Whisky Magazine Awards: 2012

[Capn Jimbo]

Whisky Magazine Awards: 2012


Whisky Magazine is a regular newsstand purchase for me, and is usually a wonderful read that I recommend for anybody. A must buy (OTOH, the Whisky Advocate is a waste of money, mostly due to their extremely biased review scores).

Overall winners:

* Best Single Malt Whisky – Yamazaki 25yo
* Best Blended Malt Whisky - Nikka Taketsuru 17yo
* Best Blended Whisky - Three Ships 5yo
* Best American Whiskey - Eagle Rare 17
* Best Grain Whisky - Greenore 18
* Best Whisky Liqueur - Atholl Brose

Scotch Single Malt:

* Best Campbeltown and Best Campbeltown 13 to 20 years – Springbank 18
* Best Campbeltown 12 years and under – Hazelburn 12yo

* Best Highland and Best Highland 21 years and over – Speyburn 25yo
* Best Highland No Age Statement – Glenmorangie Signet
* Best Highland 12 years and under – Glen Garioch 12yo
* Best Highland 13 to 20 years – Old Pulteney 17yo

* Best Islay, No Age Statement – Bowmore Maltmen’s
* Best Islay 12 years and under – Lagavulin 12yo
* Best Islay 13 to 20 years – Lagavulin 16yo

* Best Lowland and Best Lowland 12 years and under – Auchentoshan 1999
* Best Lowland No Age Statement – Auchentoshan Valinch

* Best Speyside and Best Speyside 21 years and over – Glenfiddich 40yo
* Best Speyside No Age Statement – Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 2
* Best Speyside 12 years and under – Singleton of Dufftown 12yo
* Best Speyside 13 to 20 years – Aberlour 16yo, Double Cask

* Best Island and Best Island 21 years and over – Highland Park 1971
* Best Island No Age Statement – Talisker 57º North
* Best Island 12 years and under – Highland Park 12yo
* Best Island 13 to 20 years – Scapa 16yo

Irish:

* Best No Age Statement Blended Whiskey – Bushmills 1608
* Best 12 years and under Blended Whiskey – Tullamore Dew 12yo Special Reserve
* Best 13 to 20 years - Kilbeggan 18

* Best Pot Still Whiskey and Best Irish 12 years and under Pot Still Whiskey – Powers John’s Lane
* Best No Age Statement Pot Still Whiskey - Green Spot
* Best 13 to 20 years Pot Still Whiskey – Redbreast 15yo

* Best Irish Single Malt and Best Irish Single Malt 21 years and over – Bushmills 21yo
* Best Irish Single Malt No Age Statement – Connemara Cask Strength Peated
* Best Irish Single Malt 12 years and under – Tyrconnell 10yo Single Malt Sherry Finished
* Best Irish Single Malt 13 to 20 years – Tyrconnell 15yo Single Cask

Japanese:

* Best Japanese Single Malt and Best Japanese 21 years and over - Yamazaki 25yo
* Best Japanese Single Malt No Age Statement – Miyagikyo Single Malt
* Best Japanese Single Malt 12 years and under – Miyagikyo 12yo
* Best Japanese Single Malt 13 to 20 years – Ichiro’s Malt Card Nine of Clubs

* Best Japanese Blend and Best Japanese Blend 13-20 years – Hibiki 17yo
* Best Japanese Blend No Age Statement – Nikka From The Barrel
* Best Japanese Blend 12 years and under – Hibiki 12yo
* Best Japanese Blend 21 years and over – Hibiki 21yo

American:

* Best Bourbon and Best Bourbon 13-20 years – Eagle Rare 17
* Best Bourbon No Age Statement – Hudson Four Grain Bourbon
* Best Bourbon 7 years and under – Four Roses Small Batch

* Best Non-Bourbon No Age Statement – Bernheim Original Straight Wheat

* Best Rye and Best Rye 13 to 20 years – Sazerac 18
* Best Rye No Age Statment – Rittenhouse 100
* Best Rye 7 years and under – Sazerac

Canadian:

* Best Canadian Blend and Best Canadian Blend 13 to 20 years – Wiser’s 18yo
* Best Canadian Blend No Age Statement – Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve

New World:

* Best New World Blended Whisky – Three Ships 5yo

* Best New World Single Malt and Best New World Single Malt No Age Statement – Kavalan Solist Fino
* Best New World Single Malt 12 years and under – Armorik Double Maturation

Blended Malt Whisky:

* Best Scotch Blended Malt - Wemyss, The Hive

* Best Non-Scotch Blended Malt and Best Non-Scotch Blended Malt 13 to 20 years – Nikka Taketsuru 17yo
* Best Non-Scotch Blended Malt No Age Statement – Ichiro’s Blended Malt Wine Wood Reserve
* Best Non-Scotch Blended Malt 12 years and under – Nikka Taketsuru 12yo
* Best Non-Scotch Blended Malt 21 years and over – Nikka Taketsuru 21yo

Blended Scotch Whisky:

* Best Blended Scotch No Age Statement – The Naked Grouse
* Best Blended Scotch 12 years and under – Johnnie Walker Black Label
* Best Blended Scotch 13 to 20 years – James Martin’s 20yo
* Best Blended Scotch 21 years and over – Black Bull 40




Bottom Line...

Perhaps the greatest surprise this year was the World's Best Blended Whisky - Three Ships 5 Years Old. This $15 whisky from South Africa beat out some truly great blended whiskys from all over the world.

You can bet the reps will be fighting for this one.

Additionally this issue explores the value and uses of oak with Dave Broom on sherry casks, Gavin Smith on French oak and on the use of refill cask, Neil Ridley on the renewal and recharring of casks and not at all least the wonderful Ian Wisnewski on oak and its flavor factors..

Needless to say, wood is greatly underestimated and widely misunderstood by most of the rum websites (whose webmasters barely understand the product).

[Uisge]

Love, love, LOVE Whisky Magazine....so much that I had a subscription for the better part of 10 years until recently.

Do you find the aroma coming off the page to be as enticing as it was for me?

Aside from the usually very good writing the only knock I have against it is its "Eurocentrism", teasing us folk here in the USofA with reviews of things we can't have over here for usually silly reasons (e.g. offerings not in the 750ml size, or something from The English Whisky Company due to the "fact" that England doesn't have a recognized appellation for whisky ).

Thanks for posting this, Cap'n!