Best single malt expression of each region

Hmmm...great question

Speyside: Aberlour A'Bunadh

Islay: Caol Ila Cask Strength

Campbeltown: Springbabk 12 YO CS

Island: Talisker 10

Lowland: Bladnoch 12 YO sherry cask 55%

Highland: Not enough experience to choose one (if Macallan counts then the CS)

Bear in mind I have read a lot more than tasted, and this is based on what I have tasted so far.

Campbeltown: Springbank 11 Longrow

Highlands: Oban 1997 DE

Islands: Highland Park 18 / Talsker 18 (tie)

Islay: Lagavulin 16 (maybe tied with Laphroaig 15?)

Lowland: Auchentoshan Triple Wood (not enough experience here)

Perthshire: Edradour 10 (not enough experience here)

Speyside: Aberlour A'bunadh

@Nozinan got to try the Bladnoch!

Lowland- Auchentoshan threewood Speysides- Glenfarclas 15 / balvenie 15 single barrel Highland- glengoyne cask strength / aberfeldy 18 Islay- Caol ila cask strength Islands- highland park 18 Should be plenty of different opinions .. Good topic

Lowlands: Auchentoshan Valinch

Speyside: Balvenie Single Barrel 15 OR Aberlour A'Bunadh OR Glenfarclas 15

Islay: Octomore 5.1

Highlands: Glenmorangie 10

Campbelltown: Springbank 12 CS

and the toughest until last, Islands: Talisker 10 OR Old Pulteney 12 OR Highland Park 12

Damn this is difficult... Lowlands: ? Highland: HP Freya Speyside: Glenfarclas 15 Campbelltown: Springbank 12 CS Islay: Caol Ila 18 Islands: Ledaig 15 Japan: Yamazaki Distillers Reserve America: Four Roses SIngle Barrel India: Amrut 100 France: Kornog Sauternes Cask Holland: Millstone 14 Oloroso CS

I'm surprised about humble, quiet Caol Ila in most of dream teams.

@goldfilm

Nothing humble about Caol Ila Cask strength.

For such a high volume distillery to produce such a small amount of CS.... a real shame...

@goldfilm, ah we can't ever get too much of those historical Scottish whisky-taxing districts, now can we? The Stuff of Dreams! To me that Scotch region bit is just marketing BS. I'll play along anyway, though having an 18 yo maximum precludes most of the whiskies I would include on my true "Scottish Whisky Taxing Districts" dream team list.

Islay: Less "get-able": Bruichladdich Octomore Orpheus, 2.2. More get-able: any Ardbeg Supernova.

Island: Less get-able (US): Talisker 57 Degrees North. More get-able: Highland Park 18

Campbeltown: Less get-able: Alchemist Springbank 10 yo (Port). More get-able: Springbank 12 yo Cask Strength.

Speyside: Less get-able: Aberlour A'bunadh Batch # 32. More getable (to the US from Canada), Glenfarclas 15 yo.

Highlands: Old Pulteney 17 yo

Lowlands: Auchentoshan Valinch 2011

In general, I prefer the "less-get-able" whiskies on the list above. As for Caol Ila being popular on these lists, that doesn't surpise me much given the overal general taste preferences of those who have responded. Those who glut on the peat-freak whiskies are likely to be less inclined to respond to discussion topics in which they declare their favourite Lowland whiskies. Most of them probably don't have a favourite Lowland whisky.

@Victor as usual, a pleasure reading you. I like the fact that you divided your options in terms of availability —and talking about that, the "extinction of Lap 18" rumor now came from a Lap ambassador, so stock up if you like it—

When I talk about the surprise of seeing Caol Ila so much, it's simply because I expected more Ardbeg vs Laphroaig in the Islay section, or the Laga 16.

It's funny you mention that we won't see peat lovers choosing Lowlands here. When I was in Speyside I chatted with a Glendronach lover who said he used to tease friends saying he used Laphroaig to clean his car...

@goldfilm, I was suggesting that those who would respond to this sort of discussion topic would likely be those with a broad (Scottish malt) palate, and also very willing to engage the milder flavours. Many of those who concentrate on the big peat and smoke Islays really don't take much interest in the milder flavours. It doesn't surprise me that those who are happy to consider and relate their favourite Lowland and Speyside whiskies are also often those who would prefer medium peat to heavy peat in their Islay malts.

@Victor

You know a am a big flavour guy and I really enjoy the peatier drams like Caol Ila CS, Talisker (gotta open that 57 North), Octomore....

But I can still appreciate the lighter, still complex whislies from time to time. So I think there are a number of different types of enthusiasts. And I think some, as you well know, can appreciate all the styles.

@Nozinan, yes, appreciating all of the styles of world whisky is one of the things which I love most about this Connosr club. The wide variety of delicacies available to match the exact mood and state of mind is one of the things which pleases me most. Being limited in style would bore me to tears.

Yes, some of us do appreciate all of the whisk(e)y styles AND degrees of flavour intensity available.

For the regions were I have some experience:

Highlands: Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or 12 yo

Islands: Highland Park 18 yo

Islay: Lagavulin 16 yo Distillers Edition

Speyside: Balvenie 21 yo Port Wood

For what it's worth these are my favourite whiskies aged 18 years or younger.

Highlands : Glendronach Cask Strength

Speyside : Glenfarclas 15

Islands : Talisker 18

Campbeltown : Springbank 12 Cask Strength

Islay : Lagavulin 12 Cask Strength 2014

Lowlands: Auchentoshan Valinch 2012 this one's more by default , I've only had 3 Lowlanders

I'm surprised I'm the only person who nominated Glendronach. I prefer the CS to the 12 or 15!

Campbeltown: Springbank 18. Wonderful whisky. A bit expre sive though... Speyside: Benriach Solstice 17. Strange ande interesting... Highland: Old Pulteney 17. It always delivers... Island: It must be Talisker 18! Islay: Either Bowmore Laimrig 15 or Ardbeg Uigedail. I think I go for Bowmore. Lowlands: Don'T know really... Extra! Ireland: Redbreast 12 or Redbreast 15. Different but equally good! A pity I couldn't choose Teeling 21 - splendid whiskey!!

@goldfilm This topic gave me some good suggestion. Maybe a nice idea to make a list of younger single malts? Lets say 12 yo and under from each region? Speyside: Balvenie 12 yo single barrel Highland: Deanston 12 yo Islay: Ardbeg Uigeadail (should be 9 yo) or Ardbeg 10 yo Island: Talisker Distillers Edition (should be 10 yo) or Talisker 10 yo

Well you said, “dream team.” And I can’t help but think about the 1992 Dream Team for USA Basketball.

With that in mind here is my “dream team” of whiskies 18yo and younger for each region that I dream of trying (keep in mind nothing was said about obtainability or “have tasted”).

Speyside: Macallan 18yo 1976 to 1995. I almost bought this bottle for $150 in 2004. One of my great whisky regrets.

Islay: Laphroaig 10yo from the 1960’s, or Ardbeg 10yo from the 60’s. A true peatheads dream.

Campbeltown: Springbank 12yo 57% 100 Proof (1980’s by Samaroli) Considered by many to be one of the all time great whiskies ever.

Island: Talisker 16yo 53.1% (1970-1986 Gordon & MacPhail) An enormous Talisker (so I hear).

Highland: Brora 13yo 60.4% (1982-1995 Cadenhead). The chance to try a Brora that isn’t 20 -30 years old is a dream. As is the ABV at 60.4%!

Lowland: St. Magdalene 11yo 62.6% (1982-1994 Cadenhead) Again, another intense malt from the lowlands. Sounds right up my alley

Now, if you were going to ask me what is my favorite regular production malt from each region that you can fairly regularly obtain of the store shelf? That is a totally different group.

@Nock that's a wonderful list of whiskies you've posted ,a real 'Dream Team'.I've been drooling over that Springbank for many moons myself.

@Nock definitely a dream team. With my limited knowledge I'd never buy those bottles. It's very difficult to find reviews of independent bottlers. When I had the chance to visit La Maison du Whisky in Paris, I honestly didn't know what to buy and ended up with a simple Caol Ila Moch. Hundreds of independent bottler limited releases and even popular distilleries with so many NAS versions.

Is this the only way to know about independent bottlers? Mouth to mouth?

By the way, would you mind putting together your "regular production" dream team?

Is $59.99 a good price for the Valinch 2011? I want to get a decent expression under $59.99 and that's the price I get for that one. I could also get the Arran Amarone, HP 15, Oban 14 or get under $49 for a Laddie Islay Barley or Scottish Barley...

@goldfilm A serendipitous happening! You found an excellent whisky ie. the Valinch for exactly the price you were considering $59.99 I can't see how you could be disappointed.

@Jonesz @goldfilm

Pardon my ignorance, but hasn't more than one distillery released an expression called "valinch"?

@Nozinan This what I've found: bruichladdich.com/article/…

@nozinan @goldfilm My bad on the Valinch call, Nozinan pointed that out quickly as I was indeed referring to the Auchentoshan 2011 release. I would happily pay $59.99 for that one. The Bruichladdich release sounds very interesting Goldfilm hope you bought and enjoyed it. Had not heard of that one Jonesz