Whiskyfun's Favourites of 2019


December 31, 2019

Whiskyfun's
No-Awards 2019

This is just a personal list of the whiskies and malternatives I liked best each and every months this year, for the record. Please note that this year again, Angus's scores have not been taken into account (which is totally iniquitous, I agree), but you may scroll down a bit to check his overall favourites of 2019, as well as mine. Cheers!


Favourite recent bottling of the month
January 2019	92	Glenallachie 43 yo (50.4%, Elixir Distillers ‘Director’s Special’, sherry butt, 313 bottles)
Feb. 2019	92	Clynelish 35 yo 1983/2018 (52.2%, OB, Casks of Distinction, for Aaron Chan, hogshead, cask #2566, 144 bottles)
March 2019	93	Springbank 22 yo 1996/2018 (55%, Claxton’s, bourbon hogshead, cask #1850-54, 249 bottles)
April 2019	93	Port Ellen 35 yo 1982/2018 (55.1%, Signatory Vintage, 30th Anniversary, refill sherry butt, cask #2040, 567 bottles)
May 2019	94	Clynelish 26 yo 1992/2019 (50.1%, Hidden Spirits, cask #CY9219, 193 bottles)
June 2019	92	Port Ellen 39 yo 1978/2018 (50.9%, OB, Untold Stories series, 1500 bottles)
July 2019	93	Springbank 24 yo 1994/2019 (47.7%, Douglas Laing, Xtra Old Particular, The Black Series, sherry hogshead, 148 bottles)
August 2019	91	Clynelish 23 yo 1995/2019 (55.4%, Signatory Vintage for the Whisky Exchange’s 20th Anniversary, refill sherry butt, cask #11252, 550 bottles)
Sept. 2019	92	Craigellachie 25 yo 1994/2019 (56.1%, The Single Malts of Scotland, cask #1063, 195 bottles)
October 2019	93	Glen Grant 62 yo 1956/2019 (51.7%, Gordon & MacPhail, Mr George Centenary Edition, first fill sherry butt, cask #4455, 235 bottles)
Nov. 2019	91	Jura 1989/2019 (53.5%, OB, Rare Vintage, bourbon, 1,500 bottles)
Dec. 2019	93	Brora 40 yo 1978/2019 (49.2%, OB, 200th anniversary, Exclusive Release, 1819 bottles)

Favourite older bottling of the month
January 2019	94	Laphroaig 13 yo 1967/1980 (46%, Cadenhead, sherry wood, dumpy)
Feb. 2019	94	Bunnahabhain 28 yo 1947/1975 (75°proof, Matthew Gloag & Son)
March 2019	92	Macallan 10 yo ‘100° proof’ (100° proof, OB, +/-1978)
April 2019	93	Highland Park 8 yo (100° proof, Gordon & MacPhail, 26 2/3 FL.OZS, mid 1970s)
May 2019	93	Macallan 25 yo 1975 (54%, Casa De Vinos, Australia, sherry butt, cask #17113, +/-2000)y
June 2019	91	Port Ellen 25 yo 1982/2007 (52%, Old Bothwell for Jens Steinert)
July 2019	96	Springbank 12 yo (Proof, Cadenhead, +/-1965)
August 2019	94	Bowmore 21 yo (43%, OB, Golf decanter, +/-1985, 75cl)
Sept. 2019	93	Bruichladdich 24 yo 1965/1990 (54.2%, Turatello)
October 2019	93	Aberlour-Glenlivet 8 yo (50%, OB, Rinaldi, Italy, 1960s)
Nov. 2019	93	Bladnoch 32 yo 1958/1990 (44.5%, Duthies)
Dec. 2019	94	Brora 1977/1996 (59.4%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #61.5, ‘An Islay by another name’, 216 bottles)

Favourite bang for your buck bottling of the month
January 2019	90	Hazelburn 13 yo 2005/2018 (54.6%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, bourbon barrel, 192 bottles)
Feb. 2019	91	Bunnahabhain 23 yo 1994/2018 (54.8%, Cadenhead, Authentic Collection, bourbon hogshead, 195 bottles)
March 2019	--	None in March
April 2019	90	Highland Park 10 yo ‘Viking Scars’(40%, OB, +/-2018)
May 2019	88	Clynelish 17 yo 1998/2016 (43%, Signatory Vintage, hogsheads, casks #7778+7779)
June 2019	89	Port Askaig 10 yo (55.85%, Elixir Distillers, 10th Anniversary, 10,000 bottles, 2019)
July 2019	89	As we get it (66.1%, Ian McLeod, Highland, +/-2018)
August 2019	90	Orkney 12 yo 2007/2019 (55.5%, North Star Spirits, bourbon hogshead, 370 bottles)
Sept. 2019	91	Creations Blend 22 yo 1996/2019 (45%, Cadenhead, blended malt, bourbon hogshead)
October 2019	90	Highland Park 10 yo ‘Viking Scars’ (40%, OB, +/-2019)
Nov. 2019	89	Balblair 8 yo 2011/2019 (57.8%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, 648 bottles)
Dec. 2019	90	Black Friday 21 yo ‘2019 Edition’ (53.1%, The Whisky Exchange, 1800 bottles)

Favourite malternative of the month
January 2019	90	Grosperrin 32 yo (52.8%, Cadenhead, Grande Champagne, 384 bottles, 2018)
Feb. 2019	91	Jean-Luc Pasquet ‘Très Vieille Réserve’ (44.2%, OB, Grande Champagne, 336 bottles, +/-2017)
March 2019	89	Foursquare 14 yo 2003/2017 ‘Destino’ (61%, OB, Barbados, 2610 bottles)
April 2019	93	Hampden Estate 17 yo 2001/2018 ‘Secret Cask’ (61.3%, Ramseyer’s, Jamaica, 380 bottles)
May 2019	94	Grange Hill Estate ‘Old Jamaica Rum – Crown Brand’ (no ABV, OB, +/-1940?)
June 2019	91	Bellevue 20 yo 1998/2019 (58.8%, Hunter Laing, Kill Devil for The Whisky Barrel, Guadeloupe, 245 bottles)
July 2019	92	Grande Champagne Lot N°25 (42.1%, Jean Grosperrin, 204 litres, 2019)
August 2019	92	Hampden 35 yo 1983/2019 (55.3%, Valinch & Mallet, cask #19-3501R, 237 bottles)
Sept. 2019	90	La Favorite 2016 ‘Rivière Bel’Air’ (53%, OB, Martinique, agricole)
October 2019	91	Neisson 2003/2018 (46.1%, OB, Martinique, agricole, #4 hippocampe, 95 bottles)
Nov. 2019	91	Worthy Park 2017/2019 (67%, OB, for La Maison du Whisky, Jamaica, single cask)
Dec.2019	91	Angostura 16 yo 2003/2019 (55.4%, Single Cask Nation, Trinidad, sherry hogshead, cask #3, 309 bottles)

Lemon Prize of the month
January 2019	39	Glenfiddich 44 yo 1964 (55%, Kingsbury, Japan, hogshead, +/-2008)
Feb. 2019	72	Girvan 12 yo 2006/2018 (60.3%, Cadenhead, World Whiskies, bourbon barrel, 216 bottles)
March 2019	45	Zacapa ‘Edicion Negra Solera Gran Reserva’ (43%, OB, Guatemala, +/-2018)
April 2019	49	Plantation Trinidad ‘Original Dark’ (40%, Plantation, Trinidad, +/-2018)
May 2019	20	Kirin ‘Fuji-Sanroku’ (50%, OB, Japan, +/-2018)
June 2019	49	Glen Breton 14 yo 'Rare' (43%, OB, Canada, single malt, +/-2018)
July 2019	65	Dzama 6 yo (45%, OB, Madagascar, +/-2017)
August 2019	50	Ron Cortez ‘Oro’ (40%, OB, Panama, +/-2018)
Sept. 2019	70	Jura ‘The Sound’ (42.5%, OB, +/-2018)
October 2019	69	Fuji Gotemba ‘Kunpu 2016’ (40%, OB, blend, 4800 bottles)
Nov. 2019	18	Suntory Brandy ‘V.O.’ (37%, OB, Japanese brandy, +/-2019?)
Dec.2019	74	Laphroaig 'Select' (40%, OB, +/-2018)

Serge's overall favourites of 2019...

	< Recent bottling Clynelish 26 yo 1992/2019 (50.1%, Hidden Spirits, cask #CY9219, 193 bottles)
	Older bottling > Springbank 12 yo (Proof, Cadenhead, +/-1965)

	< Bang f. y. buck Highland Park 10 yo ‘Viking Scars’ (40%, OB, +/-2019)
	Malternative > Hampden Estate 17 yo 2001/2018 ‘Secret Cask’ (61.3%, Ramseyer’s, Jamaica, 380 bottles)

Lemon Prize
Kirin ‘Fuji-Sanroku’ (50%, OB, Japan, +/-2018)

Angus's overall favourites of 2019...

	< Recent bottling Clynelish 25 yo 1993/2019 (54.3%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseur’s Choice, refill hogshead, 220 bottles)
	Older bottling > Springbank 12 yo (Proof, Cadenhead, +/-1965)

	< Bang f. y. buck Bruichladdich 8 yo 2010/2019 ‘Bere Barley’ (50%, OB, ex-bourbon American oak)
	Malternative > Domaine Aux Ducs 1933/1985 (45%, Darroze, Bas-Armagnac)

Lemon Prize
Benrinnes 15 yo 2004/2019 (54.8%, Cadenhead, Chilean red wine cask, 252 bottles)