The options are endless when you’re looking for the best bottle of Single Malt Whiskey.
You’ll find plenty of top-shelf options, one more expensive than the next. But what you won’t find a guide to really help you break down and understand which brand of Single Malt Whiskey you never knew you wanted.
This is that guide.
Single Malt Whiskey might not be your first choice for an on-the-rocks sipper.
But on this list, you’ll find absolutely divine flavors and you will learn to enjoy Single Malt Whiskey like you never have before.
And of course, if you prefer a nice cocktail instead, our recommendations will work brilliantly with all your favorite mixes.
Below, you’ll find our list for the top brands in the world and a buyer’s guide to Single Malt Whiskey as well as answers to how it’s made and what types are there.
Finally, we’ll round off this article with tips on how to drink and really enjoy Single Malt Whiskey as well as the key tasting notes and vocabulary you’ll need to become a true aficionado.
Best Single Malt Whiskey Brands to Savor
Here’s a list of top 5 Single Malt Whiskey brands you can buy.
| Rank | Brand | Best for |
| 1 | Copper Fox | Best Overall |
| 2 | Andalusia | Best High-End Option |
| 3 | Westward | Best Value |
| 4 | Strahanan’s | Best for Brand Prestige |
| 5 | McCarthy’s | Most Easy to Drink |
This is an in-depth explanation of the top Single Malt Whiskey brands, including a list of 30 brands and a brief description of their company, products, and popularity.
Andalusia
Andalusia Single Malt Whiskey is made with the finest American-grown malted grains in Blanco, Texas. It is a handcrafted copper pot still malt whiskey, grain to glass drink.
The triple distilled American single malt whiskey follows the Irish tradition. To produce smoother and lighter-bodied whiskies, most single malt whiskies are distilled twice in copper pot stills.
Andalusia Texas Single Malt Whiskey undergoes an additional distillation process to infuse the flavor of malted barley into the whiskey. It is aged in charred American barrels before bottling.
Copperworks
Copperworks Single Malt Whiskey is a single type of American malt whiskey made from a single variety of barley grown on a single local farm in Skagit Valley, Washington, USA.
The malted barley has a unique rich sugar flavor where the twice-distilled whiskey is aged in new American oak barrels for 34 months in the Seattle waterfront location.
This whiskey has amazing aromas of dried fruits and dark sugar, along with floral and spicy notes. Its palate also includes black tea, soft honey, orange toffee, black pepper, and leather.
McCarthy’s
Mccarthy’s Oregon Single Malt Whiskey is the first American single malt crafted during the American single malt revolution. This was founded by Steve McCarthy, who returned from a trip to Ireland and started making his single malt over 20 years ago.
This is the Oregon original single malt whiskey, which is aged for years in American oak barrels for superior taste and quality.
It has a robust aroma and dry fruit and plum flavors that give a warm finish with delicate peat and honey overtones.
Westward
Westward American Single Malt Whiskey is a single malt reimagined whiskey that shows America’s original craftsmanship and creativity.
The single malt whiskey is produced from local malted barley, brewed with ale yeast for amazing flavor and characteristics.
It is matured in lightly charred new American oak barrels in Oregon. The dry summers and wet winters help create the ideal environment to make the best tasting American single malt whiskey. The aged whiskey is not-chilled filtered before bottling.
It has wonderful aromas of vanilla and brown sugar, with the taste of sweet malt that gives a lovely finish to the drink with lingering notes of fruity flavors and tobacco.
Colkegan
The award-winning Santa Fe Spirits Distillery makes the award-winning Colkegan single malt whiskey. This whiskey is made entirely from malted barley and is carefully distilled and aged in various oak casks for complex flavors and intensity.
Single malt whiskey is a different type of smoked malt called mesquite. It gives a smooth taste to the drink, which differs from the famous Scotch whiskies. This distillery is above 7000 ft sea level in the high desert region, giving a wavering humidity and heat temperature.
This whiskey has charming aromas and flavors of rhubarb, chocolate bitters, white chocolate, and bitter cherry. It gives a smooth finish with raspberries and smoke overtones.
Strahanan’s
This is a Rocky Mountain Small-Batch American Single Malt Whiskey that has been made in Denver, Colorado, for over 10 years. The brand uses the finest malted barley and water from the snow melts of the Rocky Mountains to craft every batch of this whiskey.
This is the number one American single malt whiskey in the United States. It was built in small batches at the distillery and non-chill filtered to keep the original flavors and aromas in the whiskey. The mash bill comprises 100 percent malted barley produced in a single distillery and aged for a minimum of four years in new charred American oak barrels.
This American single malt whiskey has wonderful aromas of caramel, butterscotch, vanilla, maple syrup, leather, and a sweet palate rich in notes of vanilla, cinnamon, butter, caramel, and spice, which gives a soft finish with subtle notes of melted brown sugar, cream, cayenne pepper, rich tobacco, oak, and aged leather.
Notch
Notch Single Malt whiskey is one of the best single malt whiskies made in the Triple Eight distillery from Maris Otter malt. It is a new world whiskey distilled in a small copper pot mixed with pure Island Glacier water.
The distilled whiskey is aged in ex-bourbon barrels for eight years. These wooden casks are exposed to polar maritime and tropical maritime climates, which give them a unique characteristic of the drink.
The ocean breeze humidity helps in the maturation of the spirits in hand-selected barrels. After aging, a portion of the whiskey is double-barrelled and finished in Sherry casks for superior taste.
The red-toned whiskey has wonderful aromas of fresh fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, sultanas, cranberries, and dates, which give a velvety palate rich in notes of macadamia nuts chocolate, cloves, red currants, and cherries that give a medium-length finish with a chewy aftertaste.
Virginia Distillery
The Virginia Distillery makes one of the finest single malt whiskies in the United States using the highest quality malted barley and fresh spring water from the Blue Ridge mountains.
The brand uses hand-hammered copper bottles crafted in Scotland to distill its whiskey, and it is aged in Virginia’s varying climatic conditions.
The Courage and Conviction Flagship American Single Malt Whiskey are produced by the Virginia Distillery and Co., based on a passion for Virginia and its heritage.
This whiskey is made from 100% malted barley and is aged for a minimum of three years in former sherry, bourbon, and Cuvee wine casks. It has aromas of caramel and butterscotch with a fruity palate rich in raspberry vanilla cocoa and bright red fruit that gives a creamy and exceptionally smooth finish.
Westland
Westland Distillery American Single Malt Whiskey is one of the best American whiskies made in Seattle. It is distilled with high-quality ingredients with ten years of experience producing single malt whiskies.
The American single malt whiskey is one of the distillery’s most well-known products. It has wonderful aromas of lemon, orange custard, and honey, giving a creamy palate with the richness of crème brûlée, chocolate custard, cherries, and almonds. This gives a sweet finish to the drink with amazing characteristics of malt, coffee, bananas, milk chocolate, and honey.
Balcones
The superior American brand’s Balcones Texas Single Malt Whiskey is one of the best classic traditional whiskies. It is a timeless malt whiskey made using conventional distillation techniques and ingredients.
This deep amber-colored malt whiskey has wonderful aromas of citrus, honey, banana, pears, rosewater, stone fruits, with a silky palate rich in notes of fresh butter, marmalade, and toasted bread. This gives a long finish with lingering notes of burnt sugar, rich malt, and wood flavors.
Cedar Ridge
Cedar Ridge Single Malt Whiskey is one of the best midwestern whiskeys made in America. The brand uses the best quality grains from the beloved Iowa grain belt and ages them in a hand-selected single barrel, which gives a complex flavored whiskey.
The rich, handcrafted, 100% pure malted barley is uniquely cask finished and meticulously matured over a period, which gives a subtle and balanced single malt whiskey.
The golden amber-colored whiskey has wonderful aromas of gingerbread, fudge, coconut, banana, spiced mocha, along with a sweet palate rich in notes of caramel and rum raisin cake. The drink has a light to medium-bodied finish with malt overtones.
Copper Fox
Copper Fox American Single Malt Whiskey is a handcrafted whiskey made at the Copper Fox Distillery in Williamsburg from locally sourced ingredients. This was the first distillery to open in the United States since the repeal of prohibition.
Rick Wasmund dreamt of opening his own distillery after he visited Scotland in 2000. Instead, he opened the distillery in 2005 and started producing high-quality malt whiskey by using local fruit woods such as applewood and cherry wood to smoke and dry the grains.
This American single malt whiskey is the signature drink of the brand and is pot distilled from Virginia barley that is dried and smoked with hand-cut cherry wood and apple wood.
This copper-colored whiskey has rich aromas of honey and olive tapenade, with a creamy palate rich in dried mango chutney flavor that gives a long and spicy finish with subtle notes of rye toast, root beer float, wood smoke, and orange marmalade.
Corsair
Corsair Triple Smoke American Single Malt Whiskey is one of the unique flavored and complex single malt whiskies crafted in the United States in the state of Tennessee.
This is one of the award-winning whiskies made using three distinct smoked malts, namely cherry wood from Wisconsin, beech wood from Germany, and peat from Scotland.
This uniquely crafted malt whiskey is aged in small barrels adding no artificial flavors or colors. It is pot-distilled and aged in new American charred oak barrels.
It has wonderful notes of smoke with a slight sweetness from the peat and malt.
Deerhammer
In Buena Vista, Colorado, Deerhammer Distilling Company creates innovative single malt whiskies using traditional methods.
This independent distillery crafts single-barrel American whiskey in-house from recipe creation, mashing, fermentation, distillation, and maturation. It has a 140-gallon direct-fire copper pot still, which helps craft American single malt whiskey in the Scottish style.
It is a grain-to-glass single malt American whiskey made from a match made of 100% malted barley. It is double distilled, aged in new charred white oak American barrels for 12 years, and later bottled at 92-proof. The fluctuating temperatures in the high alpine region of Vienna Vista maximize the flavor potential of this drink.
It has wonderful vanilla, orange, and caramel aromas with a complex palate rich in notes of citrus, spice, sweet coffee, and chocolate that give a smooth finish.
FEW Spirits
Named after Francis Elizabeth Willard, FEW Spirits produces high-quality single malt whiskey at their craft distillery in Illinois.
This whiskey has a beautiful caramel golden color with wonderful aromas of malt, dark chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, green apple, thyme, honey, and spices with an exotic palate rich in red apple and chocolate flakes that gives a delicious finish with subtle notes of caramel, Ovaltine, and chocolate.
Hillrock
Hillrock Estate Single Malt Whiskey was one of the first single malt whiskies produced in New York since the prohibition period. It uses barley, which is cultivated in the rolling hills of the Hillrock estate, where it is harvested and malted at the Hillrock malt house.
This malted barley is fermented and distilled through a custom-made 250-gallon copper pot still. The distilled whiskey is aged for approximately two years before bottling by hand. This whiskey reflects the high-quality heritage of New York’s history of producing superior-tasting barley in the United States.
The dark amber whiskey has wonderful aromas of vanilla and malt, with a slightly sweet palate rich in notes of butterscotch, caramel, honey, cinnamon, and woody spices. It gives a slightly spicy finish to the drink.
Peach Street
One of the signature drinks of the brand is Peach Street Distillers’ Colorado Straight Single Malt Whiskey. It is an American-peated single malt whiskey aged eight years in a single barrel.
This craft distillery was founded in 2005 and has been making high-quality Colorado straight single malt whiskey with 100 percent malted barley. They aged the whiskey in ex-bourbon barrels.
This amber-colored whiskey has wonderful aromas of vanilla, macadamia nuts, and milk chocolate, with an earthy palate rich in leather and chocolate. It gives a slightly bitter finish with black pepper, honey, malt, and a peaty aftertaste.
Sons of Liberty Spirits
Sons of Liberty Spirits is one of the best whiskey brands which produces American single malt whiskey. This was released as a 500-bottle release to commemorate the 10th anniversary of this exclusive release.
The brand uses Vienna malted barley to distill its unique tasting single malt whiskey with aromatic flavors of nuts and honey. It is double distilled and matured for 38 months in 53-gallon American oak barrels to produce a delicious whiskey. It is non-chill filtered and does not contain any artificial flavors or colors.
This single malt whiskey has aromas of coffee, nuts, and black pepper, with a slightly savory finish.
Hudson
Hudson Single Malt Whiskey is the first single malt whiskey distilled in the Hudson Valley at the Tuthilltown spirits distillery in New York.
The band uses 100% whole-ground malted barley and distills the whiskey in small batches in pot still distillation units. Then, disgusted, risky is matured and new, small charred American oak casks for intense depth and character.
This dark amber-colored single malt whiskey has intense aromas of wood along with vanilla and spice.
St. George Spirits
Baller Single Malt Whiskey is one of the high-quality malt whiskies produced by this artisanal distillery in Alameda, California.
St. George’s Spirits’ take on the Japanese take on Scotch whiskey produces a unique, inspired spirit perfect for making whiskey highball cocktails. It is slightly roasted, distilled in eau-de-vie pot stills, and aged in Bourbon casks and French oak wine casks. The distilled whiskey is filtered through apple charcoal, giving the drink a unique taste and a crisper finish.
The single malt whiskey has the sweetness of malt, lychee fruit, and almond nut characteristics, giving the drink a smoky finish.
10th Street Distillery
Tenth Street American Single Malt Whiskey from California has a medium peat level. It is made with 100 percent peated malted barley, double distilled in copper pot stills, and aged in first-fill bourbon barrels.
This light, golden-colored single malt whiskey has wonderful aromas of citrus. The palate is rich in vanilla, red apple, and peach flavors. It gives a lingering finish with a full-bodied and buttery texture.
R6
R6 is an Illinois-based distillery that produces single-malt American straight whiskey. The grain bill is European in style, with 100 percent malted grains sourced from a single distillery. The mash bill includes a blend of peated malt, distillers’ malt, chocolate malt, and coffee malt grains.
This whiskey has smoke, coffee, and chocolate aromas, with a sweet palate that gives a warm finish with dark coffee undertones.
Kopper Kettle
The Virginia-based Belmont Farm Distillery produces the Kopper Kettle American Single Malt Whiskey. They use a blend of three-grain whiskies, which is so good for two months in both Virginia white oak and Virginia applewood barrels. It is then aged four years in oak barrels, which gives it wonderful characteristics and a flavor profile.
This is a triple distilled whiskey in a copper pot still, which gives it a wonderful malty texture in the drink.
It has wonderful aromas of vanilla, honey, hibiscus flowers, and a breakfast palate rich in notes of cereal, milk, chocolate spread on toast that gives a sweet finish with cookie dough and jam undertones.
Town Branch
Lexington Brewing and Distilling Company created the Town Branch Single Malt Whiskey. It is distilled from 100% malted barley and aged seven years, which gives it a complex taste and characteristics.
The pale gold whiskey has wonderful aromas of breakfast cereals with a buttery palate rich in honey series notes, which gives a medium-length finish with mild heat and honey-glazed grain overtones.
Dampfwerk
Dampfwerk American Single Malt Whiskey represents the rich heritage, passion, and commitment to distilling this distillery’s most recognizable spirits globally.
This whiskey takes four years to make using only Minnesota-sourced pale ale and chocolate malt.
The distilled spirit is first matured in Minnesota-made American white oak barrels and then finished in red wine barrels, giving the spirit depth and softness.
Kings County Distillery
Kings County Single Malt Whiskey is made entirely like a single malt Scotch made in Scotland. This distillery is in Brooklyn, New York, where the single malt whiskey is openly fermented from malted barley that is sourced from England and Scotland.
This is double distilled using traditional Scottish pot stills and aged in used bourbon barrels for a minimum of 3 years. This whiskey has sophisticated and elegant aromas and flavors with burnt orange peel, honey, and peat notes.
Rogue Spirits
Rogue Spirits Oregon Single Malt Whiskey is distilled in small batches from barley grains grown on Rogue Farm.
It is crafted from malted barley that has been 10% smoked with cherry and alder. They aged the distilled spirit for a minimum of five years in new charred American oak barrels.
Old Line
Old Line American Single Malt Whiskey is made from 100% malted barley aged in charred new white oak casks. The distillery is in Baltimore, Maryland, where the good location helps in distilling fine quality whiskey and provides the perfect environment for its maturation in barrels.
This golden-colored whiskey has aromas and flavors of caramel, honey, and vanilla, giving the drink a sweet finish.
Sugar House Distillery
Sugar House distillery produces one of the best handcrafted American single malt whiskies in small batches. They use 100% malted barley, which includes a combination of pale Vienna and honey malts, which are hand-selected and fermented using Scottish traditions.
This whiskey is carefully distilled and aged in new American oak barrels blended with the purest mountain water. It is never chill-filtered to keep the complexity of the whiskey. They do not add any artificial colors, flavors, or additives.
The single malt American whiskey has aromas and flavors of vanilla and caramel.
Del Bac
Del Bac’s Classic American Single Malt Whiskey is made using Scottish models of whiskey making.
The brand uses 100% malted barley, mashed, fermented, and distilled in copper pot stills. They then aged the distilled spirit in new American white oak barrels. As a result, it is never cold filtered.
It has wonderful aromas of stone fruits and a balanced taste of sweet caramel, giving the drink an oak finish.
What is a Single Malt Whiskey?
Single malt whiskey is made from 100% malted barley and distilled at one distillery in the USA. It should be matured in oak casks for at least three years and bottled at 80-proof.
Is Single Malt Whiskey Produced in Scotland the same as that in the US?
Scotland was more famous for producing single malt whiskey than the United States for many decades. However, Americans have implemented the Scottish tradition in the United States by distilling single malt whiskies with malted barley grains grown in the country.
Single malt whiskies distilled in America are known as “single malt American whiskey”, while the same whiskey distilled in Scotland is commonly known as “Scotch”.
What’s The Difference between Single Malt and Scotch Whiskey?
Single malt Scotch whiskies must be made with malted barley and follow Scotch whiskey regulations. It should be aged for at least three years in oak casks and distilled and bottled at a single distillery in Scotland.
On the other hand, single malt American whiskies are made using a variety of malted barley grains, including peat, chocolate, smoked, and, sometimes, malted rye grains.
Most American single malt whiskies are aged for at least three years, and sometimes, they are aged for up to 12 years, which gives an intense flavor complexity to the drinks. However, they are distilled and bottled at a single distillery.
The Best Ways to Enjoy Single-Malt American Whiskey
The highly recommended way to enjoy a single malt whiskey is by drinking it straight, with no mixers or water. Malt whiskies are a sweeter and nuttier flavor, giving the drink a natural sweetness. It does not require you to add any additional sweetness or measures to enhance its flavor profile. You can enjoy it on the rocks too.
However, there are many options for you to enjoy single malt whiskies by creating multi-layered cocktails:
Holiday
Mix single malt whiskey with fresh lemon juice, cinnamon syrup, cacao bitters, aromatic bitters, and garnish with lemon slices and grated nutmeg.
Hot Toddy
Mix single malt whiskey with apple cider, fresh lemon juice, tea, hot water, cloves, and garnish with a lemon wheel.
Stovepipe
Mix single malt whiskey with sherry, simple syrup, and blackstrap bitters and garnish with orange fruit slices.
Old-Fashioned
Make a classic whiskey cocktail by blending single malt whiskey with simple syrup, angostura bitters, and garnish with an orange peel.
Gold Rush
Blend single malt whiskey with honey and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker and strain into a Martini glass.
Fizz of Malt Whiskey
Mix single malt whiskey with lemon juice, sugar, soda water, and ice cubes and strain into a highball glass. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
Mint Julep
Mix single malt whiskey with mint leaves, maple syrup, and diced apples. Add crushed ice and top it with a spring of mint leaves.
Highland Malt Whiskey
Make a simple cocktail by mixing champagne with single malt whiskey and adding a dash of simple syrup and lemon juice.
A Mule with Malt Whiskey
Mix single malt whiskey with ginger ale and enjoy it with a few ice cubes.
Smash of Malt Whiskey
Mix single malt whiskey with apple cider, fresh lemon juice, and cinnamon syrup.
Soda with Malt Whiskey
Make a fishy cocktail by blending single malt whiskey with club soda and garnishing with a slice of orange.
Punch with Malt Whiskey
Mix single malt whiskey with grapefruit juice, orange juice, and sparkling wine.
Paloma de Malt Whiskey
Make a delicious cocktail by mixing single malt whiskey with grapefruit juice, honey, club soda, and garnish with a grapefruit wedge.
The Spritzer
Make a fantastic cocktail by mixing single malt whiskey with raspberry puree, honey, and fresh lime juice and topping with club soda. Garnish with raspberries or orange slices.
