World Whisky Day 2022: 9 best American whiskies that are a great alternative to bourbon

• ABV: 50%
• Size: 70cl

Seattle’s Westland distillery takes Scottish single malt traditions and reimagines them with local ingredients, including more than 20 varieties of barley. Garryana is a single malt, aged in sherry casks, then finished in casks made of the underexplored Garry oak, a tree native to American’s pacific north west. Creamy vanilla and honey flavours and textures, and a rich, dense fruitiness, have been spiked with spices and an almost smoky dry oak taste. In this whiskey, tradition meets modern American invention and the result is one to savour. 

• ABV: 46%
• Size: 35cl

American bourbon must contain at least 51 per cent corn, which is usually combined with other grains; we’re allowing this spirit to join our non-bourbon list because the corn count is less common at 100 per cent. Grown and distilled in New York, and aged in small, new charred American oak barrels, it’s quite sweet and light with lots of vanilla and some warming oak and ginger spice coming through towards the finish. A simple sipper that we think anyone will enjoy.  

• ABV: 40%
• Size: 70cl

The world’s most popular American whiskey isn’t a bourbon, mainly because the makers of Jack Daniel’s would much rather it be called a Tennessee whiskey, arguing that its slow charcoal filtered, smooth sipping spirit has a unique taste all of its own. Although the brand has ventured into new flavour territories, including honey and apple editions, for maximum rock star credit it has to be the original no.7 and its mellow brown sugar, chocolate orange and charred spice flavours. Just don’t call a bourbon.

• ABV: 40%
• Size: 70cl

Chicago’s outstanding Koval distillery has successfully experimented with all manner of grains including wheat, oats and millet, for its single barrel whiskey releases. The latter is rarely used in alcohol production outside of Africa and Asia, but Koval has coaxed some magic from its 100 per cent millet distilling. It’s especially creamy, with unexpected flavours of soft pears mingling with the more predictable grain and vanilla notes. This isn’t simply an unusual grain novelty, it’s an extremely enjoyable spirit.

• ABV: 51.2%
• Size: 70cl

Here’s a recreation of a whiskey style that Americans would’ve been drinking during the revolution, made using entirely malted rye and aged for a minimum of 30 months in lightly toasted casks (it can’t be called a rye whiskey because those casks would need to be charred). You can taste the grain and rye spiciness which, at 51.2% ABV, comes with a bit of a kick. It’s more savoury than it is fruity, but there are also softer bready notes and a drying oak finish that gives it a highly enjoyable complexity. 

• ABV: 46%
• Size: 70cl

The Balcones distillery in Waco, Texas, was founded with a desire to do things differently. It produces an outstanding Texas single malt and has dabbled with local honey in its spirits and has made a big impression with whiskey produced from blue corn. The corn has been roasted for this spirit, which immediately gives it green pepper notes not too dissimilar to tequila, while the sweet bread, fresh fruit and leathery flavours push it firmly back into whiskey territory. 

• ABV: 45%
• Size: 70cl

If you’re looking for an American whiskey on a budget then this straight rye, produced by Lux Row Distillers, is a great choice. Smoother than a lot of cheap whiskies, it rapidly crescendos to a wallop of boozy, peppery rye spices before steadily softening out with sweet vanilla and honey. Drinkable neat, better with ice and, we think, an excellent choice for cocktails. 

• ABV: 45.2%
• Size: 70cl

Not many American distillers enlist wheat as the main ingredient for whiskey, and even fewer export those whiskeys to the UK, but thankfully one of our favourite bourbon producers, Woodford Reserve, has a wheaty number available over here. What can you expect from this underused grain? The fruitiness leans towards apple pie, while the spicy flavours have a complementary sweet cinnamon accent to them, but perhaps the standout flavour comparison here is coconut. 

• ABV: 45%
• Size: 70cl

Our final entry is one for Scotch fans who want to delve into new territories – a single malt that bursts forward with fruity, malty aromas as soon as the bottle is opened. Distilled from locally grown Oregon malted barley it’s full of sweet berry and orchard fruit flavours while the finish is all about the lightly toasted American oak casks – dry tobacco, dark chocolate and nutty biscuit flavours that last an age.