Whisky Forum - Your Best Whisky Of 2014

William · Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 5:25 pm Post subject: Your Best Whisky Of 2014

As it seems to be whisky awards season I thought I would ask the Scotch Malt Whisky Forum members:

What was the best whiskiy you tasted in 2014?

It doesnt need to be a new whisky, just new to you during the past year. So what has impressed you most.

A few that have impressed me in 2014 are:

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There's no bad whisky. Just good whisky and better whisky.

opelfruit · Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 5:49 pm Post subject:

My 2 most memorable bottles this year were actually release last year but I only got around to opening them in 2014:

Both outstanding in my view, very different whiskies but both massively flavourful and well made. I'd be hard to pick between them for my personal whisky of 2014. I don't score whisky but I were pushed to it they'd be sitting around 95/96 points from 100.

.....I'm a little behind the curve with new releases as I've got quite a few drinking uppers to do.
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"Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whisky is barely enough."

sorren · Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 5:55 pm Post subject:

I thought ooo that's easy for me to answer it's the Auchentoshan 1979 32yo I bought earlier this year,
A pretty close second is the " probably speysides finest 46yo" very fine malts...
Others that impressed were
Glenfiddich 30yo
Balvenie 15 sherry cask,
Glenrothes 26 yo
Glenrothes 1988

Alexppp · Master Of Malts Joined: 16 Jul 2010 Posts: 1791

Not released in 2014, but the two best I tasted this year are

Benriach 17 Septendecim (really glad I bought this one, thanks mainly to various recommendations on this forum)

Balblair 1995 (for travel retail, bottled in 2012)

Andy M · Master Of Malts Joined: 09 Jul 2007 Posts: 1212

My memorable whiskies this past year are:

Balvenie Single Barrel Sherry Cask 15 year old
anCnoc Flaughter
Ardbeg Supernova 2014
Not new but i was very impressed with the Highland Park 25 year old

Quaich1 · Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 7:22 pm Post subject:

The whiskies that I tried and impressed me the most in the last year include:

Linkwood 17 Year Cooper's Choice, 46%abv

Glendronach Single Cask 55.4%abv, bottled exclusively for Companions of the Quaich, 602 bottles total

Glencadam 15 Year 46%abv

Tomintoul 16 Year 1st Fill Sherry

Imperial 17 Year Berry's Own 46%abv

Glen Garioch 16 Years Single Cask 54.6%abv, 288 bottles total

Plus I should add that I was able to get a hold of lots of Bowmore The Devil's Casks Batch 1 which was only released here in Ontario Canada a few months ago and is of course off all the LCBO store shelves now. It is a favorite and memorable dram for my tastes.
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"Always carry a large flagon of whisky in case of snakebite and furthermore always carry a small snake."
W.C. Fields (1880-1946)

Diademo · Master Of Malts Joined: 22 Aug 2012 Posts: 1255

This year was not as exciting as some previous; I didn't try so many spectacular drams but had some old reliable friends and new younger contenders.

Original Distillery Bottling:
1. Tomatin 30
2. Dalmore 25
3. Balblair 1983 (30yo)

Independent Bottlers:
1. Benrinnes 1995 - 18yo (Provenance, Cask #9765)
2. Glentauchers 1994 (Gordon & MacPhail - bottled 2014)
3. Cadenhead's Small Batch Series (difficult to pick just one)

: but the year is still not over:

GBrough · Posted: Thu Dec 18, 2014 9:27 pm Post subject:

I am back again, having some financial issues so I cant afford whisky like I used to.

For my best of 2014
Ardbeg Corrvreycken
Port Charlotte Scottish Barley
Macallan Directors Edition
Laphroaig Triple Wood
Bastille (a french whisky styled after bourbon)
Ardbeg Uiggie
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The Laga 16.

It even tastes like an ashtray-WM

Mark · Master Of Malts Joined: 27 Sep 2006 Posts: 1663

My top drams of 2014 are:

Benriach 1996 18 year old Pedro Ximenez sherry finish
Glenfarclas 1990 Family Cask VIII
Glenfarclas 40
Balvenie Single Barrel Sherry Cask 15
TWE Elements of Islay Cl7
Glendronach 1995 19 year old Cask No 3326
anCnoc Flaughter
Cambus 1991 22 year old single grain bottled by Signatory, i am not normally a big single grain fan but this one was from a sherry butt and very impressive.
Port Charlotte Scottish Barley
Ardbeg Supernova

Most were limited releases but the Port Charlotte Scottish Barley and Balvenie Single Barrel 15 sherry cask will now be on my regular dramming list.

Brummie · Master Of Malts Joined: 08 Feb 2010 Posts: 661

Some that i have enjoyed this year are:

Like a few others the Balvenie 15 Single Barrel Sherry Cask
Laphroaig PX Cask
Ardbeg Kildalton
Ardbeg Supernova
Glengoyne Teapot Dram
Douglas Laing Old Particular Glen Grant 18 year old
Glenmorangie Taghta
Glenfiddich 15 Distillery Edition, for some reason i only got around to trying this for the first time this year and it is superb and has become a regular pour for me now.

TheWM · Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 7:05 pm Post subject:

Some drams that I drank this year for the first time that stood out for me;

English whisky co chapter 13
Nikka from the barrel
Elijah Craig 21
Redbreast 21
HP18
Glenmorangie Companta
Whisky Broker Bunnahabhain 20
Amrut Fusion

Fergie · Master Of Malts Joined: 02 Dec 2006 Posts: 1741

I have to say the Ardbeg Kildalton 2014 and Supernova were superb and i will add another vote for the Balvenie 15 Single Barrel Sherry Cask. I also tried the Balvenie 17 Doublewood for the first time this past year and it is very good. I had a couple of the younger Glendronach batch 10 releases this year, the details of the bottlings escape me at the moment but they were 12 and 18 years old and both were very good.

Grant M · Posted: Fri Dec 19, 2014 10:44 pm Post subject:

The Redbreast 21 is superb, i have got through a couple of bottles now and have one to open over Christmas.

Aberlour a'bunadh batch 45 was outstanding.

Glenfarclas 40, a fantastic price for a quality aged original distillery bottling.

Berrys Own Selection 2006 7 year old, a superb young peaty Bunna

Macallan Sienna, brilliant.

James T · Master Of Malts Joined: 05 Feb 2011 Posts: 2965

I have enjoyed a few this year, some new, some old favourites, some that come to mind are:

Lagavulin 12 2013
Elements of Islay CL6
Macallan Sienna
Ardbeg Supernova 2014
Glenfiddich Vintage Cask
Port Ellen 31 year old 2010 special release
Kilchoman Loch Gorm 2014
Highland Park 25
Redbreast 21
Bunnahabhain 18

Craven · Triple Malt Member Joined: 10 Mar 2010 Posts: 218

Some new whiskies i have enjoyed this year are

Balvenie 12 Single Barrel First Fill
Glenmorangie Taghta
Highland Park Einar
Arran Millennium Casks

Going by others posts i will be ordering a Balvenie 15 Single Barrel Sherry Cask and one of the peaty anCnocs just need to decide which one.