So far this week we’ve covered the best in American single malts and ryes for 2024, crowning two best-in-category bottles along the way (congrats to both 10th Street Distillery and Proof and Wood). Today in our quest to share the best new American whiskeys, we turn our attention to the double-barrel maturation. Also known as a second finish, this treatment stands as one of the more interesting and diverse ways whiskey magicians can tweak their spells—adding and muting flavor notes with a bit of port wood here, or some months in extra añejo tequila casks there.
Of course double barreling has become commonplace in the spirits universe in the past couple years, with some whiskeys even poured into a trilogy of casks in their journey to final form. But these are the optimal options either playing with multiple caskings for the first time, or simply doing it in a truly imaginative way.
Best New American Double-Barrel Whiskey Of 2024: Michter’s ‘US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish’ Bourbon 2024
With Micther’s launch of its debut offering US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon offering in 2014, the beloved Louisville whiskey maker unknowingly invented the toasted barrel-finish category. Now celebrating its decade anniversary, the 2024 edition hits shelves. As the name suggests, what makes this core portfolio expression from Michter’s special is obviously the wood it rests in: special barrels that were air-dried for 18 months in the varied Kentucky climate and then toasted to precise specifications—but never charred.
The Micther’s braintrust then pours into those barrels the celebrated US*1 Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon, already fully matured in fire-charred new American oak. Just another feather in the cap of the proudly Kentucky label, which this year earned the “World’s Most Admired Whisky” distinction by the widely respected UK-based publication Drinks International—making Michter’s the first American brand to ever earn that distinction. Michter’s US*1 Toasted Barrel Finish Bourbon 2024 comes bottled at 45.7 percent (91.4-proof). $110 SRP
Woodford Reserve ‘Double Double Oaked’ Bourbon
Woodford Reserve Double Double Oaked is a successor of their Double Oaked, only the second permanent expression Woodford Reserve ever released back in 2012. Double Oaked starts with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, which is matured between 5-7 years in virgin American oak. They then dump that whiskey into a second barrel—specifically heavily toasted, lightly charred new oak barrels—for another 12 months.
So the new limited-edition release Double Double Oaked is the same process as its predecessor, except instead of second-aging in those heavily toasted, lightly charred new oak barrels for 12 months, they age it for 24 to 36 months, or two to three times longer than Double Oaked. The result is a surprising twist in flavors, evolving the sweet, aromatic, butterscotch notes into what newly minted Master Distiller Elizabeth McCall says are “roasted coffee, dark chocolate, much more oak-forward, clove, nutmeg—just bigger, bolder, leather, tobacco, all that.” We were lucky to enjoy a tasting with McCall recently, discussing the making of Double Double Oaked. Sadly, Double Double Oaked is only available at Woodford’s Versailles, Kentucky shop this time around. Intrepid bourbon sleuths can find it online, however. Buy here
Angel’s Envy ‘Triple Oak’ Bourbon
The eagerly anticipated new addition to Angel’s Envy’s core Signature Series unsurprisingly begins life with their acclaimed bourbon, aged between 4-6 years in virgin American white oak, although the majority ages for about 5. When it’s ready as their foundational bourbon, Angel’s Envy then pours the juice into a trio of different oak casks—chinkapin, Hungarian and French oak—and then blends those finishing woods like mad chemists to derive their newest expression: Triple Oak Bourbon.
“I’ll do whatever I need to do to create the consistent profile, if that means snugging the French down when we’re in the middle of the summer or lengthening out the other two in fall or springtime,” Angels Envy Master Distiller Owen Martin tells Maxim. “The main overarching goal—besides making the best whiskey we can—is to make the most consistent whiskey.”
With only a touch over two years on the job, the emerging Master Distiller is the first to hold the title since the passing of co-founder and patriarch Lincoln Henderson in 2013. And in that decade since, the downtown Louisville distillery has not added a single new expression to its core Signature Series portfolio. Until now. Angel’s Envy Triple Oak comes bottled at 46 percent ABV (92-proof). $75 SRP
Parker’s Heritage 2024
Created to honor the legendary Parker Beam, Heaven Hill’s former Master Distiller diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2010, the Parker’s Heritage annual bottle is one of the most coveted releases across the whiskey world every year. Since 2013 they’ve been releasing a whiskey of exquisite quality to not only honor Parker, but also to raise money for ALS research, and thus far have raised $1.3 million towards the cause.
For the 18th edition of this exquisite whiskey, Heaven Hill Distillery is bottling a 14-year-old Kentucky straight-malt whiskey that was finished in reconstructed heavy-toast cognac bottles barrels. This is the third edition made in collaboration with Master Blender Alain Royer, who started with 128 barrels filled in 2009, which were then switched into 56 larger cognac barrels for 4 months of second finishing. This is an incredibly luxurious whiskey, with luscious mouthfeel, deep caramel color and a strong finale of brown sugar, butter, and dark chocolate. You’ll be lucky to find Parker’s Heritage 2024 at twice its list price. $170 SRP
Woodinville ‘Sauternes Finish’ Bourbon
Every year since 2011, Woodinville Whiskey has released a tasting room-only “Harvest Release” for fanatics of the Washington state distillery’s alchemy. Last year the distillery got freaky and released its bourbon finished in barrels that previously aged Ginjinha—a rare Portuguese liquor made of sour ginja berries. It was a boysenberry and dark cherry jam treat. But this year founders Brett Carlile and Orlin Sorensen went a tiny bit more traditional, taking their flagship bourbon (72 percent corn/22 percent rye/6 percent malted barley mash), which is always aged at least 5 years, and poured it into barrels that held Sauternes. Pretty self-explanatory.
While Woodinville has finished their bourbon in other wine barrels (Moscatel De Setúbal comes to mind), this is their first time playing with Sauternes. Since all grains are sourced from a nearby family farm in Quincy, Washington and distilled on the premises, Woodinville Bourbon Sauternes Finish is a legit grain-to-glass affair that earned Double Platinum recognition at the 2024 ASCOT Awards. The expression comes bottled at at 52.5 percent ABV (105-proof). $70 SRP
Old Elk ‘Cigar Cut Island Blend’
Elk Cigar Cut Series’ aim is as simple as it is commendable: to craft a bourbon whose unique profile and texture pairs sublimely with a good cigar. More esoterically, to use “best of the best” from its Cask Finish project to craft a whiskey that celebrates life’s more elevated moments, especially if you like to pair those moments with your favorite Cuban or Dominican tobacco leaves.
This year’s extension of the Cigar Cut series, the Island Blend, aims the bow of their Colorado whiskey-making ship even more towards Caribbean waters by introducing the use of second aging in what they call “tropical barrels,” such as those that held rum, port, sauternes and sherry—in other words, barrels that fueled transatlantic travel during the Age of Exploration.
A trio of their whiskeys—high-malt straight bourbon, straight wheat whiskey and straight rye—are aged 6 years, then finished in the above barrels for up to another 2 years. Potently bottled at 55.85 percent ABV (111.7-proof) Old Elk Cigar Cut Island Blend features some sweeter notes of dragonfruit, cantaloupe, honey and mandarin oranges. $130 SRP
Bardstown Bourbon Company ‘Amrut’ Collaborative Series Whiskey
Bardstown Bourbon Company unites the great whiskey-making traditions of Kentucky with those of India with the new Collaborative Series. For the first of a trio of collabs, the aptly named series sees the established whiskey concern partner with Amrut (the other two being Napa winery Silver Oak and Blackberry Farm Brewery)—India’s largest single-malt distillery.
Strictly following traditional scotch-making processes and regulations, Amrut’s whiskeys can be compared to those of fine in the Highland single malts. So BBC used several of their barrels in helping create an Indian single malt influenced bourye (bourbon-plus-rye) blend. BBC started with two Indiana-sourced ryes, a 9-year old (45 percent corn/51 percent rye/4 percent malted barley) and 8-year-old (95 percent rye/5 percent malted barley) and aged them for an additional 18 months in the Amrut barrels. They then took those ryes and blended them altogether with a trio of high-rye Kentucky bourbons, all aged between 10-14 years.The end result is a bourye—which is already an interesting juice to begin with—with a scotch single-malt twist. The 55 percent ABV (110-proof) intoxicant offers quite a complex explosion of flavors, with vanilla, cherry pie and cinnamon buns finished off with a wisp of campfire smoke. $160 SRP
Follow Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.
