Let's continue good tradition of choosing the best malts of the year...
The best contemporary malts I've tried this year (bottled 2011 and later):
1. Highland Park 40 yo 48.3% - the greatest classics, 95/100!
2. Speyside 44 yo 1973 ALOS 51.6% - mangos in the air, 94/100!
3. Speyside 43 yo 1973 LT 46.5% - banana, tropics and honeyed oranges, 94/100!
4. Speyside 43 yo 1973 TWA 46.9% - cream, mint, banana and tropics, 94/100!
5. Speyside 40 yo 1975 TWA 55.0% - perhaps the strongest of the family, 94/100!
6. Macduff 32 yo 1980 Laida Weg 48.3% - just sublime, 93/100!
7. Highland Park 30 yo 1988/2018 Ca 49.0% - bourbon cask can also be great, 93/100!
8. Glengoyne 40 yo Elixir 56.8% - 50 layers of sherry, 93/100!
Looks like big family of Speyside 1973/75 is dominating this year :)
The best older malts I've tried this year (bottled before 2011):
1. Ord 1962/1984 Samaroli Bouquet 58.0% - out of this world, 96/100!
2. Highland Park 37 yo (1973/2010) 50.6% - evolution of 30 yo, 95/100!
3. Bowmore Bicentenary 43% - stunning nose, 94/100!
4. Glen Grant 1969/1984 Samaroli 59.0% - stunning nose and finish, 94/100!
5. Highland Park 1983/2003 distillery only 56.4% - old style HP, 94/100!
6. Highland Park 1983/2003 cask #1096 56.4% - old style HP, 93/100!
7. Highland Park 12 yo Ferraretto 43% - takes you by storm, 93/100!
8. Bunnahabhain 34 yo (1968/2002) 43.5% - great sherried Bunna, 93/100!
9. St Magdalene 19 yo 1979 63.8% - the style that doesn't exist anymore, 93/100!
10. Glenfarclas 29 yo 1973 cask #4788 46% - crazy colour, 93/100!
The best malts I've tried this year (more or less available and below EUR 200):
1. Highland Park 18 yo 1999 GM 53.6% - glorious for its age, 91/100!
2. Rattray 19 yo Blend batch 01 55.8% - blends can be good, 90/100!
3. Benrinnes 23 yo 1995 Ca 51.1% - favourite bar bottle of mine, 90/100!
4. Miltonduff 23 yo 1995 GM 56.9% - one of the best on WhiskyDram 2019, 90/100!
5. Springbank 12 yo CS batch 19 57.1% - Springbank as is, 90/100!
6. Highland Park 18 yo 1999 GM 55.6% - also good one, 89/100!
7. Isle of Jura 1999 cask #1 52.4% - not an often guest, but 89/100!
8. Braeval 16 yo distillery reserve 55.8% - nice work of a cask, 88/100!
9. Compass Box Spice Tree 46% - utterly pleasant, 88/100!
P.S. Pretty different price tags and availability, but I didn't taste many standard expressions in 2019, so I've added the best CS and distillery editions I've tried.
P.P.S Of course that is my humble and subjective opinion based on my taste solely :) Thanks to all and Happy New Year!
The best contemporary malts I've tried this year (bottled 2011 and later):
1. Highland Park 40 yo 48.3% - the greatest classics, 95/100!
2. Speyside 44 yo 1973 ALOS 51.6% - mangos in the air, 94/100!
3. Speyside 43 yo 1973 LT 46.5% - banana, tropics and honeyed oranges, 94/100!
4. Speyside 43 yo 1973 TWA 46.9% - cream, mint, banana and tropics, 94/100!
5. Speyside 40 yo 1975 TWA 55.0% - perhaps the strongest of the family, 94/100!
6. Macduff 32 yo 1980 Laida Weg 48.3% - just sublime, 93/100!
7. Highland Park 30 yo 1988/2018 Ca 49.0% - bourbon cask can also be great, 93/100!
8. Glengoyne 40 yo Elixir 56.8% - 50 layers of sherry, 93/100!
Looks like big family of Speyside 1973/75 is dominating this year :)
The best older malts I've tried this year (bottled before 2011):
1. Ord 1962/1984 Samaroli Bouquet 58.0% - out of this world, 96/100!
2. Highland Park 37 yo (1973/2010) 50.6% - evolution of 30 yo, 95/100!
3. Bowmore Bicentenary 43% - stunning nose, 94/100!
4. Glen Grant 1969/1984 Samaroli 59.0% - stunning nose and finish, 94/100!
5. Highland Park 1983/2003 distillery only 56.4% - old style HP, 94/100!
6. Highland Park 1983/2003 cask #1096 56.4% - old style HP, 93/100!
7. Highland Park 12 yo Ferraretto 43% - takes you by storm, 93/100!
8. Bunnahabhain 34 yo (1968/2002) 43.5% - great sherried Bunna, 93/100!
9. St Magdalene 19 yo 1979 63.8% - the style that doesn't exist anymore, 93/100!
10. Glenfarclas 29 yo 1973 cask #4788 46% - crazy colour, 93/100!
The best malts I've tried this year (more or less available and below EUR 200):
1. Highland Park 18 yo 1999 GM 53.6% - glorious for its age, 91/100!
2. Rattray 19 yo Blend batch 01 55.8% - blends can be good, 90/100!
3. Benrinnes 23 yo 1995 Ca 51.1% - favourite bar bottle of mine, 90/100!
4. Miltonduff 23 yo 1995 GM 56.9% - one of the best on WhiskyDram 2019, 90/100!
5. Springbank 12 yo CS batch 19 57.1% - Springbank as is, 90/100!
6. Highland Park 18 yo 1999 GM 55.6% - also good one, 89/100!
7. Isle of Jura 1999 cask #1 52.4% - not an often guest, but 89/100!
8. Braeval 16 yo distillery reserve 55.8% - nice work of a cask, 88/100!
9. Compass Box Spice Tree 46% - utterly pleasant, 88/100!
P.S. Pretty different price tags and availability, but I didn't taste many standard expressions in 2019, so I've added the best CS and distillery editions I've tried.
P.P.S Of course that is my humble and subjective opinion based on my taste solely :) Thanks to all and Happy New Year!
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