2 Die For

[Ganga]

Something that dates back to the days when I read Stereophile. Each year they had records 2 die for. What whiskies, based on quality not price, are 2 die for? Let's be reasonable and use say $2500US as our cutoff so we're not discussing truly exotic beverages like the 64 yo Dalmore and Glenfiddich.

Ones that come immediately to mind for me are:

Mortalch 50 book of Kells 1939
Springbank 1965 35 yo MM
Springbank 30 yo
Macallan 25 yo MM
Macallan 25 you Distiller's Society

What say you good folk?

[les taylor]

Bruichladdich 1970 copper tin. yummy yummy.

Yamazaki 18. Quite exceptional.

[Aidan]

The Bowmore 1964 that will be released soon.

Midleton 25

[Drrich1965]

This might be a longer list than you had in mind, but these are the ones that fit that description for me. If I had to pick three, not based on rating but on overall experience and to vary the styles a bit, I would pick the Ardbeg Provenance, Clynelish 29yo Cadenhead, and the 1978 Aberfeldy.



Ardbeg Provenance 1974 (55.8%, OB)
Port Ellen 16yo Dist. 1980, Cask 89/5891/20 (59.3%, Signatory)
Laphroaig 30yo (43%, OB, circa 2000)
Glenfarclas 21yo Square Bottle (55.5%, OB)
Brora 21yo 1981 (46%, Signatory, The Un-Chillfiltered Collection, Cask 1586, Bottle 594)
Glenlivet 27yo 1979 (43%, D&M Aficionados' Club Bottle, Chosen by Lorne Mackillop)
Aberfeldy 1978 1978/2000 (56.2%, Vintage Hallmark of St. James)
Ardbeg 30y/o Dist. 1963 (40%, G & M Connoisseurs Choice)
Clynelish 29yo 1972 (56.3%, Cadenhead)
Tullibardine 21yo 1970
Port Ellen 13yo 1982 (43%, Hart Brothers)

[Frodo]

- Port Ellen 3rd Release
- 21yr Springbank OB
- Bruichladdich 1970 OB

[BruceCrichton]

Adelphi Linkwood 1990 at 49.3% - released soon.

Duncan Taylor's 1993 Springbank 46% - fantastic to wash some Mul of Kintyre cheese.

Tobermory 1972 Oloroso sherry cask 50.7%. Only 902 bottles. Great stuff if you can get and worth 9 bottles of the 10. In fact worth 900 bottles of the 10. Truly a treat for anyone who can grab it.

[Wave]

Ardbeg '77
Highland Park 32yo D&M Aficionados' Club Bottle, Chosen by Lorne Mackillop
Laphroaig 13yo Cadenhead
Port Ellen 1st Annual Release
Springbank 26yo Signatory CS

All five get the yummy award!


Cheers!

[Knolly]

In my somewhat limited experience it would definitely be:

Ardbeg Provenance.

As for something a little different, there are two tequilas I'd throw in here as well (for anyone who's into tequila):

Porfidio Single Barrel Anejo (early green band bottles)
Casta Weber Azul

While I have had some amazing bottles of Scotch and Tequila, none have yet to match these three bottles.

Of course none of these three bottles are generally available and all will cost min $500 if you can find them.

Cheers!

[Reggaeblues]

Cut off point of $2500??

Me a poor musishan, mon! Enuff a dis f*ckery bizness!!!!!@

In truth, I never spent more than £70 on a whisky...those were a Macallan 18 2 years go, and an Ardbeg 77 for £65, of which I still have a teeny bit 18 months on.

But I warrant you'll find both at the big bar in the sky...

...and I hope someone took a bottle of SMWS 7.27 "Rasta Malt" with them and will offer me drop when I get there, 'cos there sure as hell ain't none left down here on Earth!

You don't have to spend a fortune to taste great whisky. I'm currently much impressed with Talisker 18. Reminds me of the Ardbeg 77, not so much in flavour( there are parrallels) but in the way the layers of subtle flavours unfold.

[Ganga]

Well, I wanted to include the Bruichladdich 40 as a possibility as we can get it here in the States for about $2300. What I wanted to eliminate was truly exotic whiskies, IE those that are just about strickly for collecting. The Macallan 1946 and the 60-, 62- and 64-yo Dalmore that Richard Patterson sometimes provides at talks he gives.

[Deactivated Member]

I'd have Springbank 21yo in the dumpy bottle with a parchment label and HP 1967 24yo. These are my earliest memories of top class whickies, so they have enormous sentimental value as well as taste value. But I wouldn't die for them - in fact, I baulked at £170 for the Springer when it was last at McTears.

But there is so much really high class whisky on the shelves today that it is pointless crying over extinct bottles. The first two John Black casks at Tulli, for example, retailing at £75 a pop. The bottle your own stuff at Aberlour. The entire Glenfarclas range. The G&M Glenburgie 1964. Ben Nevis 13yo. The relaunched Bunnahabhain range. Bushmills 21yo. Plenty of stuff in the Old Malt Cask range. These are just the ones that spring to mind.

[Ardbeg311]

Laphroaig 30yo (43%, c. 2001)
Caol Ila 25yo 1978/2004 (59.4%, OB)
Blair Athol 15yo 1990 (61.4%, Blackadder Raw Cask, Sherry cask)

I would also include particular bottles of the Laphroaig 10yo CS (57.3%) and Ardbeg Uigeadail (2004). However, while all these two bottles have been great, they haven't all been 'to die for'.

[Dubois]

Rare Malts Mortlach 22 Yrs.

[Bulkington]

My cutoff is far below your cutoff and should be lower than I've set it, but that leaves room to dream, right? Perhaps one day I'll marvel at my one-time willingness to die for what has since become rather middling stakes for me. Even now I'd be happy just for a taste of Brora 30 or any Springbank older than 15 or the upcoming Longrow 18. Anyway:

Laphroaig 30
Lagavulin 21
Talisker 175th

[jazz lover]

A few left off my Top 10 list
Glendronach 25 68
Macallan 18 74
Highland Park 33 Binnys
Highland Park 34 Binnys
Glenlivet 67 cellar collection
Lochside 66
Springbank 22 72 ob
Springbank 66
Springbank 30 Milroy's
Many D&T Bowmore's late 60's
Bruichladdich Legacy 1,3
Springbank 20 67
Bowmore 15 Dewar Ratray
Springbank 21 2000

[jazz lover]

SORRY..
Ardgeg 77

[irishwhiskeychaser]

Don't think there is any whiskey worth dieing for .....

but if you were to twist my arm .....

Midleton 1973 30 Year Old

[Jan_M]

Hey all,

I had a dram of Brora 30yo at the Whisky Festival Ghent some 2 weeks ago.
Wow, that taste was superb. (i'm only a novice in the world of malts )

I am going to stick with my Caol Ila 25yo as being my Top purchase.

Worst of all, i found that Brora in a spirits shop 3km's from my house.
Price is 230 euros.