Let’s try to draft a small ranking of the malts which, among the one tried an reviewed here, have been liked the most and the one that left us heartbroken as soon as we emptied the sample; we’ll proceed “zone by zone” highlighting the three whiskies (even score included) with the highest rating, regardless of price or availability.
Islay
Bowmore Bicentenary (1979, NAS, OB, 46%) – 96/100
Ardbeg 1972/2003 (OB for Velier, 49,9%) – 95/100
Lagavulin 12 yo ‘White Horse Distillers’ (anni ’70, OB, 43%) – 95/100
Lagavulin 12 yo (anni ’80, OB, ‘Montenegro import’, 43%) – 94/100
Lagavulin 21 yo (1985/2007, OB, 56,5%) – 94/100
Port Ellen 1982 (2012, Malts of Scotland, 58,6%) – 94/100
Laphroaig 12 yo (ceramica, anni ’70, OB, 43%) – 94/100
Caol Ila 33 yo (1984/2017, Cadenhead’s, 54,5%) – 94/100 Lagavulin 37 yo (1976/2013, OB, 51%) – 94/100
Lowlands
Rosebank 27 yo (1975/2002, Douglas Laing ‘OMC’, 50%) – 94/100
St. Magdalene 30 yo (1982/2012, Cadenhead’s, 55,4%) – 92/100
St. Magdalene 19 yo (1979/1998, OB, 63,8%) – 92/100
Rosebank 21 yo (1991/2012, Caednhead’s, 52,1%) – 92/100
Littlemill 23 yo (1990/2013, Silver Seal, 54,8%) – 92/100
Littlemill 24 yo (1992/2016, Cadenhead’s, 52,2%) – 92/100 Daftmill 2009/2020 Cask #29 (2020, OB, UK exclusive, 61,1%) – 92/100
Rosebank 20 yo Silver Seal (1990/2011, Sestante Collection, 56,7%) – 91/100
Speyside
Glen Grant 52 yo (1956/2008, Gordon&MacPhail, 40%) – 93/100
Dailuaine 37 yo (1976/2013, Silver Seal, 47%) – 93/100
Caperdonich 38 yo (1972/2011, The Whisky Agency, 58,4%) – 93/100
Mortlach 32 yo (1971/2004, OB, 50,1%) – 93/100
Macallan 23 yo (1977/2000, Silver Seal, 50%) – 93/100
Macallan 18 yo 1971 (1989, OB, 43%) – 93/100
Glenfarclas 40 yo (1971/2011, Silver Seal, 52%) – 93/100
Glenfarclas 40 yo (2010, OB, 46%) – 92/100
Macallan 20 yo (1993/2014, Whiskyclub.it, 57,7%) – 92/100
The Macallan 1959 (1973, OB, Rinaldi import, 46%) – 92/100
Glenfarclas 15 yo (fine anni ’70, OB, 46%) – 92/100 Benrinnes 24 yo (1995/2019, Cadenhead’s, 49,4%) – 92/100
Tomintoul 1968 (2012, Silver Seal, 45,3%) – 92/100
Mortlach 26 yo (1992/2019, OB, 53,3%) – 92/100
Balvenie Tun 1401 (2013, OB, batch #7, 49,2%) – 92/100
Mortlach 27 yo batch #2 (2016, TBWC, 52,6%) – 92/100
Mortlach 22 yo “Giorgio D’Aambrosio” (1997/2019, Silver Seal & S.P. Murat, 56,9%) – 92/100
Glenlivet 36 yo (1975/2012, Wilson & Morgan, 58,3%) – 91/100
Macduff 31 yo (1980/2012, Wilson & Morgan, 50,2%) – 91/100
Glen Grant 1970 (2001, Samaroli, cask #1043, 45%) – 91/100
Linkwood 40yo (1946/1986, Gordon&MacPhail for Sestante, 40%) – 91/1000
Mortlach 25 yo (1989/2015, Silver Seal, 52,4%) – 91/100
Imperial 27 yo (1989/2017, Càrn Mòr, 43,9%) – 91/100
Glen Keith 1988 (2018, Càrn Mòr, 42,5%) – 91/100
Glen Grant 25 yo (1992/2018, Wilson & Morgan, Oloroso sherry finish, 51%) – 91/100
Highlands
Brora 24 yo (1977/2001, Rare Malts, OB, 56,1%) – 94/100
Brora 35 yo (2013, OB, 49,9%) – 94/100
Clynelish 24 yo (1965/1989, Cadenhead for Sestante, 46%, 75cl) – 94/100
GlenDronach 21 yo (1993/2014, OB for Beija Flor & Silver Seal, 58,1%) – 94/100
Macduff 32 yo (1980/2012, Laida Weg, 48,3%) – 94/100
Brora 30 yo (2007, OB, 55,7%) – 93/100
Brora 30 yo (2006, OB, 55,7%) – 93/100
Clynelish 12 yo (G&M, anni ’80, 57%) – 93/100
Brora 28 yo (1982/2010, Whisky Agency for LMDW, 51,6%) – 93/100
Glenugie 23 yo (1982/2005, Duncan Taylor, 61,9%) – 93/100
Banff 34 yo (1976/2010, Cadenhead’s, 53,8%) – 93/100
Teaninich 20 yo (1993/2014, Whiskyclub.it, 58,1%) – 93/100
Tomatin 35 yo (1978/2013, Cadenhead’s small batch, 44,1%) – 93/100
Clynelish 12 yo (inizio ’70, Ainslie&Heilbron, OB for Di Chiano, 43%) – 93/100
Tomatin 35 yo (1976/2011, Wilson & Morgan, 51%) – 92/100
Clynelish 1989 (2012, Thosop by The Whiskyman, 53,5%) – 92/100
Clynelish 1982/2011 (Malts of Scotland, 53,7%) – 92/100
Clynelish 19 yo (1993/2012, Silver Seal, 53,5%) – 92/100
Clynelish 18 yo (1996/2015, Valinch & Mallet, 54,1%) – 92/100
Brora 30 yo (2009, OB, 53.2%) – 92/100
Brora 19 yo (1982/2001, Chieftain’s, 46%) – 92/100
Clynelish 1997(2011, Adelphi, 59,1%) – 92/100
Glendronach 22 yo (1990/2013, Silver Seal, 52,1%) – 92/100
Glenturret 35 yo (1977/2012, Wilson & Morgan, 48,5%) – 92/100
Glengoyne 25 yo (2014, OB, 48%) – 92/100
Clynelish 1997 (2017, Carn Mor, 57%) – 92/100
Clynelish 12 yo (1971, Ainslie&Heilbron for Edward&Edward, 56.9%) – 92/100
Tomatin 36 yo batch #4 (1981/2017, OB, 46%) – 92/100
Millburn 20 yo (1983/2004, Private Cellar, 43%) – 92/100
Ben Nevis 23 yo (2019, Chorlton, 53.6%) – 92/100
Highland Park 1995 (2018, Carn Mor, 54%) – 92/100
Glen Garioch 21 yo (1965/1986, OB, 43%) – 92/100
Isole
Tobermory 1972/1995 ‘De viris illustribus’ (Moon Import, 50%) – 95/100
Talisker 20 yo (1981/2002, OB, 62%) – 94/100
Highland Park 30 yo (1981/2012, Silver Seal for Whisky Live Taipei, 51,4%) – 94/100
Talisker 25 yo (2004, OB, 57,8%) – 93/100
Highland Park 22 yo (1992/2014, Cadenhead’s, 59,6%) – 93/100
Highland Park 18 yo (1996/2015, Malts of Scotland per Spirit of Scotland, 56,8%) – 93/100
Highland Park 17 yo (1958/1975, OB, ‘Ferraretto Import’, 43%) – 93/100
Campbeltown
Springbank 21 yo ‘Archibald Mitchell’ (bott. 1985, OB, 46%) – 95/100
Springbank 1965 ‘Flowers’ (1990, Samaroli, 46%) – 94/100
Springbank 15 yo (anni ’70/’80, ‘pear shape’, 46%) – 92/100
Springbank 22 yo (1993/2015, Sansibar, 51,8%) – 92/100 Springbank 21 yo ‘The First Editions’ (1995/2016, Edition Spirits, 49,9%) – 92/100
Springbank 25 yo (1991/2017, Rest & Be Thankful, 46,3%) – 92/100 Springbank 27 yo (1993/2020, Whiskybroker for IAAS, 51,3%) – 92/100
World Whisky
Yoichi 20 yo (1988/2008, OB, 55%) – 91/100
Limerick ‘Slaney Malt’ 23 yo (1991/2015, Adelphi, 59%) – 91/100
Chichibu 2011 Imperial Stout Cask (2018, OB for The Whisky Exchange, 59,5%) – 91/100
Karuizawa 28 yo (1984/2012, La Maison du Whisky, 59,3%) – 90/100
Komagatake – Hombo Mars distillery (1988/2014, #557, 58%) – 90/100
Redbreast 21 yo Single pot still (2015, OB, 46%) – 90/100
Chichibu 2009 cask #635 (2016, OB for Number One Drinks, 62,1%) – 90/100
Chichibu 2011 Pinot Noir Cask (2018, OB per Sexy Fish Bar, 60,2%) – 89/100
Chichibu White Bordeaux cask (2012/2019, OB for Milroy’s of Soho, 60.4%) – 89/100
