Distiller Users Favorite Scotch
If you're more interested in what other whisky fans think and less interested in what the experts have to say, then this list is for you! These are the best scotch whiskies according to the Distiller community.
Mar 31, 2016
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10This bottling is aged traditionally in used American barrels for 14 years and then finished in rum casks, but these casks were seasoned by The Balvenie themselves. They selected different rums from the West Indies and poured them into new American oak to season the wood. They then take their aged whisky and finish aging in the seasoned rum casks. Incidentally, this method actually further ages the rum which they can then sell back. Classic!
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9Highland Park is renowned for the peat they use and for their exclusive use of ex-Sherry casks. The climate on the Orkney Islands is quite windy and sea swept creating a dismal environment for trees. As such, the Orcadian peat bogs have more heather, grass, and plants than those on Islay. Highland Park 12, first released in 1979, uses about 20% 1st-fill sherry casks. Name change and bottle update in 2017.
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8Oban 14 Year is quite the crowd-pleaser and is found everywhere from your local pubs to serious whisky bars. Its fans might be surprised to hear it hails from one of the smaller distilleries in Scotland. Also small are the size of their pear-shaped stills. Oban, a seaside town built around the distillery, is actually named after the distillery and not the other way around. The surrounding environment clearly has influenced its namesake whisky as the sea is the signature footprint of Oban whiskies.
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7The Macallan invests an exorbitant amount each year into the wood in which they age their whiskies. In the case of the Sherry Oak Cask Series European oak sherry casks were predominately used with some American oak sherry casks used as well. Both types were seasoned with oloroso sherry. Additionally, the majority of these barrels were first-fill casks which will mean even more color and flavors are picked up. After 12 years of aging, this single malt is bottled at 43% ABV with natural coloring. No caramel coloring is used.
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6The DoubleWood has become such an iconic bottling and was inspired by a whisky produced in the mid 80s by The Balvenie's Malt Master, David Stewart. That was the first time Mr. Stewart had used a wine barrel to finish his whisky; arguably, the first time anyone did. The Doublewood is aged for 12 years in 2nd or 3rd fill American barrels and then placed in 1st fill Oloroso Sherry butts for 9 months before bottling.
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5The name Monkey Shoulder originates from an injury that the maltmen (those that hand turn the grain in a malthouse) would get as the task would leave one arm hanging. This is a blended malt whisky which means it's comprised only of single malt whiskies. As the brand is owned by William Grant & Sons, you can expect to have whiskies from Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, and Kininvie to be included in the bottling. After blending, the whisky is allowed to marry for up to six months before bottling.
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4The Ardbeg 10 Year is the flagship bottling for the distillery. The peat level is on the higher end of the scale at 55 parts per million or ppm. It's aged a minimum of 10 years in ex-bourbon barrels and is bottled without chill-filtration at 92 proof.
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3Founded in 1830, Talisker is the oldest working distillery on the Isle of Skye. The peat level is a moderate 16-22 ppm (phenol parts per million). Aged a minimum of 10 years in American oak casks, the single malt is bottled at 45.8% ABV. Talisker 10 Year is one of the Classic Malts for its parent company Diageo.
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2Laphroaig 10 Year is the flagship bottling from the Islay distillery. The peated single malt is aged for a minimum of 10 years in ex-bourbon barrels, many sourced from Maker's Mark in Kentucky. Laphroaig is one of only a handful of distilleries in Scotland with its own malting floor used in part of its production. Using a peat kiln built in 1840, the malted barley is cold-smoked for 10-12 hours. Then it's fully dried using hot air. NOTE: Sold at 40% ABV or 43% ABV depending on your market.
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1Though not officially established until 1816, there are records of illicit distillation that date as far back as 1742. Located on the southeast coast of Islay, Lagavulin produces single malt whiskies made with peated malted barley sourced from neighboring Port Ellen Maltings. Aged in oak barrels for a minimum of 16 years, this is the flagship bottling from the distillery.