97 Bowmore 46 year old (distilled 1964), 42.9% Price: $13,500.00
Brand: Bowmore
Category: Single Malt Scotch
There have been some legendary Bowmores from the mid-60s and this is every bit their equal. All of them share a remarkable aroma of tropical fruit, which here moves into hallucinatory intensity: guava, mango, peach, pineapple, grapefruit. There’s a very light touch of peat smoke, more a memory of Islay than the reality. Concentrated; even at low strength the palate is silky, heady, and haunting, and lasts forever in the dry glass. A legend is born. (Eight bottles only for the U.S.)
97 Parker's Heritage Collection, 'Golden Anniversary', 50% Price: $150.00
Brand: Parker's Heritage Collection
Category: Bourbon/Tennessee
This bottling celebrates master distiller Parker Beam's 50 years of service by including whiskey from each of the past five decades. This is a fabulous whiskey: seamless and incredibly complex, with an impeccable marriage of youth and maturity. It’s also very even-keeled throughout -- quite different than last year’s equally impressive PHC, a 27 year old, whose personality was more like an exhilarating old wooden rollercoaster ride (and also brandished more oak). Look for candied citrus, nectarine, blueberry, and sultana anchored by a nougat center, laced with honeyed vanilla and orange creamsicle. There’s a dusting of cocoa powder, brittle mint, and cinnamon, too. Tobacco leaves, polished leather, and teasing bourbon barrel char round out the palate, emerging more prominently towards a warming finish. A classic!
97 Black Bowmore, 1964 vintage, 42 year old, 40.5% Price: $4,500.00
Brand: Bowmore
Category: Single Malt Scotch
What impresses me most is how this whisky evolves; it's incredibly complex. On the nose and palate, this is a thick, viscous, whisky with notes of sticky toffee, earthy oak, fig cake, roasted nuts, fallen fruit, pancake batter, black cherry, ripe peach, dark chocolate-covered espresso bean, polished leather, tobacco, a hint of wild game, and lingering, leafy damp kiln smoke. Flavors continue on the palate long after swallowing. This is what we all hope for (and dream of) in an older whisky!
96 Booker’s 25th Anniversary Bourbon Batch No. 2014-1, 65.4% Price: $100.00
Brand: Booker's
Category: Bourbon/Tennessee
The complete package: uncut, unfiltered, full-flavored, richly textured (almost chewy), and very complex. Notes of toffee-coated nuts, vanilla fudge, polished leather, cedar-tinged tobacco, barrel char, cocoa powder, and a hint of fig, wrapped up with a firm oak grip on the finish. Worth every penny of the premium price being charged for this commemorative release. Editor's Choice.
96 Compass Box The General, 53.4% Price: $325.00
Brand: Compass Box
Category: Blended Malt Scotch whisky
With a name inspired by a 1926 Buster Keaton movie, only 1,698 bottles produced, and the news that one of the two batches is more than 30 years old, the clues were there that this blend was never going to be cheap. It isn't, but it's superb, rich in flavor that screams dusty old oak office, fresh polish, and Sunday church, with spices, oak dried fruits, squiggly raisins, and a surprising melting fruit-and-nut dairy chocolate back story.
96 Yoichi 1988 single cask, 62% Price: $250.00
Brand: Yoichi
Category: Japanese
Though aged in virgin American oak, it’s distillery character that’s in charge here; a fully expressive Yoichi. Rich, mysterious, layered, mixing rich fruit compote with scented coastal smoke (ozone, tar, soot) alongside masses of vetiver and cigar humidor. The palate is oily and immense, with fluxing layers of sweet fruit, oily peat, salt, and ink; camphor, flax seed, and in among the smoke, apple mint. Long, insanely complex, and jaw-droppingly good. This will go down as a classic.
96 Redbreast 21 year old, 46% Price: $180.00
Brand: Redbreast
Category: Irish
Wow! After the wonderful 12 year old cask strength, Redbreast does it again. This is a different beast altogether, but it is a stunner. This is Roger Waters doing The Wall: over the top, unsubtle, and totally entertaining. There’s lots going on: fermenting apples, juicy oils, spice, and dark cherry and berry fruits zip and fizz over the palate, the wood influence is sublime. I'm comfortably numb.
(Winter 2013) Reviewed by: Dominic Roskrow
96 Four Roses 2012 Limited Edition Small Batch, 55.7% Price: $90.00
Brand: Four Roses
Category: Bourbon/Tennessee
A marriage of four different bourbons, ranging from 11 to 17 years old. This, to me, is benchmark Four Roses: subtly complex, vibrant, yet fully matured, with well-defined flavors of bramble, dry citrus, soft creamy vanilla, caramel, marzipan, allspice, a hint of cinnamon, and subtle cedar-aged cigar tobacco. Soft, clean, polished oak finish. A very versatile bourbon! Your decision shouldn’t be whether to buy it, but rather how much water to add.
96 George T. Stagg, 71.4% Price: $70.00
Brand: George T. Stagg
Category: Bourbon/Tennessee
Another excellent Stagg, and considering its alcohol level, it’s also a good value if you can get it at this price. Notes of toffee, pot still rum, nougat, dates, tobacco, roasted nuts, polished oak, and leather. Great depth and nicely balanced. A masculine bourbon of character and structure.
96 Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve 15 year old, 53.5% Price: $75.00
Brand: Pappy Van Winkle
Category: Bourbon/Tennessee
Sometime recently, the source of this whiskey changed from the now defunct Stitzel-Weller distillery to Buffalo Trace. No matter. This whiskey is still the best of the Van Winkle line. It’s crisp, clean, vibrant, impeccably balanced, and nicely matured. Complex fruit (bramble, candied citrus), caramel, coconut custard, maple syrup, fresh spice (vanilla, warming cinnamon, nutmeg, a dusting of cocoa powder) on a bed of nougat. Outstanding! (Editor's Choice)
96 Sazerac Rye 18 year old, 45% Price: $70.00
Brand: Sazerac
Category: Rye Whiskey
Very similar to last year’s release. Well rounded, with a gently sweet foundation (toffee, vanilla taffy), pleasant spice (cinnamon, mocha, soft evergreen), date, glazed citrus, bramble, and a gentle finish for a rye. A classic ultra-aged rye whiskey.
96 Elijah Craig Barrel No. 3,735 20 year old, 45% Price: $150.00
Brand: Elijah Craig
Category: Bourbon/Tennessee
From one barrel, and only sold in one location, but well worth the effort to procure a bottle. Nutty toffee, pecan pie, apricot, berried jam, and nougat, peppered with cinnamon, mint, cocoa, and tobacco. Warming, with polished leather and dried spice on the finish. Seamless, richly textured, and impeccably balanced. (Exclusive to the Bourbon Heritage Center at the Heaven Hill distillery in Bardstown, KY.)
96 Redbreast 12 Year Old Cask Strength, 57.7% Price: $101.00
Brand: Redbreast
Category: Irish Single Pot Still
Irish Distillers has already released two 90+ pot still whiskeys this year, but this is the knockout blow, an immense take on the wonderful Redbreast. The nose gives little away, all damp autumn leaves and fermenting forest fruit, but on the palate it's a fireworks display, a colorful mix of apple and pear, berries, vine fruits, chocolate liqueur, and oily pureed fruit. It's coming to the States soon, and rumor has it there's more to follow. But this will do. I can't think if I've ever tasted a better Irish whiskey.
96 Bowmore, 40 year old, 44.8% Price: $11,000.00
Brand: Bowmore
Category: Single Malt Scotch
Definitely showing its age, but not in a bad way — the distillery character is still there. Solid foundation of thick, chewy toffee, old pot still rum, and fig cake. Fruity too, with notes of golden raisin and nectarine. Soft, seductive peat smoke, juicy oak, cinnamon, and brine round out the palate. Excellent balance! One of the finest Bowmore whiskies I’ve ever tasted (and, at this price, will probably never taste again.) (Editor's Pick)
96 Jefferson’s Presidential Select, 18 year old, 47% Price: $110.00
Brand: Jefferson's
Category: Bourbon/Tennessee
Unlike the standard “small batch” releases, this is from a single barrel: a really good single barrel. I rated the 18 year old small batch a 93 in the last issue, and I like this one even better. There’s less wood getting in the way. It’s softer, more elegant. Lovely fruit, gently sweet (black raspberry jam, blueberry pie), with nougat, creamy vanilla, a sprinkling of cinnamon, and polished leather on the finish. And so drinkable. Classic stuff!
96 William Larue Weller, 63.3% Price: $70.00
Brand: William Larue Weller
Category: Bourbon/Tennessee
Very similar to last year’s release. (A good thing, since it was wonderful!) Very smooth, with layered sweetness (toffee, fig cake, nougat, maple syrup), dark fruit (black raspberry, blueberry), cinnamon, and polished oak on the finish. A whisky of elegance and sophistication. (Editor's Choice)
96 Forty Creek Confederation Oak Reserve, 40% Price: $70.00
Brand: Forty Creek
Category: Canadian
Perhaps the finest Canadian whisky I have ever tasted. Creamy and seamless from beginning to end. Gently sweet, with orange creamsicle, marzipan, sultana, praline, maple syrup, and a hint of coconut macaroon. Forty Creek whiskies have always been very good, but none have ever had the right stuff to reach classic status. Until now, that is. An outstanding, very distinctive whisky!
96 Redbreast, 12 year old, 40% Price: $43.00
Brand: Redbreast
Category: Irish Single Pot Still
Very elegant, complex, and stylish. Honeyed and silky in texture, with toffee, toasted marshmallow, nougat, maple syrup, banana bread, and a hint of toasted coconut. Bright fruit and golden raisin blend in nicely with the layers of sweetness. Impeccable balance and very approachable. Classic Irish whiskey! (Value Pick)
96 Willett Family Reserve, Single Barrel, Rye, Barrel #618, 22 year old, 1984 vintage, 68.35% Price: $175.00
Brand: Willett Rye
Category: Rye Whiskey
The first rye whiskey I have tasted to rival the Sazerac Rye 18 year old. This is a great whiskey from beginning to end. Soothing layers of sweetness (vanilla, maple syrup, cookie dough, toffee) are balanced by candied fruit and waves of spice (mint, cinnamon, nutmeg, cocoa powder).l The palate is clean, the flavors are deep, the spices are well-defined, and there’s not one hint of excessive or tired oak. A bench-mark rye.