Seven Fifty Daily: The 9 Best World Whiskeys, According to Beverage Pros

Beverage directors and bartenders pick their favorite whiskey from lesser-known whiskey-producing countries, from a Taiwanese gold standard to a hard-to-find, small batch Spanish single malt

The map of world whiskey has been steadily expanding. In the 2024 World Whisky Awards, over 40 countries competed—twice as many as a decade ago—with entries from Sweden to South Africa. 

Investment has followed. The Diageo-backed drinks business accelerator Distill Ventures took on Australia’s Starward in 2015 and invested $10 million in Denmark’s Stauning Whisky, which launched stateside last year and is fast gaining cult recognition. 

The number of world whiskey cases sold is a fraction of what the big whiskey players produce. In the U.S. alone, 31 million nine-liter cases of American whiskey were sold in 2023; comparably, Taiwan, which produces Kavalan, arguably the leading world whiskey on the market, is home to just two distilleries. But for a contingent of whiskey aficionados, a dram from one of these lesser-known whiskey-producing regions offers an unparalleled sense of discovery—and they could be catalysts for change. 

“As more world whiskeys enter the U.S. market, they will challenge the dominance of traditional categories like bourbon and Scotch by offering distinct alternatives,” says Scott Milne, the director of marketing for Stauning. “The influx of brands signals a coming consumer shift.”

Producers utilize the unique conditions of their home country to innovate, whether that’s in the use of local grains or native wood, or working around weather conditions that are often radically different than in Scotland or Kentucky. And this in turn inspires traditional producers, says whiskey educator and consultant Tracie Franklin. “Not only do we have these unusual countries producing whiskeys that are very much attuned to their climate, agriculture, and their particular flavors, we also have these amazing whiskies that now have the freedom to be more experimental with their production process because the world whiskeys are coming out and blowing flavors through the roof.” 

SevenFifty Daily reached out to bartenders, beverage directors, and whiskey specialists to ask which bottles from lesser-known whiskey-producing countries are worth stocking up on right now. (All whiskeys are listed with suggested retail price per bottle).  

Navazos-Palazzi Malt Whisky ‘Bota Punta,’ Spain; $125

Selected by Neal Bodenheimer, owner and partner, Cure, New Orleans 

“I absolutely love the texture of this Spanish malt whisky,” says Neal Bodenheimer, the owner and partner of New Orleans cocktail bar Cure. “When you combine the texture of a delicate malt whisky with a quality oloroso sherry cask finishing from the sherry whisperers at Equipo Navazos, well, it’s absolutely peerless.” 

Navazos-Palazzi is a partnership between Jesús Barquín and Eduardo Ojeda of Spain’s Equipo Navazos—passionate bottlers of sherry wines—and Nicolas Palazzi’s PM Spirits in Brooklyn. The most recent release is the Bota Punta, a 15-year-old bottling, using casks that were bota punta—at the end of the bottom row of barrels in a solera—and therefore subjected to more air, light, and aeration. With just 900 bottles, it’s highly sought after. “Everyone on the team is super passionate about it,” says Bodenheimer. “It can be hard to get a traditional malt drinker to take a chance on a relatively pricey dram of Spanish malt. But for an exceedingly hard bottle to find it’s a really great deal.” 

Wine Enthusiast: The Most Memorable Bottles We Drank in 2023

Any seasoned imbiber knows that the quality of a drinking experience is far more than the sum of its parts. After all, a great wine is not merely great because it drinks finely. It’s great because of the atmosphere in which it’s enjoyed—in an exquisite locale, perhaps, or alongside cherished friends. Key, too, is the story behind the bottle: who made it and how, why and when. Knowing these things in no way chemically alters what’s in the glass, but it certainly has the power to alter one’s perception of it. The mind, after all, is a taster’s most important tool.

These were the things we asked Wine Enthusiast’s team of editors and contributors to consider when we asked them to name the bottles they found most notable in 2023. In this list are exquisite wines drunk in unlikely places (including, for example, alongside a highway in France) and made through unusual means (say, aged at the bottom of the sea). There are also limited-release spirits, including one that matured in the constantly-rocking hull of a schooner and an eau de vie whose maker’s attention to detail borders on obsessiveness.

Do these bottles have the power to inspire you? Perhaps, once reading these stories, they will.

Navazos Palazzi Vermut Rojo

“One of my favorite sips this year was Navazos Palazzi Vermut Rojo, a Spanish red vermouth. It’s a collab between Sherry negociant Equipo Navazos and Nicolas Palazzi of importer PM spirits. It’s made with a base of oloroso Sherry, so it’s deeper and richer than most red vermouths, but enlivened with touches of bitter orange and savory spice. I enjoyed it in Manhattans (it plays nicely with rye whiskey) as well as poured over ice. I see why Spain is a fan of ‘la hora del vermut’ (the vermouth hour).” —Kara Newman, Writer at Large

Capreolus Raspberry Eau de Vie 2019

“Barney Wilczak, the proprietor of the U.K.–based Capreolus Distillery, uses 30 kilograms of perfectly ripe and healthy raspberries to produce only one liter of the Raspberry Eau de Vie. His quest for the highest–quality product can be described as obsessive. However, it allows him to capture and preserve the essence of each fruit so precisely. The raspberry stands out, with its complexity, length and incredible purity.” —Aleks Zecevic, Writer at Large

Wine Enthusiast top 100 Spirits

This past year has brought much to celebrate, including the continued (if cautious) return to gatherings with family and friends, and openings (and re-openings) of bars and restaurants across the country.

It’s also brought a line-up of memorable spirits—and a number of surprises.

This list was compiled from the hundreds of bottles we’ve had the opportunity to review over the past 12 months. It includes a top-scoring new bourbon that hailed from Colorado—not Kentucky—and an attention-getting Italian vermouth infused with Japanese cherry blossom that filled our glasses with pink-tinged Martinis. A toasty rye whiskey from Denmark shared space with top-tier American-made ryes, and a debut gin from Kenya charmed with brisk citrus and spice.

Of note: This year’s Top 100 doesn’t include Scotch whisky—the first time since 2013 that has happened. To be clear, that omission isn’t a knock on venerable Scotch, but it afforded us the opportunity to, instead, highlight blended Scotch. And a surprising dearth of samples opened the door to reviewing a wider range of whiskey styles. As a result, this year’s list includes several American and international single malts. Again: a year of surprises, but also a year of delights. —Kara Newman

94 POINTS

Navazos Palazzi Pedro Ximenez Single Cask Brandy (Spain; PM Spirits, Wilmington, DE).

This is a brandy de Jerez aged in oloroso casks, then finished three years in very old sweet Pedro Ximenez casks. The end result is an extraordinarily complex sipper that almost reads like a cocktail. The deep brown hue and bold dried fig aromas signal richness.

While the first sips mingle toffee, maple, dried fruit, the finish is surprisingly dry and brisk, showing walnut skin, a hint of grapefruit peel, and cinnamon and cayenne glow. Bottled at cask strength, plan to add water or ice to mellow the appropriately fiery edge.

Limited edition: 720 bottles produced. abv: 43% Price: $121 for 375 ml