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I'm a leaf on the wind, watch how I soar

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@SquidgyAsh
SquidgyAsh started a discussion

A special dram in the honor of whoever is the first to say what movie that quote is from and who said it!

I was thinking today after having recently talked to a couple folks about whisky (some of them whisky drinkers and some not) about the nature of "the top shelf". I've been enjoying some Macallan 12 yr old and Glenlivet 12 yr olds when this question popped into my head. See both of these whiskies are 12 yrs old, both of these whiskies are speysiders and both although soft and fruity have dramatically different flavors and are in my mind are of quite different quality.

In my cabinet I have whiskies that I would consider to be entry level, I have whiskies that I would consider to be middle of the range and I have whiskies that I would consider to be top shelf whiskies for example Old Pulteney 21 yr old, Macallan 12 yr old Fine Oak, etc.

I've had people tell me that if a whisky is over "X" age then it must be a top shelf whisky. I've had people tell me that if a whisky is from "X" distillery it is a top shelf whisky and I've been told that if a whisky bottle costs over "X" amount of dollars it must be a top shelf whisky.

In my mind a top shelf whisky is NORMALLY expensive, by expensive I mean roughly a hundred dollars plus for a bottle, it is generally considered by the majority of whisky aficionados as being an enjoyable whisky and even more important for me is that it is generally a whisky that can be difficult to obtain or limited in quantities. So my question to you my friends is what do you consider to be a top shelf whisky. You can list some of that you own or have drunk or would like to drink, but if you do list a specific whisky please list why you think it is a top shelf whisky or you can just say what you consider a top shelf whisky to be!

All opinions and thoughts are greatly appreciated on this most difficult of topics!

Slainte!

12 years ago

13 replies

@Andrew
Andrew replied

Well even with googles help I found the movie but I've never heard of it so I'll let others play..

Top Shelf Whisky though is an interesting idea.

My "Top Shelf" is actually that of the five shelves in the cabinet it is the only one not behind a door, the favorite glassware and the bottles in heavy use stay there.

It isn't age that makes a "Top Shelf" whisky, two of what I would call Top Shelf are 10 year olds, Laphroig and Talisker and I've had a couple of NAS Whiskies that could have been contenders.. and at least 2 30+ year olds that were terrible, a Glen Esk (no surprise there) and a Port Ellen (very surprised by that one).

The Port Ellen above is one of the reasons that it isn't about the individual distillery either. Some are pretty consistently good and I would cite Ardbeg as an example of that but I would also use Ardbeg to explain why distillery alone can't be the criterion. Ardbeg like so many others are producing a series of different expressions with different styles, finishes and tastes, with the exception of the 10 year old none of these are expected to be around for long or to have a consistent style. The Ardbeg 10 is currently on my "Top Shelf" and will probably stay there but it needs to prove itself.

Price is not the issue either, if anything price mitigates against a whisky being Top Shelf, the only one there now over $100CDN is the Lagavoulin 16, back when Macallan was still producing vintages their 15 and 18 year olds would have been there but the new line has dropped right out of the cabinet. There are typically two or three $100 plus bottles open at any given time but they are consumed more slowly and not offered up as freely to company and therefore in the closed portion of the cabinet.

I think the easiest way to say it is for a whisky to be "Top Shelf" it must be consistent, in taste, quality, price and availability. Those bottles that I will automatically replace just before they are empty, I should not be tempted to hoard them because I may never see their like again, not something that I need to justify spending "x" amount on. Something I can always pick up and offer out whenever I feel like a whisky with no worries or second thoughts at all.

The Current List Laphroig 10 - Talisker 10 - Lagavoulin 16 - Glenfiddich 15

Follow up Movie Quote..

Beautiful evening ... you can almost see the stars.

12 years ago 1Who liked this?

@maltster
maltster replied

It depends on the definition of top shelf - is it intrinsic quality then every age and distillery can provide you with top shelf stuff; although I don´t think that the the older a whisky gets the better quality is I have to admit that if you have a good spirit which is aged in superior casks the older whisky is usually more complex than the younger one. Another factor is batch variation - the same Whisky from two different batches can be great or flawed. Your quote is from Serenity - spin off movie from firefly... Price is never a sign for superior quality to me as they depend on so many factors - age,marketing, rarity etc...whereas some distilleries have generally produced better spirits than others (but this also depends on personal taste..). A top shelf whisky is a spirit which offers exceptional qualities which are not found in others - this could be a Glenfarclas 40, a Springbank 12 year old cask strength or a big bruiser like Old Grand Dad 114 Proof.

12 years ago 1Who liked this?

@Victor
Victor replied

For "Top Shelf" I don't care who made it, what other people think about it, how old it is, or how much it cost. Only the mouth and nose determine "Top Shelf" for me. If I can get what my nose and mouth consider "Top Shelf" on the ultra-cheap, so much the better.

12 years ago 3Who liked this?

@smokeybarrels

@Victor I will raise a glass of Eagle Rare Single Barrel 10 yo to that maxim!

12 years ago 2Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote replied

Nicely put @Andrew, and succinctly and directly to the point @victor. I might only add Glenfarclas 15 and HP 12 to Andrew's top shelf. I would definitely have the Ardbeg 10 up there.

As long as we are doing movie quotes, how about this from a few decades back:

"They are just a bunch of seedy, squalid bastards like me. Little men, queers, drunkards, hen-pecked husbands, civil servants, playing cowboys to brighten their rotton little lives."

12 years ago 1Who liked this?

Marcus replied

I think most folks would define top shelf as an expensive, older whisky that is or can be difficult to obtain, or is offered in limited quantities. I would also say (although I don't necessarily concur with the first two definitions) that it is a whisky that has high ratings (90+) across the board. However, I submit that top shelf can also be any whisky that you enjoy, that means something special to you, that you enjoy at a particularly significant point in your life. It may not be very expensive, it may not be old. But it means something to you. The taste, the smell, the sensations associated with consuming that whisky at that time can render it top shelf to you.

12 years ago 1Who liked this?

@Lars
Lars replied

Serenity, Said by Wash near the end of the movie. Good movie better series(Firefly).

As for top shelf I am of mixed thoughts on this. Sometimes I feel they are whiskies that are rare(difficult) to obtain usually $150+, 18 + years old. Other times I think they are just unique whiskies that I personally enjoy. My example would be Ardbeg Uigeadail, not overly pricey but next to impossible to get where I live unless someone brings me a bottle. I guard this one and have only shared it a few times as I believe it is to wonderful to be wasted on people who would not enjoy it as much as I do.

12 years ago 1Who liked this?

@SquidgyAsh
SquidgyAsh replied

Good answers all!!! It sounds like everyone is on the same wavelength I am on, but I was curious to see if I was a little weird. haha!!

@Andrew AWESOME MOVIE QUOTE!!!! From Repo Man in 1984. Never saw the movie I did have to google it, but I LOVE that quote.

@Maltster You're right my friend. It was Serenity. One of my favorite movies from one of my favorite series! A dram of Glenlivet 12 yr old in your honor!!!

@Bluenote that quote would be from The Spy Who Came In From The Cold from 1965. Another one I had to google, but an awesome quote!

@Lars And you my friend are spot on! A dram of Macallan 12 yr old Fine Oak in your honor my friend!!

@Marcus I agree that top shelf to me has to have some sort of emotional appeal, not just cost, age or scarcity.

In my own collection the top shelf whiskies would have to be the Macallan 12 Fine Oak, Talisker 10, Old Sheep Dip, Glenfiddich Snow Phoenix and the Old Pulteney 21 yr old.

Now most of those whiskies fall into that category for me more because of the situations surrounding their consumption and how good they are normally.

As Victor said only YOUR palate and Nose can tell you what is top shelf.

I'd like to thank everyone for throwing their 2 cents in and giving me another look at top shelf whiskies!!

12 years ago 0

@SquidgyAsh
SquidgyAsh replied

BTW I'm sorry if I was rambling in my last post I am sick with the flu and trying to get caught up on my connosr stuff!!!!

12 years ago 0

@BlueNote
BlueNote replied

@SquidgyAsh. Right on for the quote. Great flick, one of Richard Burton's best. I'm having a generous dram of Big Peat for you. Try one yourself, it's great flu medicine. It may not get rid of the flu, but it will make you forget all about it. Repeat as necessary. Cheers.

12 years ago 1Who liked this?

@SquidgyAsh
SquidgyAsh replied

@BlueNote Thanks my friend!!!! I'll have to pick up a bottle in the near future! :D

12 years ago 0

@Nozinan
Nozinan replied

When this thread originally ran I probably would have stuck with Aberlour A'Bunadh and Bladnoch 10. I was younger then.

3 years later, what are the current top shelf items?

I would still go with the A'Bunadh and Bladnoch 10 but I would add:

  1. Amrut IS, CS, Peated CS, Portonova (if they didn't exist, the Fusion might move up there)

  2. Booker's Bourbon

3.Macallan CS

  1. Forty Creek Heart of Gold

  2. Any of the cask strength BTACs

My movie quote:

"In life there are always two possibilities"

9 years ago 0

@mscottydunc
mscottydunc replied

Interesting topic, as a rather novice contributor I will add my two cents. I try to keep around 10 bottles open on my bar at any given time. Usually 5-6 "everyday" drams, and 4-5 "top shelf" drams. I am sure as my whisky journey continues, this number will eventually grow, but this is where I am at for now. My top shelf at the moment doesnt include anything crazy.

Highland Park Einar, Balvenie Caribbean Cask, A'Bunadh Batch 47, Port Charlotte Scottish Barley Heavily Peated, Glenmorangie LaSanta, and Bookers Batch 2015-01

In comparison, my everyday shelf includes HP 10, Tyrconnell Irish Whiskey, CC 100% Rye, Laphroaig QC, and Glenlivet 12.

For something to be considered top shelf for my bar, it should be rather difficult to obtain on a regular basis here in Ontario, be something that I thoroughly enjoy drinking and don't dip into too often, and something that I would not replace quickly. Either because of price or availability.

My plan is to only open an new bottle, or buy a new "everyday" bottle once one is finished, but who knows how true I will stay to that agenda.

9 years ago 0