Del Maguey Las Milpas mezcal
Del Maguey’s latest Single Village release (their Wild Jabalí made last year’s list) hails from the hilltop town of San Dionisio Ocotopec, high above the hustle and bustle of central Oaxaca. Eight- to 10-year-old espadín agave is fermented in the open air and distilled twice in small copper stills. Into the bottle lands a liquid with a funky herbal edge and intense minerality that skews more metallic than in other mezcals I’ve enjoyed this year. Reeling it back in is the distant call of citrus fruit and lavender—kindling to fire up an irresistible mezcal old fashioned. $70
2019 Tio Pepe En Rama sherry
This sensational example of unfiltered fino sherry (yes, a wine on a spirits list), is dry, slightly salty, and supernaturally endearing to a mixology crowd recently obsessed with the category. Bright acidity and a touch of yeastiness mean it’ll sparkle as an adulterant in any number of classic arrangements such as cobblers or the Adonis. But you might opt to sip it neat during aperitif hour to enhance flavors in the dinner to follow. $16
Matured Masterpieces
Slumbering gently in the wood for years, these lush liquids emerge ripe with compelling nuance. Deep burgundy hues, silkened mouthfeels, and stubbornly persistent finishes—all evidence of a lengthy interaction with the cask.
Michter’s 20 Year Kentucky straight bourbon
This limited-run barrel-proof release clocks in at a hefty 57.1% ABV, yet it drinks smoother than many bourbon cocktails. That drinkability is delivered through a prism of burnt sugar, stone fruit, and roasted nuts, elegantly structured to sustain through each sip. Please, only sip this one neat. $700
GlenDronach Master Vintage 1993 whisky
Drinkers who dismiss the idea of vintages in spirits would be well-advised to consider any liquid laid down by GlenDronach in 1993. Some sort of cosmic alignment smiled upon the Highland distillery in that year, birthing bottles that are, without exception, exceptional. And they only seem to be getting better. This year’s sherry bomb spent a quarter century in a combination of PX and Oloroso casks, emerging with rich waves of fruitcake and prune; a lingering finish reveals notes of leather and marzipan. $350
Flor de Caña V Generaciones rum
The most exclusive bottle ever produced by this acclaimed Nicaraguan distillery is also its most alluring, arriving in a handsome leather case and with a lava rock bottle stopper. Deep fruit notes pop on the palate—maraschino cherries, orange zest, stewed pineapple—priming your taste buds for a torrent of sugar and spice to follow. After 30 years in ex-bourbon barrels (an absurd amount of time in a tropical climate where even 10 years would be a hefty age statement), only enough liquid remained to fill 411 bottles. $1,200
El Tesoro Extra Añejo tequila
This elegant tequila strikes the ideal balance between agave and oak. While many producers opt to use newer (sometimes virgin) casks, overwhelming their oldest expressions with caramel and vanilla notes, El Tesoro master distiller Carlos Camarena is famous for his commitment to the purity of the plant. He utilizes ex-whiskey casks that had already been used multiple times for other tequilas, yielding a more neutral impact on the liquid. After half a decade—extra añejos only require three years aging—vegetal, earthy elements remain true, softened but never subdued by the aging process. Sip it neat. $100