2024 Year in Review
Welcome to my fourth annual whisky year in review! I have kept the format and categories the same this year— why change what works?
By the numbers
In total, I posted 339 reviews in 2024, which was surprisingly more than my total of 318 in 2022 or 312 in 2023. Apparently, those weren’t destined to be the high water marks I had thought they were. My average score across the entire year was up measurably from 6.33/81.09 in 2023 to 6.6/81.5 this year. No doubt the way I have structured reviews over the last few years contributed to this increase, especially the weekly focus on a specific distillery. This has tended to highlight my selection bias toward specific distilleries and styles so that I usually end up tasting and reviewing things I already know I will like.
Selection bias has been further tuned up due to the whiskies I tasted while traveling this year— I did quite a few reviews in Singapore and, while I try to leave the door open to trying new things, I focus my limited time and funds on things I already know I will like or that come highly recommended. Our trip to Scotland also featured a scatter shot of different whiskies, but no one at Springbank was pouring us whisky that they did not like and there were some truly incredible whiskies on that trip.
Of my 339 reviews, 297 were Scotch. Only three of those were of blends or blended malts this year. Heading into the new year I want to make more space for blended whiskies since that remains by far the most popular category among consumers. Broken down by region, the vast majority were split between the Highlands (66) and Speyside (81), with a good amount from Islay (59), Campbeltown (38), Islands (36) and only a handful from he Lowlands (14). Year over year, I tried fewer blended whiskies, a handful fewer Islay and Lowland, significantly more Highland reviews, and more or less the same number of Speyside and Islands. Campbeltown saw the biggest increase due to our travel there, with nearly quadruple my previous high. In general I reviewed far more scotch this year and less of anything else.
I reviewed 42 whiskies from 4 countries in the World Whisky category, slightly less reviews than last year and representing far fewer countries. The majority came from Japan (20) and the United States (15) as I devoted two to three weeks to each. There was also a week of Welsh malts from Penderyn (6) and a lonely old Canadian grain whisky (1).
The fifteen American Single Malts I reviewed in 2024 was more than last year, but still off my 2022 mark. I spent more time trying American Single malts and dedicated most of February to reviewing them. As of writing, I do not have a whole lot of unreviewed samples or bottles from the category, so things may trail off unless I do some foraging in the whisky world. In 2024, I tried single malts from five different states: Washington, Colorado, Iowa, New Mexico, and Oregon. The vast majority of those came via Westland and Copperworks in Washington and I remain incredibly impressed by the unique malts Copperworks is producing.
Of the 276 whiskies I reviewed with an age statement or calculated age, the oldest this year was a 47 Year Lochside under the Cooper’s Choice label from the Vintage Malt Whisky Co. Overall, I reviewed fewer massively old whiskies this year which was not a surprise after I managed to somehow review ten whiskies that were 40 years old or more in 2023.This year there were only four and three of those were single grain whiskies (and there is a chance this Lochside was too as the distillery produced malt and grain for a time). As expected, the average age of the whiskies I tried this year came down from 17.2 to 16.4 years. I have never sought out super old whiskies— but I won’t turn down the chance to try them when they come may way, so I have no idea what 2025 will bring.
By date of distillation, the oldest whisky I tried— with a stated date— was a 1954 Glen Grant from Berry Bros & Rudd, which spent only 16 years in the cask. Glen Grant was the earliest distilled whisky with a vintage date that I tried last year as well and there is at least some chance that may hold true for next year considering all of the old vintage Glen Grant out there.
Best Scotch of 2024
1. Springbank 32 Year (1990) Barley to Bottle Tour
2. Glenburgie 39 Year (1963), Signatory Vintage Cask 4750
3. Rosebank 21 Year (1981) Rare Malts Selection
4. Glenugie 30 Year (1977), Signatory Vintage Cask 5507
5. Convalmore 32 Year (1984), Special Release 2017
All of these whiskies were incredible so the ranking is a bit more mutable than that of some Olympic competition.
The best whisky I had all year was a 32-Year Springbank poured during one of the warehouse tastings we did at the distillery during our “Eat, Sleep, Dram, Repeat” experience. I could not tell you were the romance of being in the dunnage warehouse or the experience of crossing the world, driving in Scotland, and taking a small plane to Campbeltown ended and the brilliance of the whisky began. It was a package experience and, while we had many drams on the trip, this is one I really wish I could have again.
The Glenburgie and Rosebank were drams enjoyed thanks to the Swan Song in Singapore. Arun, the proprietor and, a man of excellent whisky and music taste, cued me up for the Rosebank after I bemoaned the general tepid quality of the 1990s Rosebank I have tried and suggested that the real strength of the distillery was in its earlier, dirtier distillate. The Rare Malts offered at least a peak into that character. The Glenburgie was a parting gift and one I saved a few months to enjoy closer to Christmas, marking this the fourth year in a row that I ended my reviews for the year on a Glenburgie.
Glenugie and Convalmore are ghost distilleries so there is already a certain romance inherent in the bottle— it is a lost malt and the amount of it available is constantly shrinking. I won the Glenugie in an auction some time ago and finally got around to opening it and sharing it with friends this year. It was a lovely coastal and tropical malt, no doubt the experience was heightened by its rarity and the good fortune to have won it. Similarly, the Convalmore was one I had long sought but never been willing to splurge on. I finally gave in this year, though only for a few ounces.
Most Disappointing of 2024
1. Bruichladdich 18 Year (2005), Rest & Be Thankful Cask 899
2. Orkney 9 Year, Jack's Pirate Whisky Überfahrt nach Sachsen Part I Cask 108
3. Bunnahabhain 22 Year (1980), Dun Bheagan Cask 5899
These are the whiskies or experiences I found most disappointing during the year, a change I made last year to what had previously been 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 Bruichladdich sounded good on paper— an eighteen year old, cask strength, full rivesaltes maturation— but in actuality it was a train wreck. Oddly pale despite the long wine cask maturation, but incredibly tannic and woody, with an overdose of spoiled milks. I still imagine the flavor profile must have changed from the moment someone made the call to bottle it and the actual bottling as I cannot imagine anyone finding that enjoyable. The Orkney was a slightly different story, a bottle I purchased that never lived up to the excellent art on it— it was cheap, but I never quite got along with it and in retrospect, cost and art were not significant reasons to buy a bottle. The Bunnnahabhain was a fascinating whisky but oddly medicinal, feinty, and sour, almost as thought there was some bacterial issue during fermentation. An interesting whisky, but not a good one.
Best & Disappointing Non-Scotch of 2024
1. Yuza 3 Year (2019) Cask 289 for Whisky Magazine
2. Penderyn 19 Year (2004), LMDW Ex-Libris Cask 22/2004
1. Cedar Ridge "The QuintEssential" American Single Malt
2. Westland 7 Year (2012) Cask 6059 for r/Bourbon
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.
The two best world whiskies I tried this year were a bright young malt from Yuza disitllery, one of the new wave in Japan, and then the oldest Penderyn I have ever encountered. Each of them featured a remarkable balance between wood and fruit with the Yuza leaning toward tropical fruits and lacquered wood, while the Penderyn was juicy stone fruits and woody resins. The Yuza had some additional dynamism with balsamic, one of my favorite notes to find on a sherry matured whisky, coming through wonderfully on the palate.
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 disliked. The Westland, which was actually 10 Years old despite the label saying 7, was about as woody as they come having spent the first seven years of its like in new oak, before it was transferred into maple wood for three years. It was woody, oaky, and tannic— not to my taste at all, but perhaps more in line with what someone coming from bourbon might want to find. The Cedar Ridge was the opposite, not overly oaked at all, but slightly sour and with a flavor profile that struck me as muddled and slightly unclear. It was an interesting experiment and I understand there is a fair amount of batch variation in the whisky— so it will be one to try again, even if I found it a bit disappointing this year.
Cheers to the end of 2024 and the coming of 2025! Happy New Year!
