The whisky category, especially the premium segment, is always growing and innovating to meet consistent popular demand. As one of the largest and most diverse spirits categories with a $66.5B 2023 global market value*, it's important to refresh your whisky offerings to stay ahead of the curve—especially when gifting season is on the horizon and consumer interest in exploring unique and higher-priced products is at its peak.
Drizly's BevAlc Insights highlighted "consumer tendencies to spend big on gift orders" in a 2022 report, sharing that whisky accounted for 26% of all gift orders on the platform in 2022.
Break away from the traditional and introduce your customers to new brands this holiday season, starting with these four inventive premium whiskies.
Within the bourbon category, trying "new and novel" styles is a top trend according to a July 2023 Allied Market Research report. Wheated bourbon was called out as growing significantly in the past 10 years.
Founded in 2007, Field & Sound was the first craft distillery since the 1800s to open on Long Island. In their new Wheated Bourbon, wheat replaces rye in the mash, creating a softer and sweeter spirit than typical. It's authentic American whiskey, but with a gentler flavor profile.
For traditionalists, the Bottled-in-Bond Straight Whiskey is time-honored, small batch bourbon influenced by maturing under the conditions of its Maritime environment.
Japanese whisky is consistent and complex—and is piquing the interest and attention of whisky drinkers worldwide.
Honkaku Spirits’ eight-year Takamine Koji Whiskey is the first koji-fermented whiskey to be released in the United States. With its remarkably smooth and rich mouthfeel, it drinks like a refined bourbon and offers a nuanced interplay of umami and sweetness.
Chemist Jokichi Takamine immigrated to the U.S. in the late 1890s and began experimenting with using koji, the “national mold of Japan,” to ferment whiskey. This makes Takamine Koji Whiskey a Japanese whisky with a distinctly American origin story.
Hillrock Estate Distillery, located in the verdant Hudson Valley, revived the grain fields surrounding their historic estate and now produces authentic artisanal spirits on property.
Their Solera Aged Bourbon Whiskey, which is finished in 20-year-old Oloroso sherry casks, would be a unique gift for bourbon lovers and has repeatedly been awarded top scores by Wine Enthusiast, Sip (Spirits International Prestige) Awards, and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. It was also recently featured by Food Network as the "Best for Sipping" and in VinePair as among "Bourbons That Offer the Best Bang for Your Buck, According to Bartenders."
Milam & Greene Whiskey is made by some of the world’s most experienced whiskey professionals, including CEO, master blender, and author, Heather Greene and 30-year whiskey veteran and master distiller, Marlene Holmes.
Their smooth Single Barrel Bourbon is a compelling option for rising enthusiasts at a $56.99 MSRP. Each batch of 280 bottles is created from one carefully chosen barrel. Their new Very Small Batch Bourbon was Milam & Greene’s first whiskey to be finished in charred French oak staves (which had previously been used for tawny port), adding a sweet elegance to the flavor profile. This premium bourbon—made to be sipped, not stirred—was awarded a Gold Medal at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
