Yeos Geoff! Loved the bottle sized boat tangent. Some interesting choices and certainly agree on your final pick. Cheers for jumping on this challenge, slap on buddy! 🥃👋
Wow!! I thought for sure Craigellachie 13 would be there somewhere. Geoff, I highly recommend the Tomatin cask strength. I feel like it flies under the radar. No one ever talks about it. I am loving this stuff. Little tip if you do try it. It needs water and a little bit of time. When it looks like dirty pond water, you've hit the sweet spot. Cheers!!🥃
Craigellachie 13 would have been a good contender here. I've had both the old and newer versions of Tomatin CS. Wasn't a big fan, but maybe I should try to give it more water and time next time. Cheers! 🥃
Same here. The 12 CS would also be a great choice, there you have the batch variation variety Geoff was talking about. The Ardna is a great choice as well though
@@RomainRiviere yeah, the Ardnamurchan Geoff mentioned. Sorry for the lazy abbreviation in case I confused you, but it (and everything the distillery puts out) is excellent stuff
I tried Springbank 15 at a bar recently and fell in love with it. After drinking down the last of my Springbank 10, which I also love, I wanted more Springbank. Yesterday, I came home with a bottle of Springbank 15. I didn't open it immediately since I had also gone out for dinner and had booze with dinner, but I'm sure it won't be long before I get into it.
Yes, this is an impossible challenge, but excellent choices! Mine: - Disregarding prices: Glendronach 18, but I have the 2018 release, a 22- or 23-yo, so I guess it's really GD 21 - Disregarding availability: Kilkerran 12 - Widely available and affordable: Bunnahabhain 12
Two cheers for the Livet 18! It's my favourite too and I've said this like a broken record that it is such an underrated whisky and unfairly ignored. The AD 09 is a banger as well. Just got meself a bottle. HP18 also my favourite. The old one was my gateway whisky into the Highlands. Island now.
Nice pick...I guess? I still haven't seen a bottle of Ardnamurcan, but I've heard good things. As for me, without overthinking it, the first bottle which comes to mind is Glen Scotia Victoriana ✌️
Great pick and runners up! I think it has to be a cask strength one just so we can play around with a bit. I accept your challenge sir even though you've caught me in the middle of a long travel schedule I will improvise something with the help of editing :) Let me think on my list and I'll shoot one soon. Cheers Geoff!🥃
Hah, well let's not put a rush on it, buddy. No need to respond right away. Enjoy your trip, relax, and we'll all be patiently waiting for what you come up with when you find the time. Cheers! 🥃
@@GwhiskyRalfy gave it a remarkable 90/100. I’m usually just a scotch guy but can get down with the odd Irish when in the right mood. The Dunville blew me away at my local scotch moss ng a few months ago! (Irish night for St Patrick’s day)
Great list, great list. I would go with a) Port Charlotte 10, b) Clynelish 14, c) Bladnoch 10, d) Talisker 10, e) Edradour 10...i guess because they are the ones that I keep buying when they are gone.
One whisky for the rest of my life - My top 5 list -- Port Chartlotte OLC:01, Glenfiddich 21yo Gran Reserva Rum Cask, Kilchoman Sanaig, Glenmorangie Signet, and the Dalmore King Alexander III
My starting point is to consider the style I'm after - nothing too sherry dominated. I want a bit of peat but not too much. Basically a real all-rounder. With that in mind, Kilkerran 12 seems the logical choice. The Ardnamurchan is a great shout too though - that's probably the bottle I've gone through quickest in the last couple of years. Had a great North Star Highland Park that would also fit the bill.
Shame the only bottle I have has an odd flavour and some sediment at the bottom of the bottle. I have no idea what got into that bottle, but it certainly shouldn't be there...
Benromach for me. I've gotta find bottles of the new-ish Cask Strength (I'm almost through a bottle of their older 10 YO bottling at "Imperial Proof") and whatever I can find of the Contrasts series, but I've also loved 3-ish different bottlings of their Peat Smoke so far. So really any 46%+ ABV Benromach in sufficient quantity and I'd be set for life!
If I can only drink one whisky for the rest of my life, bored or not, I'd pick the Macallan 1926. I want to go out in class. Each glass of class will kick ass at about $100,000 per dram, and I get to have that forever 🤣
As a peat head I am tempted to say Laphroaig 10cs but as you pointed out the boredom factor and the lack of batch variation the profile is too full on peat for me to pick up on little differences. That leaves me considering Bunnahabhain 18 for pure lush enjoyment but I would eventually tire of the profile and yearn for a bit of peat in there. The batch variation on Springbank 12cs is what would push it into 1st place. It covers all the bases. Plus with the added bonus that eventually I could indulge my fantasy of shooting arrows in a loincloth at flippers as they attempt to perform some aquatic landing to murder me and take my stash…….. 😳
Your point re batch variation made me think. Based on that, probably Springbank, as you get variation despite choosing one bottle. So I would go for the Springbank 12 CS. Just need to find someone willing to keep the bottles coming to me 🙂
11:08 I have a theory, if there is one whisky (let's say, the classic laddie) but it was put in numerous different bottles, with different looks, designs, titles, ages, descriptions, abv's, etc, I'd bet any and every time you (or anyone) tried a "different' bottle of that same whisky, you might actually never get bored.
Springbank 12. It has a little or alot of everything. Sherry, Ex-Bourbon, peat, coastal and funk. Plus the batches can vary from 100% Sherry to 100% Ex-Bourbon and everything in between. Some releases that have 4 different casks including Red Wine and Port. If I need something light I can easily dilute to 35-40%
In a way, this exercise would be more fun (or at least less painful) for me if we could pick our "forever pair" instead of just one. Then you could match and contrast one whisky against the other. I would happily take the Bunnahabhain 12CS together with the Laphroaig 10 CS - both from Islay, the Sweet and the Peat. And both could be significantly altered with water. But if I really have to pick one, it's the Laphroaig. It just couldn't be anything else.
It's a pretty narrow range for me. Anything that's unpeated, heavily peated, entirely cask dominated or sweet(rather than fruity) would be excluded. I'd probably end up choosing a Benromach of some sort in the end; Ardnamurchan was a good shout as well.
Nightmare situation. One whiskey for life would ruin me for whiskey regardless of what I choose. Your selections are good ones. I would not choose an Islay, at least not a peated one. That would get old fast. My top 5: Compass Box Orchard House, Bruichladdich Classic Laddie, Tamdhu Batch Strength (#1 if I can pick an old one), Springbank 10 Old PX Cask, Port Charlotte. Believe it or not, my pick would be the Compass a box Orchard House. It’s light, fruity, mildly sweet, has enough ABV to have flavor (but not too much that would not me out), and a pleasurable drinking experience from start to finish. That sound great for a hot, humid island drink.
The Compass Box Orchard House is a nice one. Not too heavy, so I can see how a brighter cleaner whisky is less likely to get tiresome. Great picks, Alan! 🥃
I love the 02.22! Great choice, I’ll have to pick up the 09. Although, there is a PX/Oloroso Ardnamurchan ‘spirit’ (younger than 3) at my local. I see the Whisky Friend just released a video so they must have matured it proper now!
What an interesting yet a tough challenge Geoff. Bring back Laphroaig 18 and that would be my whisky for life BUT since you want to pick something accessible as you would need quite a few bottles on your journey, I would go with Ardbeg Uigeadail. I have that old Glenlivet 18 43% from a few years ago. It sounds exciting time will tell.
Ah yeah... those old Laphroaig 18s were great. The 16 isn't quite on that level, but very good stuff nonetheless. Highly recommended if you've not tried it yet. 🥃
Easy decision: BunnaGina 21 year old. Sweet dram at cask strength, 69 ABV. It's slightly more mature than the 18 year old, but has the perfect balance of youthfulness and spirit. When I'm goin at it, it's pretty messy though. Usually happens on the couch or in the bed. Have to change the sheets and brush my teeth afterwards. Although it has a maritime/fishy finish, the mouthfeel is unbeatable. Is it wrong to stick my tongue and fingers directly into BunnaGina? At the same time? When I'm done with one, I grab a new 21 year old! One time I had a 40 year old BunnaGina, but it was surprisingly dry. I'm very protective of my BunnaGinas because everyone wants my experience. So, I have to keep my BunnaGinas locked up. The basement is best because it's dark and dank. When my buddies come over for a wee dram, I grab one off the shelf and share it. My favorite thing to do is to grab a girl who's never experienced this before. I start off by letting her taste BunnaGina. It always starts the same - they're embarrassed to admit they really like it. But once that BunnaGina hits the other girls' tongues, they drink it up. Then I join in. People do whisky their own way, so no judgement.
An impossible, but fun task. Does one want ever evolving complexity or drinkability. I've thought mine would be Springbank 10, but AnCnoc 18 might be the one.
It's the only whisky I can't behind The classic Laddie and I love Port Charlotte maybe I had a bad batch of the Laddie it just didn't work for me. If I had to choose one Whisky for life it would be Deanston 12 I've had 3 bottles so far and they've all been amazing the latest maybe the best yet incredible nose flavors and natural color and non chill. Ill have to check out the Cask Ardnamurchan I can the 09.22 one for a reasonable price. Cheers mate
Great list and such a tough choice! My knee-jerk reaction would be to go with Springbank 10 as you get batch variation, great quality, a bit of peat, a bit of sherry, a bit of ex-bourbon...a bit of everything! But, whilst it's very competent and I like it a lot...I don't love it. I have a bottle of the Ardna CS 02.22 to open, so I can't comment on that yet, but I suspect it's right up my strasse. Of all the whisky I've had on my journey to date, the ones I've loved the most are (in no particular order): Bunna 12CS 2022, a 16yo Ledaig from independent bottler Sweetdram and a 12yo Caol Ila from Adelphi. I suspect that the Ledaig and the Caol Ila would be too intense to drink year in, year out and the Bunna is just such a complex, multi-faceted dram that you can totally play around with water...it's got to be the Bunna!
We now have one too many Jeff's...I'd take Springbank 10 or Russell's Reserve Single Barrel...or Red Breast 12 Cask. This Jeff ain't too fancy. The new Classic Laddie does look like a bike water bottle! I was thinking a grenade or Tanqueray bottle.
Lol agree. This world ain't big enough for all three of us. Redbreast 12 CS is a stunner. Quite a few people have put that one down. It's one I'd consider, too! 🥃
Hi Geoff, 🤔this is a tough one. I would probably go for the Benromach CS vintages, excellent whisky. On two points I would totally agree with you and that is on the earlier Arran 10’s and the Glenlivet 18 (43%) . Loved both of these. Still got 250ml’s of these both that I put aside. Slàinte Geoff
Nice list, with a great choice for number 1. Personally .when wrecked on an Island, i would go for the mystery subscription where you don't know what the little boat will bring. Just to keep it exiting.
@@Gwhisky Man, you're so hard on me. But drinking only the most expensive whiskey in the world gets boring after a while. Can't you make an exception for me?
For me Glendronach 21 all day long. I love combination sherry cask, age and %. From your list I would pick Glenlivet 18 43%. But now since this whisky is gone I drink Glenlivet 18 40% and Glenlivet 21 43% by turns but it is 2 whisky so out of question.
This one’s hard, becaude many of the best whiskies out there are bombs in one way or another: sherry bombs, peat bombs, fruit bombs… But if you can only have one, it needs to be a little bit of everything. I’m going for Highland Park CS Release 3 just because I bought a bottle yesterday and I was blown away by its intensity and character. It feels like a whiskie one doesn’t get bored with too easily.
I totally agree! It has a little bit of everything, but it doesn’t feel like a compromise. At least the CS doesn’t. Thanks once again for a great video 👍🥃
As you say, a quite difficult choise to make, but here is my choise of today. 5. Craigellachie 13 4. Port Charlotte 10 3. Kilkerran 8 CS Batch 4 2. Glengoyne Teapot Dram batch 3 And my no:1 pick today will be SPRINGBANK 10
@@Gwhisky And it's got really expensive to, sorry to say. I think it costs around £130 now. The first one I bought, I think it was 2014, the price was £78-80🤔
The first batch I had was 3, then 5, 6, 7 and 8. At this place in time I have one unopened bottle, Batch 7, it was a Christmas gift from my kids in 2019🌞, it will be opened on some special occasion🤔...probably when I feel like it 😂
Good to know, although not too keen to pay for that plus shipping to Taiwan. I'm traveling in Europe at the moment so I'll try to find it here. Cheers! 🥃
This may be tricky but I think it might be approached by asking which one you would miss the most. I think an occassional whisky of something I really enjoy would be my selection even if it meant not drinking too often. So I’d prefer a smoker, a dark peat driven spirit. I really enjoyed my Old Ballantruan 10 year at 50%. I’m guessing the 15 year is pretty good too and might gamble for this one. I’m certain that would keep me happy.
There are lots of whiskies in my collection which I really love, but only a few which get me thinking: 'Now THAT is what I'm talking about it' (in a shouty, American movie style) and those tend to be distillate driven cask strength whiskies, so the Ardnamurchan Cask Strength was my first choice, followed by Bimber, Glen Elgin IB and Glen Scotia Campbeltown Festival 2022 8yo.
Wow......a conundrum indeed...maybe for me the old Highland Park 30 year old or the delicious 2017 Compass Box 'No Name'...which is a blend of all the best Islay whiskies... So instead of getting one smokey Islay, you get them all.... or most of them.
Loving your content! Somehow I ended up with a bottle of Singleton 12, I didn't open it up yet, but I'm wondering if you discussed this brand anywhere?
@@Gwhisky I felt it wasn't something that you and your fellow whisky connoisseurs would be inti, so I brought it back to the store where it came from, added some money, and got an Ardbeg 10 instead. As a novice, the intense peaty flavor might need some time to grow on me. 🥃
Cool list and idea. Would be hard to drink one for the rest of my life. They are really different and on different day you like them more or less. 😊 My pick would be Teeling 21.
Hah! Completely impossible challenge. Brora 3rd release aside, it has to be Springbank 12CS. With an honourable mention for Lagavulin 12CS pre-2017. Cheers!
I started my whisky journey seeking for a - not so expensive - alternative for the Glenlivet 18 Batch reserve (the bottle was quite expensive when I started drinking whisky). So, in a way that dram was the one for me. However, now I seek the variety. Maybe I would choose a really delicious one - say Springbank 10 or Laphroaig 10 CS or Dailhuaine 21 from Hart Brothers (also CS) - and sip it only on Saturdays to prevent getting too bored. Each of these whiskies could be adjusted by water, so there is also a bit of variety there. Having said, even with those drams I probably would quit drinking whisky regularly. Seeking new flavors is a great deal of the fun!
One local shop has a Compass Box store pick Artist Blend bottled at 48%, which I really like. Price wise I consider it a steal. I would also think The Glenlivet Illicit Still and Balblair 15 big winners.
Great choices... I'd like to see a similar list for the choice of whisky limited to say, US$100 per month. A gallon of cheap and cheerful or a half bottle of something special each month?
It’s an easy choice for me. I’d pick one of the springbanks. It wouldn’t bother me about how bored I might get drinking it, because I’d get far more pleasure knowing that I have an endless supply of the stuff, when no one else can even buy a bottle.Hell! I’d probably put it on my breakfast cereal too, and use it in so many other wasteful ways.
It would depend on the situation I would be in. If it where something tropical it would be Teeling Pineapple rum cask, if it where somewhere less tropical I probably would like to drink Caol Ila 12
Batch variation is an issue (as mentioned with the great Arran 10) but even more your own change of taste. It changes over the years and when I look back my 5 decades, quiet a lot so and not only regarding whisky. If you pick something for the next decades, it shouldn't be something too extreme, something more agreeable. Like the (old) Glenlivet 18 (still two here, bought back then for 60 Euros). Or the Arran 10. Right now I would have to decide between those two and the Kilkerran 12, Glen Scotia 15 and Glen Scotia 10 peated. Good that I don't live on an Island...
So without watching the video or reading any of the comments here, I’m predicting the everyone will select something esoteric or expensive or critically loved. But no, if I had to drink a whisky every single day forever I would want it to be quiet, subtle and very easy because a big whisky would become intolerable after a short while. So my pick would be something like Glenlivet 12 or even a blend like Dewar’s 15. Maybe they are quotidian but that’s the point - I could drink them forever without getting sick of them. Edit: OK watched it now - Glenlivet 18 👍 good call, as is Highland Park, but maybe the 12 for me
Needless to say Im happy with your choice. 😁 When I saw the title l was already thinking I would go with the regular Ardnamurchan AD if I would need to choose - although I haven't yet tried their Sherry Cask Matured bottle...YET. 😁 This was entertaining to watch, Cheers My friend 🥃🥃 Ps: Funny enough I was just telling my wife that if I would need to choose only two whiskeys for the rest of my life. I would be more then happy with Ardnamurchan AD and Glenturret 12. Feel like they are different enough to balance out each other.
Good picks! I'm REALLY hoping I can get that sherry Ardnamurchan myself. Is it anywhere to be found in Europe yet? I'm convinced it will take an eternity to reach Taiwan. Cheers buddy! 🥃
@@GwhiskyI haven't seen it anywhere around yet. Not in the Netherlands, Germany or Hungary at least. I'm gonna check it tomorrow in the shop where I pre ordered the Glenglassaugh 12. That guy has good connections as he worked and trained as a sommalier in Scotland, so let's see what he can do. I will keep you posted 🥃🥃
Surprised to see the Glenlivet 18 on the list. 43% ABV here for $150. There must be a better 18 year old! Highland Park 18 Travel exclusive works for me.
I wouldn't know where to begin with this challenge. I would have to start by picking a category of whisky, and even that is impossible. Would it be bourbon, rye, single malt, Irish single pot still, or something else? If I settled on single malt, would it be from Scotland, or would it be from somewhere else? I would likely prefer a cask strength whisky since they provide variety simply in how they change as water is slowly added, but some of my favorites aren't cask strength, and it wouldn't seem right to exclude them from consideration. Incidentally, Glenlivet 18 was my introduction to single malt, and it, and Knob Creek bourbon, are largely responsible for getting me interested in whisky beyond those that are used as cocktail mixers. In single malts, I've since moved on to higher strength, non-chill filtered whiskies, but I'll always have a soft spot for Glenlivet 18 and might consider ordering it if I see it at a bar. As for bourbon, I still like Knob Creek, but I would likely seek out cask strength or higher age statement variations rather than the standard 9-year.
Agree with what you said about cask strength. If we can't change the whisky, we can at least play around with the strength, which could bring out different nuances. Cheers! 🥃
I expected you to mention Ledaig 18! Which I think of as one of your all-time favorites. Did you think about that one? And, if so, why didn't it make the list? Is it not ideal for drinking every day?
I wanted a premium heavily peated whisky as a consideration. It was between Ledaig 18 and the Port Charlotte OLC. Depending on my mood, I might reach for either. I'd say I like them equally nowadays. But yeah, Ledaig 18 is one of my all-time favourites. If I put in every great whisky that I love this list could have been a 3 hr video. 🥃
I'm gambling on the new Ardnamurchan Sherry Cask release. The safe bet would be the Springbank 10 but because it's for the rest of my life you put me on the spot here! I really want to taste this one 😅 Sweet Sherry with smoke at 50% abv ❤
Just ordered this Ardna yesterday. Most online retailers i checking sold out. Just 15.000 bottles outturn so need to be quick. Allan, Whisky Friend says this one is a Banger 😁🥂🙋🏻♂️
Your channel is the best
Kind words. Thank you! 🙏
Yeos Geoff! Loved the bottle sized boat tangent. Some interesting choices and certainly agree on your final pick. Cheers for jumping on this challenge, slap on buddy! 🥃👋
Cheers, buddy. Super hard... but super fun!
*That's what she said.
Wow!! I thought for sure Craigellachie 13 would be there somewhere. Geoff, I highly recommend the Tomatin cask strength. I feel like it flies under the radar. No one ever talks about it. I am loving this stuff. Little tip if you do try it. It needs water and a little bit of time. When it looks like dirty pond water, you've hit the sweet spot. Cheers!!🥃
Craigellachie 13 would have been a good contender here. I've had both the old and newer versions of Tomatin CS. Wasn't a big fan, but maybe I should try to give it more water and time next time. Cheers! 🥃
I would take Springbank 10.
Same here. The 12 CS would also be a great choice, there you have the batch variation variety Geoff was talking about. The Ardna is a great choice as well though
@@klizzt Ardna, really ? I have to give it a try then.
@@RomainRiviere yeah, the Ardnamurchan Geoff mentioned. Sorry for the lazy abbreviation in case I confused you, but it (and everything the distillery puts out) is excellent stuff
The recent batch of the Springbank 15. It's fantastic
I'll likely never get a chance to try it, but I'm sure it's fantastic! 🥃
I tried Springbank 15 at a bar recently and fell in love with it. After drinking down the last of my Springbank 10, which I also love, I wanted more Springbank. Yesterday, I came home with a bottle of Springbank 15. I didn't open it immediately since I had also gone out for dinner and had booze with dinner, but I'm sure it won't be long before I get into it.
I've hummed and hawed for so long over the OLC and it's price to enjoyment ratio that it is now completely oos in the UK.
So I'll pick that.
Yes, this is an impossible challenge, but excellent choices! Mine:
- Disregarding prices: Glendronach 18, but I have the 2018 release, a 22- or 23-yo, so I guess it's really GD 21
- Disregarding availability: Kilkerran 12
- Widely available and affordable: Bunnahabhain 12
Good ones! 🥃
And on that island you want to get wrecked 😂
Two cheers for the Livet 18! It's my favourite too and I've said this like a broken record that it is such an underrated whisky and unfairly ignored. The AD 09 is a banger as well. Just got meself a bottle. HP18 also my favourite. The old one was my gateway whisky into the Highlands. Island now.
Great minds, eh? 🥃🤝
@@Gwhisky Totally 😎
Nice pick...I guess? I still haven't seen a bottle of Ardnamurcan, but I've heard good things. As for me, without overthinking it, the first bottle which comes to mind is Glen Scotia Victoriana ✌️
Good one! 🥃
Great pick and runners up! I think it has to be a cask strength one just so we can play around with a bit. I accept your challenge sir even though you've caught me in the middle of a long travel schedule I will improvise something with the help of editing :) Let me think on my list and I'll shoot one soon. Cheers Geoff!🥃
Hah, well let's not put a rush on it, buddy. No need to respond right away. Enjoy your trip, relax, and we'll all be patiently waiting for what you come up with when you find the time. Cheers! 🥃
Gosh! Toughest question.
Expensive - GM Signet
Midrange - Ardbeg Ugi
Entry - Laphroig QC or PC 10
Irish - Dunvilles PX 12yr. (Unreal if you haven’t tried it!)
Fan of all of those, although I've not tried the Irish. Cheers! 🥃
@@GwhiskyRalfy gave it a remarkable 90/100. I’m usually just a scotch guy but can get down with the odd Irish when in the right mood. The Dunville blew me away at my local scotch moss ng a few months ago! (Irish night for St Patrick’s day)
Great list, great list. I would go with a) Port Charlotte 10, b) Clynelish 14, c) Bladnoch 10, d) Talisker 10, e) Edradour 10...i guess because they are the ones that I keep buying when they are gone.
Great picks! 🥃
One whisky for the rest of my life - My top 5 list -- Port Chartlotte OLC:01, Glenfiddich 21yo Gran Reserva Rum Cask, Kilchoman Sanaig, Glenmorangie Signet, and the Dalmore King Alexander III
My starting point is to consider the style I'm after - nothing too sherry dominated. I want a bit of peat but not too much. Basically a real all-rounder.
With that in mind, Kilkerran 12 seems the logical choice. The Ardnamurchan is a great shout too though - that's probably the bottle I've gone through quickest in the last couple of years. Had a great North Star Highland Park that would also fit the bill.
Great picks! Can't argue with any one of those! 🥃
Bruichladdich Infinity, although it has been gone for a long time ❤
Bruichladdich Bere Barley might be my choice, it is an all rounder which is just something for everyday/anyday/all days
Shame the only bottle I have has an odd flavour and some sediment at the bottom of the bottle. I have no idea what got into that bottle, but it certainly shouldn't be there...
I was sad when the y changed the Glenlivet 18. Here in the states is definitely 40% now as well as loosing something else along the way.
What a shame... 🥃
Benromach for me. I've gotta find bottles of the new-ish Cask Strength (I'm almost through a bottle of their older 10 YO bottling at "Imperial Proof") and whatever I can find of the Contrasts series, but I've also loved 3-ish different bottlings of their Peat Smoke so far. So really any 46%+ ABV Benromach in sufficient quantity and I'd be set for life!
If I can only drink one whisky for the rest of my life, bored or not, I'd pick the Macallan 1926. I want to go out in class. Each glass of class will kick ass at about $100,000 per dram, and I get to have that forever 🤣
Hah. Probably not a half-bad whisky, either. 😉🥃
@@Gwhisky in my mind it would taste like a silent film
Yellow Spot 12 for me.
Tough call. Maybe GlenDronach 18 if I can chose the bottling year. Otherwsie Ancnoc 18, Arran 18 or Tomatin 18.
Good ones! My pick from those would be AnCnoc or Arran. Cheers! 🥃
As a peat head I am tempted to say Laphroaig 10cs but as you pointed out the boredom factor and the lack of batch variation the profile is too full on peat for me to pick up on little differences.
That leaves me considering Bunnahabhain 18 for pure lush enjoyment but I would eventually tire of the profile and yearn for a bit of peat in there.
The batch variation on Springbank 12cs is what would push it into 1st place. It covers all the bases. Plus with the added bonus that eventually I could indulge my fantasy of shooting arrows in a loincloth at flippers as they attempt to perform some aquatic landing to murder me and take my stash…….. 😳
Bunna 18 and SB18 are excellent choices. Both were considerations for me as well! 🥃
Your point re batch variation made me think. Based on that, probably Springbank, as you get variation despite choosing one bottle. So I would go for the Springbank 12 CS. Just need to find someone willing to keep the bottles coming to me 🙂
Great pick. I was seriously considering SB12 myself! 🥃
Either Benromach Cask Strength Vintage 2012 Batch 01 or Bunnahabhain Cask Strength 2022.
Great ones! 🥃
11:08 I have a theory, if there is one whisky (let's say, the classic laddie) but it was put in numerous different bottles, with different looks, designs, titles, ages, descriptions, abv's, etc, I'd bet any and every time you (or anyone) tried a "different' bottle of that same whisky, you might actually never get bored.
Very true. Lots of interesting psychology you can apply to whisky drinking...
@@Gwhisky very true!
Springbank 12. It has a little or alot of everything. Sherry, Ex-Bourbon, peat, coastal and funk. Plus the batches can vary from 100% Sherry to 100% Ex-Bourbon and everything in between. Some releases that have 4 different casks including Red Wine and Port. If I need something light I can easily dilute to 35-40%
With my limited collection, tough call between the Glen Scotia 15 and Royal Brackla 12 ... Haven't had the pleasure to try anything more expensive.
Interesting picks! 🥃
Expensive isn't always better. Glen Scotia 15yo is in my top 5.
In a way, this exercise would be more fun (or at least less painful) for me if we could pick our "forever pair" instead of just one. Then you could match and contrast one whisky against the other. I would happily take the Bunnahabhain 12CS together with the Laphroaig 10 CS - both from Islay, the Sweet and the Peat. And both could be significantly altered with water.
But if I really have to pick one, it's the Laphroaig. It just couldn't be anything else.
New classic laddie design looks so much like a water bottle 😂
Lol it really does. 😂
I was thinking shampoo.
@@TheHiram123 The Octomore design remind me of some shampoo bottles 😂
@@jimmyjazz4605 Oh yes, those too.
I really like the design and the environmental choices that the distillery is making!
Surely it would need to be a Highlander because there can be only one.
😂😂😂
ONE whisky I have to keep to drink for the rest of my life?
Talisker 18 would be my call I think. Diageo price bullshit notwithstanding.
Incredible whisky. Great pick! 🥃
I'd go with Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1 or 9.1. Never get tired of these guys
I would go for redbreast 12 cask strength, although I would go for an older bottling, the last batch I got was so so
Love the RB12 CS. I've got a 2022 batch on the go and it's stellar. But yeah... they're known to vary in quality. Cheers! 🥃
I’m also a big fan of the Redbreast 12 CS. Maybe the Lustau a close second.
It's a pretty narrow range for me. Anything that's unpeated, heavily peated, entirely cask dominated or sweet(rather than fruity) would be excluded. I'd probably end up choosing a Benromach of some sort in the end; Ardnamurchan was a good shout as well.
Agree! Better to look for more of an all-rounder if it's a forever whisky. Cheers! 🥃
Nightmare situation. One whiskey for life would ruin me for whiskey regardless of what I choose. Your selections are good ones. I would not choose an Islay, at least not a peated one. That would get old fast. My top 5: Compass Box Orchard House, Bruichladdich Classic Laddie, Tamdhu Batch Strength (#1 if I can pick an old one), Springbank 10 Old PX Cask, Port Charlotte. Believe it or not, my pick would be the Compass a box Orchard House. It’s light, fruity, mildly sweet, has enough ABV to have flavor (but not too much that would not me out), and a pleasurable drinking experience from start to finish. That sound great for a hot, humid island drink.
The Compass Box Orchard House is a nice one. Not too heavy, so I can see how a brighter cleaner whisky is less likely to get tiresome. Great picks, Alan! 🥃
If you're plane wrecked on the LOST island you want MacCutcheon.
I see what you did there 😅
I love the 02.22! Great choice, I’ll have to pick up the 09.
Although, there is a PX/Oloroso Ardnamurchan ‘spirit’ (younger than 3) at my local.
I see the Whisky Friend just released a video so they must have matured it proper now!
Red breast Cask strength plus I can also use it to start fires.
Hah nice. Love it. 🥃
Longrow red 11 tawny port
Best whisky I've ever had and I would volunteer to be shipwrecked for an unlimited amount of those
The Glenlivet 18 sorely missed. Thanks for rubbing it in ... Classic Laddy also great pick! Slaint
A man of taste. Cheers! 🥃
I don't have a ton of experience with HP18 - only ever sprung for a single glass of it at a whisky bar to try - but it was sublime. Good choice.
Or a Glenfarclas. The 21 maybe, for personal reasons.
Kilkerran heavily peated, new batches will make it interesting
Batches 7 & 8 are both similar and so good but batch 6 was a banger. 😁🥂🙋🏻♂️
Still early in my journey, but my favorite thus far is probably Balblair 15.
Good one! 🥃
Hankey Bannister 12 for the win!
Highland Park 18 . The old version. One of the roundest and tastfull whisky , plus a little hind of smoke.
Great pick! 🥃
What an interesting yet a tough challenge Geoff. Bring back Laphroaig 18 and that would be my whisky for life BUT since you want to pick something accessible as you would need quite a few bottles on your journey, I would go with Ardbeg Uigeadail. I have that old Glenlivet 18 43% from a few years ago. It sounds exciting time will tell.
Ah yeah... those old Laphroaig 18s were great. The 16 isn't quite on that level, but very good stuff nonetheless. Highly recommended if you've not tried it yet. 🥃
Glenallachie 12...I think..just superb and consistently great..my opinion!😃🥃
Great list, but I agree, only one whisky would take out so much of the fun in our whisky journey. One whisky. Hmm.
Very true. Boredom would set in quite quickly. Cheers!
Easy decision: BunnaGina 21 year old. Sweet dram at cask strength, 69 ABV. It's slightly more mature than the 18 year old, but has the perfect balance of youthfulness and spirit. When I'm goin at it, it's pretty messy though. Usually happens on the couch or in the bed. Have to change the sheets and brush my teeth afterwards. Although it has a maritime/fishy finish, the mouthfeel is unbeatable. Is it wrong to stick my tongue and fingers directly into BunnaGina? At the same time? When I'm done with one, I grab a new 21 year old! One time I had a 40 year old BunnaGina, but it was surprisingly dry. I'm very protective of my BunnaGinas because everyone wants my experience. So, I have to keep my BunnaGinas locked up. The basement is best because it's dark and dank. When my buddies come over for a wee dram, I grab one off the shelf and share it. My favorite thing to do is to grab a girl who's never experienced this before. I start off by letting her taste BunnaGina. It always starts the same - they're embarrassed to admit they really like it. But once that BunnaGina hits the other girls' tongues, they drink it up. Then I join in. People do whisky their own way, so no judgement.
Lol what the hell did I just read? 😂
An impossible, but fun task. Does one want ever evolving complexity or drinkability. I've thought mine would be Springbank 10, but AnCnoc 18 might be the one.
Good ones! 🥃
It's the only whisky I can't behind The classic Laddie and I love Port Charlotte maybe I had a bad batch of the Laddie it just didn't work for me. If I had to choose one Whisky for life it would be Deanston 12 I've had 3 bottles so far and they've all been amazing the latest maybe the best yet incredible nose flavors and natural color and non chill. Ill have to check out the Cask Ardnamurchan I can the 09.22 one for a reasonable price. Cheers mate
Nice! The 09.22 is great and not overpriced. Worth checking out. Cheers! 🥃
Great list and such a tough choice! My knee-jerk reaction would be to go with Springbank 10 as you get batch variation, great quality, a bit of peat, a bit of sherry, a bit of ex-bourbon...a bit of everything! But, whilst it's very competent and I like it a lot...I don't love it. I have a bottle of the Ardna CS 02.22 to open, so I can't comment on that yet, but I suspect it's right up my strasse.
Of all the whisky I've had on my journey to date, the ones I've loved the most are (in no particular order): Bunna 12CS 2022, a 16yo Ledaig from independent bottler Sweetdram and a 12yo Caol Ila from Adelphi. I suspect that the Ledaig and the Caol Ila would be too intense to drink year in, year out and the Bunna is just such a complex, multi-faceted dram that you can totally play around with water...it's got to be the Bunna!
Bunna makes sense. It's an absolute beauty. SB10 ain't a bad idea either. Great picks! 🥃
Thanks, another fun video. Always enjoy Geoff's (Jeff's) thoughts.
(I don't know enough to suggest "one whisky." Still stuck on Laphroaig.)
We now have one too many Jeff's...I'd take Springbank 10 or Russell's Reserve Single Barrel...or Red Breast 12 Cask. This Jeff ain't too fancy. The new Classic Laddie does look like a bike water bottle! I was thinking a grenade or Tanqueray bottle.
Lol agree. This world ain't big enough for all three of us.
Redbreast 12 CS is a stunner. Quite a few people have put that one down. It's one I'd consider, too! 🥃
Hi Geoff, 🤔this is a tough one. I would probably go for the Benromach CS vintages, excellent whisky. On two points I would totally agree with you and that is on the earlier Arran 10’s and the Glenlivet 18 (43%) . Loved both of these. Still got 250ml’s of these both that I put aside. Slàinte Geoff
Great choice, David. Huge fan of those Benromach CS releases. Glad you liked the Glenlivet 18 as well, it was quite overlooked imo. Cheers! 🥃
hard decision. i would pick the bunnahabhain 18 i think.
or the loch lomond 21 (i think you didn´t taste it yet btw ;) )
greetings from germany
Bunna 18 is incredible. You're right, I've not tried the LL21. Sounds fantastic! 🥃
In Canada, Glenlivet 18 is now at the new bottle with 40%
Boo! 👎
Ledig 18 would be my choice.
Nice one! 🥃
I stumbled upon the old bottle of Arran 10 yesterday. I took my wallet out in a fraction of a second. Clint Eastwood would be jealous of my fast draw!
Great find! Love those older 10s! 🥃
Nice list, with a great choice for number 1.
Personally .when wrecked on an Island, i would go for the mystery subscription where you don't know what the little boat will bring.
Just to keep it exiting.
Hah I think that's cheating, buddy. 😉
@@Gwhisky Man, you're so hard on me.
But drinking only the most expensive whiskey in the world gets boring after a while.
Can't you make an exception for me?
Glen Moray 15yr old Heritage for me , absolutely love it.
Yeah, maybe the Arran 14 for me. Which of course does not exist anymore.
Also considering an Ardnamurchan. Need them to put out some more/older bottlings first.
Love Arran 14. Absolute classic! 🥃
Springbank 10!
For me Glendronach 21 all day long. I love combination sherry cask, age and %. From your list I would pick Glenlivet 18 43%. But now since this whisky is gone I drink Glenlivet 18 40% and Glenlivet 21 43% by turns but it is 2 whisky so out of question.
Laphroaig 10, at CS if there is no budget limit.
Good one! 🥃
This one’s hard, becaude many of the best whiskies out there are bombs in one way or another: sherry bombs, peat bombs, fruit bombs… But if you can only have one, it needs to be a little bit of everything. I’m going for Highland Park CS Release 3 just because I bought a bottle yesterday and I was blown away by its intensity and character. It feels like a whiskie one doesn’t get bored with too easily.
Agree about Highland Park having a great all-rounder profile. You've got a bit of everything but doesn't go too far in any one direction. Cheers! 🥃
I totally agree! It has a little bit of everything, but it doesn’t feel like a compromise. At least the CS doesn’t. Thanks once again for a great video 👍🥃
Thanks for watching, buddy! 🥃
As you say, a quite difficult choise to make, but here is my choise of today.
5. Craigellachie 13
4. Port Charlotte 10
3. Kilkerran 8 CS Batch 4
2. Glengoyne Teapot Dram batch 3
And my no:1 pick today will be SPRINGBANK 10
Great choices! That teapot dram us on my bucket list. So hard to find! 🥃
@@Gwhisky And it's got really expensive to, sorry to say. I think it costs around £130 now. The first one I bought, I think it was 2014, the price was £78-80🤔
The first batch I had was 3, then 5, 6, 7 and 8. At this place in time I have one unopened bottle, Batch 7, it was a Christmas gift from my kids in 2019🌞, it will be opened on some special occasion🤔...probably when I feel like it 😂
@@Gwhisky By the way....I think Batch 9 is still available at Glengoyne Web shop....£140
Good to know, although not too keen to pay for that plus shipping to Taiwan. I'm traveling in Europe at the moment so I'll try to find it here. Cheers! 🥃
This may be tricky but I think it might be approached by asking which one you would miss the most. I think an occassional whisky of something I really enjoy would be my selection even if it meant not drinking too often. So I’d prefer a smoker, a dark peat driven spirit. I really enjoyed my Old Ballantruan 10 year at 50%. I’m guessing the 15 year is pretty good too and might gamble for this one. I’m certain that would keep me happy.
I really need to get my hands on that Old Ballantruan. They do have it here, as well as the 15, but it's very overpriced. Interesting choice! 🥃
@@Gwhiskyjust ordered OB10yo £49.95. Will do a sample for you Goeff 😁🥂🙋🏻♂️
Port Charlotte for me. I don't care if it's heavy. That stuff rocks.
There are lots of whiskies in my collection which I really love, but only a few which get me thinking: 'Now THAT is what I'm talking about it' (in a shouty, American movie style) and those tend to be distillate driven cask strength whiskies, so the Ardnamurchan Cask Strength was my first choice, followed by Bimber, Glen Elgin IB and Glen Scotia Campbeltown Festival 2022 8yo.
Awesome picks! 🥃
Wow......a conundrum indeed...maybe for me the old Highland Park 30 year old or the delicious 2017 Compass Box 'No Name'...which is a blend of all the best Islay whiskies... So instead of getting one smokey Islay, you get them all.... or most of them.
Haven't tried either. They sound amazing! 🥃
Talisker Distillers Edition.....it's got everything I love about whiskey rolled up into 1 bottle
Great choice, have you tried the Lagavulin distillers edition?
@@johnbarber4456 I have indeed....despite the complaints about Diago & 43% its a nice change up from the 16yr old.
Great dram for the winter time
@@shaunaweatherly couldn't agree more
AnCnoc 24 2020 date would be my #1 pick with Kilkerran 12 a close second.
Good ones! 🥃
Loving your content! Somehow I ended up with a bottle of Singleton 12, I didn't open it up yet, but I'm wondering if you discussed this brand anywhere?
Glad you're enjoying the channel! Sadly I've not touched on the Singleton 12 yet. Is it from Glen Ord or Dufftown? 🥃
@@Gwhisky Singleton 12 Glendullan. Its 40% abv so I could understand why you wouldn't be interested.
@@Gwhisky I felt it wasn't something that you and your fellow whisky connoisseurs would be inti, so I brought it back to the store where it came from, added some money, and got an Ardbeg 10 instead. As a novice, the intense peaty flavor might need some time to grow on me. 🥃
Cool list and idea. Would be hard to drink one for the rest of my life. They are really different and on different day you like them more or less. 😊 My pick would be Teeling 21.
I hear a lot of good things about older Teelings. Can't say I've tried any. Cheers! 🥃
@@Gwhisky only had it at tasting. Haven't had my own bottle. And I haven't tried too many whiskey's yet so after few years it might be different story
Of your five bottle choices, only The Classic Laddie would be my choice for answering this Question , and it probably ranks as my second best choice.
Hah! Completely impossible challenge. Brora 3rd release aside, it has to be Springbank 12CS. With an honourable mention for Lagavulin 12CS pre-2017. Cheers!
SB12 CS was a big consideration for me, too. And yeah... those early Laga 12s... damn good. Great picks! 🥃
I started my whisky journey seeking for a - not so expensive - alternative for the Glenlivet 18 Batch reserve (the bottle was quite expensive when I started drinking whisky). So, in a way that dram was the one for me. However, now I seek the variety. Maybe I would choose a really delicious one - say Springbank 10 or Laphroaig 10 CS or Dailhuaine 21 from Hart Brothers (also CS) - and sip it only on Saturdays to prevent getting too bored. Each of these whiskies could be adjusted by water, so there is also a bit of variety there. Having said, even with those drams I probably would quit drinking whisky regularly. Seeking new flavors is a great deal of the fun!
The Glenallachie 18 (2021 ideally) for me. Too bad I can’t find it anywhere!
I haven't seen it in my market for years.
One local shop has a Compass Box store pick Artist Blend bottled at 48%, which I really like. Price wise I consider it a steal. I would also think The Glenlivet Illicit Still and Balblair 15 big winners.
Really need to try that Artist Blend. Glenlivet and Balblair are great choices! 🥃
Great choices... I'd like to see a similar list for the choice of whisky limited to say, US$100 per month. A gallon of cheap and cheerful or a half bottle of something special each month?
I'm always tempted to go 18 years 46%. Tomatin, Ancnoc or Longrow.
I'm less taken by the Tomatin 18, myself, but I'm definitely on board with the AnCnoc and Longrow 18s. Cheers! 🥃
Arran port cask an absolute belter
It’s an easy choice for me.
I’d pick one of the springbanks. It wouldn’t bother me about how bored I might get drinking it, because I’d get far more pleasure knowing that I have an endless supply of the stuff, when no one else can even buy a bottle.Hell! I’d probably put it on my breakfast cereal too, and use it in so many other wasteful ways.
Hah yeah Springbank makes sense. The 12 CS was a big consideration for me here. 🥃
I could happily drink only SB15 for the rest of time, love that stuff 🥃🥃
It's excellent. Good choice! 🥃
It would depend on the situation I would be in. If it where something tropical it would be Teeling Pineapple rum cask, if it where somewhere less tropical I probably would like to drink Caol Ila 12
Sounds like I need to try that Teeling. Cheers! 🥃
@@Gwhisky If you get the chance I would recommend you try it, it has a little funcky pineapple taste but it's great
🥃🥃🥃
Great review, we need more crazy lists just for your sarcasm 😅
Batch variation is an issue (as mentioned with the great Arran 10) but even more your own change of taste. It changes over the years and when I look back my 5 decades, quiet a lot so and not only regarding whisky.
If you pick something for the next decades, it shouldn't be something too extreme, something more agreeable. Like the (old) Glenlivet 18 (still two here, bought back then for 60 Euros). Or the Arran 10.
Right now I would have to decide between those two and the Kilkerran 12, Glen Scotia 15 and Glen Scotia 10 peated.
Good that I don't live on an Island...
For me would be
Glen Scotia Victoriana 🥃
So without watching the video or reading any of the comments here, I’m predicting the everyone will select something esoteric or expensive or critically loved. But no, if I had to drink a whisky every single day forever I would want it to be quiet, subtle and very easy because a big whisky would become intolerable after a short while. So my pick would be something like Glenlivet 12 or even a blend like Dewar’s 15. Maybe they are quotidian but that’s the point - I could drink them forever without getting sick of them.
Edit: OK watched it now - Glenlivet 18 👍 good call, as is Highland Park, but maybe the 12 for me
Needless to say Im happy with your choice. 😁
When I saw the title l was already thinking I would go with the regular Ardnamurchan AD if I would need to choose - although I haven't yet tried their Sherry Cask Matured bottle...YET. 😁
This was entertaining to watch,
Cheers My friend 🥃🥃
Ps: Funny enough I was just telling my wife that if I would need to choose only two whiskeys for the rest of my life. I would be more then happy with Ardnamurchan AD and Glenturret 12. Feel like they are different enough to balance out each other.
Good picks! I'm REALLY hoping I can get that sherry Ardnamurchan myself. Is it anywhere to be found in Europe yet? I'm convinced it will take an eternity to reach Taiwan. Cheers buddy! 🥃
@@GwhiskyI haven't seen it anywhere around yet. Not in the Netherlands, Germany or Hungary at least. I'm gonna check it tomorrow in the shop where I pre ordered the Glenglassaugh 12. That guy has good connections as he worked and trained as a sommalier in Scotland, so let's see what he can do. I will keep you posted 🥃🥃
I would pick Hakushu 18, delicate, complex and delicious
Nice! 🥃
Surprised to see the Glenlivet 18 on the list. 43% ABV here for $150. There must be a better 18 year old! Highland Park 18 Travel exclusive works for me.
That Glenlivet was about half the price here in Taiwan when I was buying it a few years back. Worth every penny! 🥃
@@Gwhisky Craigellachie 17 Year Old Whisky is $160 here. Prefer that.
I wouldn't know where to begin with this challenge. I would have to start by picking a category of whisky, and even that is impossible. Would it be bourbon, rye, single malt, Irish single pot still, or something else? If I settled on single malt, would it be from Scotland, or would it be from somewhere else? I would likely prefer a cask strength whisky since they provide variety simply in how they change as water is slowly added, but some of my favorites aren't cask strength, and it wouldn't seem right to exclude them from consideration.
Incidentally, Glenlivet 18 was my introduction to single malt, and it, and Knob Creek bourbon, are largely responsible for getting me interested in whisky beyond those that are used as cocktail mixers. In single malts, I've since moved on to higher strength, non-chill filtered whiskies, but I'll always have a soft spot for Glenlivet 18 and might consider ordering it if I see it at a bar. As for bourbon, I still like Knob Creek, but I would likely seek out cask strength or higher age statement variations rather than the standard 9-year.
Agree with what you said about cask strength. If we can't change the whisky, we can at least play around with the strength, which could bring out different nuances. Cheers! 🥃
very easy for me too pick one its Longmorn 16 the green Discontinued one
It's a nice one! 🥃
I expected you to mention Ledaig 18! Which I think of as one of your all-time favorites. Did you think about that one? And, if so, why didn't it make the list? Is it not ideal for drinking every day?
I wanted a premium heavily peated whisky as a consideration. It was between Ledaig 18 and the Port Charlotte OLC. Depending on my mood, I might reach for either. I'd say I like them equally nowadays. But yeah, Ledaig 18 is one of my all-time favourites. If I put in every great whisky that I love this list could have been a 3 hr video. 🥃
Kilkerran 12 I imagine would see me right
I'm gambling on the new Ardnamurchan Sherry Cask release. The safe bet would be the Springbank 10 but because it's for the rest of my life you put me on the spot here! I really want to taste this one 😅 Sweet Sherry with smoke at 50% abv ❤
REALLY looking forward to trying that. Hopefully doesn't take an eternity to make it to Asian markets. Cheers! 🥃
@@Gwhisky I have alerted all my favorite whisky specialized liquor stores to keep me updated. 😅
Just ordered this Ardna yesterday. Most online retailers i checking sold out. Just 15.000 bottles outturn so need to be quick. Allan, Whisky Friend says this one is a Banger 😁🥂🙋🏻♂️
@@peatbull3426 Yeah, I saw his video. Mouthwatering🤪