Up until two years ago, if I got motivated enough to make a resolution, I'd break it by the end of January. Then I started making whisky-related resolutions. Now its totally different, I make a resolution and I don't break it until after January. See? "Its that little bitty change ... its not the same."
Before I get to this year's resolutions, please let me indulge and recap my two previous New Year's resolutions. In the latter half of 2016 I had focused on enjoying really good whisky and my 2017 resolution codified this practice. I have a natural aversion to anything over $80 and I didn't think I drank more than a bottle a month so I didn't think it would cost that much. But... in May of that year, my wife asked if I know how much I was spending on whisky. So I looked ... and voluntarily put myself on a whisky budget.
Towards the end of 2017 I was feeling like I needed to get back to the basics and re-explore the budget whiskies. In addition, I also had a buy-local bug. The local liquor stores (that I knew of) aren't that great and have the basics up to the full Johnnie Walker line up. So I figured I'd put the two together and make a resolution to only buy from a store I could comfortably walk to. Three things derailed this resolution. The first happened just after I made the resolution - we bought a Costco Membership and we live where Costco sells booze. Big jugs of cheap booze. So... in January I modified my resolution to buy only from the local stores and Costco. It was still going well until two things happened at the end of June. First, I went into the closest liquor store to my house. It was my first time in because it looks so sketchy that I would walk to the one across the street. Turns out after you walk around the false front of bullet proof glass decorated with lottery tickets you are presented with the best bourbon selection of any store I've been in yet. It still wasn't much to look at - "Costco-esque" - but it is a legit store. The Scotch and Irish sections aren't as great, but I did find one of my favorite scotches there that I hadn't seen for a while. With the best bourbon selection I know of and access to Costco, the idea of getting back to basics went out the window along with the rest of my resolution.This year’s resolution is to explore the distilleries, brands, and owners that received honorable mentions in my 2018 Awards. My criteria for awards were simple – award those with the highest ratings for which I tried more than one expression from the distillery/brand/owner. Those with high scores but for which I’ve only tried one expression got honorable mentions. Click here for more details. So… this year I want to try different expressions for each honorable mention. The full list is below and I’ll keep this page updated as I work through the whiskies!
| AnCnoc (Brand) | ✅ | Reason: I've only had a 12 Yr old AnCnoc and I'd want to try something different. Resolution: Tried the Cutter along with a Caol Ila 12 at Jack Rose in DC and was a bit underwhelmed. Compared to the Caol Ila 12 it was a little harsh and the peat was less complex... maybe a little sharper like a cigarette compared to a campfire? That description is a little too pejorative, but the numbers say the AnCnoc Cutter debuted at #233. |
| Bunnahabhain (brand) | ✅ | Reason: Similar to AnCnoc, I've only had the 12 Yr old expression of the Bunnahabhain brand and I'd like to try something new this year. Resolution: Tried the 18 Yr expression at Jack Rose along with Ardbeg Uidigail and a magnificent Willett's. The Bunnahabhain didn't disappoint and had a similar profile as the 12 but was overall better in all the Bunnahabhain notes. I'll definitely be buying more Bunnahabhain in the future. Unfortunately, the Willett's completely blew everything else away took the 18 down a few places. Bunnahabhain 18 debuted at #50. |
| Constellation Brands (Owner) | ✅ | Reason: Constellation Brands owns the High West and Black Velvet brands. I've only had High West so this year I'd like to try some Black Velvet. Resolution: Constellation Brands sold Black Velvet to Heaven Hill leaving High West as the only whisky in Constellation's portfolio. Haven't tried any new High West's this year but I did pick up a Midwinter's Night Dram and a Campfire this year. The Midwinter's Night Dram continued to impress but the Campfire didn't impress me as much and dropped a few places with a loss to Ardbeg 10. |
| Cragganmore (Distillery & Brand) | ✅ | Reason: Similar to AnCnoc and Bunnahabhain... Only had the 12 Yr and want to branch out. Resolution: Picked up a bottle of Cragganmore Distiller's Edition (CggD-6566) and it's absolutely delicious! It's a caramel bomb of a scotch with floral notes in the background. It was my favorite bottle when I opened it and debuted at #22 with a 6-0 record. |
| Filibuster (Owner) | ✅ | Reason: When compiling my 2018 awards, I felt Filibuster hadn't quite proven themselves yet, so I'll try the Boondoggler and see where Filibuster falls next year. Resolution: When I came across a bottle of the Boondoggler for only $21 it was an easy choice to pick it up. This expression was more peppery and rounder than the bourbon and debuted at #154. |
| Gordon & MacPhails | ✅ | Reason: Surprisingly, I've only had one Gordon and MacPhails bottle. I've tried other independent bottlers, but only one GM. Resolution: Had a dram at a bar of a Scapa distilled in 1993 and bottled in 2004. Funny thing though, turns out I've had it before and simply hadn't properly read the bottle! It was at an old haunt that doesn't get a lot of whisky - drinking traffic so I assume it was the same bottle. Or they've just got a stock of it! It's a solid highland and is currently ranked 155 of 357. Before I realized my blunder, picked up a 15 Yr bottle of Mortlach bottled by GM and then packed it away in my whisky chest for storage when moving overseas. So... the resolution hasn't been met yet. |
| Knockdhu (Distillery) | ✅ | Reason: I've only had a 12 Yr old AnCnoc and I'd want to try something different. Resolution: Picked up a 6 Yr old Knockdhu bottled by Carn Mor. A solid speyside with normal speyside apples/pears and some floral notes. Unfortunately, the are also some astringent/cleaner notes that come through late in the palate and carry through to the finish. Overall it's about as average as they get - It debuted at #190 with a normalized score of 52. |
| Mortloch (Distillery) | ✅ | Reason: Ditto the above... have only had one Mortlach. Resolution: Tried an 8 year old expression bottled by Signatory Vintage. Very nice whisky with a good balance of floral and cereal notes. Debuted at #99 in my rankings. |
| Oban (Distillery) | ✅ |
Reason: And again... I've only had the Oban 14 and need to branch out.
Resolution: To earn the check in this box I picked up a bottle of the special release for the Game of Thrones and also tried the Little Bay at a store. The GOT was a solid whisky and well worth the $60 I paid for it. A gentle dose of dark fruit with a little smoke and brine. Thoroughly enjoyed the easy drinking Night's Watch and it is currently sitting at #33. Only had a small sample of the Little Bay and my tasting notes are much like those of the Night's Watch... but more concentrated. It easily beat the bourbons in the tasting and debuted at #100.
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| Rank | Whisk(e)y | Normalized R-rating | Win - Loss | SOS Score | |
| 12 | High West A Midwinter's Night Dram | 89.4 | 46 | 5 | 81.7 |
| 15 | Bunnahabhain 12 | 88.7 | 42 | 7 | 81.1 |
| 22 | Cragganmore Distiller's Edition | 84.7 | 6 | 0 | 85.0 |
| 54 | Bunnahabhain 18 | 77.7 | 5 | 3 | 75.9 |
| 55 | High West Campfire | 77.5 | 23 | 5 | 72.4 |
| 68 | Oban Night's Watch | 74.7 | 25 | 12 | 69.6 |
| 98 | Mortlach 8 (Signatory Vintage) | 66.5 | 4 | 2 | 65.6 |
| 105 | Oban Little Bay | 65.4 | 8 | 5 | 62.7 |
| 155 | Scapa 11 (Gordon & MacPhails) | 57.2 | 6 | 6 | 55.1 |
| 173 | Filibuster Boondoggler Whiskey | 54.1 | 6 | 7 | 52.1 |
| 190 | Knockdhu 6 (Carn Mor) | 51.9 | 3 | 5 | 50.0 |
| 242 | Filibuster Dual Cask Bourbon | 42.2 | 10 | 27 | 42.1 |
| 243 | AnCnoc Cutter | 42.1 | 2 | 8 | 40.7 |
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