What's your current top ten...or so?

[jimidrammer]

We haven’t done this in a while and with all the new forum members I thought it would be fun to revisit. My ulterior motive: If someone was to agree with 3, 4 or 5 of MY choices, then I would be really interested in what they substituted the others with that I may not have tried as a basis for new areas to explore. So…

If you could narrow down your favorites to the top ten, what would they be? As a matter of convenience I’ve limited my choices to current, easily available whisk(e)y. It is extremely difficult to NOT add 11, 12, or more, and as you can see I have 14, these are what I reach for the most and/or are rarely disappointed in. How many can you reduce a list of special drams down to? Here's mine:


Aberlour A’bunadh
Ardbeg 10yo
Balvenie 15yo Single Barrel
George T Stagg
Glenfarclas 21yo or 25yo
Glenmorangie 10yo
Glenrothes 1974, 29yo
Highland Park 18yo
Lagavulin 16yo
Laphroaig 10yo C/S or QC
Longmorn 15yo
Talisker 18yo

I've deliberately left off my Port Ellen, Brora, and other rare malts because although they are great, they are probably one-offs I'll never get to replace. I'm sure I'm missing something great that is available to me, but can't really see listing everything I've seen and passed over, so go with your gut and have fun with it. Discussions welcome.

[Bullie]

This is an impossible question to answer.... Everything depends on my mood for the night.

But I always have a Highland Park, a Springbank, a Port Ellen and a Bunnahabhain opened...

[Drrich1965]

Great list. I am not voting, as there is a difference between my every day (widely avaliable top ten) and my all time favorites. I very much agree with most of your choices; the HP 18 is one of my favorite every days, and Lagavulin 16 makes the list (at least the expression that I had two years ago, last years was a few points below).

The one malt that I do not like, and I know I am in the minority here, is the Glenmorangie 10.

Here is my list

Top Ten Malts

95 Ardbeg Provenance 1974 (55.8%, OB)
95 Port Ellen 16yo Dist. 1980, Cask 89/5891/20 (59.3%,Signatory)
94 Laphroaig 30yo (43%, OB, circa 2000)
93 Glenfarclas 21yo Square Bottle (55.5%, OB)
93 Brora 21yo 1981 (46%, Signatory, The Un-Chillfiltered Collection, Cask 1586, Bottle 594)
93 Lagavulin 16yo (43%, OB, 2004)
92 Clynelish 29yo 1972 (56.3%, Cadenhead)
92 Lagavulin 12yo (43%, OB, 80s, 50ml)
92 Highland Park 34yo 1971 Single Cask (53%, OB, Binny's Select )
92 Port Ellen 13yo 1982 (43%, Hart Brothers)

[lexvo]

Looks like I was the first who voted

I'm a relative beginner so I haven't tried all the whiskies from your list. From the list I choose Ardbeg 10, Glenmorangie 10, Lagavulin 16. For me, Highland Park 18 is a nice dram but not special.

I didn't taste the Glenfarclas 21 or 25 yet, but I like the 17yo.

[Jan]

Hmm.. as usual a though call...

In the the "current, easily available" category I agree with you on four choices;

Lagavulin 16yo
Highland Park 18yo
Talisker 18yo
Longmorn 15yo

and perhaps Laphroaig 10 as well

other favourites includes
Ardbeg 17
Ardmore 1990 G&M Cask
Balvenie, certainly, but which one? I like them all...
Springbank 15yo
and many others

Cheers
Jan

[Photon]

Keeping in mind that I do not have access to many of the malts that are commonly available elsewhere.

My Top Ten

1 ) Glenrothes 1992
2 ) Clynelish 14
3 ) Lagavulin 16
4 ) Highland Park 12
5 ) Bruichladdich 12
6 ) Highland Park 18 (I actually prefer the 12 - not that I dislike this one at all)
7 ) Aberlour a'bunadh
8 ) Springbank 10
9 ) Gelnfarclas 12
10) Tormore 12

My next ones to try are Ardbeg Uigedail and Longmorn 15, so this could all change...

Actually, it could all change before I go to bed tonight.

-P.

[Deactivated Member]

Photon, have you had any other Glenrothes? I found the '92 to be the least impressive of any I've had. Scrounge some mid-'80's stuff if you can!

[Photon]

Photon, have you had any other Glenrothes? I found the '92 to be the least impressive of any I've had. Scrounge some mid-'80's stuff if you can!

I've had the "Select Reserve" or whatever it's called, found it a pale imitation of the '92. I have a line on an '87, but don't know when I'll be able to get my hands on it.

-P.

[Deactivated Member]

I haven't had the SR, but the reports I've heard confirm your opinion. I think the '87 will knock your socks off, and older '80's would knock them further. I have a full bottle of '74 and a mini of '72 that are each waiting for the right occasion. Like, I'm thirsty!

Glenrothes was probably the first malt I explored in any depth, due to its availability at a duty-free shop through which I passed regularly; although I had not really found my palate yet. It was '85 at the time, not at all a bad malt to work things out on. Wish I had two or three of those bottles back!

[jimidrammer]

Keeping in mind that I do not have access to many of the malts that are commonly available elsewhere.

My Top Ten

1 ) Glenrothes 1992
2 ) Clynelish 14
3 ) Lagavulin 16
4 ) Highland Park 12
5 ) Bruichladdich 12
6 ) Highland Park 18 (I actually prefer the 12 - not that I dislike this one at all)
7 ) Aberlour a'bunadh
8 ) Springbank 10
9 ) Gelnfarclas 12
10) Tormore 12

My next ones to try are Ardbeg Uigedail and Longmorn 15, so this could all change...

Actually, it could all change before I go to bed tonight.

-P.

You're in Oregon, right? Are you near Portland? Kells Irish Pub has the largest selection of Single Malts in the Northwest, so they brag. Seen it on the FoodTV network special about Irish Pubs the other day, looked impressive.

[Ize]

My current top 10:
1. Lagavulin 16yo 9.5
2. Laphroaig Cask Strength 10yo 9+
3. Laphroaig Quarter Cask ~6yo 9+
4. Laphroaig 10yo 9
5. Port Ellen 18yo Douglas Laing 1981Dec/2000Nov Sherry Cask 9
6. Glenfarclas 25yo 9
7. St. Magdalene aka Linlithgow 19yo UDRM 1979/Oct 1998 9-
8. Highland Park 12yo (older? bottling, big neck) 9-
9. Glenfarclas 21yo 9-
10. Linlithgow 26yo The Old Malt Cask Douglas Laing 9-

[Aidan]

I haven't tasted them all on the list, but Lagavulin would be the only one in my list, but I have never really compiled a list.

[andre_s]

I agree with about half of your list, a few of your list I haven't tasted yet. One that I haven't seen mentioned is the Cragganmore 12 years. That one would be high in my list, if I had a list. A delicious whisky.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

My T0p 12 at the mo and like every body else it does change due to mood or flavour of the month.

Edit: In Alphabetical Order not order of preference.

1. Connemara Cask Strength
2. Glenrothes '89 (bought 2 bottles of this a while back but don't really see it any more )
3. Greenspot
4. Highland Park 12yo (I'm another fan of the younger HP brother over the older)
5. Jameson 12yo
6. Lagavulin 16yo
7. Laphroaig Quarter Cask
8. Makers Mark Red label
9. Redbreast 12yo
10. Redbreast 15yo
11. Talisker 10yo
12. William L Weller

[adogranonthepitch]

My top 10 ....

1. Lagavulin 16 yo
2. Sixteen year old Lagavulin
3. Four Squared Lagavulin
4. Laga...........
5. Hummmm
6. Nothing else compares......

[adogranonthepitch]

opps, forgot Bells!

[sku]

I always like to have some Yamazaki 12 on hand...a great all around whisky.

[Richiyaado]

I was wondering whether anyone might include a Japanese whisky.

After our next trip to Japan (we go every year), I'm really gonna have to stop at the duty-free (if there's still a duty-free to stop at) on the way back to pick up a bottle or two.

[sku]

Lucky you! They have so many good whiskies and I think only the Yamazaki 12 and 18 are available in the US. I have a friend who goes yearly and I try to make him bring me back something.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Ooops

Sorry Mistake ment to edit my top 12 above.

[bamber]

In my all time top 10 I'd include the Lagavulin, Ardbeg, HP and GTS.

To be different, I'm just going to list a few (new to me) whiskies, I've bought recently (so are current in my mind) that I really like:

Off the top of my head:

Arran 10yo
OMC Bruichladdich 13 years old 1990 50% vol
Wild Turkey RB
Jameson Crested 10

Ones that did not make the list, but were / are still enjoyed:

Ardbeg Still Young
Glenfarclas 30yo (ok I'd had a dram before)
Sazerac Rye 6yo
Bruichladdich Peat Proposal
Mortlach Signatory 1989 Unchillfiltered

[Deactivated Member]

Gosh - more lists of favourites!
Balblair 38
HP18
HP25
Scapa 14
Ben Nevis 13 Port
Glenrothes 72
Glenrothes 84
Ardbeg 77
Ardbeg 10
Talisker 10
Talisker 18
Glenmorangie 10
Macallan 18
etc etc etc
The Glenrothes 92 is fine but I think they've run out. As far as I can ascertain, the '91 has replaced it. Any one tried it yet?

[arnehd]

I probably haven't had much more than ten so far , so up to now my favorites are (no big surprises here) :
1. Ardbeg Uigeadail
2. Aberlour a bunadh ( batch 14 , the only one I've tried)
3. Laphroaig CS
4. Ardbeg 10
5. i just found out that the HP 18 really isn't as boring as I first thought , even though the bottle has been open for quite a while I like it more then in the beginning.
6. LAgavulin 16 , but since I heard about the artificial colouring I tend do deny that it belongs to my favourites (so please don't tell me the others also have coloring in them , I don't want to know
7. Glenmorangie madeira finish
then others , probably some bourbons and ones I forgot , but the ones mentioned I really , really like ( I wish I had one of them here and opened , but at least I got something to look forward to !!)

Egeszegedre!

[Aidan]

A few that I like are Balblair 29, Lagavulin 16, Lagavulin 12, jameson 12, powers gold label, Redbreast 15, Bowmore 17, Highland Park 18... and loads more. I find it very hard to say one is better than another in some cases.

[Deactivated Member]

In order to answer the question, I need to rephrase it slightly: If you had to limit yourself to the readily-available standard OB's of ten working distilleries for the rest of your life, which ten would you choose?

Ardbeg
Balvenie
Bruichladdich
Glenrothes
Highland Park
Talisker

It gets messy after that. I'd probably pick for variety at that point, instead of favorites--say, Bladnoch, Aberlour, etc.

Thank goodness I don't actually have to do that.

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Connemara (Cooley) any version
Redbreats 12, Jameson 12 & Greenspot (Midelton)
Talisker 10
Laphroaig QC
Lagavulin 16
Highland Park 12
Makers Mark Red Seal
Glenrothes (any run of their mill)

[Deactivated Member]

Wayne's World, Wayne's World, party time, excellent, woo woo woo!

Sorry.

[Wave]

If you could narrow down your favorites to the top ten, what would they be? As a matter of convenience I’ve limited my choices to current, easily available whisk(e)y. It is extremely difficult to NOT add 11, 12, or more, and as you can see I have 14, these are what I reach for the most and/or are rarely disappointed in. How many can you reduce a list of special drams down to? Here's mine:


Aberlour A’bunadh
Ardbeg 10yo
Balvenie 15yo Single Barrel
George T Stagg
Glenfarclas 21yo or 25yo
Glenmorangie 10yo
Glenrothes 1974, 29yo
Highland Park 18yo
Lagavulin 16yo
Laphroaig 10yo C/S or QC
Longmorn 15yo
Talisker 18yo

All are good single malts and there even a couple there that would be on my list like the A’bunadh and Laphroaig 10yo C/S, but the absolute stunner is the Glenrothes 1974, 29yr old which btw isn't available anymore. at least where I shop.


Cheers!