What was your favourite Whisky of 2012?

It has to be the Great King Street New York Blend that I sampled at Park Avenue Liquor with my brother and John Glaser. Excellent whisky in very good company.

Shackleton's with Richard Paterson at WhiskyFest NY is a close-call too @JoeVelo

Readily available whisky of the year for me was Old Pulteney 17. With the Gordon & MacPhail Mortlach 15-year-old as a very close runner up.

The more exotic pick for whisky that I had the most enjoyment tasting this year was a 22-year-old Rare Malts Clynelish from 1972.

This year my tastes evolved from primarily peaty into really gaining an appreciation for some of the more subtle flavours Scotch whisky has to offer.

I also gained a real appreciation for bourbon this year, with Buffalo Trace's William Larue Weller taking top spot for 2013 there.

I meant 2012. :)

@Devo quick question for you. How do you go about trying more exotic scotches, like vintages? Do you buy a bottle or do you have another method? I want to learn about and try as many types as I can, but am not sure how to go about it.

@Jonhelmkamp Find a whisky bar you like, befriend the bartender and the folks sitting at the bar, and they will help your whisky world expand exponentially. Can be tough on the ol' wallet, but well worth the malt moments.

The way I see it, spending 30+ dollars on a single dram of whisky I'll probably never be able to find (or afford) a full bottle of for purchase is totally worth the experience. Not to mention, in the time that it takes to savour a nice old whisky, many people will have polished off 3-4 $7 pints, so in the end I figure you usually wind up more satisified (and less bloated) for about the same price when all's said and done. :)

I'm fortunate to have a whisky bar just around the corner from me, in a neighbourhood where people generally prefer drinking highballs and cheap beer. So, there are some real old gems still available there for exploration.

@Devo very fortunate your proximity! I'm in Portland and there are a few awesome bars with huge selections. I think it has just been a challenge for me to justify a $30 dram, but that makes sense. Part of me wonders if I even have the palate to appreciate a Whisky that nice.

@Jonhelmkamp That's true... old whiskies can be tougher to enjoy to the fullest until you've got a bit of experience under your belt and have a good understanding of your nose and palate and an appreciation for what happens to a whisky in the glass after it's poured or when water is added (should you choose).

For example, I recently tried a Longrow 18-year-old, which I guess you could classify as an old-ish whisky. Initially, I found it disappointingly underwhelming--despite many glowing reviews of it online... AND despite being a very big fan of Springbank's whiskies. But after a couple subsequent drams, I've found it to be really quite engaging. Not necessarily because it's particularly delicious, but more because it is incredibly active. Over the span of as much as an hour, it evolves in the glass to the point where you'd think it was a different whisky than the one you started with. In that sense, it's a bit like a puzzle--which makes for a very interesting experience. In my experience (and I should clarify that I haven't been really appreciating whisky for very long compared to some people here on Connosr) older whiskies are less about the instant gratification of an immediately appealing flavour or scent and more about appreciating the complexities and surprises a whisky has to offer. It's a bit of an investment... not just dollars, but also time and thought.

It's also a lot of fun.

@Jonhelmkamp My friend, on whiskies that very few people will try in my mind and I know I'm in the minority I'll personally throw down up to $50 without even thinking twice. Mind you for those whiskies it usually has to be a distillery that's ceased production long since, or it's a bottle that runs for hundreds if not thousands of dollars.

If you're looking to try exotic whiskies, as Devo suggested becoming friends with bartenders is a really good way, you also can order whiskies by the dram from Master of Malt, sorta like my whisky calender except you can choose like sets for say "Islay" "Bourbon" Speyside" etc. A little harder on the wallet then the calender, but you can control how much is being spent at a time a wee bit better. Also look for whisky tastings in your area, you can sometimes come across some hidden gems in those and they're usually worth the money (at least in my experience)

@Devo In about an hour I get off work, and I'm going to be heading to Paddy's Pub up here in Portland. Take a look at their bar! HUGE. www.paddys.com/liquor-selection/

I think I'm going to have my second go at a Islay tonight... I was thinking the Laphroaig Quarter Cask. What do you think? I'd love if you took a look at Paddy's selection and made a recommendation for me.

I definitely understand and appreciate what you're saying about older expressions. I don't think I'm ready to do it tonight, but one of these times I will. Actually, if you felt like recommending a slightly more exotic scotch from Paddy's list, I'd love that too!

My only other try with an Islay was a glass of Lagavulin 16, and I wasn't a fan... this was also only like a month after my first glass of Scotch. I'm thinking I am more capable of appreciating a peaty islay now. We will see.

@SquidgyAsh for me, I would be happy to drop that kind of cash on a shot of a fine malt if I knew what it was I was looking for. I don't think I understand yet why I should pay $50 for a certain dram and not another. For instance, looking at Paddy's menu (which is a bar I'm going to in a bit), there are plenty that I haven't heard of. Like this one: DALLAS DHU 22 YR - 30.00. No idea if there's anything special about it or if I should spend the money.

@Jonhelmkamp For me whiskies from distilleries such as Port Ellen (closed since 1983 and widely regarded as one of the top Islay distilleries), Rosebank (closed since 1993 and widely regarded as one of the best Lowland distilleries), Brora (closed since 1983 and widely consisdered one of the top Highland distilleries) all warrent that kind of money for me. They're distilleries that are no longer producing, nor will ever produce again so once the stocks are gone, they're gone for good. Even worse is that for those 3 distilleries you're looking at bottles that start on average in the hundreds of dollars for the bottles and that can easily jump into the high hundreds, low thousands. Which for most of us puts it out of our price range. This way you're getting a chance to try a whisky that odds are you'll possibly never get to own.

As for the Dallas Dhu that's a distillery that's been closed since 1983 and I'd happily pay that $30 to try it. Mind you more often then not when you're looking at bottles that are hundreds and hundreds of dollars your oftentimes paying for how good and valuable other people think it is, rather then how good it will be for you. As long as you enter with an open mind and realize that you'll have fun :D

@SquidgyAsh Love the selection! I'd personally go with Aberlour Abunadh, Glenfarclas 105, Macallan 12 yr old Fine Oak, Glenmorangie Nector D'or, Ardbeg Corryvreckin, Stranahans Colorado. All really good whiskies covering a variety of styles. Oh and I'd definitely do the Dallas Dhu :D Let us know how you go! Sorry I couldn't throw more suggestions in, but I'm at work right now :D

Ofcourse it's hard to narrow it down to a favorite since there are so many to love but I'd have to say Aberlour Abunadh for single malts. Abunadh really made me pay attention to cask strength sherried single malts. For bourbons, it's a tie between my Willitt Family Reserve 6 yo hand picked by Spec's in Houston and Noah's Mill. For rye, Thomas H Handy 2011 (hands down!).

@Wills Glad to see another Noah's Mill fan! Awesome stuff. Just finished my bottle...it went to fast.

@maltygirl You are welcome my friend. And this was my first real bourbon. Seems I was kinda lucky there - well actually not, because the guys here told me this is quality stuff.

I am going to start the new year nicely with my order of Knob Creek, Booker's and others. I am looking so much forward to taste more heavy flavored stuff like Noah's Mill!

Best value for me would be the Old Pulteney 12 at $29! I opened my 1974 Glenfarclas this year. wow! Lovely dram! This years Flaming Heart was also on the top of my list!

@Jonhelmkamp Sorry... I headed to bed and didn't see your post about Paddy's. The Laphroaig Quarter Cask is the whisky that really hooked me on scotch. So I have a bit of a bias there. In my opinion, it's one of the best value whiskies out there right now.

Some other good options from that list (in my opinion) are: Glendronach 12 (this whisky is what got me into sherried scotch) Glengoyne 10 (a relatively subtle whisky with some very nice wood influence, particularly in the older expressions... in my travels I've found that Glengoynes are becoming harder to come by... so at 10 bucks, it's definitely worth a go) Mortlach 15 (provided this is the Gordon & Macphail release... my runner up for favourite whisky of 2012... honey, apple pie, oak and smoke... so good) Ardbeg Uigeadail (this one's a beast, but it's probably my favourite readily available whisky out there... you'll need to make sure you have an appreciation for Islay before trying this) Caol Ila 12 (another of my favourite Islays)

Hope that's helpful!

@Jonhelmkamp Besides the fact that whoever wrote that list isn't particularly up on their whisky, the thing that jumped out at me was the Lonach at $19 Lonach is a brand by (I think) Duncan Taylor for single casks they own which have fallen below 40% ABV and thus couldn't legally be sold as whisky. What they did was they took these casks and found another cask from the same distillery and same vintage whose ABV was above 40%, blended the two together, and came up with a rare old single-malt vatted from two single casks. The price on these was usually relatively low and the quality often very good. I'd be curious to know which Lonach bottling they have, but would recommend you try it whatever it is, as it's a good chance to try something with some serious age to it for a good price. Dallas Dhu can be very good, but also can be very average (in my experience). I'm not sure I'd pay $30 to find out. If you knew which bottling they had and could do a little research, it might help.

Laphroaig 10, I didn't think Id get hooked on the Islay region on the first taste but I did :).

Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 3. This was an absolute stunner. Price point however, was cringe worthy. Nearly as good, and in a different sort of way, Four Roses Small Batch Limited Edition 2012. This one was "only" 65-70 dollars a bottle. Also stunning.

Lots of good drams, but those two top the list for me.

Thomas H Handy 2010 was as good as anything I tried this year , I have a THH 2011 that I am holding on to - I hope it is a good as the 2010 was for me. Also I had a Willett Family Reserve 9yr Binny's Single Barrel that knocked my socks off. My friends and I loved the Willett , the bottle didn't last long .

@Devo thank-you for the insight! I wrote reviews for what I tried a couple nights back if you want to check them out. Thinking about heading down there again in an hour or so to try some more new things! That or I may pick up a bottle of something new... Not sure. What do you think?

@Jonhelmkamp If you're having doubts about buying a bottle, sounds like you have more exploring to do. :) I think you made the right choice heading to the whisky bar.

@Devo just got home from a Scottish pub, sampled some amazing stuff, met the owner and started talking Whisky. Next thing I know, I'm sitting with him, he's pouring me free drams, challenging me to explore my pallet and talking about his lifelong best friend.... A one Jim Murray!! One an awesome night. I will be reviewing my experiences in the morning.

@Jonhelmkamp This sounds great :)

I am not a bar drinker, because of the price per dram compared to a bottle but if you meet those nice pple I am thinking about going to the pub more often!

For me it was Highland Park 10yo, Talisker 10yo, Caol Ila 12yo, and Laphroaig Quarter Cask. 2013 is going to be an Islay year .... Going to get stuck into Lagavulin, Bruichladdich, Bunnahabhain .... can't wait! Balvenie is also on the cards. Any recommendations welcome!

Talisker 18, it has the peatiness of the Talisker 10 but extra layers of smoothness. It's magic.

@MaltyMike: 'Sounds like you could be in the mood for a Lagavulin 12yo. Cask Strength or the just as exciting Springbank 12yo. Cask Strength: Any edn. of either, (they are all brilliant)!

Good Luck.

@A'bunadhman lagavulin and springbank... Aren't those two opposite ends of the spectrum? In no way am I trying to discredit your comment, just looking for some clarification!