonded especially has wasted no time in picking up glowing reviews and new adherents.
So why did Whisky Advocate choose this bottle? Basically, it was a perfect storm. As the list shies away from limited editions and prohibitively expensive whiskeys, the WA folks appreciated that Jack Daniel’s Bonded is both part of a new permanent collection and is priced at around $30. They also like that it’s a true bonded whiskey, fulfilling all of the legal requirements to be labeled as such: it's produced at one distiller during one distilling season, aged at least four years and bottled at 100 proof. Finally, they just love how it tastes, noting that it features all of the classic notes of Jack Daniel’s classic Old No. 7 but amps up the intensity.
While Jack Daniel’s Bonded took the top spot with a score of 97 out of 100 on Whisky Advocate’s scoring system, it’s hardly the only standout whiskey worth mentioning here. You can find the full list of 20 below.
- Jack Daniel’s Bonded
- Redbreast Kentucky Oak Edition
- Barrell Vantage
- Dewar’s 12-Year-Old
- Westward Cask Strength
- Midleton Very Rare
- Blue Note Juke Joint Uncut
- Limavady Single Barrel
- Bruichladdich 8-Year-Old Islay Barley 2013
- Nelson Bros. Reserve
- Sweetens Cove Kennessee Toasted Sugar Maplewood Finished
- Tomintoul Cigar Malt Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish
- Miyagikyo Peated
- Blackened Rye The Lightning Double Cask Madeira and Rum Finished
- Bardstown Bourbon Company Collaborative Series Plantation Rum Barrel Finished
- Bushmills 12-Year-Old
- Indri Trini The Three Wood
- Hardin's Creek Colonel James B. Beam 2-Year-Old
- Teeling Wonders of Wood Virgin Chinkapin Oak
- Craigellachie 13-Year-Old Bas Armagnac Finished
