Best whisky ever?

The only whisky I have ever tasted that I would rate at 99/100 was a 1967 40 yo Duncan Taylor Springbank. It induced instantaneous nirvana.

A very difficult question because sometimes a good dram shared with special people at special moments could become more and more glorious in memory - the night my first daugther was born I shared some drams (a Talisker 18 and the others are razed from my memory exept that my knees were still shaking) with friends and this Talisker is the best Whisky ever for me.

As a more rational best Whisky ever List I would name five:

1. Ardbeg 30year old (1973/2003) Douglas Laing
2. Lagavulin 21 OB
3. Talisker 1957 Gordon&MacPhail black label
4. Talisker 20 Year old 1981 OB Sherrycask
5. Brora 22 Year old Rare Malts Series (61,2 %)

As you can see I like peated Whiskys but there are lots of other sensational Whiskys (old Glenfarclas/Glenugie etc...) . All of the above have been drunken in a Session/Flight so these are no starters and numbers 1, 3 and 5 were single experiences I just once had the chance to taste. Number 2 and 4 I had several times.

Surrounding/personal condition/time and other factors all play a big role in the perception of Whisky so this list is more a first (snap)shot and still in progress...

The 1956 Talisker bottled at 18yrs. in pints (so called, actually 1/2 bottles and 13 1/3 fl.oz.) is, for me, a Whisky 'yardstick'. I'm reasonably sure I wont see another Whisky of this calibre again; it was, in fact the beginning of my quest for the perfect dram!

I may not find anything to shade the Talisker but that does not stop me looking! A'bunadh #5 was a superb Whisky, just shading (for me) #s. 6, 8, 9 but for sheer majesty, balance, depth, flavour and length, the Talisker really stands alone. I wish I had a case of it especially in the pint bots. I would like to share it with those friends who haven't been lucky enough to see it.

Interesting question, and also one quite difficult to answer. As I'm preferential to Islay, I would say either Lagavulin 16 or Ardbeg Uigeadail. However, I think one's perception of a whisky is dependent upon the company with whom it is enjoyed, the circumstances under which it is enjoyed, where the dram is imbibed, and food and cigars that accompany the dram. I've had light Lowland and Speyside whiskies that I absolutely enjoyed and wished the moment could contintue forever. A powerful smoky Islay, much as I love them, may not have left me with the same memories. On the other hand, on a cold night, with a great meal under my belt, and a warm fire going, an Islay or even a good Cognac leaves a wonderful taste in my mouth. I think to ask what is the best whisky ever is so extremely subjective and open to so many outside factors other than the whisky itself that it is quite a difficult question to answer accurately.

One night, i was at this resto-bar ,i was relaxing after dinner with some friends of mine ,then i decided to ask the barman for a highland park 25 years.When i taste it for the first time i said to myself(thats it,thats what im looking for,the perfect balance between everything i like in a good whisky ,that was my PERFECT DRAM!!!!!!

At the moment I have to say one of my top choices is the Ardbeg 1990 Airigh Nam Beist. I love the mixture of peat, citrus and charamel, perfectly balanced from the nose to the finish. I also enjoyed the Lochside 65. It's quite the whisky, alongside the Glenfarclas 1962 Family cask (bottled at 48y). These sherry bombs are something else, but for me the lack of peat makes the Arbeg my top choice.

As Maltster and Marcus both said I think enjoying a "best whisky" is oftentimes more about the company one is keeping at the time with the whisky being an excellent highlight of a good time rather then the main event. My personal favoriate at this time is Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix (to the point I've drunk one bottle with my wife on our honeymoon, the last one in Melbourne I might add :D) and have ordered 3 more bottles of it. It's a good whisky and rates HIGHLY with me as you can see on my review, but as you'll also likely notice I first tried it on my honeymoon with my wife while introducing her to her first whiskies. A great whisky for me yes! Best ever well I hope to try many many more in the pursuit of that one!

Two choices for me both Ardbeg.. 1) A gift from my wife in '06, Douglas Laing Rare and Old 29y/o ('75 - '04) 2) A cask drawn sample in a warehouse at the distillery in '04 bourbon barrel marked 196? and reduced to well under 40% ABV (so not technically whisky anymore)