The first Editor's Choice of the year was Waterford Whisky's Peated Ballybannon. The expression was released in 2022 alongside Peated Fenniscourt, becoming milestone releases as the first modern Irish peated whiskies in generations, from barley grown on two distinct single farm origins.

Issue: 197

ABV: 50%

Style: Single malt
Country/region: Republic of Ireland

Combined score: 17.2

Tasting notes by Christopher Coates:

Nose: Apricot yoghurt with honey-roasted granola. Maple syrup, buttermilk pancakes, sultana, coconut milk, breakfast tea, peppermint, and tinned peach. Starchy, like a bag of potatoes with earth still on them, and woodsmoke.

Palate: Full. Orchard fruits and vanilla pod, quickly replaced by Fisherman’s Friend lozenges, smoked pear, fresh peach, and lime candies. Fennel, rosehip, buttered sourdough toast, and white flower tea. Then a savoury smoked apple sausage note.

Finish: Long. Sweet cereal notes shine.

Comment: Not your garden-variety Irish malt. Colour me intrigued!

Taster score: 8.9

Read the full tasting review here. 

House of Hazelwood's The Lowlander took the Editor's Choice badge in issue 198. The 36-year-old blended Scotch was released alongside three other whiskies in the 2022 edition of the independent bottler's Legacy Collection. 

Issue: 198

ABV: 45.9%

Style: Blended
Country/region: Scotland

Combined score: 17.2

Tasting notes by Bethany Whymark:

Nose: Lots of woody spices — clove, cinnamon, and allspice — with hay, thyme, and roasted fennel. Perfumed rose and hibiscus. Fresh wholemeal bread with honey. A splash of sweet sherry.

Palate: Medium-full. Smoked hay, lemon-barley squash, and more roasted fennel. Shortbread, caramel, black tea, heathery honey, and a hint of the earlier spices. Chelsea bun and lemon zest.

Finish: Medium. Fades to ripe pear, nectarine, and brown sugar.

Comment: Displays excellent complexity and balance.

Taster score: 8.5

Read the full tasting review here. 

The Editor's Choice in issue 199 was another independent bottling: Nickolls & Perks' Springbank 25 Years Old. The Campbeltown single malt was distilled in 1997 and bottled by the wine and spirits merchant as part of its 'inaugural casks' collection.

Issue: 199

ABV: 49.1%

Style: Single malt
Country/region: Scotland, Campbeltown

Combined score: 17.2

Tasting notes by Bethany Whymark:

Nose: Slight chalkiness, subtle pecorino cheese, waxed jacket, and engine grease. Rye cracker, green olive, and parsley oil. Lemon, apple, and bready malt — like an apple charlotte pudding.

Palate: Medium-full bodied. Fresh apple, pear, and damson. Pecorino, oatcake, fig jam, peppercorns, and nutmeg. Then polenta cake and a little olive oil.

Finish: Long. A very, very gentle whiff of peat, with ground black pepper and tea loaf.

Comment: A beautiful example of Campbeltown’s distinct style — a little dirty, but delicious.

Taster score: 8.6

Read the full tasting review here. 

Whisky Magazine's 200th issue saw Tamdhu's 15 Years Old take the top marks. First launched in 2019 as one of the Speyside distillery's annual release bottlings, the 15 Years Old has been exclusively matured in oloroso-seasoned oak — the signature style of all Tamdhu releases.

Issue: 200

ABV: 46%

Style: Single malt
Country/region: Scotland, Speyside

Combined score: 17.9

Tasting notes by Bradley Weir:

Nose: Warm caramel simmering in a saucepan, sticky toffee pudding, a handful of peanuts, and jam on slightly burnt toast.

Palate: Peanut butter and delicious millionaire shortbread, followed by toffee-coated apples. Could sip again and again.

Finish: Medium length, fantastically smooth with caramel dominating.

Comment: An absolute delight. I’ll have another glass, please.

Taster score: 9.1

Read the full tasting review here.

The first American whiskey Editor's Choice of 2024 was British independent bottler the Heart Cut's bottling of Westward Distillery's American single malt. Earlier in 2024 the Heart Cut was named Independent Bottler of the Year in the World Whiskies Awards.

Issue: 201

ABV: 50%

Style: Single malt
Country/region: US, Oregon

Combined score: 16.6

Tasting notes by Christopher Coates:

Nose: Oil paints, waxed canvas, spiced ginger biscuits (lebkuchen), and kneaded sourdough. Herbal notes of dill, cardamom, and caraway. Glacé cherries, fresh peaches, and muscovado.

Palate: Full-bodied. Intense and concentrated notes of cinnamon bun, toffee apple, and blackberry pie. Stewed plums and peaches. Nutty cereal and herbal notes of rugbrød and kardemummabullar.

Finish: Medium long, on the spiced pastry notes.

Comment: An unusual and distinctively spiced style that gets a thumbs up from me.

Taster score: 8.3

Read the full tasting review here.

From issue 202, Bradley Weir and Alwynne Gwilt took over as Whisky Magazine's new blind tasting duo, and for their first Editor's Choice selected Royal Salute's 25 Years Old Pedro Ximénez Cask Finish, a blended Scotch whisky.

Issue: 202

ABV: 40%

Style: Blended
Country/region: Scotland

Combined score: 17.9

Tasting notes by Alwynne Gwilt:

Nose: The nose opens with dusty baking spices, alongside some tobacco and a bit of quince. There’s the smell of old wood, like a wooden cabin after the rain.

Palate: Some dried ginger and raspberries, sitting alongside old leather, Kola cubes, and baked crumble. It’s quite delicate but the palate still has weight.

Finish: Long, balanced, and complex.

Comment: This felt like a complex old blend, with lovely dusty fruit, and balanced wood spice. Really enjoyable.

Taster score: 8.9

Read the full tasting review here.

Another independent bottling took the badge in issue 203, this time Whisky 1901's bottling of a Glenburgie 35 Years Old, which was the brand's inaugural whisky release earlier this year. 

Issue: 203

ABV: 45.1%

Style: Single malt
Country/region: Scotland, Speyside

Combined score: 17.4

Tasting notes by Bradley Weir:

Nose: The fruit-forwardness you’d expect from a Speyside single malt. A lovely combination of passionfruit, lemon, lime, and green apples.

Palate: Predominantly apple and pear, before vanilla notes begin to settle in. Passionfruit and mango also make an appearance. Fruity deliciousness.

Finish: A fairly short finish, with the apple goodness fading delicately.

Comment: A really strong Speyside showing. So easy to drink, and the range of fruits makes this burst on the palate.

Taster score: 8.7

Read the full tasting review here.

In the final issue of Whisky Magazine of 2024 it was the Bloody Sergeant from the Household Series by Livingstone in partnership with Elixir Distillers. The Macbeth-inspired series was illustrated by Quentin Blake and included character notes by whisky writer Dave Broom. Each whisky in the series is paired with a character from the play — in this case the 10-year-old Blair Athol was cast as the Sergeant. 

Issue: 204

ABV: 51.8%

Style: Single malt
Country/region: Scotland, Highlands

Combined score: 17.3

Tasting notes by Alwynne Gwilt:

Nose: Starts with a bit of candied fruit: strawberry laces and Fruitella. There’s some Golden Syrup and fudge too. With water, a little less concentrated and direct but the same notes remain.

Palate: Surprisingly palatable for the full strength. There’s a nice grassy note, then strawberry and banana foams, cherry cola, black pepper, and wood spice. With water, becomes really pleasant. Lovely.

Finish: Medium length, tasting more of that cask woodiness.

Comment: A well-balanced dram that I would happily sip any time of year.

Taster score: 8.5

Read the full tasting review here.