Ring In 2018 with 18 Year Old Whiskey

At one time, Campbeltown was once known as the Whisky Capital of the World as there were more than 30 active distilleries on the small peninsula of Kintyre in Southwestern Scotland. There are now just three. The 18 Year old expression from one of those distilleries, Springbank, is predominately aged in ex sherry wood with the remainder aged in ex bourbon barrels.

Released in 2017 as part of Diageo's annual fall special release collection, this Islay single malt was aged for 18 years, and is from the distillery's brief annual unpeated malt distillation. It was matured in refill American oak hogsheads. Quantities are limited worldwide.

This bottling is a departure from their Extra Matured line which use The Original as a base before finishing in a wine cask. The 18 Year is aged for 15 years in ex-bourbon casks, then a third of this is finished in ex sherry casks while the remaining continue to mature in their barrels until all of the whisky is at least 18 years old.

Johnnie Walker Platinum has been rebranded and repackaged as Johnnie Walker 18 Year. Platinum was an 18 Year whisky, so nothing has changed apart from a new name and new look for the blended whisky. The fact that it is an 18 Year old whisky has just been given its proper prominence for the brand. Made from up to 18 different whiskies for the blend including whisky from Blair Athol, Cardhu, Glen Elgin, and Auchroisk. This is bottled at 40% ABV. (SRP $89.99 for 750ml)

Talisker was 007's drink of choice, not the martini--shaken or not. It is the Isle of Skye’s only distillery and was originally built in 1831 before being rebuilt in 1960 after a fire destroyed the entire facility. Talisker commissioned 5 exact replicas of the original still to be constructed to preserve its signature flavor. An interesting component of these stills is the swan-neck lye pipes that force some of the alcohol to be condensed before they hit the worm tubs and is redistilled. This gives Talisker its rich body!

This is the third and oldest release thus far of Lock Stock & Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey, following their 13-year-old and 16-year-old bottlings. Like those releases, this bottling is 100% rye whiskey distilled at Canada's Alberta Distillery. It is a "robust cut", unfiltered after aging for 18 years in new, charred American oak. Bottled at 109 proof.

The whiskies used to compose the 18 year have spent their time exclusively in either ex-Bourbon barrels or in ex-Sherry casks. They are then blended together to produce this treasure. One note doesn't outshine the other, but rather it is a marvelous symphony of aromas and flavors.

This 18 year-old single malt from Suntory's Yamazaki Distillery is aged exclusively in Japanese Mizunara oak. The name "Mizunara" derives from the Japanese "mizu" meaning water and "nara" meaning oak. Mizunara is both hard and permeable making it difficult to shape and to avoid leaks. Chief Blender Shinji Fukuyo selected whiskies aged in Mizunara of varying ages from at least 18 years and including some more than 50 years old for this whisky. Bottled at 48% ABV, this edition is available from October 2017.

This rye whiskey contains a mashbill of Minnesota rye, Kentucky corn, and North Dakota malted barley. Distilled to 135 proof in the spring of 1998, the rye whiskey entered the barrel at 125 proof. It matured for 18 years in new, charred American oak barrels on the second floor of Warehouse K. Only 25 barrels make up this batch. Note: this rye was placed in stainless-steel tanks in 2016 to prevent further aging. It is 90 proof at bottling.

Shudder to think that Highland Park 18 has only been with us since 1997. What were we drinking instead? With the highest of accolades awarded in the whisky world under their belt, one wonders what is their secret to success. The selection and creation of the casks has to be part of the recipe. Using both European and American oak, casks are built to their specifications and sent off to Jerez to be filled with Oloroso Sherry. Three years later, they get them back and the journey begins.