Whiskies I will NEVER regret buying!
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- Опубліковано 23 лип 2024
- I have tried many whiskies this year, and after a lot of thought, I have finally chosen my Whisky of the Year, but I have also included my nominations for the best affordable top scotch whiskies of 2021. These are my top whiskeys of 2021 in the world that I think you should try from generally smaller distilleries and what I think are fantastic malts.
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Great choices. My real world list would be...Best Standard Malt: Craigellachie 13...Best Peated Malt: Port Charlotte 10...Best Premium Malt: Glen Scotia Victoriana ✌️
Great video and great picks! Cheers to you and Happy New Year! 🥃😊
Thanks Phil. I'm just starting my whisky exploration journey after a couple of decades without touching it at all. Your channel and descriptive commentary is really helpful in informing me and guiding my decisions.
Thank you for the education!
I'll be sure to look out for these.
Cheers! And happy new year.
Beauty list, mate! Had a dram of the GS15 in Edinburgh this year. Loved it. Have a happy and prosperous new year! :). Cheers from Canada.
Nicely done…all worthy picks and so unique that it’s difficult to decide which is the whiskey of the year. Your picks are in my rotation along with Ledaig 10 and Kilchoman Sanaig. Have a healthy, safe and prosperous New Years.
Great list. I just bought the GS15 when I couldn’t find a Springbank and took a chance. Now I’m really fired up to crack it open. Happy New Year!🎆
Greetings from Inverness, Phil. Great video , GS15 was one of the first whiskies I latched onto when my journey took off in 2018. Delighted to see them going from strength to strength. Lovely drams ( and people) at Kilchoman as well. Slainte
Great list! Love what Arran is doing. Port Charlotte is also my go-to Islay currently. I just picked up GS 15, but have not opened. Will have to remedy that tonight. Cheers Phil!
Hi Phil, I just discovered your UA-cam channel and I decided to take the time to let you know that, in my opinion, you are one of the best whiskey UA-cam channel there is at the moment.
Been watching a lot of Whisky related content for the past two years and trust me, you are by a great margin, in the top three out there! The quality of editing, writing, rhythm etc is just astonishing!
Keep up the good work mate, greetings from France
Can’t agree more, especially for Gen X like myself. You bring the Casey neistate style of editing to whiskey. I have no doubt that if you keep pumping out these videos you’ll be one of the top UA-camrs for whiskey. This is such a fun hobby and you do an incredible job of helping us understand why we enjoy it so much.
Thanks so much! That means a lot!
Have to agree with you here. GS 15 is fantastisch, can't get enough of GS at the moment.
Though the Victoriana is also exceptional had a dram last night got marzipan, baking spices, basically Christmas in a glass.
Great list Phil definitely agree on the Loch Gorm, Port Charlotte and Spice Tree. Love Arran and Glen Scotia, but have not had the bottles on your list.
Thanks Phil, great selection, and indeed quite available even in Canada. The Spice Tree was also a surprise for me as I had been concentrating on single malts. I was really glad to give it a try, Compass box really offers products that I will be experiencing in 2022. Again Phil, thanks for your great work in getting us to explore the beautiful world of whiskies, Cheers.
Where in Canada are you? I’m from Ontario and I can’t find anything here. No Arrans, no kilkerran, glencadam, glen scotia. All I was able to get was a Deanston 12. I wonder if this is due to the global logistics crisis?
Awesome list Phil. All bangers! 🥃
The old Glen Scotia bottles are nicknamed the “disco cows” at the Scotch Whisky Auction site - seems a pretty good descriptor. Like all your whisky choices, though I do enjoy the Ledaig 10 a little more than the PC 10 but that may be personal preference. Happy New Year 🥳 Phil
Great review! You really nailed it. Fabulous choices. I haven’t seen the new Arran 18 yet, or even an old bottling in quite s while. That should sort out in time. Happy New Year! Slainte
Happy new year James! Appreciate that. Hope you enjoy the 18 if you find it! Cheers!
Great video! The arran 18 is my favourite whisky of all time. I find it well worth the money!
Just caught a couple of your videos - so jumped forward to whisky of the year - love the Arran, Port Charlotte and Glen Scotia - all accessible and reasonably priced for the quality - Hogmanay here in Scotland so I will be onto Glen Garrioch and The Spice Tree that I haven't tasted when the shops are open in the New Year - you'll be in 2022 by now I guess so belated best wishes for The New Year!
Thanks John! Hope you enjoy them. Happy New Year to you too!
Great list, Phil. I especially appreciate your mention of PCHP10. It's an overlooked dram and a bottle that I replace immediately after one is done (along with The Classic Laddie). I'm also a big fan of Compass Box, which now I need to check to see if I still have my bottle of Spice Tree. You've inspired me to buy the GlenScotia 15 and I'm picking up a bottle tomorrow. Cheers!
Great stuff Phil. I had four of you're 5 , my Arran being the 10 and the fantastic quarter cask.
My go to Peat dram has had to much good press of late so I will not name it ( lol ) and this year I found two Kilkerran 12 and that is one hell of a dram
All the best for the new year from rainy North Yorkshire.
I haven’t tried the Kilchoman and Glen Scotia. Will have to give both of them a go when I see them available.
You’ve got a great channel. Looking forward to what you do in 2022. Cheers. 🥃
For sure must trys !!! Just had glenscotia Victorian for the first time and loved it !!!
Great list Phil!
Absolutely love the Port Charlotte.
Since you talked about sherried Islays, I was just wondering if you could tell me how the Loch Gorm compares to a Laphroaig PX or sherry cask.
Cheers.
Hi Phil, I know you will get this a lot but you really are a superb content creator and you deserve far more views than you get. I have bought at least 5 bottles purely on the back of your reviews/other videos and your taste is spot on.
Keep it up big guy, I can't wait for the next video.
Thanks so much Alexander! That means a lot and i'm grateful to have you watching.
Great picks Phil. Love Loch Gorm and PC10 👍 Happy New Year.
So good! Happy new year to you too!
Solid choice on the Glen scotia 15. I was
Pleasantly surprised as well. I think it’s more defined and flavorful than springbank 15.
Glen Scotia 15 is stupid good. Great Choice Phil. Love your delivery and channel. 🥃
Happy to see Glen Scotia on the list! They have become my favourite distiller. I got a sneaky try of the 25YO whilst working at a whisky festival in Edinburgh last year. Worthy of the accolades... Managed to pick up the 12YO 2021 seasonal release and 10YO Bordeaux red wine Campbeltown festival bottle - both absolutely amazing if you can get a hold of them! Cheers Phil
Awesome selection and videos overall Phil. I only recently discovered your channel but I watched everything already :D your videos are always very informative and entertaining at the same time, congratulations! I really like your content :)
Regarding the Glen Scotia 15, I also thought it was fantastic and it got me interested in the Victoriana. Between the two, if you ignore the price difference, do you still prefer the 15 over the Victoriana? Cheers!
Hi Phil- love your channel. Can you do a video on your whisky collection “‘what’s in your cabinet” video?
I finally received my bottle of Lagavulin 11yr Offerman Edition Guinness Cask. Love it so much I bought a second bottle. I want to try these on your list though 😁👍🏼
Ah I still need to try that. Thanks Lance
Wonderful Stuff! Disco cow bottles are awesome haha
Great choice for WOTY. Glen Garioch 12 is also surprisingly good. I like the Braille on the new Arran bottles and it helps with blind tastings! Compass Box and Douglas Laing regional malts are very good blended malt choices.
Agree with all of that Peter! Thanks so much!
Bought the glenscotia after years of you saying it was good. I want to thank you so much for this gem. I went back to buy another 2 days after. And I only drink occasionally
Nice selection. Happy new year
Thanks! Happy New Year to you too!
Great list Phil, agree on the Loch Gorm, Arran and Port Charlotte but totally disagree on the GlenGarioch and Glen Scotia though:), have to hunt down the Compass box right away
dude! GS15 is also my fave of this year! I went thru a whole bottle myself and now have 3 in stash :)
And hurray for glen garioch 12... one of my fave "dirty" malts :)
Couldn’t agree with you more, Glenscotia 15 blow my socks of the first time I tried it, and now i try to get my hands on as much Glenscotia I possibly can, have never been let down yet a terrific distillery ❤
The seasonal release 2022 finished in amontillado casks were everything The Dalmore cigar malt wish it was cranked up 10 times.
Hi Phil, thumbs up for this whisky of the year review. Very intersting list you have there. In my top ten would have been this year for sure the Glen Scotia Victoriana and the Arran Quarter Cask The Bothy. My number one would go probably to a single cask bottling by Hunter Laing & Co, from The First Edition range, a 2007 Tamdhu, Cask strenght. What a fantastic dram, complex, with a nice kick but still very smooth and creamy. But maybe would not qualify as not easily available.
Cheers from 🇨🇭looking forward for new content
Ps: love your very down to earth / unperturped / relaxed style of narrating and presentation. The editing is spot on, never boring, very smooth.
Thanks so much! I’m also a big fan of The Bothy and Tamdhu cask strength, but that single cask version sounds amazing! Great to have you watching
Hi Phil, a kiwi doing whiskey reviews, well done. Professional, superbly well prepared and presented top stuff. I'd have to drop in the Bunnahabhain 12 year old. Managed to get a 12 year cask strength - excellent. Raasay came out with a good dram ..seems to have sold out and Ardnamurchan 'AD 04.21:03' 46.8% ( $85 a bargain from whiskey and more) is still available ... Keep it up, well done.
Good work getting the cask strength bunna! I managed to get the Raasay - it’s a fascinating malt. I still need to try the Ardnamurchan though. Thanks Tom, appreciate that!
Glen Scotia hits the spot its dark and musty but sweet and the NAS Double cask is great also the Victoriana is amazing and of course the 15 is a great drop. Good choice mate
I'd have given the nod to the Arran 18 it just ticks a lot of boxes for me, also the Loch Gorm was a great whisky that felt like it flew under the radar this year. Keen to try the compass box as you're the third or fourth person I've heard say it really surpasses expectation.
Hey Phil, just stumbled onto your channel, I'm a kiwi and it's great to see another kiwi doing awesome videos! I'll definitely be trying some of these... I'm a fan of Spice Tree. Whereabouts do you buy your whiskey? I've found whiskey and more really affordable... keep it up! thanks mate
Whisky and more is great, but whisky galore had some really interesting whiskies. Great to have you watching!
When I first took a sip of the Arran 18, I literally said out loud ‘holy shit that’s good’.. for that reason, it has to be my best whisky of 2021.
Nice choices. I only have the Kilchoman Machir Bay and I am not happy with it; very one dimensional peat smothering what else may be there. You have perhaps put in my mind that I ought to try this one. I really love the Spice Tree, and most of the Compass Box whiskies. Thanks for the video.
great video, phil!
Thanks Lee!!
Great list
The Isle of Arran literally is across the bay from my in-laws... we see it everyday... was not even aware the produce a whiskey !! Going to have to visit the distillery now !
totally agree with PC 10! Ijt makes you happy!
Hi Phil, good picks for sure. Those earlier Glen Scotia bottles were pretty naff weren’t they. Now Glen Scotia are putting out some pretty good whisky.Next step is to stop putting artificial dye in the 15. Deservedly to be a WOTY. Slàinte Mhath Phil and have a great new year.
Lovely to see Glen Garioch in here (and pronounced correctly!), it's the closest distillery to me, only 20 odd miles from my house.
It’s such a great whisky! Thanks!
Glen Garioch 12 yo? Glen Scotia 15 yo? Really?
YES, absolutely!
Great choices, even if the GS just just jumped up in price.
BTW great channel and content, I‘ll stick around!
Greetings from Germany
Frank
Good choice
Port Charlotte 10 gets some love! 👏👏👏 It has to be Islay's most underrated peated dram (though maybe not for much longer 😉). Thanks for the video. Cheers!
Agree Robert! I don’t know why it doesn’t get mentioned more among Islay whiskies
Great picks!
Love seeing a compass box on the list. If you haven't tried "The Story of the Spaniard" please do. TSOTS is the compass box sherry bomb.
Ah I need to try that! Thanks for the recommendation.
Great choice Phil, GS15 just about my favourite of all time. I think they use a large number of toasted and charred barrels which may explain the colour. Slightly peated or a mix of peated and unpeated spirit like Ardnamurchan for my money, but as you say there is just a lot going on. It’s about £60 here and better value than the Non age Victoriana which is about £10 more.
Thanks Ben! I agree, it’s so good.
You have a really nice taste, this video is going to be very useful to a lot of people. Thanks!
Kilchoman Loch Gorm - Its awesome, but still prefer the (way cheaper in Spain) Machir Bay. I dont know, i just really like non-sherry peat bombs for some reason. Still, an amazing whisky.
Glen Garioch 12 - Ok, ok. Ill buy it. Ive got this one recomended to me so many times. I guess the moment has come. Didnt know it was unchill filtered and 48% btw, thanks for the info.
Arran 18 - Absolutely fantastic. Its also kind of cheap given the age (70€ here in Spain, only in some stores.... in other stores, its over 100€ for some reason). I loved the 10 y.o. and i went directly to the 18 after. Im sorry for the 14 lol Lovely. Literally one of the best whiskies i tried in my life. I have the old bottle btw, i wonder if theres any difference between it and the new one.
Port Charlotte 10 - Just one of the best ever. I love peated whiskies with maritime notes and, after trying many Ardbegs, Laprhoaigs, Kilchomans, Lagavullins, Caol Ilas... i thought that was it. The rest of the peated offerings were sometimes very good, but not as good as those... I was so wrong. This one is amazing. I would say its almost as good as Ardbeg 10. Its the only one of the list ive already drank and had to buy a second bottle. Its the only Bruiladdich whisky its really good, from my point of view. Octomore is just not worth the money.
Compass Box whatever - Yeah... well.... no thanks
Glen Scotia 15 - I like it, still prefer the Victoriana by far. The Cask Strength makes it better in my opinion.
Have you tried Wolfburn Langskip? Unchill filtered, natural color, 58%, and very distinct. I expected it to make an appareance in this list for some reason. Maybe its just me.
Another Phil and I also picked GS 15 last year. Best value in whisky
Ha that’s awesome. Such good value!
Great video...have you tried Glen Breton rare from Glenora distillery in Nova Scotia Canada
No I haven’t. Is it good?
Great pick, Glen Scotia 15 is one of my favorite
It’s so good! Thanks Tim!
The Port Charlotte is a spectacular dram. It is my go to for anyone who wants to try a peated Islay. I think the "Heavily Peated" moniker is a bit misleading. It is no Octomore, or frankly not even a Laphroaig10. The smoke is there for sure, but it doesn't overpower the depth and breadth of other flavors present.
thumbs up to the Glen Garioch 12!
yeah the Glen Scotia is colored but it sure is really a great whisky
Aaaaand here go my savings again....thanks Phil.
I have to agree with him about the Glen Garioch 12, it's been my day to day whisky for a while.
It’s so good. Cheers John!
'bought the GS 15 on this recommendation. Love your stuff.
Thanks Lachlan! Are you enjoying it?
@@FirstPhilWhisky It's just a perfect balance. Interesting flavour without clomping you in the head.
Thumbs up for your clip, good picks.
But think about it, most whiskys are blended. Glen Garioch 12 must be blended ech and every time. Why not (in case of Compass Box) blend a perfect whisky from different distilleries and barrels around Scotland?
Keep it up mate!!!! Great videos, great channel!!! Something different from Ralfy!!! Lol. Love from 🇨🇦
My top 5 are:
1Tomatin for me is my favorite so far, I found it and almost passed it up I usually go for bottles 40-60 dollars but it was at 24 dollars and I picked it up. What an amazing buy.
2. Glenfiddich 18
3.bruichladdich the classic laddie
4 dalmore (I forgot which but its in a red box lol)
5. Buffalo trace
the Dalmore you referring to is prolly the Cigar Malt
@@SarawakPollster aahhh thank you :)
What was your thoughts on the GS Victoriana? Just as good as the 15?
Phil, Just found your channel and like your style. Ordered Glencairn glass from 2 different sources to see which one I like better. I need a favor. I bought a bottle of Royal Brackla due to its advertising on the bottle. Seems like I may have been duped. Can you address in a video or give me some information on where I went wrong? It is not bad but it does not have non-chill filtered or natural coloring. It does say that it is 12 years old, but not a single malt.
Thanks.
I can reccomend you the Islay Barley from Bruichladdich, i really enjoy it :)
Agree, it’s a fantastic whisky
My top 5 this year:
1. Edradour 12 CS
2. Edradour Ballechin Cuvee 8
3. Arran 18
4. Kavalan Port Solist
5. Laphroaig 10 CS
honorable mentions: Rum: Worthy Park Oloroso, Bourbon: Jack Daniels Single Barrel Barrel Proof :)
Great list!
Do you like the Glen Scotia 15 better than the 18?
Good choice Phil , cheers )))
Thanks for watching!
So I don't understand how there's so much love in the whisky community for Kilchoman. I've had both the Machir Bay and Loch Gorm, and I'm always left wanting for more flavor. The most prominent tasting note is water.
Hmm, I wonder what batch you had. What do you think of it compared to a Lagavulin 16?
I got both the Kilchoman Sanaig and the recent Loch Gorm bottling and I wouldn't pay the extra for the Loch Gorm especially because of the really good newer bottlings of the sanaig (dark sanaig). Still, a great list.
True. The new Sanaig is great!
I live in australia and its quite interesting that what seems to be easily available in new zealand is not that accessible here. which is unfortunate because I want to try everything you recommend haha
Ha, ah that sucks. Canada and Australia seem to have it tough with finding good scotch at a good price.
A single malt can also be a blended whisky.😉
Glen Garioch 12 is my favourite 12 year old single malt too. And nobody seems to be talking about it…
Exactly. It’s so good. Cheers Rafael!
If you like the Port Charlotte you need to try the Port Charlotte OLC, my new favorite
Fantastic idea Brian
@3:10 say what now? Ardbeg Uigidial, Lagavulin 16 and Laphroaig Lore to name just a few top notch sherried Islay drams
Solid selection, and a solid choice for WOTY!
Thanks mate!!
Glen Scotia 15 a had a few years ago. 👌
So good right!
Heyyyy Phil...I just started whiskey tasting...and I have a bottle of scotch....Macallan 12 year...I did my first taste... Christmas day...and I got...berries...honey....as this was my first time...I thought...that's about what I could expect...I added water...with one taste...and an explosion of honey on the tongue happened...I don't have a glen Karin...forgive the spelling...type of glass...all I had was the big mouthed twisted glass...biggest question...if I've never tasted sherry...how will I know what it tastes like...
Hey Harry! That’s awesome to hear how you are exploring the flavours of whisky. Sherry for me normally tastes like dried fruit and spice. Particularly dates and prunes.
You just put the list of whiskeys which people rarely drink🙏
You know about some lowkey whiskeys
Curious, Phil ... do UA-cam reviewers receive anything from the distilleries for promoting their products here?
I don’t know about other channels, but all these were whiskies I personally bought.
@@FirstPhilWhisky yes, but do you get any compensation from the distilleries whose products you recommend? Thanks for your reply! I enjoy your videos.
👍
40-43% ABV is still quality
Definitely. Abv is not the be all and end all, but it does help with making the whisky more flavourful.
Respectfully, Compass Box Spice Tree is NOT a "Blended Whisky", it's a "Blended Malt" and you failed to make that entirely clear in this video. As you know, "Blended Malt" and "Blended Whisky" are two separate and distinct categories.
Is a blended malt like Monkey Shoulder?
@@nzmarco Yes, exactly. 100% malt whisky blended together from more than one distillery; potential a SUPERIOR category to Single Malt.
Title should be labeled as Top Scotch’s not Whiskey’s. I know Scotch is a whiskey but when I think of the more generic term of “whiskey”, I don’t think Scotch necessarily.
Great point. To be honest Cotwolds was nearly of this list. But the top whiskies for me this year all happened to be scotches. Maybe it was self fulfilling though as I bought mostly scotches. Hopefully I can get a world whisky in next year!
Is it just me or does Cambletown look like the tip of a ……
Watching u more and more, there is no consistency in what u say.....
A simple google search indicates that GS15 is artificially coloured. Did you not do that or intended to mislead viewers by saying 'I don't know'. Either way it undermines your integrity in these recommendations a bit. I'll be watching your videos with some caution from this point on.
I totally hate smoky Whisky, it's revolting,,,
Someone once gave me a bottle of Laphroaig, and I poured half of it down the sink,, !!
I think that should be an actual crime! 😁 I think it is delicious 😉 Usually more interesting as well than non-smokey whiskies
@@groberti Stop trying to educate the peasants. What we say in public is each to their own, true thoughts are only shared behind their backs....😉
Unsuscribed after first place. Worst whiskey i tried. Too much malt forward for 15 year's. Not very good casks i think... :(
Sad to see you unsubscribe. We all do have different tastes though and this isn’t an objective list but a personal one. Lots of other people in the comments have loved it. Cheers
When did you buy your bottle?
HENNESSEY XO BEATS ANY WHISKEY EVER MADE!