Top 10 Whiskies of 2019 – No. 1

Balvenie 17 Year Old Doublewood – 70cl 43% – £86.99

My No.1 for 2019 is the stunning expression from Balvenie. To craft The Balvenie DoubleWood 17 Year Old, Malt Master David C. Stewart MBE returned to one of his most celebrated achievements – consecutive maturation in two different types of cask, a process often referred to as ‘cask finishing’.

Tasting Notes:
Nose: Elegant and complex oak, vanilla, honeyed sweetness and a hint of green apple.
Palate: Sweet with dried fruits, sherbet spice, toasted almonds and cinnamon, layered with a richness of creamy toffee notes and traces of oak and deep vanilla.
Finish: Vanilla oak, honey and spicy sweetness.

Slanje, Anthony

Top 10 Whiskies of 2019 – No. 2

Suntory Hibiki Harmony Japanese Blended Whisky – 70cl 43% – £64.99

A stunning Japanese whisky at No.2, Hibiki Japanese Harmony is the perfect introduction to Japanese whisky. Pure and noble, it offers a transparency of taste that allows for all of this whisky’s complexities to be revealed simultaneously.

Nose: Aromas of marmalade, orange blossom and apricot jam, held together with a subtle spiciness, giving a hint of cinnamon and clove. Elegant.
Palate: The generous fruit continues on to the palate, with oranges and apricots in abundance. There’s a little peppery spice, but the soft, succulent fruit takes hold. Nice balance, and nicely crafted.
Finish: The spiciness takes over from the fruit and lingers, along with a little barrel char.
Comment: Something of a baby compared with much older Hibiki bottlings, this retains the classic soft, elegant orange-blossom character and generous fruitiness, with a little spice to help things along.

Slanje, Anthony

Top 10 Whiskies of 2019 – No. 3

Stalla Dhu Cask Strength Truthbetold 22 – 54.4% 70cl – £185.00

Our newest cask strength bottling comes in strong at No.3

Some famous distilleries are fiercely protective of their whiskies and adapted a process called tea-spooning; as in adding a teaspoon of another malt.

This is so ‘Independent Bottlers’ cannot call it a Single Malt or use the Distillery name.

This exceptional cask in its previous incarnations was known as ‘Wardhead’ and clues to its identity lie within the label.

Tasting Notes:
Colour: Gold, startling, shiny, sparkling
Nose: Exotic fruits, butterscotch, vanilla
Palate: Soft sophisticated spice, toffee touches, lovely lingering long finish.

Slanje, Anthony

Top 10 Whiskies of 2019 – No. 4

Springbank 12 Year Old Cask Strength 2019 – 70cl 57.1% – £89.99

My choice for No. 4, released late Summer 2019, this is the latest cask strength offering from Springbank distillery.

Always a popular release, this Campbeltown malt has been matured for 12 years before being bottled at 57.1% vol.

Limited to 1 per customer.

Tasting Notes:
Nose: A fruity and nutty combination; cherries, apricot jam, pistachios and toasted oats. Salted caramel and marzipan begin to emerge.
Palate: Sweet and delicious, Scottish tablet, prunes and honey. The classic Campbeltown style develops; sea salt and a light smoke coat the mouth.
Finish: A long and warming finish with honeycomb, orange marmalade andliquorice closely followed by Demerara sugar, almonds, oats andprunes.

Slanje, Anthony

Top 10 Whiskies of 2019 – No. 5

Kilchoman Bourbon 2007 Private Cask Bottling – 55.3% 70cl – £165.00

At my No. 5 we have this stunning private cask release of Kilchoman, distilled 29th January 2007 and aged for 12 years in a bourbon cask.

Bottled on the 1st February 2019 at cask strength, 55.3%.
The Kilchoman distillery is a distillery that produces single malt Scotch whisky on Islay, an island of the Inner Hebrides.

The distillery is situated on the western side of Islay, near the small settlement of Kilchoman.

Only a select few bottles are available of this stunning whisky so get yours while you can!

Tasting Notes
Nose: Bold peat and a vanilla sweetness.
Palate: Icing sugar, custard sweets and light fruits.
Finish: A touch of gentle spice.

Slanje, Anthony