Great list man! I am yet to try the Balblair myself, but I will have to add it to the shopping list! You list videos are great. I would love to hear what your 'Top 5 Sherry Bombs' are too (whiskies like Tamdhu Batch Strength and Aberlour A'bunadh kinda stuff. I'm working on a sherry video at the moment, but it's taking a looong time to make. I'm realising Sherry is a vortex of complicated things once you start to go deeper. Hopefully soon though!
Thanks Phil! A sherry bomb list sounds fun, I'll have to look into that. Looking forward to your sherry video. I can only imagine how much time you spend on your editing. Cheers!
I had the Glenfarclas 15 at the distillery on the starting line of the dramathon. Very memorable start to a very memorable race 🙂 Love Benromach as well 👍
Just picked up a Benromach 15 yesterday...pleasantly surprised to see it as your #1. Really enjoy your down to earth approach to whisky. cheers from Canada.
@@Gwhisky I did not realize you were Canadian. Nice. If you're ever visiting home and find yourself on the East Coast - I'm part of group that organizes a Spirits Festival every November. 25th anniversary show this year! Good times, good people and great whisky of course. NB Spirits Festival. Be happy to help with some tips!
Love your work Geoff. I would really like to know what you think of the Glendronach 15 revival? You cover so much sherry, but this one never appears on your or most other channels. I get that it might be chill filtered now, but it has that not over the top old school leathery sherry flavor that most RUclipsrs love. How does it compare to you against let's say Tamdhu 15 or GlenAllachie 15? Cheers, Tobi
Wonderfull list of 15th, I know it's you're opinion, my best 15 so far is Glen garioch 15 Sherry Cask, blast you away and it's cs. And also glendronach and GlenAllachie Wonderfull stuff.. But go forth with you're tastes I lurned a lot 👌
The Glen Garioch is hard to find here and the Balvenie isn't a standard release. They would likely both be contenders, though. Some of those single cask Balvenie 15 releases were absolutely amazing!
Great line up of 15 yr old sherried bottles Geoff. Glenfarclas 15 at 46% is a winner. Glenallachie 15 didn't make your list but that's another all natural tasty offering at 46%. As a side note, it works well for me when I add a couple of drops of A'bunadh or 105 to a 43% sherried dram to turn into something very enjoyable.
That honorable mention of Benrinnes is really delicious and unique! Though I'm not trying all these five whisky, I would guess Benrinnes is still the most characterful one here. Had a dram of it at a bar (due to your review, big thanks!), wow, never tried a sherry like this before, definitely a "buy it". Wish there will be more expression from the distillery! Cheers!🍺🍺🍺
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I think it's a very overlooked whisky. Really meaty, unique flavours in there. Good age statement and an interesting profile. If it was 46% it would be such a killer! Cheers!
Great vid once again! I like that you go „against the grain“ so to say. After all we all have different taste. Your vids often put whiskies on my radar i usually would ignore but am keen to try after seeing you talk about them. This gonna be a series? Top 5 sherry peat, top 5 sherry bombs, top 5 bourbon cask only etc.? Well done mate 🖖
Thanks Kiwigor! I don't know that I'll be doing a series based on this theme specifically, but I'll definitely be putting out lists here and there. Thanks for watching!
Excellent list Geoff! Also, love the background music in this video. Very apt. Your favorite things indeed. Nothing like some good jazz to accompany a nice dram. Overall, your list is quite fair. Yes, Macallan and Dalmore rubs me the wrong way. Some of their whiskies are delicious and I agree with that. The 15 is a very well crafted whisky, definitely not worth the price range at 43%. I was half expecting the Dalmore 15 creep into that list as well. I wish the Balvenie 15 appeared more on the shelves. That is definitely one of my favorite sherry 15's. I am a bit surprised to see the Tamdhu at the bottom of your list. I love the Tamdhu expressions for one of the cleanest taste of good quality sherry matured whiskies we can find at the moment. Benromach 15, good choice. Got to love a Benromach. The one that I would definitely add to my list would be the excellent Glenallachie 15. Has that rich, strong sherry notes. Spicy and yet vegetal. Beautiful balance of sweet and sour. If you have not tried that one yet, I strongly recommend it.
Hah thanks. I'm liking the jazz vibe myself these days! I totally agree about the Mac 15 being overpriced. As is the Tamdhu. I don't think I'll be replacing either once they're gone, but I'm fully enjoying them while they're still on the shelf. I agree about the Balvenie 15. I've had some batches that were nothing short of outstanding. Sadly, they're very overpriced in Taiwan these days. I've tried the Glenallachie 15 before. I didn't enjoy it. I found it sweet and quite "obvious." I like a big sherry bomb, but I felt it was completely cask dominated. That being said, I'm told newer versions are better, and I'm certainly open to trying it again. Cheers!
Great video Geoff, would agree with you on some of your choices, the Balblair is a beautiful whisky, one of my favourites, I am surprised the Glenallachie is not there, especially the new releases, it is mouth watering. I still love the Glendronach 15 not as good as the Billy Walker era, but still a very nice dram and they haven't started chill filtering yet, so that's good news for the time being. I will have to try the Benromach, as I have never tried it and if you have it at number 1, it must be something special. With regards to Macallan, just don't like them, most of their whisky is overrated and overpriced and this release is like £40 more than the Glenallachie and in my personal opinion, it's nowhere near as good, but that's my personal opinion, everybody's palate is different, that is the beauty of whisky, what one person likes is not necessarily the same as another. If you could still buy a bottle of Edradour 15 Fairy Flag, then that would be my number one, absolute stunner, wish they would release another 15yr expression, one can dream, but great list Geoff and love your videos, very informative.
Thanks David. I've heard from a few people that the newer Glenallachie 15 is good stuff. I wasn't a fan of my last bottle, which was from a couple of years back. I'm certainly open to trying it again. The Benromach is good stuff, I'm sure you'll like it! I'd love to try that Fairy Flag some day, but sadly it's never been available here in Taiwan. Macallan always elicits a reaction from people. I totally get why some people aren't on board. Cheers David. Thanks for watching!
Good list and there's no need to rant. Roy recently recycle bin reviewed the Tamdhu and concluded that the price is now slipping away (he liked it though). I agree with what you say about Macallan. I recently had an amazing, quarter of a bottle, pour in Spain of old Macallan 12. Cost $7 euros and I was amazed how much I liked it because I would never buy a bottle. The sherry profile was light and beautifully integrated. I think most buy the Glenfarclas 15 because it's bottled at 46% and not the 43% like the rest of the range. I think Glenfarclass use tired casks and therefore it has to age for ages like the 25 year. Even that tastes younger than the age suggests. Balblair are the biggest disappointment for me. They went up in price and decreased in quality. Their parent company did the same to Old Pulteney. I used to love Balblair but not any more. I might give them another go but I'm not keen on the prices. I can't complain about Benromach because I agree with you. Personally I prefer the 10 to the 15 but I'm still very fond of the 15. The obvious ones off that list is Glendronach 15 and Springbank 15 (which you can't find anywhere except the distillery shop). I've recently touched base in some comments about what's going on with sherry casks in the whisky world. It's not just sherry casks either. I'm talking about decent quality casks of any kind but especially sherry. Furthermore, it's becoming obvious that quality, age matured, sherry casks are on a sharp decline. More often than not we are presented with young sherry bombs with very little subtlety and no distillery character at all. Mature stuff is increasingly hard to find, even in the independents, and there's a hefty price to pay and I think there's a problem in the industry. I visit Spanish sherry bodegas and many of them have no relationship with the whisky industry at all. Those that do look after their own interests first and most exported sherry influenced oak is a shadow of what it once was. That's clearly a truism as we see more and more distilleries trying to get their hands on any kind of beverage barrel to improve their offer. I exclude many of the young distilleries (some old one's too), especially from England, who are not compromising a jot. 43% is disappointing but I've long accepted it as a personal minimum. The whisky industry is a dinosaur so just improving that minimum is evolutionary progress. 40% is for a different consumer. 🤔🥃
Interesting info on the casks. As someone who's based in Asia and very much outside of the industry, it's always nice to hear some insight into what might be going on. I agree about the 43% thing. I don't like it and I wish these expressions were 46%, but if they're good then I'll take it. It seems the older we get, particularly in the realm of sherried whiskies, the harder it becomes to find anything at all that's got the trifecta: affordable, craft presented, and delicious. Thanks for sharing WT!
I had all of them beside the Balblair and the Tamdhu is my very clear winner ahead of the Macallan. The Benromach 15 i love too, but i have trouble measuring it to the others as the smoke adds a completely different layer. It´s comparing apples and pears for me. What lead to the fifth place for the Tamdhu after the enthusiastic review in the first place? Just curious.
great list. I'll have to take a hard look at the Benromach 15. I have the standard 10, the Batch 1 CS, ...and it looks like I can buy the 15 for $85. I got into whisky in 2017 and then my library quite literally exploded in 2021. I've watched so many whisky reviews, pretty much all of the whiskey vault, a healthy amount of Ralfie video's and your channel may be rounding out the top 3 for me. Good job from me! On that topic of 46% ABV, NCF... maybe you can answer this question. I get the NCF. stripping flavors away doesn't make much sense. But to that point, I assume everyone is saying "46%" because it's needed to prevent scotch mist. But according to Ralfie, the desire to get rid of scotch mist was always marketing BS that has no affect on taste, only presentation. By that logic, wouldn't a 43% ABV, NCF bottle still be a proper whisky? I ask this because I just completed dry month in March and I spent all of April getting better acquainted with all my 40% bottles. This has been an eye opening experience as flavors are slightly stronger, mouthfeel is better, and overall enjoyment has gone up. It's been a reminder that drinking alot of high ABV whisky deadens my palette and makes low ABV bottles "taste watery and lack flavor." I know there are plenty of proof hounds and that's great, but unless there is an intrinsic taste problem with scotch mist, I think as a community, we can start arguing that pushing for 46% is no different than pushing for 45% or 50% in the never ending push to reduce adding water to bottles and gain back more flavor for sip. At that point, 46% stops being a "special number". All that said, here is what I'm afraid of: the other day, I drank Green Spot for the first time and I judged it to be superior to Redbreast 12. I liked the DELICACY of it and it made me wonder if drinking a 46% Green Spot might not only strengthen flavors but also destroy the specific flavors that I find at 40%. It's got a "pina colada" flavor that might turn into a more pedestrian banana+orange at higher strength is what I thought.
First, off, thanks for watching Trainsar! It's appreciated! Some interesting points there. Yes, scotch mist seems to be the deciding factor for why brands make 46% a "cutoff." Aside from that, you could certainly make the point that it's an arbitrary number. As you can tell by my top two picks on the list, I have no problem appreciating a whisky at 43%. But, because we've (perhaps arbitrarily) placed 46% as a benchmark for quality, it's something I've come to expect. Whiskies lower than that can, but don't always, come off light, whereas 46% or above offer up more complexity. But I'll agree that it doesn't NEED to be 46% precisely. You know I still haven't had my own bottle of Green Spot. I've heard mixed things about that one, but it sounds like it's worthy of investigating. I'll have to pick one up at some point. Thanks for sharing your thoughts here!
@@Gwhisky scotch mist will tank sales. This should be a true statement so, I get the community pushing 46% from the marketing and commercial success position. I just find it funny that us whisky nerds are the one doing it! Of all the drinkers, we should be the LAST group to care about scotch mist. Instead, we should be harping on about the distillery master bottling their stuff at a. an ABV they deem to be the perfect strength for the given distillate, or b. at a fairly high ABV, probably cask strength, allowing us to water it down as we deem fit if the general public wasn't mislead all these years, I should think the above 2 categories would be the primary sectors to target for bottling, in addition to age and cask selection.
I think you hit the nail on the head with your point A. Perhaps 46% has been deemed an appropriate strength because we can see that bottles that are lower (40 to 43%) are less complex or engaging in comparison. Oppositely, several degrees higher and you MIGHT have some more rugged alcohol flavours take over. I'm a big fan of cask strength whiskies, and I'm willing to play with water, but obviously they can't all be cask strength, so I'm good with our consensus on 46% personally. That being said, a good whisky is a good whisky and some do pull off lower abvs.
It's not an OB, but if you ever come across any of the high ABV Signatory Vintage bottlings of Glenlivet, snatch them up ASAP. You have to imagine how surprised I was to find that one of the best bottlings in my (at this point fairly large) collection was a Signatory Glenlivet 14 CS- not because I don't trust Signatory to purchase and manage great casks given that is their financial lifeline... But I was blown away. When you nose it in a glencairn it smells of actual oloroso sherry, with all the buttery dairy notes and toasted nuts you would associate with oloroso sherry. Plus they tend to come in at psycho ABVs, mine is 64.3%, so you're given the luxury of diluting it down quite a bit. RIP to the Glenlivet 16 Nadurra!
Yes I've had some cask strength signatory Glenlivets. They're incredible! Similar in character to some of the cask strength Glenlivet 13s we get here in Taiwan. Intensely sherried with a hint of sulfur (a note that doesn't usually bother me like it does some). I've had a couple and both were outstanding. Great recommendation!
Hi Geoff, excellent list, so don’t worry about upsetting some people, its your whisky ,your list and your video, people don’t have to watch. Glenfarclas 15 is a great dram, we go back a number of years and there is batch variations but never been disappointed. Got a Benromach 15 a while ago (still closed). Balblair and me are through, enjoyed those vintages so much, also the prices have shot up.😔. Slàinte Geoff.
Thanks David! Yes, you're right. Balblair has gone up in price, and the vintages did separate them from the crowd once upon a time. Still, I can't say I'm not enjoying the 15. The Benromach is beautiful stuff, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Cheers!
Very eclectic mix - of the ones I've tried, Tamdhu and Benromach both have a lovely layering, like tiramisu layering (not tiramisu flavour!) ,Tamdhu round and smooth but very engaging and Benromach again layered but spikier and with welcome funk. A sophisticated line-up you presented - I have no prejudice against Macallan as a relative newbie so would consider it.
Thanks Declan! Glad you enjoyed the Tamdhu and Benromach! Very different but as you said, both offer some nice layers. Macallan isn't one I'd recommend based on value, but it's undeniably delicious. I'd sample first, if possible. Cheers!
Very interesting list Geoff. I would have Glendronach 15 and Springbank 15 on my list. Will be interesting to see if a price hike for the Tamdhu is coming, the new version of their 18 is hitting the shelves in the UK at a ridiculous £140 so wouldn’t be surprised to see the 15 increase to around £100.
Tamdhu 15 has gone up in price here. As has the Macallan. I won't be replacing the bottles, even though I love them! Glendronach I find too sweet, and Springbank whiskies are now unicorns. I wanted this list to be readily available to people. Cheers!
Great list. Unapologetic as it should be. Balblair 15 is one I’ve yet to try. Always been a fan of balblair. Glenfarclas is one I forget about because I have to go to Canada to get it ( I love Canada). Hmmmm…. Roadtrip! I’m psyched that you put benromach 15 as your first choice. I had an older ( label) bottling that was sublime. Hard to find lately, but I’m due for another! Thanks for sharing your perspective!🙏🏻
Thanks James! Glenfarclas is as sturdy as always, and the Benromach is a stunner. Be warned, though. Modern Benromachs are much more rounded and pretty than they once were. Still great, though. Cheers!
Thanks Jon! Yes, Glenfarclas is indeed 46%, I never said otherwise. As is Tamdhu and Balblair. I can certainly appreciate that Macallan isn't for everyone. I won't be replacing this bottle after it's finished simply because it's become too expensive. Cheers!
Quite surprised(but glad)you didnt include Glendronach15..Im curious about d Macallan 15,double oak & triple oak,w/c one's better?,keep d vlogs coming,thanks!
Thanks Victor! I haven't tried the Macallan Triple Oak, so I can't compare. I have had the 12 year old Double Oak and Triple Oak, and the Double Oak was by far my favourite. Cheers!
Geoff, it's Jack, your fellow Taiwan-phile. Once again, good job on this video; kudos! Although I enjoy yours and many others' whisky review videos, I've never been able to get consistency in terms of similar tastes between the reviewer and me (unlike movie reviews; I used to be nearly a perfect match with Roger Ebert....) The only thing that I have found to match very accurately my taste in whisky is the double-axes chart; the one where one axis shows "smoky to delicate" and the other axis shows "rich to light". (My taste rests somewhere in the middle.) I assume the fact that here you did a video on sherried whiskies means you like / prefer sherried whiskies. I do, too. However, I saw another one of your video in which you reviewed and praised Lagavulin. My neighbor bought me a bottle for Christmas. I took one sip; it's still sitting there, almost a full bottle. My point is that compared to the sherried whiskies, a peaty whisky is almost an entirely different type of liquor. What are your thoughts on that? I tend to believe that people who prefer peaty whiskies will not like sherried whiskies, and vice versa. This is certainly the case with me; I like sherried whiskies and really don't like peaty whiskies.
Hey Jack. Great question! First off, I'll say it would be weird if you agreed with a reviewer all of the time. I've never met another reviewer, or even another whisky drinker, that I was always on the same page with. But even when I disagree, I can still learn something. As for the sherry/peat issue, of course it's totally normal to have a preference. Personally, I tend to be promiscuous. I enjoy all styles of (scotch) whisky, but I do lean more towards unpeated stuff. I've previously stated that sherry is my favourite style, but I've realized I tend to bounce between sherry-forward whiskies and refill-bourbon-matured whiskies. I think seasons play a role. I reach for the lighter more subtle bourbon-matured whiskies in summer, and the heavier, sweeter sherried drams in winter. I do also love peated whiskies, of course, but they aren't usually my go-to. I keep a number of them around for when I've got the itch for a peaty blast, but I'd say 80-90% of my collection is unpeated (or lightly peated). With regards to your taste, you seem to be firmly in the "not a peat fan" camp, and that's fine. Is it a different liquor? Of course, technically, no. But as far as flavour is concerned, a Laphroaig and a Glencadam are about as far apart as anything can be. That being said, there's an "essence" to good quality single malts that ties them all together for me. Perhaps it's maltiness, texture, certain key flavours, or a combination of all of those things, but I do see most single malts as part of the same family, regardless of style. Cheers! 🥃
@@Gwhisky Geoff, that is a very comprehensive reply to my comment! You must have done well back in college with essay questions... LOL! Kudos! I agree that taste is definitely not a black / white, linear thing. (That is why I was surprised how similar my taste in film was to Roger Ebert's. LOL!) I have a screenshot of the "Smoky-Delicate, Rich-Light' chart on my phone. I pull that out whenever I window-shop at Total Wine (a chain in America) or come across a conversation about whisky. It's the one thing that comes close to black / white to me so far. I recently read an article online differentiating "smoky" and "peaty". It helped explain some things to me. On a different note, I've got two unopened bottles of Kavalan (Vinho and Amontillado) and an unopened 50mL Oloroso on my shelf which I do not intend to open. (The 50mL is perfect for gifting.) I'm waiting for my wife to return from Taiwan at the end of July with five vile-size bottles for me to enjoy. (Btw, listen to how sales staff at Kavalan say "Vinho". It's Portuguese. The "h" is like the Spanish "ñ".) Thanks for the reply! Look forwarding to watching another of your videos! Gan Bei!
@@jckbquck Hah thanks Jack. I usually try to mirror the amount of effort that my commenters put in. I don't tend to use those charts myself, but they definitely can be useful. I have a friend who often consults them. It does help visualize the flavours. I occasionally buy those Kavalan vials. Full Solist bottles are expensive, so the vials are a great way to get to know the whisky first. I had a brandy Solist vial recently. It was nice, but a bit too sweet, so probably won't pick that one up. Anyway, hope you enjoy your set of samples. Kavalan doesn't get much wrong. I'd also recommend, if she can, that your wife pick up the newer port releases with the green label. They're now around 11 years old and a big step up from the usual stuff we were getting a few years back. Cheers!
I live in California and I got a Glenfarclas or however u spell it 🤷♂️ hey I live Macallan too in fact they and glenmorangie got me into scotch..shame they d so my rocketed in price especially in the US…I bought a 15 yr old triple cask Macallan before covid for around $120 and now it can’t be found locally for less than 475-500 if u can find it
That's an interesting line up, Geoff. I don't have any of that selection, but when I went to check, I found them ALL on my shopping list - except the Benrinnes (honourable mention). I may get round to it one day, but my shopping list is currently about 3 years long!
Damn nice choices buddy... I wish I could get them... The Glenfarclas 15 is the only core range not available to me....the one I want of course. I loved that you left of glendronach 15 sans Billy Walker... Unfortunately, not a lot of new offerings arriving here due to no local would spend 6 months rent on a bottle of whisky.. I did see a guy restocking shit I would never buy...blends of JW etc... I am stuck just drinking old stuff...sadly... And my new gf is devouring my whisky budget at a feverish pace.. Was able to nab an old Clynelish 14 for $45us no tax and the G13 ... Just looking for old stuff I have killed and loved these days... I did have a Mac 12 sherry cask...that was good but low abv made it a no brainer not to replace... Cheers
I like them too, but the Glenallachie and Glendronach I found a bit too sweet to include on the list. The Springbank is fantastic, but sadly horribly overpriced these days, if you can find it at all.
My thoughts for what they are worth: Tamdhu 15 - I patiently waited for the release of the 15 because I like the 12 and love the Batch Strength. But I was seriously disappointed by the 15 and felt it fell way short of both the 12 and batch strength. Balblair 15 - I have not personally tasted the Balblair 15 but did buy a bottle of the 18 when it was released and was again very disappointed with the whisky when comparing it to the previous dated vintages released by Balblair. Glenfarclas 15 - Just a good honest old style sherry bomb and as you said very good value for money. I sometimes do pick up a strong sulphur note on Glenfarclas that puts me off a little but overall I do enjoy the entire core range. Macallan 15 - ABSOLUTELY!!! I think it is absolutely brilliant and a superb filler between the 12 Double Cask which is almost cheap in the South African market and the 18 which is priced out of affordability for almost everyone. The 15 is great option but that price is climbing. Benromach 15 - Never tasted but will search it out. Special mentions that were not in the video - Glenallachie 15. Billy Walker is the master of sherried whisky and at 46% it is a belter. Glendronach 15. Even though it is not quite as good as previous and is now coloured, it is still a very very good dram. Springbank 15 - This is an absolute belter of a sherried whisky and in my opinion possibly the best of the lot. Massively complex and typical Campbeltown if you like that type of thing.
Thanks for your feedback. To be honest I've been slowly falling out of love with my Tamdhu over the past year since I initially reviewed it, although I certainly do like it more than you. As for your final suggestions, I find both the Glenallachie and the Glendronach 15 too sweet for my taste. Springbank 15, sadly, is a bit of a unicorn bottle at this point, although it's good stuff! Cheers!
Unique list. I would throw Bladnoch 15 in the ring, but it probably qualifies as not easily obtainable. Recently grabbed a bottle of Balblair 17 meant for travel retail on a good deal (on account of Covid I assume) and really enjoyed it. Have to try the 15' next cheers bud!
I'd love to get my hands on the Bladnoch. Sadly, nowhere to be found in Taiwan. I'd never heard of the Balblair 17 until I looked it up just now. Looks fantastic! Enjoy my friend!
You haven’t done something in a while that you should consider returning. “What’s in the glass” that element of surprise at the end of the video is fun. I didn’t see 15 but I was at the store yesterday and just happened to pick up a bottle of Benromach 10. Can’t put my finger on what it is but I am enjoying it so far. There’s something unique about its flavor. I will look today and see if you’ve reviewed it. Very affordable.
Hah I would have if I had an extra sherried 15 lying around. Sadly that's all I've got. Benromach 10 is a great introduction to the brand's "unique" flavours and a good whisky for the price. I enjoyed it!
Not sure if the Glenallachie 15 is available over your side of the pond but if it is I would recommend you get a bottle. Glen Scotia 15 is also good but is ex Bourbon casks (American Oak) is the official description. Both 46%ABV and Non Chill filtered.
I've had both, and they're good. But the Glenallachie was a bit sweet for me. I do like the Scotia 15, but I wouldn't call it sherry-forward, nor is it as good as what I've included in the top 5 imo. Cheers Andrew!
Great video mate, and quite a divisive list. To be honest I’m quite surprise to see the kinds of Glenfarclas or Balblair which are very solid, instead of Glendronach and Glenallachie which, in my opinion, are still there. I also like that Macallan, certainly deserve it for a fair price but, as you said, is too pricey these days. Definitely need to try Benromach, even at 43%.
Thanks Alvaro. Yes it's definitely ruffled some feathers. To be honest, I prefer Balblair and Glenfarclas 15 over the Glenallachie and Glendronach 15. I found them both a bit too sweet for me on my last bottles. I'm sure you'll enjoy the Benromach, it's special stuff!
I made sure to check the comments before posting this, but Benrinnes has a 10 and 18 year old release via A.D. Rattray under the name Stronachie. Also I have to say this video makes me wish Bunnahabhain adds a 15 year old peated bottling(maybe some port + sherry in the mix?) to their core line in the near future. I'd pay $200 USD for that in a heartbeat.
I've had the Stronachie 10. Decent, if forgettable. Bourbon-matured, I believe. Shame, the spirit lends itself nicely to sherry. God, a Bunna 15 sounds absolutely amazing!
Nice picks, congratz for the contend! Personally, I would choose Glen Garioch 15 Cask Strenght, Glendronach Revival, GlenAllachie 15, Balvenie 15 Single Cask and Glenfarclas 15 46% (TWE CS is too exclusive)
Bit overpriced for what it is. Unless I can snag it in a bottle swap I'm not prepared to shell out the price they're asking for it here in Taiwan, unfortunately.
@UCdHoqSQQbieu3I_clmpQYAQ I said every whisky on this list that comes in at 43% should be released at 46%. Of course that doesn't apply to whiskies that already are at 46%. Cheers. 🥃
For me GlenAllachie wins. Not just because of the taste, but also the price. The GlenAllachie 15 is the perfect whisky for my taste - all sherry and not so much coming from the spirit. The Glenfarclas is good price too, but sometimes it has this off note, I think it's sulphur. As for the Macallan, the 12 is awesome, but it disappeared from the market. Good whisky by itself, but even if I could find it in a store, I still may not buy it. It's not better than the Glenfarclas or the GlenAllachie, so why would I pay more for it. An idea for a video - the best sherry bomb - the Kavalan, Edradour Cask Strength, the A’Bunadh, Glenfarclas 105, the Macallan Classic Cuts, Tamdhu Batch Strength, and so on.
I wasn't a fan of the Glenallachie 15, unfortunately. A bit too sweet for me. A sherry bomb list would be fun! I'll have to procure a few more bottles to make that one happen, though. Cheers Charles!
Springbank 15 is one of my favourite 15 year old. I personally am not a fan of the Glenfarclas 15 - the value is too low. The Bennrinnes is part of the Flora and Fauna series, right? All the whisky in that series are excellent.
Benrinnes is a good one, for sure. Glenfarclas 15 is on my list, Tamdhu 15 is too expensive for me at this time but I'll get there. I'm close to having tried a 100 whiskies so far over the course of my four years of being interested in whisky, but every one of these list videos always shows me I haven't even seen the tip of the iceberg.
Thanks ConcaCon! I've been into whisky for well over 12 years now and there's still countless bottles out there that I haven't tried. That's part of the fun!
The Benrinnes is peculiar because it's not really a sherry whisky. Far better in ex-bourbon, which is how it's normally presented by independent bottlers.
@@welshtoro3256 Interesting, I've only ever had the Flora and Fauna version. Should I see an IB Benrinnes for a reasonable price, it'd be worth a shot, it seems.
@@ConcaCon You should definitely keep an eye on them. There are a number of distilleries that are rated 'excellent' by whisky makers. Benrinnes are one of them but they usually excel in ex-bourbon. Glen Elgin, Strathmill, Aultmore and Dalluine also fall into that category. All of these guys make excellent whisky which fly under the radar. One of the best bottles of whisky I ever had was a Benrinnes. Check out this video. ruclips.net/video/quBXaswFWDs/видео.html I bought three and have one left. A unique flavour and a reminder of great independent bottles. Keep an eye on those guys I mention because they do good stuff and in my opinion it's better when it's ex-bourbon.
@@carlmartinlinder I believe it was from 2019 or 2020. I'll be on the lookout for something more recent. The 12 has changed dramatically over the years so I'm sure the 15 is too!
Well, given the 15 yo is currently one of the rarest age statements to be found in the core ranges plus the further narrowing "sherried" I bet it wasn't hard at all to compile the list. I don't see much of a use for such a list but in the end I'm not the one making it :) Personally, I'd be more interested in a list of 15 yo malts no matter sherried or not. At least then you may consider putting some Speyburn, Old Pulteney, Glen Scotia, Springbank, Glencadam on the list. As for the entries: Tamdhu 15 is absurdly priced in Bulgaria. Apparently Ian Mac Leod aim for the Macallan market with their Glengoyne and Tamdhu malts. At least Tamdhu 15 comes at 46% but it is not nearly enough to justify the absurd pricing. Glenfarclas 15 is still a decent offer despite the recent price hike. At least the reasonable price makes for the patchy quality of some batches. Balblair 15 is not available in Bulgaria. Macallan 15. I will not tolerate their cynical pricing. Full stop. It has to give me the best experience I can have with my clothes on and then some to justify the price. Benromach 15. The new "USSR-style" branded 10, 15 and 21 yo bottlings have finally made it to Bulgaria about one month ago. The price of the 15 is pushing 75 euros which is almost double the price of the old 15. And it is still 43% ABV. Not exactly a bottle I'll be rushing to buy. I'd rather give the new 10 yo a shot as I liked the old one very much plus the price is still tolerable. The fact that the list contains only one well presented and fairly priced entry - Glenfarclas 15 - should point us the elephant in the room - the Scotch malt whisky industry owes us a great deal in terms of availability and affordability of integrity bottlings of 15yo sherried whisky. BTW I saw in the other comments that you are not a fan of sweet malts therefore you haven't put Glenallachie 15 on the list. Well, the 2020 and on releases of Glenallachie 15yo (and 12 yo also) are richer, sherri-er, but also significantly sweeter than previous ones. Considering objectively measurable quality factors only: 46% ABV, non-chill filtered, natural color, priced roughly 50 euros in Bulgaria, Glenallachie 15 blows all other malts in the list out of the water. But, as I said , the newer releases are even sweeter that before and since you don't like sweet whisky it very likely won't make your top 5 list. Cheers!
I'll admit it's a pretty arbitrary category. I tend to look at my collection and randomly cook up these categories based upon what's there. I'll agree about the Tamdhu and Macallan. I'm thoroughly enjoying these bottles while I have them, but considering the current prices they're going for, I doubt I'll be replacing them. You're much more of a stickler than I am about the craft presentation. I much prefer the flavours in some of these whiskies over something like the Glendronach 15 or my last Glenallachie 15. I certainly wish they were 46%/ncf/natural colour, but at the end of the day the top two whiskies on my list ended up being 43%. Such is life. I'll definitely have to try the more recent Glenallachie 15. My mood for sweet whisky tends to come and go, but I found my last bottle cloying with some quite "obvious" flavours. Still, a few people have encouraged me to try a newer bottling, so my interest is piqued. Cheers!
@@Gwhisky Craft presentation is by no means "be all and end all" but when a bottle of whisky comes at a premium price I demand craft presentation. I have had quite a few whiskies, malts and blend, that lack one, two or even all the features we consider as "craft" or "integrity". Some I have enjoyed some not so much, some I have bought again. I can understand using low ABV, E150a, etc. in order to produce easily accesible and affordable for the mass consumer whisky. But I cant think of any viable excuse for Benromach 15 to be at 43% ABV and ~75 euros. Macallan 15 Double Oak is 43% and costs over 100 euros which is a very tasteless joke. As for the Glenallachie, the more recent core range releases tend to be really sweet. Not "doused rum" sweet but certainly "cognac" sweet. I can understand Billy Walker pushing the rough spirit he has found in the warehouses through some active casks in order to make it more crowd-pleasing but for me that sweetness somewhat flattens the profile. I mean quality is all there but the end product is borderline too smooth and easy for my taste. Cheers!
I haven’t had the MacAllan as I am not a millionaire lol. But the rest are great. My top 5 15 YOs would be: 1. Tamdhu 2. Glenfarclas 3. Glenallachie 4. BenRinnes 5. Benromach *Haven’t had Glenturret 15 but had the 15 Old Particular bottling and it was fantastic. Would be in my top 3 but didn’t include as it isn’t widely available.
Good list! Great minds think alike, eh? I do like Glenallachie, but my last bottle came off too sweet imo. Still one I should come back to, as I've heard the more recent releases are better. Cheers!
@@Gwhisky funnily enough, I didn’t love a sample I had of a bottling from a couple years ago for the glenallachie. The bottle I bought a couple months ago was great though-balanced, complex, and nothing “off” about it unlike the previous sample I’d had
I have recently seen a lot of positive feedback on Benromachs, need to check this destilery. I recently fall in love in Glendronach 18, could anyone advice on any similar whisky, preferably slightly cheaper?
There's nothing quite like a Glendronach 18, to be honest. I'm going to assume you have Rachel Barrie's version, which is the more recent one. It's nice stuff. It's different and perhaps less of a sherry bomb, but AnCnoc 18 is a really interesting sherried 18 year old. You should expect more subtlety with that one, though. Have you tried other Glendronachs or Glenallachies?
@@Gwhisky yes, it was Rachels version and it was great. I had a chance to try 12/15/18/21 Glendronachs, and 18 was definetly the best for me, 21 was slighly disappointong tbh. Only tried older versions of Billy's Glenallachies, when they were mostly Bourbon casks, but i heard that the profile has changed toward sherry. Need to buy a one and try. Thanks for a Ancnoc 18 recommendation, I would definetelly buy it when i had a chance, but currelty i am aiming for a Benromach (after your review!)
So here's me having some fun trying to guess them before I watch the video Glenallachie 15 Springbank 15 Glendronach 15 Dalmore 15 (a guilty pleasure of yours?) Redbreast 15 ( not sure if Irish are allowed) Definitely NOT Bowmore 15 Don't remember weather Glen Scotia 15 has a sherry finish, if so that could easily make the list. Let's see how wrong I am 😁
One thing that always puzzles me with lists like this is making it the Top x "15-year-old" whiskies, immediately ruling out 13-, 14-, 16- and 17-year-old whiskies and giving too much emphasis to the age (as if that is as important as the "sherry-forward" element). Maybe that's just me... (and the fact that my two favourite Benrinnes bottles are 17-year-olds, my favourite Balblair is a 14-year-old, my favourite Glenfarclas is a 19-year-old and my favourite Tamdhu is NAS!).
Dalmore Port Wood Reserve Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky - this whiskey is not sherry, but the best in taste and aroma for sure. Kavalan, Triple Sherry Cask - this whiskey and another from the same distillery - Kavalan, Sherry Oak - this is the best sherry whiskey. In Scotland, they forgot how to make good sherry whiskey because they began to save on barrels. They use seasonal casks, not old ones that have aged sherry for decades
My favourite 12 year old alternatives to these would be the Tamdhu 12 and the Macallan 12 Double Oak. The Glenfarclas 12 is something I haven't tried in ages, although it was never a favourite, and I haven't tried the Balblair 12 yet.
It may taste like pumpkin pie, but I'll never know because...... because I don't have room for 43% bottles. I don't know what the hell is going on anymore. I want to check all the boxes, plus Cask Strength. Plus age. So I've been on an Indie rage lately. It's good list. Someone has to be controversial. So congratulations.
Hah I don't mind lower strength. 46% is the benchmark, but I can accept 43% if the quality is there. It should be higher, of course. 46% is the go-to. Cask strength is my favourite, but it's a once-in-a-while treat for me. Those bottles are reserved for weekends!
Surprised the Glendronach 15 and the Glenallachie 15 didn't make it. Curious about your personal reasons for not including them ? I really mean personal so I imply that you weren't wrong with your list of course. Taste is subjective and nobody is wrong with what they like. I'm just curious in general of people's thoughts. Glendronach 15 is definitely higher on my list than the Macallan 15. Cheers 🥃
I didn't include them simply because I don't like them quite as much as the whiskies I did include. The Macallan 15 is overpriced now, but I thoroughly enjoyed the bottle, despite the frustratingly low 43%. As you said... matter of taste! 🥃
Surprised Glenallachie 15 missed out (especially 2020+ batches), id rate it higher than everything there except the Benromach (given I haven't tried it yet but aim to)
A lot of people seem surprised by that. I realize it's popular, but my last bottle was a bit too sweet for me. I'm told more recent bottlings are better, so I suppose I should come back to it soon. 🥃
Maybe I got a bad batch but my Tamdhu 15 is so boring that I will not buy another Tamdhu in the near future. Ok nose, flat one dimensional taste and basically no finish. Really wanted to like it and tried it a lot of times every other month but it just did not get better sadly… Would always take sonething like the Glenfarclas 15 instead!
Oh Geoff. You have gone from Klingon nerdgasm glory to Macallan 15 rated ahead of Tamdhu 15…. Oh dear you court trouble lol😂 ….. also, I haven’t had a Glendronach revival since 2019 bottlings but I am staggered it isn’t on the list…. If it is because of recent controversies…..then why Macallan with the free pass?
Hah yeah this list was sure to ruffle some feathers. I excluded the Glendronach and the Glenallachie 15 from the list for the simple reason that I enjoy them less than the whiskies I did include. I find myself more and more sensitive to sweetness these days, and both those expressions came off cloying to me the last time I had them. Not taking any kind of stance, really.
@@Gwhisky I completely agree that Spiked casks are becoming both incredibly boring and Billy Walkers go to strategy. I’ll be honest, when I tried the new Macallan 15 I did like it but felt that it wasn’t as good as the Tamdhu but that is just personal preferences I suppose. I have some old Macallan 12 tucked away which would be better than all these and I guess I compare those Macallan 12s to all the Macallans that follow and the old 12’s just dominate. I am enjoying your channel dude, you provide your own opinions and don’t pander to any particular crowd. Interestingly I just opened a bottle of Glengoyne 15 which is discontinued and it was way better than I had remembered and a lot more Sherry forward than I had remembered…it’s a shame Glengoyne have left a hole in their lineup….
@@traviskingdon3636 Thanks, man. Appreciate the kind words. I'm sure those older Mac's will run circles around much of the newer stuff. I remember Glengoyne 15! I don't think I ever got to try it, I just remember when it was part of the landscape. Sounds like a winner!
@@Gwhisky Sherry Oak 12 just jumped to $150 in Brooklyn; it might be over $200 in Manhattan; even Double Cask 12 is $100 now. Absurd, but I don't blame them given the state of things. Do they still make Triple Cask? Unsure.
Just tried this years balvenie 15 and I’m disappointed so far. Just opened the bottle so gotta give it some time but for a $130 whiskey I’m not impressed at all. I have a feeling I would of enjoyed the Tamdhu 15 more.
The most recent bottling I had was underwhelming. I've only ever tried 3 versions of it, and the one I tried (last year's, I think) was by far the weakest. Earlier ones blew my mind.
@@Gwhisky I just had the same experience with the aberlour A’Bunadh. I’m not feeling the sherry influence in these whiskeys. Hopefully with time they get a better.
Hi Jeff, First of all, do you think 286 Canadian Dollars is an OK price for Tamdhu 18? Then about Macallan - is a great whisky to gift people who are not big Scotch drinkers. Because, of great marketing, everyone thinks it is the "best" scotch!! But the real Scotch people know it's never worth it!!! No 2 ways about it. Not one of the Macallans has ever hit a good note with me or any Scotch people I have met. Like I said great for gifting people who don't know much about scotch!!
Hi Dylan. For me, that seems a bit high. It's quite expensive for an 18 here, too. I've tried it and it's very nice, although I think it's quite overpriced. 🥃
Didn’t you give the Tamdu 15 a glowing review about a year ago and said it was better than the Macallan 15? Now you want to drop it a few points and would take the Macallan 15 at 43% over the Tamdhu 15 at 46%? What the hell happened?
Well I've come back to both over the past year, and I find myself much more engaged with the flavours in the Mac. Even when comparing the Macallan 12 Double Oak and the Tamdhu 12, I found that Macallan had more consistent and dynamic flavours. It's quite simply a house style that I prefer. Tamdhu is still excellent, of course!
@@Gwhisky fair. Thanks for clarifying. I still just can’t with Macallan. I just… can’t 😂 There’s too many whiskies at much fairer prices with better specs and rich flavors. Love the channel!
Disagree with your inclusion of the OB Benrinnes (IB's are far superior) , Macallan (they continue to take the piss) & Benromach (over-rated & don't care for the incestuous link with Gordon McPhail)....in my humble opinion the Glenfarclas & Balblair are the only two which stand out. Slainte.
Low abv whisky's ? They should be banned not hyped!!! Only cask strength sherried whisky should be considered . Maccalan with their exorbitant price ARE out of reach for most of entusiast. Glenallachie 10CS , Arran Bodega CS,Kavalan CS,Aberlour Abunah, Glendronach CS,Edradour CS even Glenmorangie need honourable mention for their efforts suppling all around the world, nit like bollock Sprinb Bank
Great list man! I am yet to try the Balblair myself, but I will have to add it to the shopping list!
You list videos are great. I would love to hear what your 'Top 5 Sherry Bombs' are too (whiskies like Tamdhu Batch Strength and Aberlour A'bunadh kinda stuff.
I'm working on a sherry video at the moment, but it's taking a looong time to make. I'm realising Sherry is a vortex of complicated things once you start to go deeper. Hopefully soon though!
Thanks Phil! A sherry bomb list sounds fun, I'll have to look into that.
Looking forward to your sherry video. I can only imagine how much time you spend on your editing. Cheers!
I keep an eye on both of you for a sherry bomb video. You might need to make it more than top 5 I think 😁
Both Phil and Geoff are the best whiskytubers around! You deserve more subs
@first Phil . Love your channel too dude, really good. Look forward to your next video.
Cool list Geoff, really liked the reveal icon! Was surprised to not see the GlenDronach 15 on there!
I think most people were expecting that. Glendronach is decent stuff, but I happen to prefer the ones I listed in the vid. Cheers!
I had the Glenfarclas 15 at the distillery on the starting line of the dramathon. Very memorable start to a very memorable race 🙂 Love Benromach as well 👍
A man of taste. Cheers!
Just picked up a Benromach 15 yesterday...pleasantly surprised to see it as your #1. Really enjoy your down to earth approach to whisky. cheers from Canada.
Thanks coach! Cheers from a Canadian in Taiwan!
@@Gwhisky I did not realize you were Canadian. Nice. If you're ever visiting home and find yourself on the East Coast - I'm part of group that organizes a Spirits Festival every November. 25th anniversary show this year! Good times, good people and great whisky of course. NB Spirits Festival. Be happy to help with some tips!
Love your work Geoff. I would really like to know what you think of the Glendronach 15 revival? You cover so much sherry, but this one never appears on your or most other channels. I get that it might be chill filtered now, but it has that not over the top old school leathery sherry flavor that most RUclipsrs love. How does it compare to you against let's say Tamdhu 15 or GlenAllachie 15? Cheers, Tobi
Wonderfull list of 15th, I know it's you're opinion, my best 15 so far is Glen garioch 15 Sherry Cask, blast you away and it's cs.
And also glendronach and GlenAllachie Wonderfull stuff..
But go forth with you're tastes I lurned a lot 👌
Great list👍🏻, I would have included Glen garioch 15y sherry 53,7% and the Balvenie 15y sherry single barrel , still available in Sweden😋👍🏻
The Glen Garioch is hard to find here and the Balvenie isn't a standard release. They would likely both be contenders, though. Some of those single cask Balvenie 15 releases were absolutely amazing!
What's the price of the Balvenie in your neck of the woods? It's vanished in the U.K.
@@welshtoro3256 135 euro
Great line up of 15 yr old sherried bottles Geoff. Glenfarclas 15 at 46% is a winner. Glenallachie 15 didn't make your list but that's another all natural tasty offering at 46%. As a side note, it works well for me when I add a couple of drops of A'bunadh or 105 to a 43% sherried dram to turn into something very enjoyable.
Thanks Rohit! I'll have to try that trick with the 105! Cheers!
Glendronach 15 is my personal favorite.
We're number one! Yes, I lurve that Benromach 15. I only snagged the 15 because the 10 was not on the shelves. It is presently the king of my cabinet.
I would also be interested to see your top 5 of 12yo and 18yo as well. From one sherry lover to another. 😁
I hear you Mr. Coltrane. They are my favorite things too.
That honorable mention of Benrinnes is really delicious and unique! Though I'm not trying all these five whisky, I would guess Benrinnes is still the most characterful one here. Had a dram of it at a bar (due to your review, big thanks!), wow, never tried a sherry like this before, definitely a "buy it". Wish there will be more expression from the distillery! Cheers!🍺🍺🍺
I'm glad you enjoyed it. I think it's a very overlooked whisky. Really meaty, unique flavours in there. Good age statement and an interesting profile. If it was 46% it would be such a killer! Cheers!
Great vid once again! I like that you go „against the grain“ so to say. After all we all have different taste. Your vids often put whiskies on my radar i usually would ignore but am keen to try after seeing you talk about them.
This gonna be a series? Top 5 sherry peat, top 5 sherry bombs, top 5 bourbon cask only etc.?
Well done mate 🖖
Thanks Kiwigor! I don't know that I'll be doing a series based on this theme specifically, but I'll definitely be putting out lists here and there. Thanks for watching!
Excellent list Geoff!
Also, love the background music in this video. Very apt. Your favorite things indeed. Nothing like some good jazz to accompany a nice dram.
Overall, your list is quite fair. Yes, Macallan and Dalmore rubs me the wrong way. Some of their whiskies are delicious and I agree with that. The 15 is a very well crafted whisky, definitely not worth the price range at 43%. I was half expecting the Dalmore 15 creep into that list as well.
I wish the Balvenie 15 appeared more on the shelves. That is definitely one of my favorite sherry 15's.
I am a bit surprised to see the Tamdhu at the bottom of your list. I love the Tamdhu expressions for one of the cleanest taste of good quality sherry matured whiskies we can find at the moment. Benromach 15, good choice. Got to love a Benromach.
The one that I would definitely add to my list would be the excellent Glenallachie 15. Has that rich, strong sherry notes. Spicy and yet vegetal. Beautiful balance of sweet and sour. If you have not tried that one yet, I strongly recommend it.
Hah thanks. I'm liking the jazz vibe myself these days!
I totally agree about the Mac 15 being overpriced. As is the Tamdhu. I don't think I'll be replacing either once they're gone, but I'm fully enjoying them while they're still on the shelf.
I agree about the Balvenie 15. I've had some batches that were nothing short of outstanding. Sadly, they're very overpriced in Taiwan these days.
I've tried the Glenallachie 15 before. I didn't enjoy it. I found it sweet and quite "obvious." I like a big sherry bomb, but I felt it was completely cask dominated. That being said, I'm told newer versions are better, and I'm certainly open to trying it again. Cheers!
Great video Geoff, would agree with you on some of your choices, the Balblair is a beautiful whisky, one of my favourites, I am surprised the Glenallachie is not there, especially the new releases, it is mouth watering. I still love the Glendronach 15 not as good as the Billy Walker era, but still a very nice dram and they haven't started chill filtering yet, so that's good news for the time being. I will have to try the Benromach, as I have never tried it and if you have it at number 1, it must be something special. With regards to Macallan, just don't like them, most of their whisky is overrated and overpriced and this release is like £40 more than the Glenallachie and in my personal opinion, it's nowhere near as good, but that's my personal opinion, everybody's palate is different, that is the beauty of whisky, what one person likes is not necessarily the same as another. If you could still buy a bottle of Edradour 15 Fairy Flag, then that would be my number one, absolute stunner, wish they would release another 15yr expression, one can dream, but great list Geoff and love your videos, very informative.
Thanks David. I've heard from a few people that the newer Glenallachie 15 is good stuff. I wasn't a fan of my last bottle, which was from a couple of years back. I'm certainly open to trying it again. The Benromach is good stuff, I'm sure you'll like it! I'd love to try that Fairy Flag some day, but sadly it's never been available here in Taiwan.
Macallan always elicits a reaction from people. I totally get why some people aren't on board.
Cheers David. Thanks for watching!
Balblair 15 that was my discovery last year, it's great liquid! Cheers mate !😀👍
Balblair 15 is wonderful! 🥃
Interesting list with a surprise for #1. I've been drinking this one and their 2012 Organic which is very impressive.
I've heard good things about the Organic releases!
Benromach are doing really solid stuff. One of my favourites.
Great video! Love your lists videos! Keep up the good work!
Thanks Andrei! Always appreciated! 🙏
Good list and there's no need to rant. Roy recently recycle bin reviewed the Tamdhu and concluded that the price is now slipping away (he liked it though). I agree with what you say about Macallan. I recently had an amazing, quarter of a bottle, pour in Spain of old Macallan 12. Cost $7 euros and I was amazed how much I liked it because I would never buy a bottle. The sherry profile was light and beautifully integrated. I think most buy the Glenfarclas 15 because it's bottled at 46% and not the 43% like the rest of the range. I think Glenfarclass use tired casks and therefore it has to age for ages like the 25 year. Even that tastes younger than the age suggests. Balblair are the biggest disappointment for me. They went up in price and decreased in quality. Their parent company did the same to Old Pulteney. I used to love Balblair but not any more. I might give them another go but I'm not keen on the prices. I can't complain about Benromach because I agree with you. Personally I prefer the 10 to the 15 but I'm still very fond of the 15. The obvious ones off that list is Glendronach 15 and Springbank 15 (which you can't find anywhere except the distillery shop).
I've recently touched base in some comments about what's going on with sherry casks in the whisky world. It's not just sherry casks either. I'm talking about decent quality casks of any kind but especially sherry. Furthermore, it's becoming obvious that quality, age matured, sherry casks are on a sharp decline. More often than not we are presented with young sherry bombs with very little subtlety and no distillery character at all. Mature stuff is increasingly hard to find, even in the independents, and there's a hefty price to pay and I think there's a problem in the industry. I visit Spanish sherry bodegas and many of them have no relationship with the whisky industry at all. Those that do look after their own interests first and most exported sherry influenced oak is a shadow of what it once was. That's clearly a truism as we see more and more distilleries trying to get their hands on any kind of beverage barrel to improve their offer. I exclude many of the young distilleries (some old one's too), especially from England, who are not compromising a jot.
43% is disappointing but I've long accepted it as a personal minimum. The whisky industry is a dinosaur so just improving that minimum is evolutionary progress. 40% is for a different consumer. 🤔🥃
Interesting info on the casks. As someone who's based in Asia and very much outside of the industry, it's always nice to hear some insight into what might be going on.
I agree about the 43% thing. I don't like it and I wish these expressions were 46%, but if they're good then I'll take it. It seems the older we get, particularly in the realm of sherried whiskies, the harder it becomes to find anything at all that's got the trifecta: affordable, craft presented, and delicious.
Thanks for sharing WT!
I had all of them beside the Balblair and the Tamdhu is my very clear winner ahead of the Macallan. The Benromach 15 i love too, but i have trouble measuring it to the others as the smoke adds a completely different layer. It´s comparing apples and pears for me.
What lead to the fifth place for the Tamdhu after the enthusiastic review in the first place? Just curious.
I do like the Tamdhu, and I'll review it at some point. But it's lost a bit of its lustre for me. 🥃
Great list!
Benromach batches getting year after year. Need another 15 yo immediately :)
Thanks Slimbo! Benromach is beautiful stuff!
Great list. My personal taste would be to replace the Balblair 15 with Speyburn 15. Same owners.
I haven't tried the Speyburn. I'll have to try it out! Cheers!
The Balblair 15 is great...I'm on my second litre bottle🥂
great list. I'll have to take a hard look at the Benromach 15. I have the standard 10, the Batch 1 CS, ...and it looks like I can buy the 15 for $85.
I got into whisky in 2017 and then my library quite literally exploded in 2021. I've watched so many whisky reviews, pretty much all of the whiskey vault, a healthy amount of Ralfie video's and your channel may be rounding out the top 3 for me. Good job from me!
On that topic of 46% ABV, NCF... maybe you can answer this question. I get the NCF. stripping flavors away doesn't make much sense. But to that point, I assume everyone is saying "46%" because it's needed to prevent scotch mist. But according to Ralfie, the desire to get rid of scotch mist was always marketing BS that has no affect on taste, only presentation. By that logic, wouldn't a 43% ABV, NCF bottle still be a proper whisky? I ask this because I just completed dry month in March and I spent all of April getting better acquainted with all my 40% bottles. This has been an eye opening experience as flavors are slightly stronger, mouthfeel is better, and overall enjoyment has gone up. It's been a reminder that drinking alot of high ABV whisky deadens my palette and makes low ABV bottles "taste watery and lack flavor."
I know there are plenty of proof hounds and that's great, but unless there is an intrinsic taste problem with scotch mist, I think as a community, we can start arguing that pushing for 46% is no different than pushing for 45% or 50% in the never ending push to reduce adding water to bottles and gain back more flavor for sip. At that point, 46% stops being a "special number".
All that said, here is what I'm afraid of: the other day, I drank Green Spot for the first time and I judged it to be superior to Redbreast 12. I liked the DELICACY of it and it made me wonder if drinking a 46% Green Spot might not only strengthen flavors but also destroy the specific flavors that I find at 40%. It's got a "pina colada" flavor that might turn into a more pedestrian banana+orange at higher strength is what I thought.
First, off, thanks for watching Trainsar! It's appreciated!
Some interesting points there. Yes, scotch mist seems to be the deciding factor for why brands make 46% a "cutoff." Aside from that, you could certainly make the point that it's an arbitrary number. As you can tell by my top two picks on the list, I have no problem appreciating a whisky at 43%. But, because we've (perhaps arbitrarily) placed 46% as a benchmark for quality, it's something I've come to expect. Whiskies lower than that can, but don't always, come off light, whereas 46% or above offer up more complexity. But I'll agree that it doesn't NEED to be 46% precisely.
You know I still haven't had my own bottle of Green Spot. I've heard mixed things about that one, but it sounds like it's worthy of investigating. I'll have to pick one up at some point. Thanks for sharing your thoughts here!
@@Gwhisky scotch mist will tank sales. This should be a true statement so, I get the community pushing 46% from the marketing and commercial success position. I just find it funny that us whisky nerds are the one doing it! Of all the drinkers, we should be the LAST group to care about scotch mist. Instead, we should be harping on about the distillery master bottling their stuff at
a. an ABV they deem to be the perfect strength for the given distillate, or
b. at a fairly high ABV, probably cask strength, allowing us to water it down as we deem fit
if the general public wasn't mislead all these years, I should think the above 2 categories would be the primary sectors to target for bottling, in addition to age and cask selection.
I think you hit the nail on the head with your point A. Perhaps 46% has been deemed an appropriate strength because we can see that bottles that are lower (40 to 43%) are less complex or engaging in comparison. Oppositely, several degrees higher and you MIGHT have some more rugged alcohol flavours take over. I'm a big fan of cask strength whiskies, and I'm willing to play with water, but obviously they can't all be cask strength, so I'm good with our consensus on 46% personally. That being said, a good whisky is a good whisky and some do pull off lower abvs.
It's not an OB, but if you ever come across any of the high ABV Signatory Vintage bottlings of Glenlivet, snatch them up ASAP. You have to imagine how surprised I was to find that one of the best bottlings in my (at this point fairly large) collection was a Signatory Glenlivet 14 CS- not because I don't trust Signatory to purchase and manage great casks given that is their financial lifeline... But I was blown away. When you nose it in a glencairn it smells of actual oloroso sherry, with all the buttery dairy notes and toasted nuts you would associate with oloroso sherry. Plus they tend to come in at psycho ABVs, mine is 64.3%, so you're given the luxury of diluting it down quite a bit. RIP to the Glenlivet 16 Nadurra!
Yes I've had some cask strength signatory Glenlivets. They're incredible! Similar in character to some of the cask strength Glenlivet 13s we get here in Taiwan. Intensely sherried with a hint of sulfur (a note that doesn't usually bother me like it does some). I've had a couple and both were outstanding. Great recommendation!
Hi Geoff, excellent list, so don’t worry about upsetting some people, its your whisky ,your list and your video, people don’t have to watch. Glenfarclas 15 is a great dram, we go back a number of years and there is batch variations but never been disappointed. Got a Benromach 15 a while ago (still closed). Balblair and me are through, enjoyed those vintages so much, also the prices have shot up.😔. Slàinte Geoff.
Thanks David! Yes, you're right. Balblair has gone up in price, and the vintages did separate them from the crowd once upon a time. Still, I can't say I'm not enjoying the 15. The Benromach is beautiful stuff, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Cheers!
Great video!! Glenallachie 15 for me
Very eclectic mix - of the ones I've tried, Tamdhu and Benromach both have a lovely layering, like tiramisu layering (not tiramisu flavour!) ,Tamdhu round and smooth but very engaging and Benromach again layered but spikier and with welcome funk. A sophisticated line-up you presented - I have no prejudice against Macallan as a relative newbie so would consider it.
Thanks Declan! Glad you enjoyed the Tamdhu and Benromach! Very different but as you said, both offer some nice layers. Macallan isn't one I'd recommend based on value, but it's undeniably delicious. I'd sample first, if possible. Cheers!
Is that Christmas music in the background?! Haha
Lol no.
Very interesting list Geoff. I would have Glendronach 15 and Springbank 15 on my list.
Will be interesting to see if a price hike for the Tamdhu is coming, the new version of their 18 is hitting the shelves in the UK at a ridiculous £140 so wouldn’t be surprised to see the 15 increase to around £100.
Tamdhu 15 has gone up in price here. As has the Macallan. I won't be replacing the bottles, even though I love them! Glendronach I find too sweet, and Springbank whiskies are now unicorns. I wanted this list to be readily available to people. Cheers!
@@Gwhisky I mentioned that in my comment and completely agree.
Glen Garioch 15yr Sherry Cask Matured (53.7%) is my favourite Sherried Malt period.
Hard to find here!
Great list. Unapologetic as it should be. Balblair 15 is one I’ve yet to try. Always been a fan of balblair. Glenfarclas is one I forget about because I have to go to Canada to get it ( I love Canada). Hmmmm…. Roadtrip! I’m psyched that you put benromach 15 as your first choice. I had an older ( label) bottling that was sublime. Hard to find lately, but I’m due for another! Thanks for sharing your perspective!🙏🏻
Thanks James! Glenfarclas is as sturdy as always, and the Benromach is a stunner. Be warned, though. Modern Benromachs are much more rounded and pretty than they once were. Still great, though. Cheers!
Nice review. Good list with the exception of Macallan. Glenfarclas is 46% just to denote from the list. Good stuff and love that Glenfarclas myself!!!
Thanks Jon! Yes, Glenfarclas is indeed 46%, I never said otherwise. As is Tamdhu and Balblair. I can certainly appreciate that Macallan isn't for everyone. I won't be replacing this bottle after it's finished simply because it's become too expensive. Cheers!
Quite surprised(but glad)you didnt include Glendronach15..Im curious about d Macallan 15,double oak & triple oak,w/c one's better?,keep d vlogs coming,thanks!
Thanks Victor! I haven't tried the Macallan Triple Oak, so I can't compare. I have had the 12 year old Double Oak and Triple Oak, and the Double Oak was by far my favourite. Cheers!
Geoff, it's Jack, your fellow Taiwan-phile. Once again, good job on this video; kudos!
Although I enjoy yours and many others' whisky review videos, I've never been able to get consistency in terms of similar tastes between the reviewer and me (unlike movie reviews; I used to be nearly a perfect match with Roger Ebert....) The only thing that I have found to match very accurately my taste in whisky is the double-axes chart; the one where one axis shows "smoky to delicate" and the other axis shows "rich to light". (My taste rests somewhere in the middle.)
I assume the fact that here you did a video on sherried whiskies means you like / prefer sherried whiskies. I do, too. However, I saw another one of your video in which you reviewed and praised Lagavulin. My neighbor bought me a bottle for Christmas. I took one sip; it's still sitting there, almost a full bottle. My point is that compared to the sherried whiskies, a peaty whisky is almost an entirely different type of liquor. What are your thoughts on that? I tend to believe that people who prefer peaty whiskies will not like sherried whiskies, and vice versa. This is certainly the case with me; I like sherried whiskies and really don't like peaty whiskies.
Hey Jack. Great question!
First off, I'll say it would be weird if you agreed with a reviewer all of the time. I've never met another reviewer, or even another whisky drinker, that I was always on the same page with. But even when I disagree, I can still learn something.
As for the sherry/peat issue, of course it's totally normal to have a preference. Personally, I tend to be promiscuous. I enjoy all styles of (scotch) whisky, but I do lean more towards unpeated stuff. I've previously stated that sherry is my favourite style, but I've realized I tend to bounce between sherry-forward whiskies and refill-bourbon-matured whiskies. I think seasons play a role. I reach for the lighter more subtle bourbon-matured whiskies in summer, and the heavier, sweeter sherried drams in winter.
I do also love peated whiskies, of course, but they aren't usually my go-to. I keep a number of them around for when I've got the itch for a peaty blast, but I'd say 80-90% of my collection is unpeated (or lightly peated).
With regards to your taste, you seem to be firmly in the "not a peat fan" camp, and that's fine. Is it a different liquor? Of course, technically, no. But as far as flavour is concerned, a Laphroaig and a Glencadam are about as far apart as anything can be. That being said, there's an "essence" to good quality single malts that ties them all together for me. Perhaps it's maltiness, texture, certain key flavours, or a combination of all of those things, but I do see most single malts as part of the same family, regardless of style.
Cheers! 🥃
@@Gwhisky Geoff, that is a very comprehensive reply to my comment! You must have done well back in college with essay questions... LOL! Kudos!
I agree that taste is definitely not a black / white, linear thing. (That is why I was surprised how similar my taste in film was to Roger Ebert's. LOL!) I have a screenshot of the "Smoky-Delicate, Rich-Light' chart on my phone. I pull that out whenever I window-shop at Total Wine (a chain in America) or come across a conversation about whisky. It's the one thing that comes close to black / white to me so far. I recently read an article online differentiating "smoky" and "peaty". It helped explain some things to me.
On a different note, I've got two unopened bottles of Kavalan (Vinho and Amontillado) and an unopened 50mL Oloroso on my shelf which I do not intend to open. (The 50mL is perfect for gifting.) I'm waiting for my wife to return from Taiwan at the end of July with five vile-size bottles for me to enjoy. (Btw, listen to how sales staff at Kavalan say "Vinho". It's Portuguese. The "h" is like the Spanish "ñ".)
Thanks for the reply! Look forwarding to watching another of your videos! Gan Bei!
@@jckbquck Hah thanks Jack. I usually try to mirror the amount of effort that my commenters put in.
I don't tend to use those charts myself, but they definitely can be useful. I have a friend who often consults them. It does help visualize the flavours.
I occasionally buy those Kavalan vials. Full Solist bottles are expensive, so the vials are a great way to get to know the whisky first. I had a brandy Solist vial recently. It was nice, but a bit too sweet, so probably won't pick that one up.
Anyway, hope you enjoy your set of samples. Kavalan doesn't get much wrong. I'd also recommend, if she can, that your wife pick up the newer port releases with the green label. They're now around 11 years old and a big step up from the usual stuff we were getting a few years back.
Cheers!
@@Gwhisky , I brought back the Kavalan Port myself when I went there in May. Great stuff!
I live in California and I got a Glenfarclas or however u spell it 🤷♂️ hey I live Macallan too in fact they and glenmorangie got me into scotch..shame they d so my rocketed in price especially in the US…I bought a 15 yr old triple cask Macallan before covid for around $120 and now it can’t be found locally for less than 475-500 if u can find it
Good choice Geoff ! Cheers )
Thanks Light! Cheers!
That's an interesting line up, Geoff. I don't have any of that selection, but when I went to check, I found them ALL on my shopping list - except the Benrinnes (honourable mention). I may get round to it one day, but my shopping list is currently about 3 years long!
Ah, the never-ending shopping list. The whisky drinker's curse! Cheers, Victor!
@@Gwhisky Thanks, Geoff - and thank you for your reply. I always receive a quick response from you. Much appreciated.
Damn nice choices buddy...
I wish I could get them...
The Glenfarclas 15 is the only core range not available to me....the one I want of course.
I loved that you left of glendronach 15 sans Billy Walker...
Unfortunately, not a lot of new offerings arriving here due to no local would spend 6 months rent on a bottle of whisky..
I did see a guy restocking shit I would never buy...blends of JW etc...
I am stuck just drinking old stuff...sadly...
And my new gf is devouring my whisky budget at a feverish pace..
Was able to nab an old Clynelish 14 for $45us no tax and the G13 ...
Just looking for old stuff I have killed and loved these days...
I did have a Mac 12 sherry cask...that was good but low abv made it a no brainer not to replace...
Cheers
Nice list. I like Glenallachie 15, Springbank 15 and Glendronach 15.
I like them too, but the Glenallachie and Glendronach I found a bit too sweet to include on the list. The Springbank is fantastic, but sadly horribly overpriced these days, if you can find it at all.
My list include Balblair 15, Balblair 99 (15 years old), GlenAllachie 15, GlenDronach 15, and Glenfarclas 15, in no particular order.
Glenallachie and Glendronach were a bit sweet for me, although I've heard newer Glenallachie 15s are better. Cheers Andy! 🥃
I'm surprised that the Glendronach 15 isn't in your top 5.
You should try Glen Garioch 15 year old cask strength...
I'd love to! I'll try it when I get the chance!
The Balblair 15 Year is amazing.
Damn good stuff! 🥃
There is a Glen Garioch 15yo that's really great👍
I've heard. Sadly I can't find it anywhere! 🥃
My thoughts for what they are worth:
Tamdhu 15 - I patiently waited for the release of the 15 because I like the 12 and love the Batch Strength. But I was seriously disappointed by the 15 and felt it fell way short of both the 12 and batch strength.
Balblair 15 - I have not personally tasted the Balblair 15 but did buy a bottle of the 18 when it was released and was again very disappointed with the whisky when comparing it to the previous dated vintages released by Balblair.
Glenfarclas 15 - Just a good honest old style sherry bomb and as you said very good value for money. I sometimes do pick up a strong sulphur note on Glenfarclas that puts me off a little but overall I do enjoy the entire core range.
Macallan 15 - ABSOLUTELY!!! I think it is absolutely brilliant and a superb filler between the 12 Double Cask which is almost cheap in the South African market and the 18 which is priced out of affordability for almost everyone. The 15 is great option but that price is climbing.
Benromach 15 - Never tasted but will search it out.
Special mentions that were not in the video - Glenallachie 15. Billy Walker is the master of sherried whisky and at 46% it is a belter.
Glendronach 15. Even though it is not quite as good as previous and is now coloured, it is still a very very good dram.
Springbank 15 - This is an absolute belter of a sherried whisky and in my opinion possibly the best of the lot. Massively complex and typical Campbeltown if you like that type of thing.
Thanks for your feedback. To be honest I've been slowly falling out of love with my Tamdhu over the past year since I initially reviewed it, although I certainly do like it more than you. As for your final suggestions, I find both the Glenallachie and the Glendronach 15 too sweet for my taste. Springbank 15, sadly, is a bit of a unicorn bottle at this point, although it's good stuff! Cheers!
Unique list. I would throw Bladnoch 15 in the ring, but it probably qualifies as not easily obtainable. Recently grabbed a bottle of Balblair 17 meant for travel retail on a good deal (on account of Covid I assume) and really enjoyed it. Have to try the 15' next cheers bud!
I'd love to get my hands on the Bladnoch. Sadly, nowhere to be found in Taiwan. I'd never heard of the Balblair 17 until I looked it up just now. Looks fantastic! Enjoy my friend!
You haven’t done something in a while that you should consider returning. “What’s in the glass” that element of surprise at the end of the video is fun. I didn’t see 15 but I was at the store yesterday and just happened to pick up a bottle of Benromach 10. Can’t put my finger on what it is but I am enjoying it so far. There’s something unique about its flavor. I will look today and see if you’ve reviewed it. Very affordable.
Hah I would have if I had an extra sherried 15 lying around. Sadly that's all I've got. Benromach 10 is a great introduction to the brand's "unique" flavours and a good whisky for the price. I enjoyed it!
Not sure if the Glenallachie 15 is available over your side of the pond but if it is I would recommend you get a bottle. Glen Scotia 15 is also good but is ex Bourbon casks (American Oak) is the official description. Both 46%ABV and Non Chill filtered.
I've had both, and they're good. But the Glenallachie was a bit sweet for me. I do like the Scotia 15, but I wouldn't call it sherry-forward, nor is it as good as what I've included in the top 5 imo. Cheers Andrew!
Great video mate, and quite a divisive list. To be honest I’m quite surprise to see the kinds of Glenfarclas or Balblair which are very solid, instead of Glendronach and Glenallachie which, in my opinion, are still there. I also like that Macallan, certainly deserve it for a fair price but, as you said, is too pricey these days. Definitely need to try Benromach, even at 43%.
Thanks Alvaro. Yes it's definitely ruffled some feathers. To be honest, I prefer Balblair and Glenfarclas 15 over the Glenallachie and Glendronach 15. I found them both a bit too sweet for me on my last bottles. I'm sure you'll enjoy the Benromach, it's special stuff!
@@Gwhisky Yes, I agree with the issue of sweetness.
I made sure to check the comments before posting this, but Benrinnes has a 10 and 18 year old release via A.D. Rattray under the name Stronachie.
Also I have to say this video makes me wish Bunnahabhain adds a 15 year old peated bottling(maybe some port + sherry in the mix?) to their core line in the near future. I'd pay $200 USD for that in a heartbeat.
I've had the Stronachie 10. Decent, if forgettable. Bourbon-matured, I believe. Shame, the spirit lends itself nicely to sherry.
God, a Bunna 15 sounds absolutely amazing!
@@Gwhisky iirc the Stronachie 18 has some sherry. I skipped purchasing after I saw Horst's review. He was not a fan.
Nice picks, congratz for the contend! Personally, I would choose Glen Garioch 15 Cask Strenght, Glendronach Revival, GlenAllachie 15, Balvenie 15 Single Cask and Glenfarclas 15 46% (TWE CS is too exclusive)
Thanks Christian! Good picks in there. That Balvenie 15 single barrel is amazing stuff!
Any plan on reviewing Highland Park 15 viking heart (ceramic bottle)?
Bit overpriced for what it is. Unless I can snag it in a bottle swap I'm not prepared to shell out the price they're asking for it here in Taiwan, unfortunately.
Legend says that Geoff’s original favorite 15-year-old was Hannah Montana
Great List ! But the Glenfarclas 15 as far as I know comes in 46 % Abv .
It does. I didn't say otherwise! Thanks for watching Juan!
@UCdHoqSQQbieu3I_clmpQYAQ I said every whisky on this list that comes in at 43% should be released at 46%. Of course that doesn't apply to whiskies that already are at 46%. Cheers. 🥃
Tamdhu and Balblair are also 46%.
@@Gwhisky perfect ! Thanks for the reply ! Love your channel !
@@juangarat389 Thank you! Much appreciated! 🙏
What are your thoughts on Springbank 15? That one is fully sherry cask matured too I believe.
Great stuff, although impossible to find and overpriced these days, so it wasn't included on the list.
@@Gwhisky Impossible to find and very often sulphured too.
I like this review cause it's unapologetic.Btw, you often talk about how old this whisky is, and how old that whisky is, but how old are you??
Hah. I'm 38.
@@Gwhisky Nice! Don't worry, I won't ask what casks you were aged in!
For me GlenAllachie wins. Not just because of the taste, but also the price. The GlenAllachie 15 is the perfect whisky for my taste - all sherry and not so much coming from the spirit. The Glenfarclas is good price too, but sometimes it has this off note, I think it's sulphur. As for the Macallan, the 12 is awesome, but it disappeared from the market. Good whisky by itself, but even if I could find it in a store, I still may not buy it. It's not better than the Glenfarclas or the GlenAllachie, so why would I pay more for it.
An idea for a video - the best sherry bomb - the Kavalan, Edradour Cask Strength, the A’Bunadh, Glenfarclas 105, the Macallan Classic Cuts, Tamdhu Batch Strength, and so on.
I wasn't a fan of the Glenallachie 15, unfortunately. A bit too sweet for me. A sherry bomb list would be fun! I'll have to procure a few more bottles to make that one happen, though. Cheers Charles!
precise review.
Thank you!
Springbank 15 is one of my favourite 15 year old. I personally am not a fan of the Glenfarclas 15 - the value is too low. The Bennrinnes is part of the Flora and Fauna series, right? All the whisky in that series are excellent.
Benrinnes is a good one, for sure. Glenfarclas 15 is on my list, Tamdhu 15 is too expensive for me at this time but I'll get there. I'm close to having tried a 100 whiskies so far over the course of my four years of being interested in whisky, but every one of these list videos always shows me I haven't even seen the tip of the iceberg.
Thanks ConcaCon! I've been into whisky for well over 12 years now and there's still countless bottles out there that I haven't tried. That's part of the fun!
@@Gwhisky It truly is. It's an inexhaustible journey for flavor.
The Benrinnes is peculiar because it's not really a sherry whisky. Far better in ex-bourbon, which is how it's normally presented by independent bottlers.
@@welshtoro3256 Interesting, I've only ever had the Flora and Fauna version. Should I see an IB Benrinnes for a reasonable price, it'd be worth a shot, it seems.
@@ConcaCon You should definitely keep an eye on them. There are a number of distilleries that are rated 'excellent' by whisky makers. Benrinnes are one of them but they usually excel in ex-bourbon. Glen Elgin, Strathmill, Aultmore and Dalluine also fall into that category. All of these guys make excellent whisky which fly under the radar. One of the best bottles of whisky I ever had was a Benrinnes. Check out this video. ruclips.net/video/quBXaswFWDs/видео.html
I bought three and have one left. A unique flavour and a reminder of great independent bottles. Keep an eye on those guys I mention because they do good stuff and in my opinion it's better when it's ex-bourbon.
I very much miss Glenallachie 15 on this list. It is fantastic! Have you not tried it?
I have. I wasn't a big fan, unfortunately.
@@Gwhisky Oh! I am surprised. I think it is great. Better than the 18-year. What bottling year did you try. The newer the better
@@carlmartinlinder I believe it was from 2019 or 2020. I'll be on the lookout for something more recent. The 12 has changed dramatically over the years so I'm sure the 15 is too!
Well, given the 15 yo is currently one of the rarest age statements to be found in the core ranges plus the further narrowing "sherried" I bet it wasn't hard at all to compile the list. I don't see much of a use for such a list but in the end I'm not the one making it :) Personally, I'd be more interested in a list of 15 yo malts no matter sherried or not. At least then you may consider putting some Speyburn, Old Pulteney, Glen Scotia, Springbank, Glencadam on the list.
As for the entries:
Tamdhu 15 is absurdly priced in Bulgaria. Apparently Ian Mac Leod aim for the Macallan market with their Glengoyne and Tamdhu malts. At least Tamdhu 15 comes at 46% but it is not nearly enough to justify the absurd pricing.
Glenfarclas 15 is still a decent offer despite the recent price hike. At least the reasonable price makes for the patchy quality of some batches.
Balblair 15 is not available in Bulgaria.
Macallan 15. I will not tolerate their cynical pricing. Full stop. It has to give me the best experience I can have with my clothes on and then some to justify the price.
Benromach 15. The new "USSR-style" branded 10, 15 and 21 yo bottlings have finally made it to Bulgaria about one month ago. The price of the 15 is pushing 75 euros which is almost double the price of the old 15. And it is still 43% ABV. Not exactly a bottle I'll be rushing to buy. I'd rather give the new 10 yo a shot as I liked the old one very much plus the price is still tolerable.
The fact that the list contains only one well presented and fairly priced entry - Glenfarclas 15 - should point us the elephant in the room - the Scotch malt whisky industry owes us a great deal in terms of availability and affordability of integrity bottlings of 15yo sherried whisky.
BTW I saw in the other comments that you are not a fan of sweet malts therefore you haven't put Glenallachie 15 on the list. Well, the 2020 and on releases of Glenallachie 15yo (and 12 yo also) are richer, sherri-er, but also significantly sweeter than previous ones. Considering objectively measurable quality factors only: 46% ABV, non-chill filtered, natural color, priced roughly 50 euros in Bulgaria, Glenallachie 15 blows all other malts in the list out of the water. But, as I said , the newer releases are even sweeter that before and since you don't like sweet whisky it very likely won't make your top 5 list.
Cheers!
I'll admit it's a pretty arbitrary category. I tend to look at my collection and randomly cook up these categories based upon what's there. I'll agree about the Tamdhu and Macallan. I'm thoroughly enjoying these bottles while I have them, but considering the current prices they're going for, I doubt I'll be replacing them.
You're much more of a stickler than I am about the craft presentation. I much prefer the flavours in some of these whiskies over something like the Glendronach 15 or my last Glenallachie 15. I certainly wish they were 46%/ncf/natural colour, but at the end of the day the top two whiskies on my list ended up being 43%. Such is life.
I'll definitely have to try the more recent Glenallachie 15. My mood for sweet whisky tends to come and go, but I found my last bottle cloying with some quite "obvious" flavours. Still, a few people have encouraged me to try a newer bottling, so my interest is piqued. Cheers!
@@Gwhisky Craft presentation is by no means "be all and end all" but when a bottle of whisky comes at a premium price I demand craft presentation.
I have had quite a few whiskies, malts and blend, that lack one, two or even all the features we consider as "craft" or "integrity". Some I have enjoyed some not so much, some I have bought again.
I can understand using low ABV, E150a, etc. in order to produce easily accesible and affordable for the mass consumer whisky. But I cant think of any viable excuse for Benromach 15 to be at 43% ABV and ~75 euros. Macallan 15 Double Oak is 43% and costs over 100 euros which is a very tasteless joke.
As for the Glenallachie, the more recent core range releases tend to be really sweet. Not "doused rum" sweet but certainly "cognac" sweet. I can understand Billy Walker pushing the rough spirit he has found in the warehouses through some active casks in order to make it more crowd-pleasing but for me that sweetness somewhat flattens the profile. I mean quality is all there but the end product is borderline too smooth and easy for my taste.
Cheers!
I haven’t had the MacAllan as I am not a millionaire lol. But the rest are great. My top 5 15 YOs would be:
1. Tamdhu
2. Glenfarclas
3. Glenallachie
4. BenRinnes
5. Benromach
*Haven’t had Glenturret 15 but had the 15 Old Particular bottling and it was fantastic. Would be in my top 3 but didn’t include as it isn’t widely available.
Good list! Great minds think alike, eh? I do like Glenallachie, but my last bottle came off too sweet imo. Still one I should come back to, as I've heard the more recent releases are better. Cheers!
@@Gwhisky funnily enough, I didn’t love a sample I had of a bottling from a couple years ago for the glenallachie. The bottle I bought a couple months ago was great though-balanced, complex, and nothing “off” about it unlike the previous sample I’d had
I have recently seen a lot of positive feedback on Benromachs, need to check this destilery. I recently fall in love in Glendronach 18, could anyone advice on any similar whisky, preferably slightly cheaper?
There's nothing quite like a Glendronach 18, to be honest. I'm going to assume you have Rachel Barrie's version, which is the more recent one. It's nice stuff. It's different and perhaps less of a sherry bomb, but AnCnoc 18 is a really interesting sherried 18 year old. You should expect more subtlety with that one, though. Have you tried other Glendronachs or Glenallachies?
@@Gwhisky yes, it was Rachels version and it was great. I had a chance to try 12/15/18/21 Glendronachs, and 18 was definetly the best for me, 21 was slighly disappointong tbh. Only tried older versions of Billy's Glenallachies, when they were mostly Bourbon casks, but i heard that the profile has changed toward sherry. Need to buy a one and try. Thanks for a Ancnoc 18 recommendation, I would definetelly buy it when i had a chance, but currelty i am aiming for a Benromach (after your review!)
So here's me having some fun trying to guess them before I watch the video
Glenallachie 15
Springbank 15
Glendronach 15
Dalmore 15 (a guilty pleasure of yours?)
Redbreast 15 ( not sure if Irish are allowed)
Definitely NOT Bowmore 15
Don't remember weather Glen Scotia 15 has a sherry finish, if so that could easily make the list.
Let's see how wrong I am 😁
Hah. Guess I'm full of surprises!
Haha… same here!
Good list. Glengoyne could have made the list also
One thing that always puzzles me with lists like this is making it the Top x "15-year-old" whiskies, immediately ruling out 13-, 14-, 16- and 17-year-old whiskies and giving too much emphasis to the age (as if that is as important as the "sherry-forward" element).
Maybe that's just me... (and the fact that my two favourite Benrinnes bottles are 17-year-olds, my favourite Balblair is a 14-year-old, my favourite Glenfarclas is a 19-year-old and my favourite Tamdhu is NAS!).
It's an arbitrary category. Most of these lists are just for fun. It doesn't mean anything with regards to a certain age being better than another.
Dalmore Port Wood Reserve Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky - this whiskey is not sherry, but the best in taste and aroma for sure. Kavalan, Triple Sherry Cask - this whiskey and another from the same distillery - Kavalan, Sherry Oak - this is the best sherry whiskey. In Scotland, they forgot how to make good sherry whiskey because they began to save on barrels. They use seasonal casks, not old ones that have aged sherry for decades
For those looking for more affordable options, would you recommend the 12 year old expressions of these whiskies?
My favourite 12 year old alternatives to these would be the Tamdhu 12 and the Macallan 12 Double Oak. The Glenfarclas 12 is something I haven't tried in ages, although it was never a favourite, and I haven't tried the Balblair 12 yet.
Glendronach 12, Glengoyne 12. Look around but the compromise, more and more, is the 43% abv.
It may taste like pumpkin pie, but I'll never know because......
because I don't have room for 43% bottles. I don't know what the hell is going on anymore. I want to check all the boxes, plus Cask Strength. Plus age. So I've been on an Indie rage lately.
It's good list. Someone has to be controversial. So congratulations.
Hah I don't mind lower strength. 46% is the benchmark, but I can accept 43% if the quality is there. It should be higher, of course. 46% is the go-to. Cask strength is my favourite, but it's a once-in-a-while treat for me. Those bottles are reserved for weekends!
Surprised the Glendronach 15 and the Glenallachie 15 didn't make it. Curious about your personal reasons for not including them ? I really mean personal so I imply that you weren't wrong with your list of course. Taste is subjective and nobody is wrong with what they like. I'm just curious in general of people's thoughts.
Glendronach 15 is definitely higher on my list than the Macallan 15. Cheers 🥃
I didn't include them simply because I don't like them quite as much as the whiskies I did include. The Macallan 15 is overpriced now, but I thoroughly enjoyed the bottle, despite the frustratingly low 43%. As you said... matter of taste! 🥃
Brave, but good list. I would have included GlenAllachie 15
I think a lot of people would have. Popular stuff. Unfortunately my last bottle was a bit too sweet for me. 🥃
Surprised Glenallachie 15 missed out (especially 2020+ batches), id rate it higher than everything there except the Benromach (given I haven't tried it yet but aim to)
I suppose I need to try a more recent batch of Glenallachie 15. I wasn't impressed with my bottle from a couple years back. Cheers Peter.
There's a lot of hype on Glenallachie right now. People wet themselves about sherry bombs but they all taste the same.
@@welshtoro3256 completely disagree, try and 12, 15 and 10 CS side by side and they are all completely different
@@Gwhisky yeah prior batches were subpar of the 15 from 2019 and prior, same with the 18 which is better from 2021 onwards
@@peterc3822 Makes sense considering the situation there.
Benrinnes Flora & Fauna is more available than Balvenie Single Barrel where you are?
Yes! I can find the Balvenie, but it's really expensive.
Balvenie Single Barrel doesn't exist any more except in some shops that haven't sold out. If you see it get it.
@@welshtoro3256 the 15 Single Barrel Sherry Cask is discontinued?
@@Du57yx91630n5 It is still on their website but here in the U.K, and elsewhere, you never find it on sale.
No Sprinbank, Glenallachie or Glendronach?
Nope! Too rare/expensive, too sweet, and too sweet!
I am surprised glenallechie 15 did not make the list
A lot of people seem surprised by that. I realize it's popular, but my last bottle was a bit too sweet for me. I'm told more recent bottlings are better, so I suppose I should come back to it soon. 🥃
No Glendronach?
Nope! 😉
@@Gwhisky 😂. They aren't what they once were
Springbank 15!
Sadly a bit too hard to get nowadays, but yes! 🥃
Maybe I got a bad batch but my Tamdhu 15 is so boring that I will not buy another Tamdhu in the near future. Ok nose, flat one dimensional taste and basically no finish. Really wanted to like it and tried it a lot of times every other month but it just did not get better sadly…
Would always take sonething like the Glenfarclas 15 instead!
Oh Geoff. You have gone from Klingon nerdgasm glory to Macallan 15 rated ahead of Tamdhu 15…. Oh dear you court trouble lol😂 ….. also, I haven’t had a Glendronach revival since 2019 bottlings but I am staggered it isn’t on the list…. If it is because of recent controversies…..then why Macallan with the free pass?
Hah yeah this list was sure to ruffle some feathers. I excluded the Glendronach and the Glenallachie 15 from the list for the simple reason that I enjoy them less than the whiskies I did include. I find myself more and more sensitive to sweetness these days, and both those expressions came off cloying to me the last time I had them. Not taking any kind of stance, really.
@@Gwhisky I completely agree that Spiked casks are becoming both incredibly boring and Billy Walkers go to strategy. I’ll be honest, when I tried the new Macallan 15 I did like it but felt that it wasn’t as good as the Tamdhu but that is just personal preferences I suppose. I have some old Macallan 12 tucked away which would be better than all these and I guess I compare those Macallan 12s to all the Macallans that follow and the old 12’s just dominate. I am enjoying your channel dude, you provide your own opinions and don’t pander to any particular crowd. Interestingly I just opened a bottle of Glengoyne 15 which is discontinued and it was way better than I had remembered and a lot more Sherry forward than I had remembered…it’s a shame Glengoyne have left a hole in their lineup….
@@traviskingdon3636 Thanks, man. Appreciate the kind words. I'm sure those older Mac's will run circles around much of the newer stuff. I remember Glengoyne 15! I don't think I ever got to try it, I just remember when it was part of the landscape. Sounds like a winner!
That was Macallan 15 DOUBLE CASK; one might presume you meant SHERRY OAK, which is what I usually think of when someone mentions Macallan ✌️
Yeah I caught that one upon rewatching a few mins back. Definitely should have specified!
@@Gwhisky It happens. You need to own a hedge fund or an oilfield to buy that Sherry Oak 15 these days, so I'll never taste it again.
Great list!
@@MrChristopherMolloy Yeah man even the 12 Sherry Oak is a no-go at this point. Absurd prices for that entire line.
@@Gwhisky Sherry Oak 12 just jumped to $150 in Brooklyn; it might be over $200 in Manhattan; even Double Cask 12 is $100 now. Absurd, but I don't blame them given the state of things.
Do they still make Triple Cask? Unsure.
@@MrChristopherMolloy I have a bottle on the go, but I think it has been discontinued. No big loss there.
Just tried this years balvenie 15 and I’m disappointed so far. Just opened the bottle so gotta give it some time but for a $130 whiskey I’m not impressed at all. I have a feeling I would of enjoyed the Tamdhu 15 more.
The most recent bottling I had was underwhelming. I've only ever tried 3 versions of it, and the one I tried (last year's, I think) was by far the weakest. Earlier ones blew my mind.
@@Gwhisky I just had the same experience with the aberlour A’Bunadh. I’m not feeling the sherry influence in these whiskeys. Hopefully with time they get a better.
Hi Jeff, First of all, do you think 286 Canadian Dollars is an OK price for Tamdhu 18?
Then about Macallan - is a great whisky to gift people who are not big Scotch drinkers. Because, of great marketing, everyone thinks it is the "best" scotch!! But the real Scotch people know it's never worth it!!! No 2 ways about it. Not one of the Macallans has ever hit a good note with me or any Scotch people I have met. Like I said great for gifting people who don't know much about scotch!!
Hi Dylan. For me, that seems a bit high. It's quite expensive for an 18 here, too. I've tried it and it's very nice, although I think it's quite overpriced. 🥃
GlenDronach 15 is my favorite. I poured my tamdhu 15 down the drain. Did not like it at all.
Didn’t you give the Tamdu 15 a glowing review about a year ago and said it was better than the Macallan 15? Now you want to drop it a few points and would take the Macallan 15 at 43% over the Tamdhu 15 at 46%? What the hell happened?
Well I've come back to both over the past year, and I find myself much more engaged with the flavours in the Mac. Even when comparing the Macallan 12 Double Oak and the Tamdhu 12, I found that Macallan had more consistent and dynamic flavours. It's quite simply a house style that I prefer. Tamdhu is still excellent, of course!
@@Gwhisky fair. Thanks for clarifying. I still just can’t with Macallan. I just… can’t 😂 There’s too many whiskies at much fairer prices with better specs and rich flavors. Love the channel!
IT DOESNT MATTER HOW MANY IN GONNA GET TO TOP , STILL I SHOULD CHOOSE N U SHERRY WHICH MEANS U GET 0 SEAT😊
I just had a stroke trying to read this...
@@Gwhisky ENJOY THE SEAT THAT U NEVER GET :)
What? No Glen Garioach 15? Easily the best out there.
True! That one deserves a spot. Sadly impossible to find in my market these days! 🥃
MacAlbert offensive ? . . . hah ! . . . . humm, now, where is my 4 cases of MacSHERRY 10 cs 58.1% red label pre2000 edition . . .
Disagree with your inclusion of the OB Benrinnes (IB's are far superior) , Macallan (they continue to take the piss) & Benromach (over-rated & don't care for the incestuous link with Gordon McPhail)....in my humble opinion the Glenfarclas & Balblair are the only two which stand out. Slainte.
😂😂😂
Low abv whisky's ? They should be banned not hyped!!! Only cask strength sherried whisky should be considered .
Maccalan with their exorbitant price ARE out of reach for most of entusiast.
Glenallachie 10CS , Arran Bodega CS,Kavalan CS,Aberlour Abunah, Glendronach CS,Edradour CS even Glenmorangie need honourable mention for their efforts suppling all around the world, nit like bollock Sprinb Bank