Dec 26

Dec 26 2023 Year in Review

Welcome to my third annual whisky year in review! A priest once told me that if you do something three times, it becomes a tradition, so here we go; my traditional end-of-year wrap-up has a few changes— rather than including a Best & Worst SMWS category, I have switched to a Non-Scotch Best & Worst. I have not tried nearly as much SMWS this year as in the past, so it felt like time to retire the category, at least for this year, and pass the torch to world whiskies.

By the numbers

In total, I posted 312 reviews in 2023, which was only slightly less than my total of 318 in 2022. My average score across the entire year was up significantly from 6.12/80 to 6.33/81.09. No doubt, this was partly due to the fact that I could finally travel for more conferences and research. After a few years of virtually no travel, I made up for lost time and included whisky tastings and stopovers in Australia and Singapore.

Selection bias, which always plays some role in what I drink and review, had a more substantial effect this year. Thanks to the generosity of friends, I had the opportunity and good fortune to try far more “YOLO” or unicorn whiskies. So, travel took me to more whisky bars and tastings, and I made sure to try once-in-a-lifetime bottles while I was there.

Of my 312 reviews, 266 were Scotch. Only seventeen of those were of blends or blended malts. Broken down by region, the vast majority were split between the Highlands (75) and Speyside (82), with a good amount from Islay (61) and only a handful from Campbeltown (9) or the Lowlands (18). Year over year, I tried far fewer Highland whiskies in 2023 than in 2022, a few more Islay and Speyside, and more than double the amount from the Lowlands.

I reviewed 46 whiskies from 9 countries in the World Whisky category, the same total number of reviews as last year but representing one less country. The majority came from Japan (13) and Ireland (11), though American Single Malts were just a little behind at (9). Thanks to my time in Australia, I tried more Australian whiskies (5), which led the way over France (3) and then single reviews of whiskies from India, Israel, Netherlands, and Taiwan.

The nine American Single Malts I reviewed in 2023 were less than half my total in 2022, and I am sad I did not spend as much time with the category. One of my resolutions for 2024 will undoubtedly be to try more American Single Malts again. In 2023, I tried single malts from six different states: Washington, Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Iowa, and New Mexico. While it was not surprising to see entries from Cascadia or Texas, two well-established hotbeds and home to leaders of the American single malt scene, it was great to try out products from newer locations, especially the mesquite-smoked malt produced by Santa Fe Spirits in New Mexico— an interesting twist to the tradition of peat smoking barley.

Of the 276 whiskies I reviewed with an age statement or calculated age, the oldest this year was a tie between a BenRiach 50 Year from Gordon & MacPhail and a 50 Year “Speyside #1” (Glenfarclas) from That Boutique-y Whisky Company. I did not expect to try any half-century-old whiskies this year, let alone two, and within a month from one another. While not every “YOLO” whisky I tried this year was quite so ancient, I somehow reviewed ten whiskies that were over 40 years old, which must be a personal record by some measure as the average age across those 276 whiskies grew to 17.2 Years, an increase of about a year and a half from my 2022 average (15.6 years)— that will be very hard to match in 2024!

By date of distillation, the oldest whisky I tried— with a stated date— was a 1958 Glen Grant from Gordon & MacPhail, which then spent the next thirty years in the cask. Though almost certainly, the oldest whisky was a 1930s-era White Horse 8-Year, an absurdly fun and interesting whisky (which, surprisingly, given the bottle's age, even tasted lovely).

Best Scotch of 2023

1. BenRiach 50 Year (1966), Gordon & MacPhail Cask 606 for LMDW 60th Anniversary

2. Craigduff-Glen Keith 45 Year (1973), Signatory Vintage 30th Anniversary

3. Caol Ila 37 Year (1984), Single Malts of Scotland Director's Special

4. Ledaig 40 Year (1972), Alambic Classique Cask 13310

5. Ledaig 25 Year (1995), SMWS 42.73 "Quiet confidence"

I expanded my top scotch of the year to a top five as I scored these relatively the same and would have trouble differentiating them on any given day— except perhaps the BenRiach I put at the top.

I gave out two 10/10s again this year; the first was a 50-year BenRiach, part of Gordon and MacPhail's epic Book of Kells lineup and bottled specifically for La Maison du Whisky’s 60th anniversary. The absolute highlight of whisky-related shenanigans while on the road this summer, the whisky had immense depth and character as it constantly revealed new surprises with each sip. It was challenging, but a real once-in-a-lifetime whisky that would not have happened without good whisky friends.

The second 10/10 I awarded to the 45-Year Craigduff— the second year in a row I have a Craigduff at the top of my year-end ranking. Considering how few Craigudffs are out there, I cannot imagine this repeating. Yet, I also thought that last year, so I guess we will see. I tried the 45-year, released to celebrate Signatory Vintage’s 35th Anniversary, while at LMDW Singapore. If the 33-year I ranked highly last year was incredible, this somehow amped everything up another notch.

The three that round out the list were none too shabby either; the Caol Ila was a brilliant surprise I poured earlier this year for my birthday and have since returned to a few times. I will be sad to see that bottle go. The 40-year Ledaig was another standout from Singapore and superlative worthy— unlike anything else I have had from the distillery. If I could afford it, I would chase these early 70s Ledaig. One more Ledaig rounded out the top five, a more subtle affair that showcases the funky, fruity, and coastal elements of early 90s Ledaig before it became the peaty beast we know today and when occasionally casks of Ledaig, unpeated Ledaig, and Tobermory got mixed up or mislabeled—a fantastic bottle to treasure for the coming year.

Most Disappointing of 2023

1. Ardmore Legacy

2. Ledaig 16 Year (2004), Gordon and MacPhail for Broken Barrel Club Cask 16600608

3. Mannochmore 11 Year (2007), Ultimate Whisky Co. Cask 6682

These are the whiskies or experiences I found most disappointing during the year. I previously had this category as something more along the lines of “worst whisky of the year.” While disappointment is just as subjective as worst, I felt it was worth recognizing those whiskies that were still massive disappointments, even if they were okay or not bad.

I rarely go out of my way to try things I know I will not like— it does happen, and everyone occasionally loves a meme bottle. Outside the odd fun bottle, no one wants to waste their time, energy, or funds on a pour, much less a bottle, that falls utterly flat. At this point, I have a pretty good idea of what I will like and tend to focus on those whiskies while always trying to keep the door open for surprises, especially those recommended by friends.

The whiskies above were disappointing for different reasons. The Ardmore fell flat as an introductory malt for the distillery— when I think of Ardmore, I think of beautiful grass and smoke. Yet the Legacy had none of that, and it felt like it had little in common with core Ardmore characteristics. The Ledaig and Mannochmore were disappointments for similar reasons; they are both bottles I purchased. Never is a whisky more disappointing than buying a bottle and just never clicking with it. I gave each of these a year or longer to improve or resonate better with me. It has never happened, and I have reached the point where I do not think they ever will. Disappointments are what they are, but hopefully, they are a lesson learned.

Best & Disappointing Non-Scotch

1. Karuizawa 22 Year (1991), SMWS 132.2 “Stunning panorama of exotic fruits”

2. Millstone 25 Year (1996), TBWC Batch 5 "10th Anniversary"

1. Westland 7 Year (2014) Cask 6143 for r/Bourbon

2. Komagatake 4 Year (2015) Cask 1940 for Total Wine

Beyond the shores and borders of Scotland, there is an entirely different whisky universe— some of the same rules apply, though frequently interpreted in novel and exciting ways just as often as they are strictly adhered to. Scotch whisky, especially single malts, is a source of inspiration for countless whisky traditions that frequently localize production in endlessly fascinating ways.

It was a close race for best world whisky this year. Taking the nod by a hair or two was a 22-year Karuizawa from SMWS— my first cask strength Karuizawa and an absurdly excellent whisky that a friend opted to share. The whisky blew me away with its unique flavor combination and long finish— it was old-school Crack Seed candy stores and sunny days on the grass by the mossy stones along the school pond.

In second position, and not very far behind, was a 25-year Millstone— one of the earliest products from the Zuidam Distillery in the Netherlands. Maturation in an old-school sherry butt— or at least a very high-quality one— produced a set of flavors that some online commentators equated to legendary 1940s and 50s Macallan. I have never tried any of those whiskies, so I have no idea how closely this lined up, but it was delicious and almost more cognac-like than whisky.

On the other side of the equation were two bottles that did not hit the mark… or missed it entirely. While never inherently flawed in a way that might make them universally unpalatable, there were distinctive core elements that I intensely disliked. In the case of the Komagatake, it was the saccharine nature of the flavor profile and prevalence of bubble gum notes— I do not have much of a sweet tooth, especially when it comes to whisky, and do not like bubble gum notes, which often remind me of the bubble gum flavored fluoride my dentist used when I was a kid. The Westland also featured a cloyingly sweet profile that veered toward candy corn and aspartame. I am sure those less sweet-averse than I found more to love on those whiskies.

Cheers to the end of 2023 and the coming of 2024! Happy New Year!