The Whisky Exchange is one of the world’s largest online retailers for all categories of the beloved brown spirit. Every year around this time the trusted purveyor assess its stock—which consists of more than 9000 expressions—to reveals its top-rated tipple. The results are now in for 2025 and the winner lands as a little bit of a surprise: though the company is UK-based, it has gone with an American whiskey above all scotch and Irish alternatives.
Mind you, this isn’t your typical booze competition. Unlike many of those other judgings you see us frequently reporting on, this one relies heavily on the opinion of actual consumers. The expert palates employed by the Whisky Exchange winnow out their personal favorites from ongoing, commercially available releases, all priced under £80. They then take that shortlist of liquids to their annual Whisky Show, held in London, and let attendees vote blindly on those specific options.
This time around the juice accumulating the most votes was New Riff Bottled in Bond, an enduringly popular Kentucky bourbon readily available on shelves for $42. As with any bottled-in-bond whiskey, this one is aged for a minimum of four years in new, charred American oak and presented at precisely 100 proof. But unlike many of its counterparts, it’s crafted from non-GMO grains, holds a fairly high rye content (30%, to be exact), and is bottled absent of any chill filtration.
What emerges from that bottle noses with a brilliant blast of butterscotch and cardamom. The split between sweet and savory follows through on the mid-palate—and into the protracted finish—where dark berry fruit is tempered with warming clove and fresh cracked pepper.
The accolade certainly shouldn’t shock any fans of craft bourbon. New Riff has been making waves in the category ever since opening a decade ago, a short jaunt over the Ohio River from Cincinnati. But in taking home this particular prize, the distillery bested some marquee competition from Scotland as well as Ireland. Expressions from the 2025 shortlist included Glenglassaugh Portsoy, Glen Scotia Victoriana, Kilchoman Sanaig, Green Spot Leoville Barton Bordeaux Finish and Glencadam 15 Year Old.
The Whisky Exchange also doles out a separate annual honor to a “New Wave” whisky it deems most innovative in the space. The recognition this year went to yet another American producer: Seattle’s Copperworks Distilling, for its Release 046 single malt.
“Blind tasting is always a great way to remove all preconceptions about liquid, and it was fantastic to see that two American whiskies–one bourbon and one American single malt–took the crown this year,” said Dawn Davies, head buyer for The Whisky Exchange. “American whiskey is often seen by scotch lovers as maybe not as exciting as Scottish single malts, but this lineup shows it can certainly hold its own on the world stage. Flavor, complexity, and downright drinkability won outright in these tastings.”
For folks who remain defiantly deferential to whiskies of the British Isles, that’s a serious wakeup call. And it’s coming from within the house.
Roebling Suspension Bridge and Three Rivers Stadium on the Ohio River in Cincinnati, Ohio (Photo by: … [+]