Top whiskies of 2019
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ONE of the most common and difficult questions I get asked is “what’s your favourite whisky?”.
I normally answer with something along the lines of “the one in front of me” as singling out one whisky isn’t really fair. I have every day favourites, special occasion drams and also whiskies I enjoy at different times of the year.
The most memorable dram this year was an eight-year-old Caol Ila by Adelphi that was described by whisky writer Dave Broom as “bonkers” and I couldn’t agree more with his assessment. The first thing that surprises you is the colour. It looks like a black rum. I’d seen whisky this colour that had been matured for 20-plus years but never an eight-year-old whisky.
The flavour was unforgettable – layers of sherries’ sweetness and barbecue meats with a rich and smoky finish that defines Caol Ila. This whisky broke all the rules and would get my vote for the best release of 2019. Unfortunately, this was a single cask release and only 307 bottles were available to buy at a very reasonable £70, which meant they sold out pretty much instantly. We were lucky enough to get two for The Malt Room and I’ve never seen a dram disappear so quickly. We had to put a one dram per person limit on the second bottle as we wanted as many people to experience this crazy dram as possible!
Other standout drams were Springbank 15 Rum Wood, Adelphi Bowmore 20, Clynelish 23 Whisky Exchange anniversary bottle and Tomatin Decades II. Whatever whisky stands out for you I hope you enjoy a dram or two over the festive period and wish everyone a Merry Christmas from the team at The Malt Room.
Matt MacPherson is the owner and founder of The Malt Room in Inverness.
