Your Special Finds For 2009

[dramtastic]

Did you find something new(whisky wise) that blew you away. Maybe something that you didn't see coming but really took your fancy.

Anyway here's my surprises that I fell in love with in '09.

Longrow CV
OMC Macallan 21 1985
Hart Brothers Springbank 11 1985 Portwood
Glenlivet Nadurra(no surprise to many of you here)
OMC Bladnoch 15(note to self, buy another bottle before they are all gone).
Virtually most Japanese whisky's I tried except for one crappy Mars and one crappy Karuizawa.

[Ganga]

Benriach, oh wait, I shouldna said that. Nothing to see here. Lalalalalala.

Yes, an OB single cask Benraich arriving in the US next week. Most excellent.

Oh yes, the OMC Glenfarclas '65 43.

[The Third Dram]

Ardbeg Uigeadail... Had my first dram of this one in a restaurant and watched in glee as the heads (and noses) of everyone sitting nearby suddenly focused on the fragrance emanating from our table.

Dallas Dhu Limited Edition 24 Year Old Cask Strength, Distilled 1982 & Bottled 2007... Surely the most wood-infused whisky I've imbibed since tasting that 29-year old Glen Garioch cask strength distilled in 1968. Stick to your ribs stuff!

The 16-year old Glenlivet Nàdurra cask strength, certainly.

Kilchoman New Spirit, in Scotland... Just so amazing for a 5-month old.

1996 Oban straight from the cask at the distillery... "Bottle the stuff," I thought to myself.

Talisker 25 Year Old, Bottled in 2007... So totally different from any other Talisker I've had. That spice and citrus combo is strangely addictive.

Nikka Yoichi 12 Year Old... Beautiful!

Crown Royal Cask No. 16... Sumptuous complexity in a glass.

[dramtastic]

I forgot to mention Balblair 97. I almost never read anything about this distillery here, bought it on a whim(I think I liked the name) and it was a ripper. Reminded me a lot of a good batch of Balvenie 15 SB.

[Reggaeblues]

I forgot to mention Balblair 97. I almost never read anything about this distillery here, bought it on a whim(I think I liked the name) and it was a ripper. Reminded me a lot of a good batch of Balvenie 15 SB.

Just as I'd resolved not to buy another bottle for a couple of months

"Look into my eyes! Into my eyes! Not around my eyes! Into my eyes! Your will is getting weaker! You want that bottle! Yes, that one! And that! Once you've got them you won't WANT anymore for a couple of months...until the next one you want comes along! When I snap my fingers you will have forgotten that you just bought 4 bottles of premier single cask scotch whisky..."

[Reggaeblues]

Longrow CV was last year's surprise. this year's was getting through another 2!

Bowmore "SM of Scotland" 23 YO. Just so fragrant and evocative!

Lagavulin 21 - sample sent by kind forum member. Like a really good 16 on steroids...and a nose so dangerous my nose was stuck in the glass for 20 minutes before even tasting.

Ditto some excellent samples from Nick, especially a young 6YO SMWS Arran that was like a sweetshop in a glass. Just amazing.

Confirmation of what an excellent whisky is the Yamazaki 18.

Rediscovering the joys of inexpensive OBs on offer, especially Pulteney 12,
and a Solera, only £22, which gets the prize for the fastest disappearing whisky of the year - 3/4 of a bottle, 3 people in a recording studio, in 3 hours! the singer loved it. We opened it in her honour. Her only crit: "It's almost TOO smooth..." But the more we drank., the harder we worked, and the results sounded WONDERFUL the next day! I always enjoy the GF15 - one of the best, classiest OBs going, certainly from Speyside.

[Reggaeblues]

Ah, you're evil RB!

Well, you know how it is, Nick. I was supposed to be playing the blues in your neck of the woods tonight, but instead I'm stuck inside of snowsville with an empty whisky glass, and the need to channel my madness somehow!!

Time for that Ardbeg I reckon, then an early(!) night...

[johan brugge]

Aah, that would be the Lagavulin 21yo, followed by the Supernova and the Corryvreckan (in no particular order), the Ardbeg 1993 15yo Duncan Taylor and the Laphroaig QC.

[ClubSmed]

Talisker 18 is the one that comes to mind most as I really did not have any good experiences with the 10.

[Spirit of Islay]

Oh where do you start ?
I suppose Amrut is the main contender , the CS Peat and the Fusion , mind you the Standard one's were very nice as well.......
From Ardbeg , the two Toasted Oak casks were a delight nae a revelation !
And from our good friends at the SMWS.......
125.18 "Chocolate Valentine" ( stunning Glenmorangie )
63.22 "Tantalising Opulence" ( First stunning Glentauchers i've ever had)
52.18 "Rock,salt and nails in a shotgun" (Amazing 7yo Pulteney)
10.65 "Hold the Phone" ( The Perfect Peated Bunnahabhain)
33.75 "Penetrates and explodes" (2001 Ardbeg that tastes older )

[pkt77242]

Laga 21
HP 1986/19 for Beltramo's
William Larue Weller 2009
OMC Glenfarclas 1965/43
Ardbeg Reny
Cragganmore 1993/10
G+M Secret Stills 2.2 1966/40 (Cragganmore)
G+M Secret Stills 1.2 1986/21 (Talisker)

I am sure there were others but I can't think of them off the top of my head.

Sean

[jhershauer]

Having started the year with maybe 6-8 expressions under my belt, then trying several dozen new whiskies over the course of the year, I was constantly surprised and blown away.

A couple that stand out to me more recently are William Larue Weller and Jefferson's Presidential Select bourbons. I had just about given up on trying new bourbons, as there were differences, but a lot of sameness between the ones I tried (like continually trying different scotch expressions from the same distillery). But I was blown away by these two. Now I have several others on my short list.

The single malt scotch that stands out right now is Caol Ila Unpeated 10 year. I was definitely blown away, and surprised by how much I love it. One of my favorite non-peated whiskies.

Jeff

[Rob B]

Not so much a special find as such, but what I have found this year is that whenever I am in doubt about what to drink, Caol Ila 12 year old seems to work for me each and every time.

It has become my staple tipple.

[MoreDalmore]

As 2009 was the year I can honestly say I truly discovered the richness of malt whisky there are a lot of special finds for me personal.

These ( which are just a couple of whiskies I discovered this year ) are now in my top 10 : Highland Park 18, Talisker 18, Bowmore 18, Aberlour 18, Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban .

[Holysinner]

I got started drinking whisky in January of this year, so everything I tried was new to me. Highlights of my whisky year:

Talisker 175th
Ardbeg Uigeadail
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
Cragganmore 12

[jimidrammer]

This year for me would be Ardbeg Corryvreckan although I knew it was coming. Much better integration than Supernova and smartly priced as well IMHO. I have an HP25 48.1% abv to open later tonight and I'm pretty sure it will be as good as past releases.

[Swedish Chef]

Longrow CV was the first thing that came to my mind

Same here, and the marvelous Yamazaki 18.

[MacDeffe]

as other years before 2009 brought me almost endless amount of good drams..lucky me

I totally agree Balblair 97 is a blast, but it's a bottling a few years old, unless they came with new batches

I've been lucky to attend quite a handfuls of fairs and tastings and ast those you get to try something out of your reach normally. I had some fantastic drams here, but as people don't drink with their eyes I'd recommend something of the stuff tasted that came out in 2009 and is more general available (so no 60yr Mortlachs on the list )

Bladnoch 8yr 55%
Arran Peacock
Tomatin 15 and 18
Glendronach 15 and 18, also a nice 1992 cask 1140
Black Bull 30yr

Macdeffe

[kyorke1]

Ardbeg Uigeadail... Had my first dram of this one in a restaurant and watched in glee as the heads (and noses) of everyone sitting nearby suddenly focused on the fragrance emanating from our table.

I had a similar experience recently with friends (non whisky drinkers (is there a word for them?)), I innocently opened a bottle of Laga DE and within minutes everyone in the room remarked on how much it stank. I felt quite embarrased, not the first time for this but the first because of whisky.

Special finds for me were Caol Ila 12 along with the 18 and 25. This is now my favourite distillery and have bought quite a few expressions and indies as a result. Also the sherry monsters a'bunadh and Glenfarclas 105 CS.

[lockejn]

...I had a similar experience recently with friends (non whisky drinkers (is there a word for them?))...

Less fortunate?

[SoMK]

Corryvreckan was my peaty love of 2009
Hibiki 12 was a super surprise of a blend, so spicy and sweet...
Laphroaig 18 was a very good surprise indeed, more powerful and dryer than the 15 imho
Glendronach 15 yo was a nice surprise too (although I was a tad disappointed by the 18yo...I don't know why, it tasted "fabricated/chemical" to me with a sickly sweet start and a dry finish. Just weird.)
I have the G&McP Macallan 1970 to open yet... Probably another fav

[orangedogofglory]

Neither of these are "new", but I am very glad I finally tried:
Glenfarclas 25
Balvenie 17 Rum Cask

The Glenfarclas is a great whisky for the price, and the Balvenie was exactly what I want in a rum-finished whisky. Both are on the sweet side, but not every night need be a peat night (that's my PSA for the evening...).

[Muskrat Portage]

A Yamazaki that I purchased in Winnipeg and then turned around and gave as a Chrissy gift - which is why I bought it in the first place. ... I did consider keeping it but ... did the honourable thing and gave it to a very good friend who will really appreciate it and will share.

Sigh.

Musky

[Knolly]

Benriach, oh wait, I shouldna said that. Nothing to see here. Lalalalalala.

Yes, an OB single cask Benraich arriving in the US next week. Most excellent.

Oh yes, the OMC Glenfarclas '65 43.

Ganga:

Awesome post! I have been a big fan of 1970's Benriach single casks (not all of them, but a lot of them!) for the past couple of years.

Also, I just bought one of these 65' 43yo OMC Glenfarclass a couple of weeks ago (to open at the Victoria Whisky Festival in a few weeks) - good to know that it was money well spent!

Cheers!

[lockejn]

I would have to say Speyburn 10. It's a stunner and a real value. Never expected to like it much, let alone love it.

[slojo]

Redbreast 12
Karuizawa 1967
Sheep Dip 1990 'Old Hebridean' - try this one if you possibly can, it's fantastic stuff

[ardbeguser]

Ardbeg Corryvreckan - my special find for 2009 and indeed for the noughthies decade!
Also the recent Bowmore Tempest 10 y.o. CS - much better than any other recent Bowmore bottling.

[ardbeguser]

And forgot to mention bottle of Russell's Reserve picked up on Autumn trip to New York - massive complexity in a bourbon.

[whiskynig]

There are some very impressive finds on this posting.
I too discovered Balblair 1997, awesome, and my first thought was pineapples, believe it or not!!!
For me, though, pound for pound was the ledaig sherry finish, which I cannot apparently purchase anymore, together with a Benromach madeira finish which arrived by accident (long story) -neither distilleries would be top of my list (nor bottom, I might add) but both were an unexpected pleasure, and extremely good value for money.
A heads up for the future, I have now also tried the Arran 12yo which I think will be a superstar, if you like previous Arran deliverings, of course.
Hope the current bad weather is not upsetting too many of you. Unfortunately the sun will not reach the yardarm today so I am going to have to go with that old "it is 5 o clock somewhere" excuse in a minute....

[Islaylee79]

I discovered Redbreast 12 year for the first time this year and was blowen away by this whiskey.....
The misses got me a bottle of Amrut Fusion for xmas and I was pleasantly surprised by this young Indian....beautiful soft nose with a long spicy/peppery finish......lovely....

[Reggaeblues]

I discovered Redbreast 12 year for the first time this year and was blowen away by this whiskey.....
The misses got me a bottle of Amrut Fusion for xmas and I was pleasantly surprised by this young Indian....beautiful soft nose with a long spicy/peppery finish......lovely....

Agree on th Amrut fusion. Lovely stuff! To me it's a fusion of Glenlivet Nadurra and Talisker!

[Reggaeblues]

Longrow CV was the first thing that came to my mind

Same here, and the marvelous Yamazaki 18.

Great minds think alike...

...or is it "fools seldom differ?!?"

[biglads]

I think I'm the only person around who really likes the Bunnahabhain Moine bottled for Feis Ile 2009.
Others I've found and loved during '09 are
Glendronach 15
Yamazaki Sherry Cask
Yamazaki 18

[Bulkington]

Longrow CV
Lombard Jewels of Scotland 13 yo Springbank
Talisker 25 (not sure which year's release it is)
1973 Highland Park for Binny's

[hearts151]

For me:
Laphroaig QC - tried for first time
Aberlour A'bunadh batch 25 - " "
Glendronach 15yo
Laphroaig Adelphi Dewar Rattray 19yo
Cragganmore DE 1996