Spirits Tastemaker Fred Minnick Reveals His Top 100 American Whiskeys Of 2025 - Ranked

"After tasting blind, I couldn't wait to find out what my fourth place finisher was," says Minnick. "Its profile was so unique and complicated that I knew it had to be from a distillery placing attention on grains. When I learned it was from a small Minnesota distillery, Brothers Justus, I was so excited. As a professional taster, nothing makes me happier than to see the growth of small, craft brands who have no marketing budgets. I bought that bottle at a local liquor store and now believe this American Single Malt should be a household name."

While this year's list highlighted an increased number of craft distillers and independent blenders, including Brother Justus American which earned the highest ranking for an American Single Malt since the inception of the Top 100 list, larger brands dominated the top four spots on Minnick's coveted list. The 2025 list also marks the first time Minnick selected two whiskeys from the same distillery for the top two spots on the list.

George T. Stagg's 142.8 proof came in first place, with Sazerac 18 Year Rye, 90 Proof and Bomberger's PFG Kentucky Straight Bourbon, 100.2 proof following in second and third.

See the full ranked list, here:

fredminnick.com/2026/01/21/2025-top-100-ranked

Revisit his 2024 picks, here:

fredminnick.com/2024/12/30/top-100-american-whiskeys-of-2024-ranked

Minnick is set to release his deeply personal memoir, Bottom Shelf: How a Forgotten Brand of Bourbon Saved One Man's Life (Sourcebooks)on February 17th, which tells the story how taste mindfulness helped him overcome PTSD after the Iraq War, and led him towards becoming the world's leading bourbon expert, while also exploring his deep-dive into the mystery of Old Crow's downfall.

Bottom Shelf was named one of Barnes & Noble's "Most Anticipated" reads for the History, Cookbooks and Food & Wine categories, and it was featured on Publishers Weekly's Spring Fiction & Nonfiction preview. Pre-order the book via Amazon, Barnes & Noble or Givington's (signed copies available).

More information on Fred Minnick can be found at fredminnick.com.