Best Scotch EVER
 

So I'm sipping a glass of Balvenie 12yr DoubleWood, and I'm thinking: I remember when I bought this bottle I had heard so many good things about the liquid inside... then upon tasting it... Meh... Not bad, but not great. About what I shouda expected for the price ($46ish)

But having had a few sips now, it's got me thinking...

What is the best Single Malt Scotch you whisky.com'ers have ever had the pleasure of tasting??

Did you own the bottle? How much is/was a bottle of this special dram? Was it young? Was it uber old? What'd it taste like? Tell us the story if you'd like...

I'll go first

For me there are three which are close to my heart, and as much as I'd like to pick a #1, it's too close to call, so in no particular order...

Ardbeg Uigeadail ($100) I've had a few bottles (but I shared the crap outta them :D ) It's like being at the best camp fire ever, and there's an Angel there, peeing on my tounge. Laugh if you want, but it is that good. I (like my DoubleWood) had heard many good things about this Scotch, and no in depth description did it justice. It's that good. Anyone else tried it? :rolleyes:

Bruichladdich Yellow Submarine WMDII ($80) I have four unopened bottles currently, and have assisted in killing several more. No real peat at all. Just fruit. Red fruits. Strawberries. Lot's and lot's of em... There's some raspberries there too, but they're in the background playing with the cherries. A great summer drink. Bought it after I heard/saw the story on youtube. Was far better than I expected. Too bad it's at the end of its run *sniff sniff*

So that's me. Let's hear yours.

And while we're at it: What is the worst you've tasted?? I mean the absolute worst?? I will never again taste a drop of the Bowmore 12yr. I found it just awful. But that's just me (Loved their 10yr Tempest though).

At this time I have aprox 27 different single malts waiting in my cupboard in the cellar that I am going to be consuming over time . A bottle lasts me a month or 2 though but I'm keeping track of what I like and taking notes . So far I've had Glenlivet 12yr , Aberlou a'bunadh , GlenDronach 12 yr and am currently just started in a 12yr Highland Park which I will admit I'm really enjoying . I have also purchase a few good books on Scotch , one being M. Jackson's complete guide to single malt Scotch which is a great read and I have to chuckle at some of his reviews and his descriptions of certain malts....he is a true artist at unusual discriptions of taste .

For many years all I bought was Stathisla 12yr but it is no longer available....at least in Ontario and I don't know why .

Anyway , I'm on a quest for a suitable replacement and it will probably take some time and I'm realising now that it is foolish to just stay with one as there is so much out there to discover and enjoy :D

Great whiskies
 

Beist - I have to admit it would be pretty hard for me to to narrow down one whisky as the best I've ever tasted. However, I can tell you my "wow" first impressions of many whiskies include: Macallan Cask Strength, Glenomrangie D'Or, Balvenie Portwood 21 yo, Laphroaig Quarter Cask, Johnnie Walker Gold Label, Macallan 18 yo, Glenfiddich 15 yo (Solera), Aberlour A'Bunadh, Dalmore 15 yo and Glenrothes Vintage 1985.

nitehawk55 - I also enjoy Highland Park 12 yo - and love that it's reasonably priced just like Strathisla 12 yo! Have a few drops left in my Strathisla bottle, may toast to you tonight! I'll see if I can find out what the deal is regarding availability in Ontario.

Springbank 21
Also, BALVENIE PORTWOOD 21 YEAR
and I have a love for the MACALLAN CASK STRENGTH

Yes, I all but the Springbank, which will undoubtedly break the bank when I decide to purchase.

Ha, just shows you taste is so subjective, I love Balvenie 12 and Bowmore 12 as well :P

I love Oban 14, as much for getting me interested in single malts as I love it for the taste.

I also love Laphroaig Cask Strength and the 10 year.

But if I could only drink one more single malt ever, it would be Oban 14.

There are lots of top tipples in my list and for the standard price range the Balvenie Doublewood is one of my tops.

But my two favs so far (that I have owned) are the Oban Distillers Edition and the Coal Ila Cask Strength (which needs a few drops of water).

Thanks Jojo , be good to know what happened to the Stathisla .

Yes the H-P 12yo has a smooth smokeyness and is very impressive . Michael Jackson gave it a high score.....I can see why .

Hi,

I am new to this site, but hope to become a regular contributor!
IMO, there is no such thing as the 'Best Scotch Ever', as the tastes vary with mood, and I am true believer in single cask whiskies, which are as individual as finger-prints.
However, I do have some favourites in the regular single malt types, starting with Talisker Distillers edition, which is simply scrumptious. I would say Talisker is one of my favourite distillers, and unfortunately one of the only distilleries that doesn't sell casks to the Scotch Malt Whisky Society. :(
I'm also rather partial to the Balvenie Portwood, be it the regular or the better 21 year old.
Ardbeg Uigeadail is also a fantastic malt, and I also have a simply astounding Ardbeg single cask from the society, which is already unavailable.

I am sure as I try other bottles and my favourites will change, but one thing is for sure, it will be a fun and interesting journey discovering the various flavours along the way! :D

For me, it was and is Royal Lochnagar 12-year. I can only buy it in Europe, where is it is quite reasonably priced---about $40. I drink my scarce bottles (brought one by one through the years, as we are only allowed to bring 1 bottle of alcohol through customs) only on special occasions. My, it is liquid poetry! Some Glenfarclas have come close, but the latest 10-year was disappointing.

Hi, new to the site and stumbled upon it while trying to find reviews. I just recently started getting into whisky/scotch and would love to learn more from all of you over time. I'm normally a XO cognac fan but decided to diversify.

So far I've only ventured into Johnny Walkers and Glenfiddichs. I've tried almost every spectrum of Johnnys (red, black, gold, green, blue, King George). The King George was offered at a gathering for $20/ounce. The King George was nice with what felt like a hint of cinnimon finish but I still feel dollar for dollar the green label has the most value. However I have to say it was Glenfiddich 21 that got me hooked on single malts and I haven't been able to go back to blended since. Glenfiddich 21 (roughly $100US/bottle in Asia duty-frees) stands as my current favorite.

Love me some Islay
 

I'm also new to this site and fairly new to finer drinking. I lost my heart to Ardbeg 10 year immediately, and developed a hankering for strong peat.

So far, Bowmore 18 and Ardbeg 10 are my two tops. The Bowmore is like a sophisticated woman, worldly and well educated with a slightly spicy side while the Ardbeg is a rough and tumble companion with a foul mouth who keeps me coming back, time and again.

I also like the Oban 14 and Balveneie 12 too. This are always I buy for any parties here.

Scotch in Eastern Washington is frustratingly overpriced - Balvenie Portwood 21 goes for well over $200. Madness. So I'm limited in my ability to purchase.

However, I've managed current ownership of the usual beginner/intermediate bottles: Laugavulin 16, Talisker 18 (thanks to a friend with a job in the industry), HP 12, Coal Ila 12. I'm working on getting a bottle of the Talisker 10 and HP 18 to do an Island taste test between the younger and older versions of these two.

Laugavulin is usually the one I torcher non-scotch drinkers with. I love it and usually call it my favorite. Still, I find the Islays to require a certain mood.

The Talisker 18 and HP 12 are my current favs and, for the price, the Caol Ila 12 is the Islay of choice in my opinion - a bit 'unsuphistimacated' maybe, but it seems to have the peat and smoke your looking for with an Islay without too much medicine or too much money.

If anyone has the time, I'm looking for suggestions on a 'sophisticated' speyside. I've been cultivating snobbery and I've been avoiding the region all together since they first led me to scotch, but I'm trying to unsaddle my high-horse a bit and get reaquainted. Also, the Oban 14 is the only Highland I've tried and I love it. Any other suggestions?

Thanks

Love this...great piece of writing...totally agree!

-Daniel

The Oban is not just a "Highland", but a Western Highland. It is unique, and not to be confused with the flavor profiles of other Highlands.

As for a sophisticated Speyside, I need to know what sophisticated means. I would take it to mean subtle, complex, but not challenging. Smooth. I am thinking of my favorite Speyside of them all, Glenrothes. I would go with the '91, as it is cheaper than the '89 or '85 (and almost as good). I have not yet tried the '94 or '98, so I don't know if they would be a good "sophisticated" Speyside.

I'm afraid that I don't understand the statement, "The Oban is not really a "Highland" but a Western Highland". ALL Highland Malts are broken down into sub-regions ( districts ) of the Highlands. Those sub-regions ( districts ) being: Speyside, Northern Highlands, Eastern Highlands, Western Highlands, and Highland Islands. Oban is as much a Highland as Macallan is a Highland, or even Talisker. Many people have a misconception that to be a true Highland, the whisky must be produced in Speyside. Speyside is just another sub-region and happens to possess the largest concentration of distilleries that produces a unique flavor profile as the Northern Highlands has a unique flavor profile of it's own. I have read comments in this forum that state that Speysides are not Highlands, BUT Speysides. To reiterate, Speyside is a sub-region classification of scotch whisky from the Highlands as the other sub-regions. SPEYSIDE IS NOT A MAJOR CLASSIFICATION. SPEYSIDE FALLS INTO THE HIGHLAND CATEGORY. There are only FOUR MAJOR CLASSIFICATIONS OF SCOTCH WHISKY: HIGHLANDS, LOWLANDS, CAMPBELTOWN, AND ISLAY.

Yes, this is true. I was merely stating that not all Highlands are the same, but there are sub-regions within the Highlands that need to be clarified. I was not clear in my statement. I was being brief. However, like it or not, a lot of people think Glenmorangie, Dalwhinnie, Glengoyne, and Dalmore when they say "Highland". I would never refer to the Island whiskies as "Highlands", if I did not use the conjunctive "Highland-Islands". It would cause too much confusion.

I have edited the post to read "Oban is not just a Highland", so as not to confuse.

Tradition is a Moving Target
 

Actually... According to The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (Passed November 23 '09):


Now... I don't know my Scottish Geography, but that sounds like the Speyside region is - technically - a part of the Highlands, but as of now it is - by law - it is recognized as it's own region with two subregions of it's own (apparently decided by the electrical grid?)... No mention of any other subregions.

That being said, I think I prefer the specific regions implemented by the SMWS. It seems to me that their approach more accurate with general distillery profiles... If nothing else, their system is helping tremendously with remembering characteristics of malts & other distillery information.

Electoral not electrical. http://67.43.1.1/images/smilies/chuckle.gif
http://67.43.1.1/images/smilies/cheers.gif

Ha! Silly me.... Back to the topic?

Best Scotch Ever? Hmm...

I'll say - the one I'm fortunate enough to be drinking!

So far what I have enjoyed the most is the Macallan 18 year. It's a little expensive but great. I also like a lot like the Oban 14 year. Glenlivet 15 yr is pretty good as well.

I'm new here so greetings all!

There are some pretty special drams out there. For me the 30 and 40 year olds are out of my price range so the real stand outs that I have managed to get my hands on are The Glendronnach 33YO (incredible sherry sweetness) and The Balvenie 21 YO Portwood (actually get the port coming through combined with Balvenie honey).

On an ongong basis there are two star performers under £40 or so. Laphroaig Quater Cask and Glenfiddich 15 YO. Both knock me out every time and for the money they can not be beaten. 2 totally different styles - heavy peat vs friut and spice but both amazing.

Various
 

Any good independant bottlers Caol Ila. Murray McDavid Mission Caol Ila and Dewar Rattray 15 yr Caol Ila. Dewar Rattray Mortlach 15 yr Sherry cask, Mortlach distillary 15 yr old. Glenlivet Nadurra 16 yr from any batch. Linkwood, Longmorn. Anything by Dallas Dhu, to see that place not working is a sad thing. Its all good and I would be hard pushed to name a favourite, if pushed to take 1 plain distillary bottle to a desert island i would probably plump for the Mortlach 15 yr.

You haven't lived until you've tasted Laphroig 30. Unfortunately its out of production so its rare and expensive. I've had the good fortune to taste the Ardbeg Provenance (twice) and its unreal. Also, the Signatory vintage Dallas Dhu 26 yr. was one of the most uniquely tasting whiskies I've ever tasted (sweet, tropical fruit, banana).

Two that are at the top of the list right now for myself are:
Ardbeg 27yr Cask Strength (Laing) &
Port Ellen 1980 Signatory

I wish these were cheep as I'd buy the worlds stock, as is I'll have to save my pennies just to savor them in oz form at my favorite watering hole. A more reasonable whisky that I'm REALLY enjoying is Kilchoman summer 2010, quite possibly my favorite from last year.

I vote for the Balvenie 21. Better IMO than the Glenlivet XXV and Glenfiddich 30, in addition to the younger Livets and Fiddiches. I like it better than the other Balvenies I've tried: Doublewood, Single Barrel, Madeira 17.

If you're strapped for cash, check out the Glenlivet Nadurra Triumph 1991 - great value. Get it while you can.

Best Ever...
 

This thread goes back a while and whence reading through it two things come to mind:

1) Most of the whiskies recommended are official bottlings. This is greatly because most stores (in the U.S. anyway) don't carry any independent bottlings. This is due to their buyers and owners knowing nothing about what and who they are. Consequently, consumers never see them. For most of the stores that do have some independent bottling representation, the staff in the store likely doesn't know anything about them and they never get recommended to the customer.

My point, where there's nothing wrong with official bottlings (in fact, some are great), if you're not shopping in a store where independent bottlings are a designed and prominent part of the stores malt strategy, you should find yourself another store. I feel very strongly about this, as you might tell.

2) For me, the best whisky ever is the next one.

Each whisky has something to discover. Some are better than others. Some bottlings are better than others. Some casks are better than others. I look forward to the next dram from a distiller or bottler with whom I have little or no experience equally to some of my favorites. We lovers of malts are on a journey and not looking for a destination.

That said, here's a list of my top 15 from the last year:
Mortlach 15 Yr G&M bottling
Glenturret 11 Yr G&M
Strathisla 25 G&M
Macallan 59 Yr, 1950 G&M warehouse cask sample
Glenlivet 21 Yr G&M
Macallan 35 Yr, 1972 Speymalt G&M
Benrinnes 15 Yr, 1990 Signatory Vintage bottling
Longmorn 18 Yr, 1992 SV
Ben Nevis 18 Yr, 1992 SV
Springbank 30 Yr Lombard bottling;
Dailuaine 31 Yr, 1964 Lombard
Glenfarclas 15 Yr Official Bottling
Miltonduff 10 Yr OB
Sringbank 10 Yr, 100 Proof OB
Benriach 10 Yr, Curiositas Peat OB

Favorite Single Malt is tough but I have established a pecking order in my young love affair with Scotch Whisky.
Oban 14 and Macallan 15 triple cask tied for 1st
The Balvenie 15 year
Dalwhinie and Glenlivet 12 tied
Laguvulin 16 just a cat hair above Talisker 10
Speyburn 10
Glenmorangie The Lasanta last, I have had blended Scotches that I liked better.
This is all the Scotch I have on hand at present.
I will be honest I really (really) love all these except the Glenmorangie which was OK.

Single Malts.
 

This is a pretty interesting forum for single malts lovers. As someone said above, we are on a journey and we don't know our destination, because there are lots of good single malts out here that everyone should give a try. In my opinion Single malting should be titled " ART".

I am a glad student and can't afford rare or very expensive single malts but here are the best of what i have tried so far.

If u are a really scotch lover:
- Lagavullin 16
- Talker 18 0r 10
- Aberlou A'bounadt ( Casket strength)
- Laphroiag 18 and 10

If u like smooth and fruity:
- Glenmolangie Nectar d'or
- Glenmolangie Quinta Ruban
- Glenmolangie Lasanta
- Glenfidish 15
-

Best scotch I've ever had? Lagavulin 30, followed closely behind by the port ellen 8th release.

Simply the best
 

Johnnie Walker Blue Label sets the standard for excellence, by delivering the best in blended scotch whiskey. Blue label is hand-selected from the rarest casks from across Scotland. The Blue label was created by Jim Beveridge, who remains committed to maintaining the Johnnie Walker tradition of creating the worlds greatest whiskies. Blue Label delivers unmatched quality and taste, mixing the finest of young and old whiskies to deliver a taste that is unrivaled by any other brand.

Be the best by drinking the best. Keep Walking!

It also sets the standard for marketing hype and extraordinary price for what you get, especially compared to single malts in JW Blue's range... Yawn...

The best I remember :
Glenfiddich 15 yr Solera Reserve
Balvenie 12yr from about 15 years ago
Laphroaig 40 yr[I was lucky to buy it BEFORE it went thru the roof] - unlike any Laphroaig you can imagine almost sweet and very smooth!!:D

Update

Favorite Single Malt is tough but I have established a pecking order in my young love affair with Scotch Whisky.
Talisker is now my favorite
Oban 14
The Balvenie 15 year
Laguvulin 16
Macallan 15 triple cask
Dalwhinie
Cragganmore 12 year
Laphroaig 10
Glenlevit 12
Glenfiddich 18
Speyburn 10
Glenroths Single Reserve
Glenmorangie The Lasanta last, I have had blended Scotches that I liked better.

As I have had time to enjoy a few more Scotchs I have found my tastes gravitate to the smoky, peat, pepper Scotchs with the exception of Oban which I love.

Highland Park 30 Year Old is pretty hard to beat from recent memory.

Hi,
I'm new to the forum, I quite like it here...

So, concerning this thread, I'm a student as well, which means I can't go for the expensive ones, but that's the great thing about scotch, you can still enjoy a very good one for 30 euros or so...

I haven't been drinking whisky for that long bur my list would go like this:
Dalmore 15
Dalmore 12
Balvenie double-wood 12
Old pulteney (I kind of like the salty sea smell to it:))

Glad to be here
:)

Cheers

My "wow" whisky has to be a hp27yo old malt cask it was so fantastic... i just had to buy a bottle (120 gbp) Also on a note i was very impressed with the shackletons blend, the story behind this bottle has to make it a "wow" whisky, maybe not in the normal sense but a very good whisky with a great story..... A more recent bottle worth a mention must be the Glenfiddich snow pheonix, this whisky is fantastic, it has everything a "fiddich" should have and more...much more....and at 50(gbp) it is a bargin...

definitely the Port Ellen 24 yr old. Heaven in a bottle.

Best...Clynelish 14. Just a "wow" release of flavor on the swallow. Its the first scotch I've purchased multiple bottles of. Also love JW-green.

Biggest letdown...a young Tomatin.

Yeah, keep on walking...
:p

Apart from those one can find at most reputable stores, and some already mentioned here, I've been fortunate to recently come across Hazelburn 12, Duncan Taylor's NC2 bottling of Macallan 18, and a 19-year-old Rosebank bottled by Gordon & MacPhail as part of their Connoisseur's Choice line. Needless to say, all of them were promptly added to my collection, and all can be considered new favorites. Best of the three? The Macallan, although it is a difficult choice.

Johnny Walker Gold was the first blended scotch I fell in love with, compare to Johnny Blue I would take a bottle of Gold any day (plus half the price isn't too shabby either). MacAllan 18 is another scotch the I instantly fell in love with. Glenlivet 18 was decent.

What do you mean by a "young" Tomatin? 12years?

Disclaimer upfront...islay fan here
 

interesting discussion, slightly sidetracked a few times by 1) esoteric arguments about whether Speyside warrants its own appellation (term slighty misused I know...), and 2) an adbot (johnniewalkerproject).

notwithstanding my observations at least partly afforded by the luxury of arriving the party late, here are my lists:

Best:
Ardbeg Supernova (but have to build into it with lesser Ardbegs)
Lagavulin 12
Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength

If only one Scotch from here to infinity:
Lagavulin 16
Laphroaig 10
Ardbeg Uigeadail

Worst:
Anything blended
Anything other than Islay (Talisker excluded)

First post here. I'm quite new to the world of single malt whisky, but I can say with absolute certainty that I'll be enjoying it for the remainder of my days. The first scotch I tried was Glenfiddich 12 (was an impulse buy brought on by conversation with a fairly sophisticated coworker) - it was very difficult to drink and I recall making a face. I put it away and didn't touch it again for many months until after I made a friend in a scotch drinker. Now this fellow has a tendency toward inexpensive scotch, so it's a wonder I ever became fond of it, but there's something about drinking with a friend that makes it more enjoyable.

Anyway, it did not take me long to polish off that initial bottle and I was quickly out looking for something else. I have tried only a dozen different single malts and enjoyed every one of them. So back to the original topic, favorites, I am quite fond of Lagavulin 16, Glenmorangie Nectar D'or, Auchentoshan Classic, & The Yamazaki 12. I have much research to complete, but for now it is Glenfarclas 25 that tops my list. I look forward to trying many more single malts and hope I don't go broke in the process!

Hi all, first post here and I have to agree with SIL that having scotch with like-minded pals enhance the whole complexion of tasting altogether.

Still in the budding yrs of exploring the world of whisky, currently the short list goes like this:-

JW Green, black, double black, swing, Gold labels
Bowmore 15, and a dram of Bowmore 1982
Highland Park 12
Glenmorangie 12
Glenfiddich 12 & 15
Glenlivet 12
Macallan 12
Chivas Regal Royal Salute 21

Personal frequent-poppers are the Bowmore 15 and Glenmorangie 12.

Looking forward to many more years of discovering new scotch. :)

great post!:)

Best scotch whisky which I have ever had was Blue Label.I am from India and it's very expensive here.It costs you around 5600 INR.I use red label regularly.It is quite cheap compare to others.I would suggest red label for regular use.

I would have said Balvenie Doublewood until yesterday...... when I tried a 12 year old Old Pulteney, Its sea salt and buttery deliciousness has me addicted to this beautiful single malt. I imagine being back in Scotland on a cold windy day at the beach "bliss". Cant wait to try the whole line of Old Pulteney. Im new here also so Good Day everyone.:)

I'd have to go with Ardberg Uegedail for the bold and complex flavors it delivers with Aberlour Abunadh a close second.

My favorites
 

So far for me? Mostly usual suspects.........

Talisker 10
Lagavulin 16
Macallan 18
Glenlivet 21
Old pultney 12
Oban 14

I figured I should stop at 5, but couldn't help myself I actually have a few blends I like. Both 'good' and downright cheap, but no place for them in a single malt thread.

My top 3
 

old pulteney 12, always filled in my decanter

Arran Sherry *** My favorite and discontinued, limiting myself to one dram a month

Dalmore 15

There are others I like and only have 3 years of fine malt experience

Caol Ila
 

I'm in love with a lass called Caol Ila. I guess I'm a sucker for the Islays, because I like that newbie, Jura as well....

But Caol Ila I could drink all day.....

New favorites include anything Aberlour, especially the 16yr, 18yr and of course the A'Bunadh.

Dalmore 15yr is exceptional.

Glenrothes 1972 is spectacular.

Ardbeg Uegedail or Ardbeg Day (although not availiable)


although if I'm not in savoury mode;

The Balvenie 21yr Portwood - outstanding.

The best for me so far is the octomore 10! Excellent dram! I also enjoy the abunah , macallan 18 sherry , glenfarclas 30, laphroaig 10

The suspense is killing me on trying some Uigeadail. I know it'll be up my alley, as I'm a big fan of Lagavulin 16, Ardbeg 10, and of course Talisker and Laphroaig's offerings (sipping on some Talisker DE 2000 right now).

So at the moment it's Laga 16 but I have a pretty good feeling it'll be Uigeadail soon.

That being said, I echo the notion that there can't reaaally be one to rule them all. If it weren't for different moods calling for different drams, we wouldn't need these silly collections so many of us have (mine is rather small compared to some I'm sure, but still takes a few minutes to paw through before deciding some days).