Please first check the Maniac's "Bang for Your Buck" list, this section. You are well advised to go swimming at the Maniac's website, which offers a true whisky education and introduction to their whisky world. Thanks, guys!
One of their lists includes whiskies that are "...close to perfection". Now of course many of these are quite old and quite expensive, but like rum, there are world class whiskies that are younger and relatively affordable.
I've extracted a few...
Keep in mind - as MM makes clear - that the issues of massive, multiple releases, batch variation and batch creep are significant factors. Single malt whisky making is an art. Thus different releases of the same label from the same distiller often score differently, but the preceeding list at least establishes distillations to look for.MM's "Close to Perfection" List:
95 - Lagavulin 16yo 'White Horse' - My very first 'amazing discovery' of single malt whisky, despite dropping standards in the late 1990's.
94 - Lagavulin 12yo - Proof that Lagavulin was already great in the 70's.
94 - Laphroaig 10yo Cask Strength - The 'daily dram' that took the crown of Lagavulin 16.
92 - Dalmore 12yo 1975 - I like the current 12yo, but this is something else...
92 - Isle of Jura 5yo 1999/2004 - Astonishing performance for a five years old whisky.
92 - Talisker 10yo - One from the good old days - good whisky for little money.
91 - Ardbeg 10yo 1993/2004 - They could have released this youngster as a 'Platinum'.
91 - Lagavulin 12yo - Unlike similar bottlings, this had a cork cap.
90 - Aberlour NAS 'A'bunadh' No Batch # - The first batch from the 1990's is still a favourite.
90 - Aberlour A'bunadh' Batch #20 - It took them almost a decade to rival the first batch.
90 - Caol Ila 12yo 1992/2005 - Duncan Taylor put their hands on some great casks.
90 - Laphroaig NAS 'Quarter Cask' - Laphroaigs experiments with small casks paid off.
90 - Linkwood 12yo - My favourite Linkwood was a young one, bottled +/- 1970.
Like rum styles, whisky too has flavor groups which are well worth understanding (these should not be confused with the outmoded concepts of Highland, Lowland, et al). Your comments are appreciated.
Coming soon... extractions from MM's Highly Recommended List.
