These were so important... | 7 milestone whiskies
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- čas přidán 1. 07. 2024
- It's a list today, folks. Today I'm looking back over my "whisky journey" and discussing some of the bottles that were important in making me the enthusiast I am today. Or something.
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Idea for video: whiskies that actually improved in newer releases
Yes please.
That will be a very short video 😂
ohh good topic
Ledaig 10
Tobermory 10 > 12
Glen Scotia as a whole
Glenallachie as a whole
Edradour as a whole
Loch Lomond as a whole
Also, yes please!
Reflecting on one’s personal whisky journey is actually very fun. Thanks for sharing. Believe it or not, my first whisky was Laphroaig 10! I was hooked on Scotch, and there was no looking back.
My milestone whisky was Lagavulin 16, it got me into whisky and peated whisky in particular. It's taken me forty years to move onto Bunnahabhain 12! More of a whisky car park than a journey but at last I'm moving on.
Love the idea of Talisker on an oyster. I’ll be banking that one.
I can confirm that this pairing works great! We pour a little into the half shell then slurp away! Oban works pretty well too. Peat forward scotch did not.
My gateway was Jim Beam white. Then I spend a couple of years dabbling: JW, JD and sometimes a talisker, caol ila or oban. Then 3 years ago a friend of mine sparked the whisky flame in me and I bought the Uigeadail and Balvenie 14 Caribbean. It has been down hill since then.
No way I nicked any Glenfiddich from my dad‘s cupboard. But if I had that malty taste could have kicked off my journey. Years later it took the Laphroaig 10 to get me all peaty. Then an epiphany through two bottles an Ardbeg Alligator and Old Pulteny recommended by a shop in Pitlochry. First whisky fair then blew me away with an almost black Springbank cask bottling that knocked me into orbit. Now I view whiskies like an orchestra of different flavours all needing to be played. Amrut Fusion then launched me internationally plus a Norfolk to England. Great video for anyone to walk through the taste buds of memory lane. Cheers 🥃
Hmmm whisky milestones....damn that's a hard one. ( That's what she said...)
Bunnahabhain 12 for Sherry, Highland Park 12 - Islands, Glendronach 18 for older Sherry, Ardnamurchan sold me ok young whiskys, Buffalo Trace for Bourbon, Greenspot for Irish, Kavalan for Taiwanese whiskey, Tamdhu for elegance, Glenturret 12 for dirty Sherry. Caol Isla 12 for Islay!
That's probably it from the top of my head hehe
Really great topic and fun to hear about your journey my friend! Enjoy your weekend! Slainte 🥃🥃
My nostalgia whiskies are Ardbeg 10, and Highland Park 12. Yes, they were different 12 years ago (when I started) but those two were my introduction into whisky. To this day, I can taste them blind and will instantly think: “Hello, old friend!”
Nice! "Old friends" is a great way to think about them! 🥃
Hmm. I don't really have categories. But these were eye-openers for me:
My first love... Talisker 10. I later realized that your first girlfriend isn't necessarily the hottest person ever, but I'll always have a place for Talisker.
Clynelish, back when it was ... you know... "Clynelishier" than it is now. Waxier and funkier. (Ditto for Oban).
BenRiach Curiasitas - helped me realize how highland peat was nothing at all like Islay peat, but still damn good.
Bunnahabhain 12 - taught me that sherried whisky doesn't always suck. ;)
Ardeg Uigeadail - still a favorite peaty/sherried whisky. One of my first high ABVs.
Laphroaig 10 cash strength - mind blown
Craigelllachie 13 - taught me that all you have to say on the label is "worm tubs" and I will buy it. And like it.
Glencadam 10 - so simple, so cheap, so good.
Compass Box Orchard House - who knew blended whisky could be so good? And reasonable.
Redbreast 12 cask strength - who knew Irish could be so good?
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof - who knew bourbon could be so good? (Ditto George T. Stagg)
Greetings from Portugal to Taiwan.
The problem why they are not as good as they were in the past is because of the demand. In the past scotch would move in cycles. In a down cycle the scotch would be older and therefore more complex. At this current time the demand is high but what ends demand is higher prices and a decrease in quality. Both now are taking place. In the case of Springbank they have kept the same quality and limited quantity and demand has move them to unobtainium
There are a few milestones for me:
Sherry - Billy Walker Glendronach Allardice 18YO
Peat - Ardbeg 10 and Uigeadail even more so (yes the older ones up to around 2015)
Island - Ledaig Anything - but especially the 18YO. But the first one I had was Tobermory 20 which was out of this world.
Funky - Love the Springbank stuff but for me the milestone funky was Edradour 12 Caledonia
Bourbon Cask - I wasn't much into this style until I tried Aultmore 18. Instant convert.
International - Bains Single Grain from South Africa. Now also have an 18YO Oloroso matured bottle and a lot of Three Ships stuff from the same master distiller.
Bourbon - Woodford Estate. Still not a complete convert as I find it too sweet for my tastes.
Like a few others I started my single malt journey on Highland Park 12, Macallan 12 and Ardbeg 10 and these 3 specifically go me going,
My first "uncommon" whisky, which i've tried around 2010 was Campbeltown Loch 5 yo blended whisky. It was a huge surprise, that it "destroyed" great JW 12yo Black on flavour. But then i didnt know what Springbank is...
Then, my local retailer had quite impressive assortiment of BenRiach in Billy Walker era. So my first single malt i've ever tried was also BenRiach 12 sherry. Often i bought 0,05 l miniatures so I had opportunity to try BenRiach Heart of Speyside, 10 yo, 12 yo, 16 yo and 20 yo, but 12 yo sherry was still best in my mind. I've tried also peated BenRiachs: Birnie Moss (it was for me "Peat hammer") 10 yo Curiositas (my first peated whisky ever) and great 17 yo Septendecim (for long greatest peated whisky for me).
There where also GlenDronachs so i've tried 12 yo, 15 yo and 18 yo. GlenDronach 15 yo became the best whisky in my mind for a long time. Newer version of it which i've bought a few years ago was a bit dissapointment for me...
Love this list Geoff. I don't have the breadth of knowledge you have and I started later so mine is more a timeline than categorized.
1) Glenlivet 12 - there was a musty old bar in Hamilton, Ontario called Chesters (long gone now) this was my first real scotch that made me realize I liked it.
2) Macallan Special Edition No.3 - Notoriously a better nose than palate but it opened up a different profile of what I liked vs what I thought I liked.
3) Glengoyne 15 - I was ready for something that had a little more bite...emphasis on a little haha I was chasing a Highland whiskey that started off strong and calmed right down...this was that whiskey.
4) Oban 14 - The first coastal expression I noticed, it had so much flavour and while this may be a dirty word...went down "smooth" Special mention to Highland Park 12, loved it first but Oban took it to another level.
5) Craigellachie 13 - Had this the weekend before I got married and made me realize I was so not the connoisseur I thought I was, opened me up to the more complex offerings and had me notice subtle flavours.
6) Port Charlotte 10 - I had experienced peat driven scptches before but this was the one where I really noticed the honey finish. Exquisite
7) Dalmore Cigar Malt - I love this whisky. I wish I could provide more insight but it restored my faith in scotch under 46%, I'm an occasional cigar smoker and I love the complexity/meatiness.
8) Ardbeg Uigeadail - I wish I had been into scotch when this was "great" but I will happily settle for pretty good.
Awesome idea for a video! I've only been into whisky for a relatively short time, but here's my list:
1. Crown Royal - made for Canadian hooligans, this one got me off of gin!
2. Hibiki - this one showed me there are levels to the whisky game. Still a favorite among my non-whisky nerd friends.
3. Maker's Mark Cask Strength - one of my favorite bourbons during my bourbon phase.
4. Aberlour A'Bunadh - made me fall in love with cask strength sherried expressions.
5. Redbreast 12 - so Irish whisky can be enjoyed slowly and not shot in Jameson form? Cool!
6. Lagavulin 16 - showed me what a well rounded whisky can taste like. Smoky, slightly sweet, rich, and not extreme in any direction.
You should lauch it as a Challenge for other CZcams reviewers, so we can compare their journeys
It's very individual and also shows you on your whisky journey and you and your taste (aging ) maturing.
This video reminded me of how I decided to try peated Scotch. It was a few days till New Year and I decided to get something I would normally never buy, just to try something for New Year's, for laughs. I bought a bottle of Ardbeg 10, and when I smelled it in a glass, I remember thinking "this was a mistake, but I paid for it, so I've got to drink it". Then I actually took a sip and realized that I loved it.
To this day Islay Scotch is my favorite Scotch, but nowadays I usually look for Laphroaig or Kilchoman.
Milestone Whisky for me would need to be the Ardbeg Uigeadail, really amped up my enjoy of Islay scotches.
My milestone whiskies: Bourbon - Jack Daniels; Sherry - Aberlour Abunadh; Peat + Sherry - Ardbeg Uigedail; Peat - Ardbeg 12; Complex + Aged - Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban; Coastal - Talisker 10; Bourbon-matured - Old Pulteney 12
Glenfiddich 12 ,old Pulteney 12,lagavulin 8 for peat glenmorangie the quinta ruban for finished whiskey and alberta premium cask strenght for rye and Russell reserve 10 for bourbon
Man... You put a smile on my face with the Jack Daniels and the Glenlivet, which is still at 43% here in Southern California.
There are also so many great ryes and bourbons to explore with our "Craft distillery" era in full swing. To your health my friend 🥃
Octomore. That series is religious. It’s pricey, over my budget but, oh boy…it’s an experience. Hope I win a lotto so I can splurge. It’s awesome!!!!
Octomore... Hard to justify, but special and delicious for sure! 🥃
Hmmmmmm…
First single malt: around ‘93 at a school friend’s family Xmas party. The dad asked us if any of us drank whisky and I didn’t hesitate, was poured a Macallan 18 that was older than me as a reward. This was the golden age of Macallan and to be honest although I liked it, I didn’t appreciate it as much as I should’ve done. Instead I proceeded to get very drunk and fell off the staircase not realising there was no bannister, but the Xmas tree broke my fall 😂
Would be another two years before I was 18 and tried my
First peated whisky: Laphroaig 10 was the first time I really sipped and “considered” a single malt - at length - as the flavour was so intense it felt visceral. My journey to this had begun with blended whiskies & cola, eventually ditched the cola as the hangovers were no fun, Jim Beam neat, then Laphroaig and from there I was sipping single malts while my friends threw back pints of tasteless lager (Stella/Fosters/Heineken etc).
First coastal: I’ll put Talisker 12 and Oban 14 together as my ‘98-‘02 regular drinks that had that flavour and were my favourite drams. Old fart alert: these were much, much better whiskies back then. I recently tried a Talisker special release and it’s unrecognisable from the aulde juice of yesteryear.
During the ‘00s my Scotch whisky consumption steadily decreased as standards plummeted. I also began to regularly travel to USA to stay with my father and we (and my brother) liked bourbon so this was a period of discovering Eagle Rare, Dickel, Elijah Craig, Blanton’s (when it was less the $45!), Booker’s, Stagg, Woodford etc etc. Distillery tours, small batch stuff, but eventually I realised the flavour profile never changes that much with bourbon and in 2013 I bought my
First Sherried cask strength whisky: you all know which this will be. Aberlour A’bunadh. This beast killed two birds with one stone: first sherried whisky, and first cask strength whisky (IIRC). Batch #46 blew my mind. I thought I was out, and then it pulled me back in!
First Ralfy moment: Arran 10, this time last year, realising that the quality and value is still out there if you know what to look for. Couldn’t believe how good Arran was (and still is) for the price.
Ah you got started at the right time, eh? Prices were fair and legendary bottles were a dime a dozen. Fun fact... we got into the CS sherry stuff at about the same time, it seems. I think my first A'bunadh was batch 42, I think.
Did your friend's dad ever invite you back? 😂
😅 No return invitation, and I fell out of touch once I left school… got another crack at a decent Macallan around ‘99-2000 though: this time a 21 yr, probably the most expensive whisky I’ve ever drunk.
Just noticed I wrote Talisker 12 when I meant 10 - it really was a long time ago 😁
That 2013 A’bunadh will always hold a special place in my heart for reigniting my interest in Scotch. Fabulous stuff!
Oh! First independent bottling: Xmas 2009, a Linkwood (Flaura & Fauna?) and two mystery malts.
I always enjoy your reviews. Thank you
Thanks for watching. Appreciate the comment. 🥃
All hail the grumpy old f####rs,I'm part of that club and proud of it 😆👍🥃
My first whisky experience was J&B scotch - after which I decided whisky was just bad. Luckily, I gave whisky another chance:
My introductory drams: Glenlivet 12 & Highland Park 12
Sherried: Aberlour A’bunadh (batch 59)
Peat: Laphroaig 10 (it’s gone way downhill)
Coastal: Talisker 10
Campbeltown: Springbank 10
Upscale blend: Compass Box Peat Monster
World Whiskey: Paul John Peated
Not really into bourbon or rye but I suppose Jack Daniels No 7
Great list Jeff!
Hello Geoff,
i feel a little bit honored because you used my List Suggestion.(I dont care for the Possibility that maybe you had the Idea of this List before my Comment under your Video recently. I just want to feel a bit quiet honored by you😜)
OK enough Selfloving, here is my List:
Bourbon Matured : Tormore 12yo (Blue Tube OB)
Sherry Matured: IB of Longmorn 1997 CS 17yo First Fill Sherry Butt by van Wees
Port and Peat: BenRiach Solstice 17yo
Peat : Ardbeg Supernova, Lagavulin 12
Aged and Sophisticated: Balvenie Port Wood 21yo,
Dirty/Funky: Springbank12 CS, Longrow 13 SingleCask.
Thanks for sharing your Thoughts and Opinion with a nicely entertaining Video.
Greetings from Germany 😎🤘
up till my 30th year and 364 days i was not really into whisky, i enjoyed cognac , for my birthday i went to my store and said, these are my wine bottles i am going to open, is there something in whisky which would be on par. The shop convinded me to by a Macallan 25. Which i did, and that really was something different, so after that i started buying whisky
There was a lot and coke... Can't relate more but those times are far gone 😂 now only appreciate the noble drinks taste 😎🤟
😂😂😂
My Dad always had Glenfiddich 10 in the cupboard. The first real whisky that propelled my quest - a bottle of Rare Malts 72 Brora (yep… £50 in 1993). Islay - 1977 Ardbeg.
Sherry bombs - one of the early Aberlour A’Bundnath releases
Talisker used to be superb - it was my follow up to Brora.
I have a bit of a love for 15 year old Laphroaig.. it started a bit of a laphroaig habit. Cupboard is full of cairdeas bottles…. Best was the 17 year old one.
Lol that Brora price. 😂🥃
@@Gwhisky before the speculators and investors got involved…. I’ve had the privilege of drinking two bottles of Brora and a bottle of Port Ellen before it became the stuff of millionaires.
Once a week? For real? Good job! How many glasses on average?
0.7L Monster Glencairn 😂
Good List! Also can confirm that Talisker poured on to oysters on the half shell then slurped is a good combo. Oban works pretty good too for this. Peaty scotch did not.
My List:
1. Balvenie 12yr Double Wood - First scotch that made me take notice.
2. Johnny Walker Black-First scotch I could regularly afford and always had on hand
3. Henry McKenna 10yr, Makers Mark 46, and Wild Turkey 101-Bourbons that got my attention.
4. Scotch Malt Whisky Society Bottle 59.59 - My first SMWS bottle which also got me hooked on cask strength offerings
5. SMWS 44.117 - an 8yr Craigellachie fully matured in Oloroso and PX sherry casks was my intro in to sherried whisky. Bunnahabhain 12yr soon followed.
6. Lagavulin 16 and a SMWS 15yr Bowmore - I now like peat
7. SMWS 52.30 a 12yr Old Pulteny in their Oily/Coastal profile and Springbank 10yr-Funky and Coastal so very good.
8. SMWS 113.42 a 23yr Braes of Glenlivet and a Ledaig 19yr-were my aged whiskies
9. Compass Box Myth and Legends-Well hot damn, blends can be amazing.
10. Powers John Lane and Red Breast 12yr-Irish, I see you
11. Stauning Smoke - Danish whiskey got me looking international
My list sounds a bit like an ad for SMWS, but they really are great for exploring scotch varieties and I discovered them during 2020 and could get scotch delivered to my door. Helped me figure out the type of store offerings to go for. For cheaper way to explore, Whisky Advent Calendars.
Great start to the episode 😅
Very cool Video.
Thought about my own List of milestone Whiskies.
Bourbon: Woodford reserve, even though I never had a bottle, but tried it at a pub.
Sherry: Glendronach 12
Sherry+ smoke: Bowmore 10 inspired by devils cask (still sad that its no longer being sold)
Smoke: Laphroaig 10
Aged & sophisticated: Ben Bracken 27 islay (lidl exclusives, I don't know if they're just available in Germany)
Coastal: Bunna 12 (since it's non smoky islay, I think it's fair to count it as a coastal)
Bourbon-matured: Talisker 10
Dirty/funky: Kilkerran heavily peated (don't remember the batch number, was 10cl sample, really want to dive more into it, haven't had a full bottle yet, looking forward to Kilkerran 12 as my next buy probably)
My first Scotch that made me like Scotch was Glenlivet Founder’s Reserve. I loved the heavy American oak .I’ve now come to like less cask influenced whisky, whisky aged in ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, whiskies that aren’t hidden by the oak…with the exception of
Glen Scotia double cask.
Great humor !
Some landmark whiskies on my journey :
Glenlivet 12
Laphroaig Quarter cask and Triple wood
Aberlour abunad'h
Elijah Craig 12
Ardbeg corryvreckan
Talisker 10
Talisker 25 cask strength
Great video. So interesting to see a lot of continuity with things that are still around and available as gateway whiskies (relative quality aside...)
I agree with everything on your list except for Tasker 10 I just did not get along with it it was too sweet and too boring. The Peat was weak in my opinion maybe because I drink Ardbeg. I prefer Lagavulin over Talisker for a lighter peat note. Good on you for only drinking once a week. I got into all this whiskey sampling and drinking and ended up becoming an alcoholic the last couple years. Just trying to get my feet back on ground. Three days sober and feeling good
A friend introduced me to Chevas Regal on the Rocks 50 years ago, I know, on the rocks? It was a totally different dram back then. I didn't drink much whisky back then but I have been getting back into scotch for the last 5 years and am enjoying the journey.
I drink nightly but only three pours and I do it to be able to sleep. I’m retired and have tinnitus very badly and it keeps me up if I don’t get a bit buzzed. I never go over three pours and they are 1.5 2.0 pours. But it works and I’m never hungover. Pretty much stick with bourbon and rye’s but I do do single malts every now and then.
The Glenmorangie Lasanta was my introduction to sherried whiskey in the early 2000s and the Ardbeg Uigeadail was the one that got me hooked on peated and sherried whisky a few years later. While I liked Laphroaig and Lagavulin, the Ardbeg 10 was what really converted me to peat. Oban was an early discovery in the late 90s. The Balblair 2000 definitely left an impression on me. I can't remember whether it was the Glenfarclas 105 or the Arberlour A'bunadh that was my introduction to both cask strength and the non age statement single malts. The Old Pulteney 17 taught me to appreciate a little extra age while worrying less about colour.
Great idea for a video. So I got started on blends (mainly Grant's and Ballentine's) but I moved past that quite quickly. Started with the smoky ones, and I remember the Caol Ila 12 in my folks' bar cabinet was a catalyst, though as soon as I got to a pub and wanted to explore more, the Ardbeg 10 was the true gateway. The Uigedail soon become my standard (this was also around 2008-2009) and also transitioned me into looking up more sherried flavours.
Glendronach 15 then had me obsessed with the sherry bombs for a while, but I was at this point exploring all styles.
As for coastal, I too was a big Talisker fan around this time, though I kind of lumped that one in with the Islays, just a bit softer and saltier. I was probably wrong, but it took until Kilkerran 12 for me to go, 'I love that coastal style of whisky'.
Springbank 12 CS for funky here as well, no doubt. As for ex-bourbon, I think different IB's probably did more to open my mind than any particular release. World whiskies... Well I haven't tried that many, to be honest. But I've had a few smashing bottles of Smögen.
One style you didn't mention but that I'd like to bring up is the more elegant mixes of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry. AnCnoc 18 is probably the whisky that really showed me the potential of a good, balanced mix of these two.
Come for the reviews, stay for the gun show!
They're not actually that big, I'm just constantly flexing for the camera. 😉😂
Three milestone whisky's for me have been Ardbeg 10, Auchentoshan Valinsh, and Glenlivet Nedurra
What a fantastic idea and video Geoff. You cannot forget where you came from on your whiskey journey. I got started on the Glenlivet 12, 18 and older bottlings of Dalhwinnie 15's. I miss that Glenlivet 18 43% release. All fantastic stuff. Cheers G!
Always on the hunt for that Glenlivet 18 (43%), a good sipper.
The biggest milestone for me was the Benromach Cask Strength (2020 I think) simply because that was the first truly amazing whisky that I ”found” myself without seeing any videos or reading reviews. So it became ”my whisky”.
And Jack Daniels in that shaped bottle are GOOD!!!!!!
Nice video
Lol😂 Geoff lol😂 I prefer the blonde compared to the Benriach 12 lol😂 Well done. Kind regards, S.
Bourbon got me into whiskey. I loved wild turkey 101. In my early journey I only went for bourbon, but after some time found that scotch has such a big variety from soft delicate to Monster peat bombs. 🎉 Btw cool glass, but I miss glencairn.
3:55 -- Geoff, please do a video about brands of sherry bomb Scotches that have a good balance between the distillate flavor and the cask influence. :)))
Great video Geoff!
For me it was Ardbeg 10 that started me on my……
”journey”.
Then came Lagavulin 16 for peat and sherry.
Then Bunna 12 for sherry.
Finally I got to the purest bourbon cask with Deanston 12…….my route went backwards. 😂
Hi Geoff, very nice video.
Thanks for giving such an honest glimp in your difficult youth.🤣
Nice career.
For me the first single malt was the Glenlivet 12. other milestone whiskies are Oban 14 (that one really started it for me). Glenfiddich 18, Laphroaig 10 and Springbank 10.
Weirdly it was two bottles of Johnnie walker Islay regional exploration-or something that effect-@43% that bore me into sipping whisky
Very good choice, i had them also at the beginning of my whisky journey. But my absolute favorite was the Laphroaig 18. It cost 60€ those days. Cheers, mate.
Oh man those old Laphroaig 18s... great stuff. 🥃
Talisker 10 was the first bottle i got and the first whisky I truly enjoyed 🥃
Me too. Not the first bottle that I got, but it was definitely the whisky that made me realize I loved whisky. It's still always on my shelf.
The whisky that got me hooked on singel malt was Laphroaig Quater Cask, I think it was around 2002. But my father introduced me to singel malt whisky in around 1983 with Glenfiddich 12yo.
There are numerous whiskies that changed my world. Biggies were Glenfarclas 15, Talisker 10, Aberlour A’ Bunahd, Auchroisk 20 y/o. Quite a while back now I came across several bottles of Springbank 10 100 Proof on discount, bought one, went back and bought the remainder, they started me on my Springbank ‘journey’. That journey has now ended as the whisky is now LUDICROUSLY overpriced. Currently loving Arran, Ardnamurchan and Deanston as they’re still relatively affordable.
(And yes I wish I kept the Springbanks, I could sell them and buy a Ferrari).
Alcohol drunk in moderation, even in large quantities, is good for you Goeff 😅. Good idea for a video, nice list of drams. Its a kind of sentimental "journey" 😎 to the world of whisky which gone and never be back so its little bit sad but...🤷♂️. Good thing is: we can still enjoy some of these whiskies: Glencadam and Arran. Everyone of us has own millstone whisky maybe not so impresive but for whisky novice like me not many whiskies are impresive nowadays. Sadly. When i started my whisky, i say it again "journey" 😅 friend of mine says: buy only whisky from Islay and i have had no idea whay Islay is i said: ok. I was shopping in Tesco and i saw Laphroaig 10 i bought it. After i opened it and smell(drunk as well) nothing been same again 🤠. Cheers and Slàinte 🥂🙋🏻♂️
So we have Laphroaig to blame... 😉
Great list. I confess I’ve tried so many and with 20+ years on you, I cant remember all the bottles that took me on my journey. But uigeadail was 100% on it. Lagavulin as well. As to bourbons, I can’t really speak to those. I’ve tried and disliked many. I’ve had pappy 20 and 23 many times - both nice, but man hard to get and wayyyyy overpriced when you can (fortunately, a friend has them lol). Cheers
0:16 -- and now we know that Geoff drinks water sometimes. It never occurred to me before :))))
Water is basically extremely low ABV vodka. Not a fan. 🥃
@@Gwhisky 🤣
I am at an adventurous point in my whiskey journey right now. I have A bottle of Craigalachie 13 Armingach, Ardnamachan & Bunahabin cask 12 😊
Geoff good choice , like . Cheers !
Thanks buddy! 🥃
@@Gwhisky : )
Interesting list. Most of the whiskies on your list I haven't tried. Talisker and Glencadam are on my list of whiskies I want to try eventually. I've run out of storage space after the Christmas sales, so I need to finish some bottles before I buy more. My milestone whiskies: For Bourbon, Wild Turkey 101. Never got into Jack Daniels even though that is what most people around me were drinking. For Rye, Rittenhouse Rye and Bulleit Rye. For Scotch I started with Johnnie Walker Black then moved on to Glenfiddich 12. From there the next milestone was Laphroaig 10. Then Port Charlotte 10, Compass Box Orchard House, Ardnamurchan Cask Strength 02/22, Kilkerran 12 and Craigellachie 13. For an older scotch, Speyburn 18. For Irish, Teelings Small Batch. Outside of America, Scotland and Ireland, my first whisky was Paul John Brilliance. Cheers!
The Lagavulin DE circa 2008-2009 were fabulous in the sherry+peat category. BTW of the past 10 years the 2021 Lagavulin 12 was really good.
Well colour me flattered. Hah. Thank you! 🥃
I started out as a beer drinker but the tried Jameson and from there I was off and running I then moved on to Makers Mark and Four Roses . Eventually I started working with the Scotsman he turned me on to Balvanie Double Wood and Aberlour I have discovered Talisker ,Laphroid and Lagavulin on my own.
Nice list. I think most Bourbon Enthusiasts would pick the Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof iteration over the regular 45% S/B, but as a general rule, all of the pagoda bottle J/Ds are great picks, both Bourbon and Rye. Cheers.
I didn’t think I liked whisky. My dad had a few bottles he’d been gifted over the years that he didn’t drink. My Scottish uncle was there one evening and we decided to try some. Had a old Highland Park 12 and finally got it. Next time I was at the supermarket I was going to get a HP12, but I saw Talisker 10 on sale, and it sounded similar. Loved it. I’ve had dozens of whiskies since, but Talisker is the one I always come back to.
Talisker is a legend. 🥃
@@Gwhisky Talisker was my first malt love. Bought from a U.S. Navy base exchange bottle shop in Guam. In the mid sixties I was going out to Guam to inspect a nuclear sub every year or so. I routinely brought the 5 bottles back that was allowed w/o paying an import tax. It was always Chivas in those days. This one time I grabbed a Talisker to see what it was like. Got home and fell in love. Lots of years have passed and my single malt journey has wandered far but I still have a soft spot for Talisker. No one forgets their first love, right? P.s I did the tourist bit in Taipei last fall. I kept watching for a slightly tipsy white guy out and about, but no luck.
I've always had a bottle of JW Red around, so that could be considered my first Scotch. But I discovered actual Scotch when instead of buying another DYC 10 (its an spanish whisky brand I got used to have around too) I decided to give a try to a couple of fancier bottles: Chivas Regal 12 and Cardhu 12. I really liked the Cardhu 12, and started reading about Scotch and trying more stuff.
Talisker 10 and (old) Talisker DE got me used to peat, Glenrothes 10, Glendronach 12 and Bunnahabhain 12 to sherry, Kilbeggan Single Grain to... well... single grain, Glencadam 10 and Tomatin 15 to exbourbon, Kilkerran 12 and Hazelburn 10 to nuanced, eccentric and subtle profiles that require time and attention.
There were many other good bottles that I really enjoyed, like Benriach 10 Curiositas (it had more peat than the new bottling) got me used to non-maritime Highland peat, Port Charlotte 10 to more nuanced peat bombs, Springbank 15 to farmy profiles, Port Askaig 100° to explosive, young, CS peat bombs (which are still my favorite kind of Scotch)...
But Laphroaig CQ, Ardbeg 10, Ardbeg Uigeadail and Ledaig 10 are the ones that converted me into a full blown peathead. And now, 4 years later, I own an absolutely healthy and reasonable amount of opened bottles that I have no problem hiding away from visitors. Absolutely not buying stuff I don't even know when I'm gonna open.
By the way, I bought and emptied a bottle of the new Glenlivet 18 when visiting some family last Christmas. I liked it, but not too much. I didn't expect much, bought it mostly because it checked two boxes: easy for beginners to try, and fancy looking. The tasting conditions were not optimal (too much food and other liqueurs before, during and after tastings), but even then, I wasn't impressed at all. There are many, many 12 and 15 yo's in the same price range that are just better in every single way. Like the Speyburn 15, anCnoc 18, Glen Deveron 20 or Dewar's 21. Just not very complex, surprisingly similar to the 12 yo, which I prefer to be honest.
Hmmm, my milestones :
Bourbon/ tennessee;): i guess as most jack Daniels basic portfolio mostly gentleman i guess
for dirty funky malt: edradour caledonia
Sherry: glenfarclas 12
Gamechanger the one that made me think whisky is aproachable and very tasty: old glenmorangie 12yo quinta ruban(that previous black one)
Bourbon matured: kilkerran 8yo cs
Old: signatory vintage glentauchers 21
Sherry Peat:bowmore devils casks
Peat: laphroaig peaty hospital as my wife use to Call it.
Coastal: ledaig 10 or old pultney 12 the "salty malts".
Greetings from Poland!
Some great ones! Cheers! 🥃
Hi Jeff
Just wondering if you could do a video about the top 5 or more single malts that have the longest finish and that our quite oily/thick ?
You should try the JD at barrel proof. Me thinks you might like it. Glenfiddich 15 was the one that took me on my whiskey journey.
I'd love to try the barrel proof. Don't think I've seen it in Taiwan, though. 🥃
Great video! It's such a shame what happened to Glenlivet 18 - it was beautiful whisky back in the day and definitely foundational in my journey. My other milestone whiskies - my first Knob Creek store pick, Lagavulin 16, Redbreast 12 and Glenmorangie 18. Then a little later down the line, Springbank 10 turned me to the funky worm tubby side of whiskies - Dailuaine, Benrinnes, Mortlach, Craigellachie, etc. Forever funked now!
Great idea Geoff a nice trip down memory lane. Man you've been an alcholi... an enthusiast for a long time!
The whisky that started all for me was Jack Daniel's and I was doing blinds to see if I can figure out different version.
For single malt it was Laphroaig 10, just an absolute mind f**k of a dram to the uninitiated.
Glengoyne Cask Strength Batch 1 I had at the distillery made me appreciate cs whiskies.
Glenmorangie Lasanta was the one to make me want to try sherried whiskies.
Cheers my friend, here's to many many more years of enjoying whisky 🥃
Funny watching this ... similar journey to mine. The whiskys were different ... but similar route through the styles and similar experiences. Good Video👍
Hah cool. Thanks for watching! 🥃
Great picks, Geoff. I can identify with just about all of them as they've accompanied my "journey" too. I'm wondering, though, if there's another category you might consider for a future "lists" video: bottlings which are balanced examples of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry maturations, which are then married. That would bring standard core range malts like Old Pulteney, Balblair, AnCnoc and Speyburn into the picture, as well as some widely available IBs such as Gordon & Macphail's Distillery Label Series Mortlach 15, Linkwood 15, Glentauchers 14 and Longmorn 14, just to mention a few. Cheers.
Fun idea! I'll consider it. Thanks for the suggestion, Russell! 🥃
Hi Geoff, got to agree on that now discontinued Ben Riach sherry wood, loved my bottle. Also the Glenlivet 18 (43%). Went through a number of these bottles, a lovely 18 yr old, especially for the price 🥃and Glencadam 10 is always on my shelf. Not a big bourbon fan but still enjoy 4 roses single barrel. Good list video, slàinte Geoff.
Quite a logical progression. After college-era Paddy and Tullamore the first Single Malt I stumbled over was Laphroaig Ten, and I was fascinated. I came to also love Caol Ila, Macallan (it was so affordable then) and Glenfarclas. Never fell in love with Campbeltown, but otherwise I'm all over the place now. Islay is still my No. 1 though (with Kilchoman a new love).
What a great and brilliant video Geoff. And a great list. I reckonise a lot of my own journey. Especially the Amrut, still got a bottle of the first realise which came in a fancy cheesy red box with silk inlay. Looked like the red light district of Amsterdam. I soon bought the regular cask strenght Amrut which was awesome too. I think Highland Park was also one of the ones that was great, the old 18 year in the round bottles where absolutely stunning. My start with more aged and complex whisky's. Btw you went from Cherry to Pete and Cherry and then only Pete🤔🤣 must have been complicated.😂
😂😂😂
The Peat + Sherry phase was a confusing couple years. 😉😂
For me it was Highland Park 12 and Talisker 10 after starting with Cardhu 12 as an introduction to whisky. Have just ordered Ledig 18 as a step up, hopefully this will live up to the reviews.
I started with the Kilchoman Loch Gorm and still think it's fantastic, as is the Sanag '-)
Really interesting Video. It really makes me wanna try some different styles of whisky. As for my Milestones : Kavalan Solist Oloroso Sherry opened my eyes on how tasty and complex whisky can be. A friend then introduced me to his favorite Lagavulin 16 and it opened the door to the world of peated whisky. Watching this, im eager to finally try a Talisker with some seafood :)
re: Lagavulin 12...you ain't lying. Those original 2002-2010 Lag 12s were epic. Nothing comes close. Glad I still have a few bottles left. Wish I had an old White Horse bottling too. Those must be amazing too.
Pairing peaty whisky with oyster brine is fantastic.
Great video! Here’s mine (for scotch):
1) Glenfiddich 12: one of the classics “this was the first scotch I ever had” that got me interested
2) Glengoyne 12/15/18 sampler pack: Now I’m starting to really enjoy scotch!
3) Lagavulin 16: I describe this as the one where I moved from seeing whisky in black and white to seeing it in colour. (And then the Uigeadail soon thereafter was great)
4) MacAllan 12 double cask: Not because I liked it. I didn’t. But it was an important part of the journey cuz it was when I discovered that “big names” is bullshit when it comes to scotch.
5) Glenallachie 18: my favourite scotch to date.
ps: Absolutely loved the BenRiach 12 Sherrywood. So disappointed that they discontinued this!
Great video. Not able to determine improvement I am new to most of these brands. A big fan of Bladnoch specifically
The 10.
Surely there is an overall significant improvement in blended scotch .
I'm a bourbon guy, I have yet to try anything else, it's only been a year. But Id love to know some you bourbon thoughts. And the JD single barrels are always a great choice, but the barrels strengths are more highly toted. But you know us bourbon guys are all proof whores.
Love your content and humor.
Where to even begin!? Maybe with Scotch - an ex GF of mine has Scottish parents and got me ripped one night on Laphroaig 10. Until then I actually hated Scotch, and it took drinking it all night just to moderately hate Scotch less, but the new flavors I tasted made me wonder if I could find SOME kind of Scotch I'd like. I was convinced I maybe just hated peat, so the next day I did some research on unpeated Scotch & found your channel and Classic Laddie Whisky of the Year video. So I ran out to get a bottle, took it home, cracked it open - and mostly hated it 😂 but again, noticed some interesting flavors I hadn't tasted before in whiskies, like meatiness. Next I got into your Sherry bomb videos and bought a bunch of bottles, but they still didn't quite do it for me. I wondered if maybe peat wasn't the issue and consulted a friend. He suggested I try a Lagavulin Distiller's Edition. I couldn't find one in stock at my local stores, so I ordered one online and settled for a Nick Offerman bottle from my local store. Took it home, cracked it open, and BOOM - it was sweet, smoky, meaty, salty, and savory all at once. I couldn't believe what was happening on my tongue (TWSS). After that I went on a peated Scotch buying tirade, partially guided by your videos (and many others'), and never looked back. Now after all the high ABVs & flavor chasing I've finally come full circle back to my original Scotch bottle - the Classic Laddie - and I actually love it! What a wild ride. Thanks G!
Haha that's amazing! What a ride! Glad you came around to the Laddie. REALLY need to try one of those Offerman Lagas. Sadly not available in my market. Thanks for sharing, that was fun! 🥃
@@Gwhisky I have some extra bottles, maybe we can figure out some kind of trade lol
My father was a Johnnie Walker guy. When he bought them from the PX (US military "Postal Exchange" somewhere in Taipei, where he also bought pizza and hamburgers for us), they'd be the Red Label. But whenever his friends bought him a bottle, it would be the Black Label. My brothers and I would sneak into his liquor cabinet and "sample" them. That was my first taste of whisky.
My first taste of whisky as an adult was Mr. Ron Cirelo's retirement party from the SF Municipal Railway engineering department in 1992. The department's senior architect, Mr. Gene Gee, bought me a glass of Canadian Club with soda. Afterwards, I became curious about whisky, more in an intellectual way than a preference for its taste.
A few years later, while working on a construction project at SFO, my coworker and buddy, Jon, and I went to a bar in Burlingame, across the freeway from the airport, for dinner. It was a "scotch bar". There we each ordered a glass of Oban 14. That was the moment I first fell in love with the taste.
For the next two decades, I drank mostly the more popular labels; the ones I could get at BevMo; Glenlivet, Glenfiddich, Macallan, and my favorite Oban. A colleague gifted me half a case of Chivas; he won it at a party but he didn't drink scotch. I remained in that circle for a long while.... Until I came upon the Balvenie Doublewood, French Oak, and Caribbean Cask. I was curious how different types of used casks could affect the taste of whisky.
To me, in order to be a complete story about "journey", there has to be roads which I took and made a 180; i.e. it has to include things I hated enough to help me realize what I didn't like. My cousin came up from LA to visit my brothers and me. We went shopping for ingredients for dinner at Trade Joe's. Cousin Stephen decided to buy a bottle of Trader Joe's scotch for only $15. I hated it with a passion. At the time, I thought I hated it, because it was cheap. Years later, I realized that that was a very peated scotch. I knew then that I did not like peaty scotch. I detested that medicine taste; like drinking iodine!
So then I focused on non-peated, lightly peated, and sherry whiskies. For Christmas, my next door neighbor, Levi, bought me a bottle of Lagavulin from Costco. (I had gifted him a 200 mL bottle of Kavalan Oloroso the year before.) I hated it. I wanted to like it, because I loved the show "Parks and Recreation" with Nick Offerman. But I hated it.
I broadened out to Arrran, Aberfeldy, Dalmore, A'Bunadh, Glendronach, Nikka Taketsuru, Suntory Hibiki.
A friend of my wife's, from Taiwan, gifted me a gift set of Kavalan, consisting of six bottles of 200 mL in a hexagonal box. The bottles were the shape of a whisky pot still. I could not believe the taste! I thought, since it was made in Taiwan, that those whiskies were somehow artificially made with chemicals; no whisky could taste that perfect! I have been drinking Kavalan Solist and being in love with it since. Another bottle I bought in Taiwan is the Nantou Omar Black Queen. OMG! Like a friend at work who drinks his milk with a little coffee in it in the morning (that's how much milk he puts in his coffee!), the Omar Black Queen is like a bottle of wine that tastes like whisky!
Just this week, my wife returned from Taiching with another bottle for me. My mother-in-law took out another bottle from her huge collection and gifted me yet another Johnnie Walker. This time it is the Blue. (Last time, it was the Centenery Gold. My friend Jon, who prefers peaty whisky, drank three quarters of it last time he was here.) When I'm there at the end of March, my mother-in-law has a bottle of Matisse 19 ready for me to bring home.
such a Story. Fantastic 🥂🙋🏻♂️
I've since found out that Matisse is a Taiwanese brand. Some Taiwanese celebrity went to Scotland and founded a bottling company (not a distillery). So it's quite expensive in Taiwan, but has nearly zero presence in the US.
Awesome story! I was waiting for the Oban 14 to show up. Hah!
I remember those pot still shaped Kavalan sample packs. There was a sample of the bourbon Soloist in there that was among the best I've had!
Haven't tried that Matisse 19, but apparently it's quite good. Light on the ABV, but extremely fairly priced. Not sure why I never picked one up, but I'll be curious to hear your thoughts on it when you pop it. Cheers Jack! 🥃
@@Gwhisky have you had the Omar Black Queen? OMG! It’s like grape flavored Capri Sun (remember those from grade school days?) mixed with whisky!
@@jckbquck I've tried it. Hah it was good, but a bit heavy on the casks for me! 🥃
I live in Taipei and a mom and dad liquor store near me in 中和 has 4 bottles of the Glenlivet 18 43% 1.0 L for 2800NT
Yeah great price! 🥃
It’s curious that someone who doesn’t like bourbon likes JD single battal. I know many bourbon fans who hate it. I don’t hate it but I’m not a fan either. My milestone whiskies can be Glendronach 15 (my first “wow” moment), also Talisker 10 (my first peated), Glenmorangie 14 Quinta Ruban (my first portwood), Benriach 15 Madeira (my first Madeira wood), Glencadam 10 also, Benriach 25 Authenticus and Kavalan Vinho Barrique. About both Glenlivet 18, I have one bottle of each (the older was very hard to find). The 43% is more sherry forward, more viscous. The newer one is lighter, not bad, it’s pleasant but overpriced for a 40% whisky, even with 18 years of age.
Jack Daniels Single Barrel Select is the only JD bottle I buys as well. So maybe I’m missing out on something better they offer. And since you mentioned it as a bourbon (which it is), you get to read a bunch of comments about how it’s actually not bourbon but Tennessee Whiskey. It’s both.
Spiral? Yes, but more circular than download.... like an Ouroboros.
Many thanks on you thoughts and opinions once more!
Should you go, try the new version of Glenlivet 18? I´ve got a very clear answer for you: After a surprisingly good Glenlivet 12 Double Cask which i picked up in holiday without thinking anything about it, i gave the Glenlivet 18 a try, 40%abv nonetheless. And what shall i say? It´s one of the biggest disappointments i´ve ever bought.
We run a hotel and sometimes when i´m busy i forget to pick up my cappuccino in our automatic coffee machine, the automatic cleaning starts and some hot water pours into the cappuccino. It´s a very good one - from the finest bean, well made in a professional automatic machine, but even a bit of hot water ruins it entirely and the glenlivet 18 is exactly like that forgotten cappuccino.
I now drink it with a splash of abunadh in it, what reliably kills all the subtlety in the 18 year old dram, but at least it´s drinkable to me. It´s far, far worse than any Highland Park 12 or every Macallan i ever tried at 40% abv. It´s watery, it´s thin, it has no texture and fell apart completely. The worst about it is, that you taste with every sip it could have been a great whisky, if there´d be more whisky in your glas instead of water. It´s a crying shame. I should now sell it in our hotel bar instead of ranting about it online, but unfortunately i´ve seen Ralfy to often say the word dignity to do so.
P.S.: at the same day i picked it up i spotted a bottle of glenmorangie quinta ruban 14 in the old design at my shop which now sits right next to the glenlivet 18 in my shelf and to glenlivets eternal shame that bottle brings tears to my eyes as well - but because of the thought it will be gone soon. It´s breathtakingly good and among maybe 50 whiskys between 30 and 150€ i bought in 2023 easily among the top five. So much about the big brand would be the problem.
6:27 😂
What, no Abunadh???
Glenlivet 18 new edition, as with you, I’m drawn to higher ABV, this bottle was gifted to me by a friend, I should tell you that it is very flavorful, with that being said, I think it is overpriced, but if not paying the premium, one of my favorites 40% in the market.
Interesting. Glad to hear they kept the quality flavours. Cheers! 🥃
The new Glenlivet 18 was disappointing to me, flat with almost no finish. So the bottle went to the sink.
Yeah I'll probably avoid that one. Thanks for letting me know! 🥃