Top lists

I had many highlights this year but the ones that really stood out for me were Redbreast 12 Cask Strength, Teeling Single Grain, Sullivans Cover French Oak Cask 525 and my whisky of 2014 Overeem Port Matured Cask Strength.

Funny to see that I have two Irish and two Australians in my top 4. Other highlights included my new found respects for Kilchoman, a new Ardbeg that I really liked (Kildalton), my first two Broras and a Banff and finally getting the chance to drink the Ardbeg 17.

I think there was recently another very similar thread.

My personal standout drams of the year would include 2 Amrut's - the cask strength, and then first tasted at Spirit of toronto and the. Purchased last month, the Amrut Peated cask strength. Knockouts both.

Other great ones included Caol ila CS, and a George T Stagg I tried at SOT.

The problem with lists is that it is difficult to clarify parameters...is it the best released in 2014 or the best you personally tasted in 2014.

And I think it gives more weight to new stuff. For instance, 2 of my favourites are A'Bunadh and Bladnoch, but I've had those before, and I didn't open a new Bladnoch in 2014.

Wow! It's fun to look back. For me the Yoichi 10 has been exceptionnal and released in 2014.. But I have to add two whiskies of 2012 that I tasted only this year: Bowmore Laimrig and Lot 40. There is no whisky very old or very expensive, because I simply don't have the kind of money needed for them. But it doesn't matter because I really enjoyed those 3 and a few more...

Oh! I really enjoyed a vatting I did with Fighting Cock Bourbon and Gibson's Finest and Rare 18 yo (50/50) as it was one of my best whisky this year! I don't if it counts but it was GOOODDD!

@Nozinan to me it gets harder and harder to keep up with bottlings beeing released in a particular year (at least true for Indies). My Top List Features Whiskies I tasted in 2014.

@Robert99 interesting Vatting Experiment. Do you have tasting notes for that?

@Falk Unfortunately, I don't but I do remember it was full of gentle baking spices something between a good Glenfarclas 15 or 17 and the Glenfiddich Solera reserve. My skeptical whisky adviser was very surprise when he had a taste of it and gave it a big 93. He's the one who came whit the Solera reference and added that the vatting was better. There was also the floral note (rose water) that you have with a lot of bourbon. Anyway, it was so good, I am thinking about buying these two whiskies whit the only purpose of replicating this vatting (my two bottles are now gone). The only thing, you need to be aware of is that the Fighting Cock is known to have two flavor profiles depending on the batch. One spicy, the other mild. The one I used was bold and spicy.