Top 20

Top 20

The Most Exciting Whiskies of 2020

Our Top 20 is a selection of whiskies worthy of your attention. The list includes great values that might otherwise be overlooked, whiskies that are best in class for their style, and highly accomplished bottles you should be looking for. Most importantly, each of these whiskies generates excitement and marks a highlight across a year of tasting.

Larceny Barrel Proof (Batch B520), 61.1%

Score: 95
61.1% $50
Kentucky

Knob Creek 12 year old

Score: 95
50% $60
Kentucky

Benriach The Smoky Twelve

Score: 94
46% $65
Scotland (Speyside)

Bulleit Blenders' Select (Batch 001)

Score: 95
50% $50
Kentucky

Wild Turkey Rare Breed Barrel Proof Straight Rye

Score: 94
56.1% $60
Kentucky

Ardbeg 5 year old Wee Beastie

Score: 94
47.4% $47
Scotland (Islay)

Elijah Craig Straight Rye

Score: 94
47% $30
Kentucky

Kilbeggan Single Pot Still

Score: 93
43% $45
Ireland

Compass Box The Peat Monster

Score: 93
46% $65
Scotland

Aberfeldy 18 year old French Red Wine Cask-Finished (Batch 2920)

Score: 93
43% $120
Scotland (Highlands)

Balblair 15 year old

Score: 93
46% $120
Scotland (Highlands)

Old Overholt Bottled in Bond Rye

Score: 93
50% $25
Kentucky

Glenmorangie 15 year old The Cadboll Estate

Score: 93
43% $85
Scotland (Highlands)

Drumshanbo Single Pot Still

Score: 92
43% $63
Ireland

Teeling Single Pot Still

Score: 92
46% $75
Ireland

Macallan 15 year old Double Cask

Score: 93
43% $135
Scotland (Speyside)

Balcones Lineage (Batch SML20-2)

Score: 91
47% $40
Texas

Chattanooga Straight Rye Malt (Batch 20I22R)

Score: 92
49.5% $40
Tennessee

Mars Iwai 45

Score: 91
45% $35
Japan

M&H Classic

Score: 90
46% $60
Israel

About The Whisky Advocate TOP 20

Each year, Whisky Advocate Buying Guide reviewers collectively sample hundreds of whiskies. These include rare and extremely limited releases, as well as new and emerging labels that will find their way to shelves across the nation. To determine our Top 20, we begin by looking only at whiskies that rated “outstanding” (90 points or higher on Whisky Advocate’s 100-point scale). However, the Top 20 is not simply a collection of our highest-rated whiskies, because many of those are so limited they would be impossible for most readers to locate or purchase. Therefore, in addition to quality (based on score), our selection also prioritizes value (based on price) and availability.

An important step in gauging the true merit of these whiskies is blind tasting review by a panel of international reviewers. The review panel tasted the eligible whiskies in a series of blind tasting flights to arrive at the final list. The panel did not know the identity of the whiskies being tasted—not their producer, country of origin, age, nor price. The average rating from the blind tasting panel supersedes the original Buying Guide rating. The individual reviewer rating will remain noted in the Buying Guide for the record. The final decision for placement considers average score, price, and availability.

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