Here we are continuing our look at the best single malt whiskies of 2012 – in this blog we will look at the last 5 in the top 10 single malt whiskies that Fox News reviewed. In our previous blog we looked at Springbank 10 year old from Campbeltown, Royal Lochnagar from the Highlands, Balvenie DoubleWood 12 year old from Speyside, Bunnahabhain 18 year old from Islay and Highland Park 18 year old from the Islands.
5 of the Top 10 Single Malt Whiskies
So here are the last in the single malt top 10 of 2012. Let’s start in the Highland whisky producing region of Scotland.
The Macallan Cask Strength (Highland Scotch whisky)
Single malt whiskies from The Macallan distillery are always associated with top quality Scotch whisky. The quality of whisky demands that the definite article be placed before it. They produce classic Highland single malt whisky with sweet flavours and a slight peatiness to them. One of the best that The Macallan produce is their cask strength single malt. This is finished in sherry casks which makes it very palatable. It’s the more mature brother of the classic Macallan 18 year old whisky.
It is bottled at cask strength 58.8%, so to enjoy it properly then you will definitely need a few drops of highland spring water with it.
If you want to buy The Macallan Cask Strength single malt whisky from the Whisky Exchange, then click on the link.
Scapa 16 Year Old the Orcadian (Islands single malt whisky distillery)
Scapa was founded much earlier on Orkney than Highland Park, and although it’s not been so popular among whisky it has been gaining in popularity of the past few years. This is because of the high quality single malt whisky that they produce. Their best whisky, and on of the top 10 of 2012 is their classic 16 year old “the Orcadian.” This great single malt won the World Whisky Awards in 2012 for best whisky in the 13 to 20 years category. Being near the sea on the wind-swept island of Orkney you get the saltiness from the sea coming through and this combined with light smoke and fresh berries make this a very delicious single malt. It is also unchilled filtered which adds another level to the delicious flavours.
Buy this from the Whisky Exchange for a great price. Just click on the picture.
Glenkinchie 1991 Distillers Edition (Lowlands single malt region)
Single malt whiskies from the Lowlands region of Scotland don’t feature heavily, in fact there are just a few distilleries in the Lowlands. Whiskies from the Lowlands aren’t known for their peatiness but more for their floral light flavours. They are sometimes referred to as the “Lowland Ladies”. This doesn’t mean though that there aren’t some great whiskies – this Glenkinchie 1991 Distillers Edition has earned it’s place in the top 10. This Distillers Edition has grassy (think hay and straw, not grass cuttings), slightly floral and full-bodied spirit. This is an exceptional Scotch whisky from the Lowlands.
There are some great offers just now from the Whisky Exchange, including £100 off the Glenkinchie 1992 Managers choice. Click on the picture for some great Scotch whisky deals.
Lagavulin 12 Year Old Cask Strength (Islay Scotch whisky distiller)
Lagavulin is one of the strongest tasting single malt whiskies in terms of peatiness and complex flavours. It has developed a cult following among whisky drinkers. This cask strength Single Malt delivers a great punch. You can get flavours of peat, sea and salt, tobacco. It has a rich palate with a distinct sweetness coming through. This is a great special edition whisky which has already acheied a loyal following. It has also won many awards in the past, including Silver Medal at the Malt Maniacs Awards in 2009.
Islay whiskies are some of the best single malts that are on the market and Lagavulin is on the top of them.
You can buy this single malt Scotch whisky from the Whisky Exchange by clicking on the picture.
Glenmorangie 18 Years Old “Extremely Rare” (Highland Scotch whisky region)
The production of this Glenmorangie 18 Years Old is a feat in itself, but the results are well worth it. It is matured for 15 years in Bourbon casks. Then some of the whisky is transferred to Oloroso Sherry casks for the last three years to mature. Then the casks are reunited – the result is a smooth single malt whisky with fruity flavours. This Glenmorangie 18 years old has also won many awards, the most recent was last year where it to top prize in it’s category at the World Whisky Awards. It is, as it’s title says, an ‘extremely rare’ whisky from the Highlands.
To buy this fantastic single malt whisky can be bought at the Whisky Exchange. Click on the picture to buy this.
If you want to check out a few more great whiskies from Glenmorangie, then click here.
Single Malt Whisky of 2012
So that rounds it up for another year. What will 2013 bring to the world of single malt whisky? Only time will tell. But we can expect some more great whiskies from Islay, Speyside and the Highlands. What was your favourite single malt of 2012? Let us know below.