I’ve sampled and recorded in excess of 1000 whiskies, since starting the ‘The Whiskey Chaps’ tasting journey (and many more prior to that). The vast majority of those whiskies (whisky, whiskey and bourbon) that I try will fall into the nice or very nice category (there are a few that I would say are ‘bad’, but I’m not going to mention them here).
Conversely, there are a handful of whiskies that have been truly memorable. These are the whiskies that, throughout the tasting experience, have proved to be as near to perfect (for us) as it gets: nose, flavour, balance, nuance, brand story etc.
Those that have made it into my all-time ‘whiskey top 10’ are listed below (this is a fluid list (pun intended!)).
These are my top 10 whiskies of all time!
| Position | Whisk[e]y |
|---|---|
| 1 | anCnoc 24-Year-old 46% ABV |
| 2 | Wemyss Malts Untold Riches (Bunnahabhain) 28-year-old 49.1% ABV |
| 3 | Kilkerran 8-Year-old CS (2021) 56.9% ABV |
| 4 | Longrow Red 11yo Pinot Noir 53.1% ABV |
| 5 | Waxhouse Release 004 (Cotswolds STR Cask) 54% ABV |
| 6 | GlenAllachie 10-Year-Old Cask Strength Batch 6 57.8% ABV |
| 7 | Glen Scotia 14-Year-old Tawny Port Festival Release 2020 52.8% ABV |
| 8 | A.D. Rattray Bunnahabhain 2009 66.7% ABV |
| 9 | Little Brown Dog – Benrinnes 2012 Single Cask 55.4% ABV |
| 10 | Ben Nevis 11 Year Old (2010) Dràm Mòr Cask 195 54% |
| List compiled by @whiskeychap |
Special mention: Shenks Honestead 2020, anCnoc 18-Year-Old, Cotswolds Bourbon Cask, A. D. Rattray Warehouse Collection 7yo Glenallachie, SPEY Tenné.
You don’t have to pay silly money for good whiskey, and nor should you! Below is a list of some of the best value readily available whiskies, in my opinion:
| Position | Whisk[e]y | Price (UK) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ledaig Rioja Cask Finish – Sinclair Series 46.3% ABV | £32 |
| 2 | anCnoc 12-Year-Old 40% ABV | £30 |
| 3 | Wild Turkey 101 50.5% ABV | £30 |
| 4 | Three Ships 12-Year-Old 46.3% ABV | £40 |
| 5 | Redbreast 12-Year-Old 40% ABV | £43 |
| 6 | Bunnahabhain 12-Year-Old 46.3% ABV | £40 |
| 7 | Ardbeg 10-Year-Old 46% ABV | £40 |
| 8 | Black & Gold 11-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskey 45% ABV | £60 |
| 9 | Old Perth Cask Strength Blended Malt 58.6% ABV | £42 |
| 10 | Loch Lomond Single Grain Whisky 46% ABV | £28 |
| List compiled by @whiskeychap |
Special mention: Dingle Single Malt (£50), Green Spot (£43), Laphroaig Quarter Cask (£43), Maker’s 46 (£40) and Four Roses Small Batch (£31).