Starward 3 year old 100 Proof, 50%

A carnival of flavors greets the nose: Cotton candy, sweet toffee, and buttered popcorn cascade from the glass, dovetailing with lemon-poppyseed muffin, pound cake, and Moroccan mint tea. There’s a delightful depth of flavor on the palate, where a crack of black pepper, toasted marshmallow, brown sugar cinnamon Pop-Tart, and chocolate all meld. The finish keeps a good thing going with more cinnamon and chocolate, and it lingers on and on. No. 19 on our Top 20 of 2024.