The Best American Single Malt Whiskeys of 2024

On December 17, the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau gave American distillers an early Christmas present: formalizing the guidelines for American single malt. The homegrown U.S. style is still in its infancy, yet hundreds of distillers are all in, creating whiskeys with an eye to creativity and uniqueness.

There are American single malts that taste similar to Scotch, while others are much closer in flavor to bourbon. Some are made with a single type of barley. Others still use different varieties, like those commonly found in beer, to build in different flavors from the get go.

Nearly all American single malts employ a variety of barrels for aging. Everything from wine and rum to cognac, apple brandy, and toasted oak. Because American single malt is made all across the country, the climates and environments in which the whiskey matures impart additional unique qualities. There’s a huge difference between a single malt made in Texas versus one made in Massachusetts, Colorado, or California.

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I’m thrilled that American single malt distillers now have the reassurance of official recognition to bolster their businesses and help them reach more curious drinkers. Even though single malt is the most creative whiskey style being made in America today, there’s still so much room for experimentation and growth. 

Below, find our favorite American single malts from around the U.S. And if you're interested in more whiskey, check out the best Canadian whisky, best Japanese whisky, and best bourbon for an old fashioned. 

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Best American Single Malt Whisky of 2024

St. George Baller

St. George Spirits was the second American distillery to make single malt all the way back in 1998. It regularly releases limited-edition batches of its flagship, which incorporates different ages and barrel types. Baller is the distillery’s second single malt, a Japanese-style whiskey, finished in house-made umeshu casks, that’s intended for cocktails. It’s easy to find and priced for everyday drinking—which means you have no excuse not to try it.

Lost Lantern 3-Year-Old McCarthy’s

Steve McCarthy was a singular dreamer when he first made a single malt at Clear Creek Distillery in Hood River, OR, in 1991. By the time he passed away in 2023, hundreds of other American distillers were following in his wake. But McCarthy’s original single malt, lightly smoky thanks to the use of Scottish peat, remains a pillar in an increasingly crowded field. The McCarthy’s core range can be found nationwide, but this single cask, from indie bottler Lost Lantern, offers a particularly bold expression at 114.1 proof.

Westland Solum

One of the most active advocates for American single malt, Seattle’s Westland is also a highly creative distillery that leans into its Pacific Northwest identity. In addition to offerings made with locally grown barley, colere, and aged in in native oak, garryana, there’s Solum, a single malt that incorporates local peat. You read that right: peat from Washington State. It’s totally different from the briny smoke bombs of Islay—more delicate and herbal—a completely unique whiskey chock-full of provenance.

Whiskey Del Bac Dorado

A true pioneer, Del Bac was the first distillery to make single malt that wasn't peated, but mesquited. Founder Stephen Paul even built his own malting tool so that he could dry barley over the native Southwestern wood smoke before making it into whiskey. The result: Dorado, an interplay of sweet and smoky notes, fortified with powerful oak that comes from aging in the dry desert heat of Tucson.

Westward Pinot Noir

Like its neighbor to the north, Portland-based Westward has been shaped by local flavor and culture. It starts with the whiskey-making process, which integrates practices from the brewing industry—Portland being such a haven for craft beer—and continues into the warehouse, where barrels from other Oregon drinks producers, especially wineries, figure heavily. Westward Pinot Noir uses casks from several Willamette Valley wineries, layering berry notes atop a base that’s already brightly fruity.

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Balcones Texas 1

Texas whiskey has achieved a strong reputation in recent years, and that’s thanks in no small part to Balcones. The climate in Waco, TX, where summer highs get into the 90s and winter lows are around freezing, promotes highly active whiskey maturation, with liquid moving in and out of the barrel at much a faster clip than in the cool and steady climate of Scotland. Partner those conditions with new charred oak barrels, and you end up with a single malt that’s as robust and muscular as any bourbon or rye—yet still retaining the delicate fruit and honey notes of its base ingredient.

Virginia Distillery Co. Courage & Conviction

Planting a flag for single malt in the South, Virginia Distillery Co. uses three cask types to mature its flagship, Courage & Conviction: bourbon, sherry, and cuvée casks. The first two are probably familiar; the third one is the brainchild of Jim Swan, a legend in the Scotch industry who helped Virginia Distilling when it was first getting started. The cuvée cask starts off as a European red wine cask, but before it’s used for whiskey, the interior layer gets shaved and then toasted and charred—a process that revitalizes the wood while preserving some of the nuances of its original contents. It adds an indelible character of fruit and spice to the final whiskey.

Santa Fe Spirits Colkegan Apple Brandy Cask Finished

Another take on mesquite-smoked single malt, Colkegan Apple Brand Cask Finished is a good one to pour for dubious Scotch drinkers. The whiskey is more delicate than that of Del Bac and gets extra nuance from a finish in apple brandy casks. It’s still distinctly American though. Santa Fe Spirits is going through a rebrand, so bottles may look different in the future, but the whiskey within should remain as delicious as ever.

Stranahan’s Mountain Angel 10-Year-Old

American single malt is still such a young style that there are very few distilleries with 10-year-old stock. Even fewer with enough of it that they can have a regular release. Stranahan’s, though, is one of the OGs. It started barreling single malt in 2004 and now has plenty of extra-mature whiskey, including bottles of Mountain Angel. There’s even a 12-year-old version out now that will see a wider release next year, and head blender Justin Aden has confirmed that even older whiskies will be coming.

Cedar Ridge The QuintEssential

Though this Iowa distillery is better known for bourbon and rye, its single malt shouldn’t be overlooked. Master distiller Murphy Quint lets his creativity go wild with this style, using a variety of casks—including many from Cedar Ridge’s own winery. The QuintEssential also includes periodic limited releases that range from a port-forward offering to a Cigar Malt blend, ideal for pairing with your favorite stick.

Boulder Bottled-in-Bond American Single Malt

You’re much more likely to see bottled-in-bond on a bourbon or rye, but there’s no reason it shouldn’t feature prominently on American single malt. Boulder Spirits gets this and released Boulder Bottled-In-Bond American Single Malt. Though it has several other expressions of American single malt, the distillery’s bottled-in-bond version is the only one at 100 proof, which amps up the flavors of cocoa, molasses, and nuts. This version is four years old, but Boulder has offered bonded single malts at higher ages in the past—and likely will again.

Triple Eight The Notch 12-Year-Old

One of the hardest-to-find whiskeys in America—and that includes Pappy—is The Notch 12 Year. Made at Nantucket’s Triple Eight Distillery, an offshoot of Cisco Brewers, it comes in 8, 12, and 15-year-old variants. But we like the 12.

Elegant and perfectly balanced, the whiskey has a maritime quality thanks to its maturation on the windswept island. This price may be totally unheard of for American single malt, but I'm here to tell you it's worth every penny.

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