welcome to the fifty best spirits of 2005

 

              The Fifty Best   Presents

 

Wine Enthusiast Magazine
50 Best Spirits of 2005

Page 2  - SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

Cragganmore
Rare Edition 10-Year-Old Sherry Cask
Natural Cask Strength
Speyside
Single Malt Whisky
(Scotland; Diageo USA, Stamford, CT)
60.1% abv,  $150.  96100
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
Only 2,100 bottles for the U.S. Aromas of grapes, toffee, Sherry cask, ripe tropical fruit, meringue, egg whites and cocoa butter. Palate entry focuses on the honey/Sherry tag-team while the midpalate displays sublime butter cream, dark caramel and peanut butter tastes that thrill the taste buds. Ends up maple-like, with a backnote of white chocolate. The finest Cragganmore I’ve ever tasted.

    Cragganmore

 _________   
  T     H     E    
  F   I   F   T   Y   
  B_E_S_T  
  H O T L I N K   

Glenmorangie
Tain L’Hermitage
Wood Finish Northern Highlands
Single Malt Whisky
(Scotland; Brown-Forman Spirits, Louisville, KY)
46% abv,  $200.  96100
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
Limited availability. The nosing passes find aromas of hard wood and worn leather with succulent notes of oak resin, nut loaf, light toffee and citrus. The palate entry is focused, winey and lusciously sweet; midpalate adds bittersweet flavors of caramel, nougat, candy bar and sap. Concludes elegantly, sweet, integrated and tight.

 

Springbank
32-Year-Old Campbeltown
Single Malt Whisky
(Scotland; Preiss Imports, Ramona, CA)
45% abv,  $750.  96100
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
Sweet oak, sawdust, linseed oil aromas upfront; following further aeration resiny/oaky, leathery/cowhide-like aromas mesh perfectly. The palate entry is balanced, semisweet, lean and outdoorsy; at midpalate the flavor profile suggests tastes of pork sausage, bacon fat, almond oil, suet and malted barley. Finishes clean, balanced and a touch warm on the tongue.

   _________ 
    T     H     E  
    F   I   F   T   Y  
    B_E_S_T 
    H O T L I N K  

 _________   
  T     H     E    
  F   I   F   T   Y   
  B_E_S_T  
  H O T L I N K   

The Balvenie
Thirty Speyside
Single Malt Whisky
(Scotland; William Grant & Sons, New York, NY)
47.3% abv,  $499.  96100
CLASSIC / Highest Recommendation
Bouquet offers hints of mead, almonds, pencil eraser, coffee grounds, pork and old leather. Palate entry is intensely resiny, smoldering warm and waxy; at midpalate, taste explosions of honey, oloroso Sherry, dark caramel, hard cheese, malted milk and Christmas pudding treat the taste buds to an extraordinary library of flavors. Ends deliciously sweet and honeyed. The best Balvenie I’ve ever reviewed.

Arran
Single Sherry Cask/Cask Strength
Isle of Arran
Single Malt Whisky
(Scotland; Artisanal Distillates, Prairie Village, KS)
57.3% abv,  $79.  9095
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
Isle of Arran Single Malt Whisky ; 57.3% abv, $79. First nosing seems green and vegetal, with a background trace of sea salt; further time stirs additional scents, including wet sand, green olives and linseed oil. Palate entry is lightly honeyed and caramel-like; by midpalate, the Sherry influence is in full bloom as succulent flavors of dark caramel, black tea leaves, nougat, treacle and marzipan thrill the palate. Finishes sweet, plucky and heady.

   _________ 
    T     H     E  
    F   I   F   T   Y  
    B_E_S_T 
    H O T L I N K 

 _________   
  T     H     E    
  F   I   F   T   Y   
  B_E_S_T  
  H O T L I N K   

Glen Garioch 1958
46-Year-Old Natural Cask Strength
Eastern Highlands
Single Malt Whisky
(Scotland; White Rock Distilleries, Lewiston, ME)
43% abv,  $2,600.  9095
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
Only 43 bottles for the U.S. Spearmint, shale, wet cement, light toffee, gum, white pears, cigarette ash, bay leaves and pineapple in the nose. Palate entry is earthy-floral, herbal, and dry to off-dry; at midpalate the taste profile shows flavors of dry malt cereal, oak, vanilla bean cocoa bean, and nougat. Ends up off-dry to bittersweet, balanced, intensely cereally.

Glenfarclas 105
Cask Strength Speyside
Single Malt Whisky
(Scotland; Sazerac Company, New Orleans, LA)
60% abv,  $75.  9095
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
The alluring opening aroma offers scents of plum pudding, mince pie and dark caramel; aeration reveals notes of roasted chestnut, beeswax, pork sausages, old saddle leather and vanilla wafer. The entry is prickly, but sweet and sappy; at midpalate large flavors of dark caramel, oloroso Sherry, vanilla cream and dark chocolate are added. Concludes with deep flavors of sweet oak, toffee and butter cream. Luscious.

    _________ 
    T     H     E  
    F   I   F   T   Y  
    B_E_S_T 
    H O T L I N K 

  

Lombard Bunnahabhain 1979
Islay
Single Malt Whisky
(Scotland; Jim Beam Brands, Deerfield, IL)
50% abv,  $170.  9095
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
First aromas are deep and woody; after six minutes of additional aeration seductive notes of sautéed butter, roasted asparagus and scorched vegetation emerge. Palate entry is focused, meaty and mildly salty/briny; at midpalate flavors of buttered walnut, nougat and fudge contribute to an engaging mouth experience. Concludes moderately salty/seaweedy and toasty.

The Dalmore
21-Year-Old Northern Highlands
Single Malt Whisky
(Scotland; Fielding & Jones, Ltd., Deerfield, IL)
43% abv,  $70.  9095
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
A superb and complex bouquet with aromas of old leather, palm oil and cigar tobacco with deeper layers of spice, caraway seed, black pepper, dry malt and oak. The palate entry is buttery, medium-bodied and stunningly toffee-like; at midpalate the flavor goes mildly citrusy, creamy and bittersweet. Finishes with flavors of barley and maple.

   _________ 
    T     H     E  
    F   I   F   T   Y  
    B_E_S_T 
    H O T L I N K   

Glenlivet     

The Glenlivet
15-Year-Old French Oak Reserve
Speyside
Single Malt Whisky
(Scotland; Pernod Ricard USA, White Plains, NY)
40% abv,  $50.  9095
SUPERB / Highly Recommended
First whiffs pick up scents of fresh pineapple, cedar and paraffin; later sniffings detect subtle notes of baked pear and sweet oak. Palate entry features a firm, moderately oily and velvety texture; by midpalate, integrated flavors of ripe peach, pear drops and bran delight the taste buds. Finish is extended, semisweet and coconut-like. Replaces the 12-year-old French Oak finish.


Wine Enthusiast        Top of page

next page
Next page

Cognac / Armagnac  |  Whiskey / Bourbon

Rum / Tequila  |  Vodka / Gin

Brandy / Liqueurs

Toronto   Champagne     Homepage     Links     50 Best Wines

Best Spirits of 2004   |   Best Spirits of 2006

Revised: 02/05/07.
Webpage layout, design, background and revisions - ©2004-06, Doorways To Cyberspace Ltd.     webmaster@thefiftybest.com
Text - Copyright ©2005, Wine Enthusiast.   All Rights Reserved.
URL: http://www.thefiftybest.com/index.htm