The 25 Whiskeys You Need to Try Before You Die
https://gearpatrol.com/2020/05/22/whiskeys-to-try-before-you-die/
The 25 whiskeys herein are not the best whiskeys in the world. There isn’t a rating system or greater calculus behind them. This is a list of whiskeys that, in one way or another, matter. Some, like Johnnie Walker Blue Label or Old Grand-Dad 114, tell a story about where whisk(e)y has been. Others, like Bulleit’s ubiquitous rye or Buffalo Trace’s Blanton’s line, quietly reshaped whiskey history. And then there’s whiskey that’s just so good, so unique and so iconic, it makes the cut by force of will; like Four Roses’ 2017 release dedicated to and co-designed by the legendary Al Young, or the cook-kid-scotch Lagavulin 16. These are the whiskeys every would-be whiskey drinker should try before they die.
Is there Pappy? Maybe.
Buffalo Trace Antique Collection
Shortened to BTAC by its followers, the crown jewel of Buffalo Trace’s whiskey-making empire is an annual show-off session for its best juice. The collection includes an uncut rye bomb, extra-aged Eagle Rare bourbon and Sazerac rye and, what every bourbon enthusiast is perpetually hunting down, George T. Stagg and William Larue Weller. The former is essentially extra-old, barrel strength Buffalo Trace, the latter is a barrel strength Pappy that can be even trickier to track down.
Availability: Allocated
Price: ~$250 to ~$750
https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/brands/antique-collection
Weller 12
A $20 Buffalo Trace bourbon available everywhere is now $200 and nowhere to be found. What happened? Hype. Whiskey writers, shop owners and bourbon lovers started calling it “baby Pappy” because of a shared wheated bourbon mashbill, and it began to disappear. Is it worth the skyhigh price it goes for nowadays? That can only be answered after you’ve tried it.
Availability: Allocated
Price: ~$200
https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/brands/wl-weller#1
Hibiki 21
A number of Japanese whiskies undory the Suntory flag could be here, but Hibiki 21 is a classic example of Japanese whisky decadence. As with all Hibiki entries, it contains spirit aged in American oak barrels, Spanish Olorosso sherry casks, ex-bourbon barrels, ex-wine casks and the iconic Japanese Mizunara oak barrel, which is easily the most expensive maturation barrel money can buy. It is the pinnacle of a line that was created to cater to the Japanese palate, and shows incredible finesse in its intense, almost tea-like floral structure. Its rarity and price in the US represent the downside of the category, which hasn’t been able to keep up with demand in close to a decade now. It’s always Suntory Time.
Availability: Allocated
Price: ~$900
https://whisky.suntory.com/en/global/products/hibiki/sku#21-years-old
Henry McKenna Single Barrel
This is a time capsule to whiskey hype in early 2019. What was once a $35 bourbon available everywhere became a $100 ultra-premium whiskey lining the top shelf overnight, all it took was a San Francisco World Spirits Competition crown. The price may droop from peak hype, but it’s unlikely you’ll ever see it next to your regular old Knob Creeks, Four Roses and Buffalo Trace again.
Availability: Allocated
Price: ~$75
https://heavenhilldistillery.com/henry-mckenna-single-barrel.php
Nikka From the Barrel
Nikka’s From the Barrel is the best widely available Japanese whisky to ever arrive on American soil. Unlike Suntory’s near-extinct Yamazaki and Hakushu lines (and its highball-focused Toki brand), From the Barrel has never been hard to find. It arrived in the U.S. in 2018 and Japan three decades before that and the makers claim there are more than 100 unique malt and grain spirits blended within. It’s prototypical Japanese whisky without the assumed Japanese whiskey price.
Availability: Widely Available
Price: ~$60
https://www.nikka.com/eng/brands/fromthebarrel/
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= new reply since forum marked as read
I find whiskey to be dreadful stuff. You go ahead and try each of them twice to make up for me.
over priced atm, save for ones like multiple offerings from Nikka, etc.
https://www.nikka.com/eng/brands/coffey-grain-malt/
https://www.nikka.com/eng/brands/taketsuru/
https://www.nikka.com/eng/brands/singlemalt-yoichi/
https://www.nikka.com/eng/brands/singlemalt-miyagikyo/
It is a wonderful dram, not challenging, but still luscious and complex, full of rich vanilla notes, toffee, and some hints of tropical fruits/apples in the background (and won't break the bank, you should be able to pull a bottle in the US for 50 to 70 USD)
https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/the+balvenie+caribbean+cask+fourteen+old+single+malt+scotch+whisky+speyside+scotland/0
If you ever have a Scotch lover who you are buying a gift for, that bottle is sure win.
cost double it would still be worth it IMHO, easy)
very very complex (especially for an 8 year old!!)
deffo not a beginner dram, but so rewarding
track it down if you can (I put 2 buy links in too)
you will be glad you did
Kilkerran 8 year old Cask Strength Re-charred 
https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/kilkerran/kilkerran-8-year-old-cask-strength-whisky/
https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/kilkerran+8+year+old+cask+strength
https://malt-review.com/2019/12/03/kilkerran-8-year-old-cask-strength-recharred-oloroso-casks/
Kilkerran 8 Year Old Cask Strength – Recharred Oloroso Casks – Adam’s Notes
Colour: Erm … erm … well, Oloroso, to be honest
On the nose: Oh yes. There’s that Campbeltownian bass. A harmonious, sonorous, deep rumble of coal-smoke and diesel overlaying candle wax, leather, walnut and dusty tome. Very old-school – much more distillate and cask than any sort of sherry fruit.
In the mouth: Aaaaand … there’s the sherry. To begin with. A big-bodied, mouthfilling gulp of raisins, sultanas, figs – the full fruitcake (or, perhaps, Christmas pudding …) – comes voluptuously crashing in, but it’s just a gasp ahead of the wave of distillate that follows; that big, burly, belching Campbeltown forge of coal and engine oil. Then the third wave – tropical fruits. Indeed things get rather juicy indeed with ripe apricot and even mango. But always the coal dust and charred wood curls in about them, fading to an austere, smoky minerality. There’s quite an oomph of alcohol, as you’d expect, but the body can cope with it and the flavour intensity certainly can. Just fabulously layered; you want to know complex? Try this.
Conclusions
Kilkerran could bottle spirit they’d aged in an asbestos-riddled sock and it’d still fly out faster than a crack-zonked Peregrine falcon. I’ve blown hot and cold on their whiskies in the past, but this one I absolutely adore. I can already hear Jason moaning about the shift from ex-bourbon casks, but variety is the spice of life and the wonderful thing about this whisky is that, assertive as the casks are, the spirit in the engine room is in gorgeous, full-throated Campbeltownian song. It’s a knockout; a proper, classic Campbeltown for proper, classic Campbeltown purists and you should buy it (if you can find it).
It suddenly occurs to me that this is my fourth score of eight in a row, which is almost certainly a first for any Malt contributor. Indeed this is probably my favourite of that delicious quartet; it’s howling at the door of a nine. Our Phil, who sees whisky criticism as some sort of Tough Mudder Challenge, starts every review on a default of minus three and reckons awarding anything higher than six is proof of woolly-minded, unauthoritative hyperbole will doubtless accuse me of going soft. All I can say is that I’d buy any of the last four whiskies I’ve reviewed again in a heartbeat – and recommend them to anyone who likes to drink nice things. Anyhow, I’m just a part-timer on Malt these days. I’m allowed to be less masochistic about what goes in my tasting glass.
Bottom line: I spent (a fraction) under £50 on this Kilkerran. At that price I don’t reckon there’s anything currently coming out of Scotland … or anywhere else … to touch it.
Score: 8/10
Kilkerran 8 Year Old Cask Strength – Recharred Oloroso Casks – Mark’s Notes
Colour: Henna – very robust.
On the nose: Chinese Five Spice, damson chutney, with a smokey, charred, charcoal element that takes over. Chestnut, walnuts, a bit of woodiness; then a rush of red and black fruits – blackberry and cranberry (sauce) in particular. Figs. Tobacco.
In the mouth: all kinds of dirty. Lovely texture, velvety, as I like it, but good lord what a combination of heavily charred, blackened meat utterly smeared in hoisin sauce. Cigars – a lingering tobacco note that carries through to the finish. But before we get there, those sticky black fruits echoing the nose, with cherries, sundried tomatoes and a dollop of HP sauce. A hint of molasses under there, just a touch. Ultimately I think good whisky is about balance, and this has what I personally like best: heavier, deeper flavours, derived from very good production methods, but which are still harmonious – Beethoven over Mozart, if you will. Or perhaps even Wagnerian when at best.
Conclusions
Well then. This is very good indeed – utterly perfect for the depths of winter, just something full of soul. I find I am impatient with a great many whiskies these days – there’s so much utterly average, dull, flavourless guff clogging up our shelves, that I can’t even be bothered to give most of it air time. Which means I only tend to write about the things I like – because I am moved to do so. (And not unlike Adam, in fact, in giving yet another high score of late.)
This whisky has soul, it has personality. But, if you are a long-time reader of our Malt ramblings, you would probably expect that of a Kilkerran. Adam informs me this is 50 shekels – which is, I have to say, an utter piss-take. A joke on the industry, surely?
Score: 8/10
I know drinks whiskey occasionally. 
and if you want to move up the food chain in The Balvenie line (not into insane price points)
Balvenie Portwood 21 Year Old is approaching nectar of the gods territory
we have 2 unopened bottles and one about half gone
its our everyday dram for just us
https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/the+balvenie+21+year+old/0
skål!!
I'm no fan of Scotch and I find Irish Whiskey only tolerable. My all time favorite didn't make the list.
as Systembolaget (our state liquor monopoly) does not carry it
this expression sounds great
LAGUNA MADRE
LIMOUSIN OAK-IMMERSED STRAIGHT BOURBON | 101 PROOF
https://www.garrisonbros.com/our-babies#Laguna_Madre
HERE’S TO LIMOUSIN
It is our great pleasure to introduce you to Garrison Brothers Laguna Madre, straight bourbon seasoned in rare Limousin oak casks. These French barrels are true works of art – highly sought-after, allocated, and incredibly expensive to boot Toasting this majestic oak activates unforgettable flavors of woody vanilla, sweet candy cacao and thick, white chocolate that you won’t soon forget.
The creamy finish of this bourbon is both sensuous and aromatic, like the endorphin-fueled natural high one feels in one’s soul while spending a beautiful day away from all the daily stresses life has to offer … perhaps under early afternoon sunlight, on the first day of spring, when the Laguna Madre shines forth like an azure band of aquamarine beckoning all to come out and play.
I think it runs about $200 a liter.
A friend of mine runs a PR firm that does a lot of political work for State and National candidates. Someone he liked was running for a City Council seat so he offered to handle their campaign for free.
As a thank you gift, the candidate (who did win) gave him a dinner certificate and a pint of JW Blue. The charge for what my buddy did for him normally would have been about $10-15,000 so that wasn't an extravagant gift.
I find out about this when we and two others guys are on about the third hole of our local course. He's not a big scotch drinker but he knew that the three of us were. I hate to admit that that wonderful brown elixir was passed around and slugged out of the bottle for a about 4 holes until it was empty.
Was good sipping whiskey, but that was to be expected.
