"When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bonds; your mind transcends limitations; your conscious expands in every direction; and you find yourself in a great, new, and wonderful world." —Patanjali
As of January 19th, 2025, it's official—American single malt is a defined whiskey category according to the US government! It was a motion set forth by the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission, or the ASMWC for short. We first learned about this watershed moment on December 13th, 2024, when word spread about the favorable ruling from the TTB. You might interject, "But American single malt already existed long before that date!" You wouldn't be wrong about that. Despite single malt being nearly synonymous with Scotch for decades upon decades, there have also been distilleries silently making American single malt since as early as the 1990s. What is new is a collaborative piece of legislation that requires producers using this terminology to follow a specific set of guidelines in order to be considered part of the newly defined category.
In order to use American single malt on a whiskey label, producers must follow all of these points:
Made from a mash bill of 100% malted barley that was produced in the United States
Distilled entirely at one distillery
Mashed, fermented, distilled, and matured in the USA
Matured in oak casks up to a maximum capacity of 700 liters
Distilled to no more than 160 proof, or 80% alcohol by volume
Bottled at no less than 80 proof, or 40% alcohol by volume
Additive-free, except for caramel coloring, which is required to be disclosed on the label if used
While we've already been celebrating this category and those who are producing great whiskey within it, it's worth noting that this legislation is really good for the whiskey industry as a whole. It sheds new light, offers a full lens of transparency, and brings a heightened awareness toward a budding, flavorful, and robust whiskey world of tomorrow. So which of the presently available American single malts are our favorites? Despite having predated the ratified identity, we'll give you the low-down on the hot new grain in America. Let's dive into our top 5 American single malts!
Our Top 5 American Single Malts as of 2025:
Simple, light, yet teeming with complexity, this 106.5 proof Tennessee-distilled ASM is a great one to convert your bourbon drinking friends with. Strawberry pie, pink floral tones, rounded walnut, and soft flashes of vanilla fill the nose with delight, while banana bread, buttered pecans, coriander, and creamy lemon cake drizzled with a vanilla glaze will have the tongue singing. Despite being bottled in 2022, this one has withstood the test of time as bigger brands have tried—and failed—to live up to this Oloroso sherry-finished treat.
ABV: 53.25% // MSRP: $70
This is the whiskey folks camp out for in Colorado... Oodles of floral tones present an infinite bouquet for the nose: lavender, geranium, and mountain heather are the most notable. Expect a big chocolate surprise when you least expect it. On the palate, chocolate ganache, graham cracker, salted oysters, and butter tones present themselves like the best kind of night out. At 94 proof, it's easy to savor this one patiently through those cold winter months for maximal enjoyment.
ABV: 47% // MSRP: $119.99
Now we're really getting into the good stuff. Blueberry muffins with a thick crystalline layer of sugar on top lead the way on this powerhouse American single malt. The wine influence cannot be understated here on the nose, each cask adding a new layer of aroma; amontillado sherry, tokaji, moscatel, and pinot noir all get involved at different times. There's red berries for days and an underlying pizza dough aroma that keeps us coming back for more on this one. The palate adds in fig, plum, pear, and cola tones on this well-integrated whiskey. Grilled pineapple is a surprising flash of complexity before a long linger of peach, bundt cake, and brown sugar round things out. An incredible feat of blending, bottled at just the right proof at 108.1° by Murphy Quint and team.
ABV: 59.05% // MSRP: $99
It's a double whammy! The fact that Cedar Ridge landed two consecutive spots on this list should be telling. The consistent greatness coming out of that distillery—for all whiskey categories—is truly impressive. With an attention-grabbing nose offering plump fig, dark red grape, beachside barbecue, and sea salt breeze aromas, what's not to love? It's creamy, bready, and a little bit whimsical—a true ineffable beauty to inhale. On the palate, velvet and cream lead the way through a sweet swing of sherry influence. Toasted bread, melted butter, creamy fig, and blackberry tart are all complex nuances you'll find sipping through this delightful dram. The finish leaves a strong imprint on the mind, a placeholder in time set for revisitation of this lovely, lovely 114.9 proof whiskey.
ABV: 57.45% // MSRP: $99
The crème de la crème of American single malt today. Westward Milestone 2 is expertly crafted by Miles Munroe from a 21-barrel solera blending strategy. Each year, a small fraction of the project is pulled for bottling before the blending experiment continues. It's perhaps the closest proper production scale project to the Amongst the Whiskey infinity barrel project. This is the kind of whiskey you could write a book on, and in some ways, Nick already has. The nose is decadent, layered, and sweet with aromas of warm apple cider, cherry cake donut, sweet rum raisin, sticky black forest cake, and Swedish Glögg. The palate leads with cherry cobbler, brown sugar, mulled wine, fried dough, and stewed apricot flavors that bounce around the mouth like a thrilling ping pong match. The adventure in taste continues with intense clarity as vanilla extract, sugar cookie, lemon frosting, and cinnamon-sprinkled apple pie flavors captivate every tastebud in existence. Bravo.
ABV: 48.5% // MSRP: $249.95
Honorable Mentions:
Avoid These:
Clermont Steep ($60)
Bulleit Single Malt ($60)
Yellowstone ASM ($55)
It's a beautiful time to be an American whiskey enthusiast. With a brand new category and a whole new realm of possibility ahead of us, there's no telling where this exciting new development could take us. Ardent producers of the craft have already proven that it's possible to make great whiskey using this recipe, but now it's up to the broader market to decide if it's something that has staying power. After tasting the exceptional spirits listed above, our answer is a resounding yes.
Written by: The Amongst the Whiskey Team
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