Whether you want to give 2016 a long, parting hug, or a middle-finger salute, the end of the year is upon us, and there’s no better way to ring in a new year than with whiskey. Here are our top picks for New Year’s Eve whiskeys to set the right tone for 2017:
For the Party Animal
If you’re attending—or hosting—a party, you need something celebratory and delicious that’s not so expensive or rare that you’ll cringe when you watch Neil, your almost-a-teetotaler brother-in-law, glug it over a big cup of ice and douse it in Diet Cherry Coke. Here are our favorite picks:
It’s a holiday; put down the shots of 101 and take a big, important step up to Wild Turkey Rare Breed. Made from a blend of six-, eight-, and 12-year-old casks, Rare Breed is bottled at barrel proof for maximum intensity, and while it’s tasty as all get out, it’s still affordable at $40 a pop.
Blended Scotch has a bad rap, but Ballantine’s, at least, doesn’t deserve it. Floral, sweet, and approachable, this inexpensive blend of more than 50 different single malts and four grain whiskies is perfect for highballs, and will make converts out of people who think they don’t like Scotch.
For the Solitary Sipper
Big New Year’s bashes give you the heebie-jeebies, and you’d rather do your own dental extractions than hit the bars on the biggest amateur night of the year. You’re staying home on New Year’s, and you need something special to keep you company.
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This 40-Year-Old single malt is a steal at $500, but it looks like Glenfarclas is raising its prices come 2017. Celebrate now with a bottle of Scotch that was distilled during the 1970s while you can still afford it.
Like slipping into your favorite pair of cozy slippers and hunkering down by a roaring fire, this inaugural seasonal release from Westland comes complete with stylish label and gingerbread-like flavor profile.
Like Glenfarclas 40-Year-Old, Booker’s is set for a major price jump in 2017, so enjoy it now while you can. If you’re looking to scrape the memory of 2016 from your mind completely, Booker’s big, bold flavor and barrel-proof strength will get you there.
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