Team Dramface Whiskies of 2024
And thank you...
Everyone’s into sharing their Whisky of the Year these days. Opinions are as common as kneecaps.
Still, we decided we’d like to share ours too.
But here’s the thing. Dramface isn’t a single, unified, amorphous thing; it’s a collective. It’s made of of myriad individual writers and enthusiasts located the planet over and, as you might imagine, they all have a different idea about “Whiskies of the year” and what not.
To try to reduce all of that sipping and exploring down to a single bottle or nomination is silly. Especially when we know how varied our readership is too - and how they are already matching their palate preferences with certain writers.
And so, we set our team the trickiest of challenges: serious or fun, you can choose only one, and - be brief!
Much deliberation has ensued and the vast majority of our active team have made a submission. We hope the following covers your Dramface reading for a few days while we take a wee Christmas break…
Get comfy.
Earie Argyle 🇧🇪
Kilkerran 8yo Cask Strength, Sherry Cask Matured Edition, 2024, 57.4% ABV
£65 still some sparse availability
Score: 8/10
Something Special
TL;DR
The one that saved the day
I actually reviewed this one back in July. During that time, I was bouncing back from some serious whisky fatigue and not being able to get as excited or enamoured by whisky as I normally should (or wanted).
As such that wasn’t a bad thing, as it only confirmed to me the principle that I put quality first, rather than the fomo driven ‘gotta catch ‘em all’ approach. But at the time, the rut I found myself into really felt unpleasant as whisky and the community that comes with it has given me so much in so many ways, it almost felt like betrayal. There were three whiskies that really ‘stuck’ with me over the past year and they all crossed my path at exactly the right time to help me fall in love with whisky all over again.
The Armorik 15, the Millstone 10yo rye and this Kilkerran 8 yo. In fact, I loved this one so much, I bought two back up bottles and I shared the hell out of them. What you see in the pic is all that remains of those bottles, which shows how much I enjoyed them.
Jammy, fruity, delight-carrying depth, weight and body while at the same time sparkling and bright. It’s gorgeous stuff. On a personal level it really, really saved the day.
Falling in love with whisky is something wonderful, but when you get to fall in love all over again, it truly is a blessing.
May 2025 be filled with whisky love and goodness to all of you. Cheers!
EA
Ainsley Fife 🇫🇷
What a year this has been! Just a year ago, I’d never written a whisky review. I’ve now contributed 18 articles to this site and, including a few collaborative reviews, totalling 28 tasting notes.
More importantly though, this was the year when I transitioned from a semi solitary whisky enthusiast to a more active member of this online community we’ve all got going. I’ve been to the holy land twice in 2024, including a fantastic first time in Glasgow for the festival back in November, and I’m already wanting to get back again.
Picking a Whisky of The year was tough for me, as I have a hard time picking favourites. I’ve tried hundreds of different whiskies in 2024, and some have impressed me greatly, but when you’re at a festival, you can’t trust yourself 100%, so I decided to stick to a bottle I own.
I toyed with the idea of picking an easily accessible malt that lots of people can get their hands on, but if this is about mentioning my favourite whisky this year, well, I’m sorry. It’s going to be a sold out indie bottling of a lesser seen distillery.
2024 is also the year I joined a whisky club local to me, and this is the bottle I brought at the first gathering I attended, in the scorching heat of July. I’ve since then sent a few samples to friends and also shared it with pals passing by Ainsley Fife headquarters. With the level in the bottle dropping steadily towards its inevitable demise, I’ll keep the last few centilitres for myself and close friends.
My whisky of the year for 2024 is…
Glen Ord 1996, 21yo, Cadenhead’s Authentic collection, Bourbon Hogshead, 252 bottles, all natural, 55.7% ABV
€120 (£103) paid, sold out
9/10
Exceptional.
TL;DR
The best whisky I currently own
Nose
Radish, turnips, along with preserved lemons and waxes galore. Again some fennel, fresh this time, some dried white flowers and a hint of sandalwood. All of that is swimming in truckloads of waxes and set honey.
With water: It comes alive! Way more citrusy, on lemon juice and lime zest, remaining waxy, but cleaner wax (whatever that means).
Palate
Again, waxy, rich, and beautifully honeyed. Adding water has pretty much the same effect as on the nose, unlocking the fruity, citrusy and vegetal freshness. Apple slices and hints of maple syrup. Still those waxes…
The Dregs
Again, I’ve chosen this whisky because it was the best purchase I made in 2024, and it brought me much joy to drink and share it. Don’t view this list of whiskies of the year as a shopping list, it’s actually very self indulgent!
I realise that my notes may downplay the perfectness of this whisky. It is just gorgeous. It’s truly an attention grabber, being so mature yet so fresh. The score reflects how much I love this bottle; especially at the price I paid for it.
I wish you all a Merry Christmas if you celebrate it, and a Happy, Whisky-filled New Year. I hope you’ve been good enough to earn a bottle shaped present under the tree!
AF
Fergus Mackay 🏴
I happened across this whisky at the English Whisky Festival, back in November, and it was the last whisky that I tasted that day.
The second that I put my nose to the glass I knew that it was something special, and since then, it’s gotten better and better. The whisky is made using a combination of Golden Promise, Marris Otter and Laureate barley varieties and was initially matured in ex-bourbon casks, before being transferred to quarter casks, which also held ex-bourbon.
The result is something quite unlike anything else that I’ve tasted before. It’s simply delicious. Not cheap, but worth every penny, in my opinion.
Whittaker’s English Whisky, 2024 First Edition, 48.3% ABV
£73 paid
9/10
Exceptional
TL;DR
Delicious whisky, especially when you consider its relatively young age
Nose
Soft and tropical. Pineapple, melon, mango, apple, strawberries and stem ginger. There’s also some honeysuckle, a light dusting of cinnamon and some cream soda. The most distinctive note, though, is horse cakes (those Liquorice Allsorts that you get that are covered in hundreds and thousands).
Palate
The palate delivers on the nose. It’s soft and hazy, with lavender, liquorice (more of those horse cakes), Grey’s Herbal Tablets and stem ginger. Perhaps the most engaging thing here, though, are the herbaceous notes I’m getting. There’s rosemary, thyme and sage in here, as well as some lemon balm. Just delicious.
The Dregs
This whisky really surprised me. It’s four and a half years old and it’s from a distillery that, just a couple of months ago, I hadn’t heard of. It’s incredible, though. Hands down my whisky of 2024.
FMc
Murdo McAtear 🇭🇰
Picking a whisky of the year (and sticking to it) turned out to be a pretty tough task, because picking one means leaving out a handful of others.
The Ardnahoe inaugural 5 year old takes it when it comes to new distilleries; the new Bruichladdich 18 tops it when considering availability and price (yes, even considering price); the Ardnamurchan AD/10 absolutely kills it when it comes to meeting expectations; Deanston 18 still holds my soul if it comes to permashelf whisky; I’m not the biggest fan of peated whisky, but if I had to pick one, the Port Askaig 17 is a stunner; if we include IBs, the 17 year old Linkwood from this review captured my love this year.
But there was one whisky that had some extra pull due to a more personal connection; it was the highlight of my pilgrimage to Scotland in November and one of my own favourite reviews during my debut year as a Dramface writer. I met lofty expectations, unreasonable expectations from great memories and - most importantly - it was a great bottle of whisky by itself, which opened my eyes to brandy cask maturation and finishing.
My whisky of the year is the Deanston 2012 Lepanto Distillery Exclusive.
Happy Christmas everyone!
Deanston Distillery Exclusive, Lepanto Cask Edition, 2024, 59% ABV
£135 still some sparse availability; distillery only
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
Worth the effort, second time around
Hamish Frasier 🇮🇪
This was a difficult choice to make. It’s like someone asking a parent ‘which child is your favourite?’
It’s been a mixed bag this year for me when it comes to whisky. I had to really think about the drams I had the opportunity to sample and purchase; which was hard. But something rekindled my love for it all.
It’s been such a busy year with the day job, which has hindered my ongoing enjoyment this past year - and my passion for whisky - outside of Dramface. That’s thing I’m going to attempt to do better in 2025; to not get bogged down in the stupid stuff and make sure I take the time to step back and do what I love.
Some of the contenders this year for whisky of the year came in the form of some absolute belters between the Ardnamurchan Golden Promise bottle for The George Hotel; the Seven Sons 11yo Blended Scotch Whisky was excellent and that Balmenach from SMWS (Mouth Watering Melange SMWS 48.156). But the winner, and surprisingly a latecomer for me, was this Glasgow Original Cask Strength Batch 2.
A distillery I am falling in love with more and more with each release and sip. I was blown away by this cask strength batch release, even the Peated version was excellent. There’s grip in this and, for me, utter whisky enjoyment. Fruit for days, it brings complexity and fun in a glass that just keeps you going back for another sniff and sip.
Glasgow 1770 The Original, 2024 Cask Strength Edition, 59.5% ABV
£65 still some availability
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
The dram that made me remember the magic of whisky
I’ll buy another bottle, I’ll probably pour another come Christmas day. And New Years too. It’ll be a distillery I’ll be awaiting each and every release and buying; if my wallet allows.
Here’s to 2025 folks. I hope your whisky glass remains full and the fun bottle chase continues!
Huge thanks to the Dramface team, you wonderful group of whisky geeks. I am very grateful to be included in such a funky bunch with varied and interesting backgrounds.
Cheers everyone, thank you one and all for your support.
HF
Arthur Busby 🏴
From the beginning, again.
This whisky tastes a lot like whisky. That may sound like an insult, but I mean it in the best possible way.
This is a whisky that reminds me of the early times I sipped on single malt, and was just grappling with the basic facts of what it is. It’s a beverage made from malted barley, fermented, distilled, and stuck in some wood for a while to settle down. I was captivated by this slightly sodden, distant cereal character that seemed to be common to most things that weren’t sherry or peat bombs. And I hadn’t tried those yet.
There’s a slightly ineffable quality to that ‘dampness’ (I know water doesn’t smell), or ‘grassiness’ of soft malt whisky. I think this is what people mean when they say something has ‘heather’ on the nose—heather doesn’t smell! But there’s something there, and it’s lovely. There’s a bit of caramel, a bit of barley sugar, and maybe if I’m being adventurous, a bit of cocoa powder. On the palate, it’s balanced, just on the sweet side: think porridge, not pudding. Did I mention this is made from malted barley?
Unnamed Speyside, Ultimate (Van Wees) 2009 Edition, 23/02?09 Distilled, 46% ABV
Availability: secondary only.
Score: 6/10
Good stuff.
TL;DR
Tastes like starting over
This is a very quiet whisky, but one I’ve grown to love. It’s been a rather quiet year for me and whisky too: I’ve enjoyed the history as ever, and have had a great time hearing from some of the blenders that make whisky happen; more of that in the New Year. But in terms of quantity, I’ve probably consumed the least whisky this year since my journey started a few years back. That’s been no bad thing, not only for the obvious reasons, but also because it’s made whisky new again for me.
AB
Ogilvie Shaw 🇺🇸
Very glad to report that some great whiskies have managed their way into my hands this past year. But, there were two surprises that have stood out.
First, a few weeks ago, Eallair, Nick, and I did a Secret Santa exchange of whiskies for a blind tasting (perhaps this might be coming to a Colonials podcast to you in the future). Anyway, Eallair and I were treated to an embarrassment of riches from Nick. One of the drams was a peated marvel that strongly reminded me of some Bunnahabhain distillate I had tried in Warehouse No. 9. I was not able to enjoy this as long as I would have liked – as it was sent as a 2cl sample. But, for those two pours, it was a little slice of heaven that vanished way too soon. I cannot wait to find an Ardnahoe 5yo Inaugural in the wild – and a full 70cl bottle!
The second surprise was a bottle that I had muled to me. I had previously enjoyed another expression from this distillery. In fact, the older expression from ‘23 was a stab in the dark as I had not previously tried their distillate. It opened up well and rather impressed me. And, this summer, when I knew I could fire up the mule network to have a different expression from them landing at my door, I hoped this alternate expression type might be promising.
Lochlea, Our Barley, 2024 Edition, 46% ABV
£65 Wide availability
Score: 7/10
Very good indeed.
TL;DR
Not here for being the best, but for being the biggest surprise
While my 2023 Lochlea Sowing Edition made a solid impression, the Our Barley expression from Lochlea I had delivered this year blew the socks off of its Sowing Edition sibling. The combination of first-fill bourbon, Oloroso sherry, and STR casks with the Lochlea distillate - made from their own barley - magic! Fruity and rich. Perhaps not the best bottle of whisky you will find, but this one surprised me the most, and each time I go back to the ever-lowering fill level of my bottle, I am continually met with more than a bit of joy. Both sample and bottle score a 7/10. I do love a good surprise. Two even better!
Wishing everyone great whisky hunts in 2025!
OS
Broddy Balfour 🇨🇦
The Whisky of the Year moniker carries some weight, and is a damn near impossible thing to pick when whisky is inherently an emotional response amplifier.
If the whisky is good (or bad), we try to remain objective and report it as such, but when it hits a special spot in our psyche, it becomes even harder to remain objective because we want to shout its praises from the highest rooftop.
For me, this WOTY “award”, if you want to call it that, is more of a summation of my 2024 and by that I mean a summation of my activity within my whiskysphere rather than just mind-blowing barley juice alone.
2024 saw the increased interest and involvement within my close friend group. I held a 10 whisky lineup on all things peat; inevitably hooking several of them into this genre of Scotch whisky, with one in particular deep diving into all things organic detritus. We followed this up with a debaucherous evening now dubbed Sherrygeddon, tasting our way through various sherries and corresponding whiskies. What a night that was!
And just two months ago, we held an all-things Campbeltown tasting where we cracked a 2021 and 2024 Victoriana for a side by side (noticeably different BTW), followed by the Glen Scotia 10, Hazelburn 10, Springbank 10, Longrow NAS and Kilkerran 12 core range faceoff. As a region, it's a helluva entry level lineup!
We followed this with a duo of independent Campbeltown blends (ie., Glen Scotia) and a 20 cl Hazelburn handfill before diving in a Glen Scotia 15 and Springbank 15, followed by a Kilkerran 16, Glen Scotia 18 and 22yo Glen Scotia single cask from G&M. But wait, there’s more!
If that wasn’t enough, we went on a cask strength side road with a triple play of Kilkerran heavily peated and a Longrow Red Pinot Noir. Yup, 19 Campbeltown whiskies in a single evening. Bliss.
A local brick-and-mortar store, which I frequent, also set up a locals-only whisky club, with planned events and exciting things to come not just in whisky but also wine and beer. Something for everyone, especially to keep our significant others okay with us ducking out once in a while for some whisky fun. We formed the Colonial Splinter Cell podcast, of which I hope you are enjoying as well. We haven’t recorded a new one in a while (don’t worry, there’s many in the pipeline) and I sincerely miss hanging out with those fine people there.
And lastly, I participated in more whisky tastings in a single year than I have in the past five years, with a massive Benromach tasting, a very old whisky Berry Bros & Rudd tasting, two in-person Millstone tastings headed by Patrick himself, and a Compass Box blend tasting going through various versions of the Hedonism grain whisky and the Four Extinct Blends Quartet, of which this Delos absolutely sung. So much so that I spent some serious money to acquire one for myself to enjoy at a later date. Scoring it from memory, this is an easy 9/10.
Compass Box Delos, Blended Scotch Whisky, 2022 release, 49% ABV
£260 still available
Score: 9/10
Exceptional.
TL;DR
From memory! I’ll review this properly when I get it open
I’m sure I’ll report back when I open this bottle but in the meantime, I’m going to be looking forward to carrying this whiskysphere momentum forward into 2025 as it’s not just always about the whisky in our glass, it’s the people that surround us. Oh, and to top off a great 2024, a dozen friends, some of which are now new friends, have been doing a blind whisky advent calendar in December. With two bottles each contributed to the cause, one a Scotch and the other a “world” whisk(e)y, we’ve been enjoying tasting through 6cl of whisky every night here in December and I’m ecstatic that I’ve guessed 3.5/15 whiskies correctly so far as of writing this, completely blind! Yup, 2024 has been a good year.
All the best, cheers from Broddy!
BB
Gilbert Gunn 🏴
Ok, take in the score then give me and this whiskey a chance to explain…
I fully, unironically (and ironically) love this Bottle in Bond, Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey and hope to convince you by the end of this paragraph that it is as awesome as it looks. In a world where every bottle is a beige label with a mildly interesting typeface this vulgar bombastic throwback stands out, toeing the line between kitsch and bottom shelf spirits. This is a fun whiskey, and for me with possibly the busiest year of my life, fun is something that truly is worth celebrating.
Mellow Corn, Bottled-in-Bond Straight Corn American Whiskey, 50% ABV
£26 paid, wide availability
Score: 7/10
Very good indeed.
TL;DR
’Cause it’s supposed to be fun!
Nose
To the shock of no one, from the name and mash bill the first aroma is of well buttered freshly boiled corn on the cob. But the further you dig, a more herbaceous and sweeter note comes forward. Honey roasted pecans, icing sugar and wet oak.
Palate
The first sip is reminiscent of a vanilla ice cream float but instead of coke, it is the water found in tins of sweetcorn. Though as I typed this it didn’t sound as tasty as it did in my head. There is a sweet malty note of brioche bread rolls, white chocolate coins and a slightly synthetic caramel candy. A mid length finish where the herbs and spices carry the sweetness with a final hint of menthol in its last breath.
With a mashbill of 80% corn, 12% rye and 8% malted barley, this fully natural release from Heaven Hill has a punchy 50% ABV, ticking the specification check boxes for any whisky enthusiast.
Then you match it to the value, the bang for buck is exceptional here. I grabbed this for £26 and it is commonly found around the £30 mark in the UK, and the States often have it even more wallet friendly. So much so, this bottle has currently been left at a friend's place with what I can only assume now is a much lower fill level, but I am not too worried. Though, I would like enough left to do a well earned full Dramface review in the near future.
Happy Christmas!
GG
Drummond Dunmore 🇺🇸🏴
Naming a “Whisky of the Year” brings a bit of pressure in some sense: presumably at least a few other folks will read this and make a judgment on my judgment.
I’d want to pick something that is somewhat available, despite the fact that I’ve had some excellent single cask and very small batch bottles this year. I’d want to go for something that at least some of you, fellow Dramfacers, have had the chance to try. This broad-brush approach leaves out the whisky I rated the most highly this year – my first and only 9/10, so far – a simply stunning Golden Promise barley single cask release from a certain west coast distillery, of which only some dregs remain.
This approach also leaves out things like the superb 28 year old Glentauchers from Chorlton Whisky at the Aqvavitae Barflies gathering in Glasgow a few months back. A whisky that - with a single dram in a rammed and boisterously convivial pub - showed me something that I’ve rarely encountered in the relatively few significantly aged drams I’ve had: that they can be magnificent, and that an aged Speysider can blow out of the water tired, woody, dullness from the likes of Bowmore, Ardbeg, and other 20+ year old drams I’ve tried recently that made me grateful to the Whisky Gods that I didn’t open my wallet for.
This approach to WOTY also probably leaves out a range of very small batch and single cask bottles from what is my Distillery of the Year, Glasgow Distillery. Try something – anything – from them if you can.
Finally, this approach also leaves out the simple pleasure of receiving from a friend a sample of something nondescript but unexpected, surprising, and enjoyable. That sample that you think you know without trying it. Which, of course, you don’t. I didn’t.
So, where does this leave things? To circle back to where nearly all roads seem to lead at some point or another: to Campbeltown. To the distillery down the street from everyone’s favourite, which only runs a few months a year. To Glengyle, and to their simply magnificent 8 year old Cask Strength Sherry Cask Release 2024.
Kilkerran 8yo, Cask Strength, Sherry Cask Release, 2024, 57.4%
£65 sold out but worth hunting
Score: 9/10
Exceptional.
TL;DR
Another absolute banger form Campbeltown’s part-timer
Earie and I must be sharing a brain and a palate here, as his review earlier this year was a great take on this absolute banger. This stuck around for a little while after its release, at least here in the UK, so my hope is that some of you have had this and have enjoyed it as thoroughly as I have been. Dirty, filthy, sweet, savoury, smokey, funky, fruity complexity delivered with a punch-in-the-face power. I’m on my second bottle, which rarely happens. I love it.
If you’re reading this: thank you. Thank you for coming back to Dramface to read this motley crew of punters’ opinions on whisky. Thank you for supporting independent voices in the Whisky-verse. Thank you for your lively comments and engagement. We love all of it.
Kilkerran 8 year old Sherry Cask Release 2024: 9/10
Writing for Dramface: 10/10
All of you, our supporters: 100/10
DD
Dougie Crystal 🏴
My whisky of the year, surprise surprise, is an Ardnamurchan, and probably one that you expect.
This arrived to me quite late in the party, with a quick dram at the Bon Accord on Friday of the Glasgow Whisky Festival (thanks Rolfy) being my only experience with this whisky until late December.
I had originally planned to celebrate the Sauternes Cask Release as my whisky of the year - released to very little fanfare in August and absolutely wonderful, but as soon as I tried the neck pour of my own AD/10 I knew it would have to be this.
Not just because it’s astonishing whisky, using significant quantities of Paul Launois stock alongside other 10yo bourbon matured stock, and demonstrating that Ardnamurchan are happy to let loose casks of exception for the greater good. But also because of what it signifies for Ardnamurchan. This is the line in the sand. They’ve reached the point where there’s going to be significant, dialled in, primo casked older stock available for Ardnamurchan to play with, and for us to explore.
Score: 8/10
Something Special.
TL;DR
This is the moment where Ardnamurchan moves from sensational upstart, to tickling the legendary status.
Nose
Big wave of fresh cedarwood and a bit of redness despite no sherry influence. Lush! Bit of chips - oven and potato. Petrichor. Bit of plasticine. Hint of mint. Fresh AF. Bit earthy. Dark cherry - Black Forest Gateaux. Peppery sugar - candy floss. Yum! Tropical smorgasbord. Vinyl Records. Chamomile. Yeasty. Bready. Biscuits. Oaty biscuits. Coastal everything.
Palate
Chamomile. Yeasty. Reminds me of Geery White Port. Sour spice and salt spray. Chili & cinnamon fading to a bready, yeasty, biscuity note. Natural honey on porridge. Wine quality - astringency. Thick. Chewy. Honeyed cashews. Fabric shop. Magic in a glass. Definitive.
Full review and pretty pictures here.
The Ardnamurchan flywheel is approaching full speed. We just need to hold on! Roll on 2025!
DC
Eallair MacColl 🇺🇸
When Wally put out the call for a Dramface WOTY, I first thought: How wild is it for me to be this far along in my Whisky Journey to actually pick out my very own, very first WOTY?
Then I paused for a moment to reflect on if I felt like I was genuinely qualified to have my own WOTY.
When I look back and retrace my year in whisk(e)y, I’m reminded of so many astoundingly good drams. I’ve gone from being square down the Single Malt Scotch Whisky aisle in 2022 and 2023 to pushing out in all kinds of directions this year. I’ve found a distiller who put it all on the line to revive a form of distillation that’s been lost to the dustbin of history for over a century -it also just so happened to be a rye that I actually liked.
Similarly, I found a bourbon that raised an eyebrow or two and gave me hope for a corner of the whiskeyverse that I normally ignore. I’ve thrown myself headlong into the American SIngle Malt rabbit hole and am finding some sold gold nuggets. And last, bringing back to Scotch - I’ve had some mind-bending Single Malts that set the bar for flavour exploration very high.
After looking back now I’m far less worried if I’ve come far enough to pick a WOTY for myself and more worried about the prospect of narrowing it down to one. So, for the sake of transparency, I am going to leave out anything that’s a sample size. I will, however, highlight a few honorable mentions.
Here goes…
My best Bourbon of The Year: You’ll have read all about this one in yesterday’s Dramface review, but this honourable mention goes to Widow Jane’s Baby Jane heirloom Bourbon.
My best sample sized American Single Malt Whiskey: Probably goes to Whiskey Del Bac’s Classic Bottled in Bond (4 year). This was, to me, what every Del Bac should start with. Sublime, mature (for ASMW and especially for Arizona), unctuous, licorice laden, and simply delicious. Almost if Springbank had a little, unpeated, sibling.
My best and only memorable Rye of The Year: Leopold Bros. Blended 25th Anniversary. Simply delicious and rewrote what I can expect from rye whiskies.
My best sample size Single Malt Scotch Whisky of The Year: This is a toss-up between several. This summer I had a chance to share a dram of Bruichladdich’s Black Arts (no idea which) with my graduating class of Whisky Somm’s at the Wizard Academy in Austin, Texas. Other worthy mentions: Ardnahoe’s Inaugural - holy smokes that was shockingly good. Ardnamurchan’s ArdnAmerica 2024… what more can be said about that hasn’t already been said. I finally had my first Springbank 10 this year (feels like an unlocked achievement). In addition to all these, Tom Oetinger pulled out all the stops and hosted a small but significant blind tasting for me. My favourite from the evening: an Elements of Islay Cask Edit: Bourbon/Sherry. 2024 also saw my first SMWS’s, my first Glen Scotia 15 and 18, the 2024 OSWA winning Bunnahabhain 12 Cask Strength, and so many more.
But the king of the Sample Sized hill for me was the Longrow Red. That was a whisky that bent my mind into new shapes. Certainly one of the best whiskies I’ve ever had from anyone, anywhere.
Alrightwith the honourable mentions out of the way, let’s get down to business. When I look back at all the bottles I either brought home this year (either purchased or gifted) or finished this year - one in particular stands out above the rest.
Benromach 15yo, Official Bottling, 43% ABV
US$55 paid, but…
Broddy and I have bantered a bit back and forth between which OB Benromach stands out. He tends to vote for the original 10, but I still can’t shake the gravity of the 15 year old.
Score: 7/10
Very good indeed.
TL;DR
Priced to take my money at $55 USD. But, at $100? TBD
Nose
The 15’s added sherry finishing brings a dimensionality that wraps all my favourite things together into one whisky: peat, ex-bourbon, and ex-sherry. It’s like a reformulated Ardbeg Uigeadal that turns down the peat, rounds out the edges, and adds some funk. Sweet toffee, dried fruits, and savoury. Some dirty Campbeltown’ian funkyness that I love.
Palate
For a 43% whisky, this punches above its weight. Dark chocolate. More of that funkyness, now turned up a notch. Everything on the nose is now layered together like sheets of filo dough with smokey, malty, jammy candies in between that can be teased out on each sip. This whisky can be enjoyed for hours.
The Dregs
I picked up this bottle at $55 USD somewhere near the beginning of the year. The fact that it was only $10 USD more than the ten year old still boggles my mind. I haven’t seen it at that price since. In fact, it currently sits at almost $100 USD which sadly removes it from my “permashelf” list. At $55 USD this was a belter at a budget price. The quasi-Campbeltown-funk in combination with the dried fruits of a good sherry finish and the sweet maltyness of the distillate backed by some ex-bourbon casks all come together for something special. Will I buy it again? Yes. Well probably. We’ll see what more exploration of the American Single Malts can bring…
EMc
Aengus McCloud 🇨🇦
As 2024 draws to a close, I take the last dram from my whisky of the year.
A Craigellachie that perfectly fits what my idea of the ideal whisky should be. It wasn’t with me for long because frankly, once opened, I didn’t drink much else.
Like many, I drank a lot less in 2024, and bought much less than I drank. Newly married life, a more serious job, and a new obsession (coffee! Trust me, as a hobby it’s exactly like whisky, but moderately more productive) all took some of the space that my usual whisky drinking would. All being said, I'm happier than I have been in a long time and have a lot to be thankful for.
And then, this single cask Craiggie, bottled for a Canadian shop, slipped in perfectly with what my life and preferences are at the moment. A little fancy to be treating it as a regular drinker, but now going into 2025 we know that warehouses are bursting with whisky. It’s not great for those who make their living in the industry, but for drinkers we no longer have to be precious about our precious bottles because finding a suitable replacement is getting easier.
Whisky Sponge, 20yo Craigellachie, Refill Barrel, Bottled for Kensington Wine Market, 53.4% ABV
CA$220 (£120) Paid
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
Once opened, I didn’t drink much else
Nose
Sweet and tropical. Honey, apricot, powdered sugar, and whipped cream. Lurking under the sweet surface, a very slight dusty funk that hints at a more serious edge. A grassy outline frames the nose.
Palate
Barley sugar, cereal sweetness. Thick and viscous. Like a bowl of cheerios in heavy cream, but with some grip. It grips the tongue in that captivating way that only certain whiskies manage to do. It’s simple, really. In an elegant way. A real drinker and a masterclass in texture, it doesn’t have any of the thick meatiness that I find in OB Craigellachie, mainly the 13 year old, but also the 17. Lemons and a creamy finish that brings you back in for another sip.
Happy Holidays Dramfacers and here’s to a fantastic 2025 ahead!
AMc
Ramsay Tavish 🏴
Most years when we get to December I have a clear stand out whisky, or perhaps a couple of stand outs which are clear and obvious contenders for my whisky of the year.
This time around I have had to ponder much harder. I have been fortunate to drink a lot of great whisky, but sadly nothing that has grabbed me by the unmentionables and truly excited me like 2023’s Kilkerran 16 year old.
The one that may linger longest in my memory was an unassuming bottle of Glenlossie bottled by Carn Mor. It was a single cask 10 year old bourbon hoggy that Seve brought along to share at the Glasgow for the Aqvavitae blind tasting event. There was something about the olives and greasy chip paper on the nose and sweet tropical fruits on the palate that sang to me. I doubt I will ever see a bottle of it, but I will keep an eye on the auctions. I could give it my whisky of the year, but I am going to go for something I have had a complete bottle journey with.
I have searched back through my camera roll to jog my memory of this past year, and between the excessive picture taking of my daughter I was able to come up with some notable mentions.
For value you’d have to give a shout out to the Thompson Brothers North Highland Blended Malt. Glasgow Distillery keeps bringing out excellent whiskies and they are my producer of the year, with the recently released Peated Cask Strength Batch 02 a bottle I keep reaching for. Loch Lomond’s distillery editions and the pair of Aqvavitae single cask releases continue to display how fantastic (well made) whisky in simple ex-bourbon casks can be. Circumstance distillery came firmly onto my radar in 2024 and I am excited to see what they release in 2025 and Scapa finally gave us whisky we could be enthused about again.
However, my whisky of the year pick would be Benromach’s Cask Strength. I have tried enough of these releases to know you can’t go wrong whichever you pick, but the 2013 Batch 01 has been the one I have been loving in 2024. It’s delicious whisky.
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
Another cask strength cracker from Benromach
Happy Christmas everyone and all the best for your 2025!
RT
Calder Dune 🇦🇺
2024 was the year I bid adieu to my scattergun; being that I played it safe, I played it fine, and I kept to the rivers and lakes of whisky that I’m used to.
Looking back the diversity of my bottle purchasing was stuck to about six or seven different distilleries; all scotch whisky. My love for the dram has not softened but perhaps my zest for exploration and adventure is not as strong as in previous years. My palate has settled into a comfort zone of peat, fruit, funk and wormtubs; meaning Islay, Campbeltown and burly Highland malts are what’s taking rent in my spirit safe.
Heavily sherried and winey whiskies have taken the backseat, as excess tannins, sulphur and saccharine malts have become too cloying to enjoy. It is with all of this said that my whisky of the year is the painfully predictable yet utterly remarkable Bunnahabhain Mòine Fèis Ìle from earlier this year. It is the annual release I look forward to the most and get almost no matter what the specs or price. The whiskies at Bunnahabhain are becoming increasingly premiumised, there’s no avoiding that, dressed up with tassels and a dearer price tag to really become more than what is genuinely being offered.
Despite being put on this reflective pedestal I would advise readers to explore peated Bunnahbhain (often labelled Staoisha but also occasionally Mòine) from the indie offerings. They are often decently priced (depending on the indie themself) and almost always solid to excellent, at least for my peat-pilled palate.
Why then have I gone with this whisky? A £199 pound chunk off the credit card, that in all realms of sense should really have a quarter of its price shaved off.
Bunnahabhain Fèis Ìle 2024, 19 Year Old Mòine Madeira Cask Finish, 51.2% ABV
£199 - yeah I paid too much
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
Mòine Fèis Ìle continues to deliver
Well it’s bloody good whisky, and it achieves that sublime balance of peat, distillate and cask influence, nothing dominates too much, with all parts playing in symphony to become quite the characterful dram. You can read my in depth review and notes, but as I sip this again with a few days left until Christmas, it is a rich fragrant bouquet of smoked fish, exotic spices, and nutty desserts.
This is neither a peat bomb nor a decadent dessert, it is a perfect amalgamation of the raptures from various different styles in whisky. Although I’m not too excited about the price points of where owners CVH Spirits may be taking my desired spirit, I have to doff my cap to the brilliant Julie Anne Fernandez-Thomson who continues to pick and blend casks for this release that somehow can achieve better heights than the majority of single cask offerings from indies.
So although I end this year cherishing my favourites, I’m going to try and keep the door open for whatever new whisky wonders await me in 2025, cheers to you all!
CD
Nick Fleming 🏴🇺🇸
2024 was a good whisky year with plenty of highlights – first trip to Campbeltown with everything that entailed, lots of great tastings, the London Whisky Show and I enjoyed some truly sublime drams. And all of it was woven together with a large dose of conviviality and community.
This whisky thing is kinda fun!
The other thing that happened this year is that I found myself contributing to Dramface. So to any and all that have been kind enough to read my witterings, and even to comment on them, I’d like to offer my heartfelt thanks. And I promise to try to do better next year.
Now – to the difficult bit.
The notion of trying to choose one singular Whisky of my Year is basically a kind of low-grade torture. I find choosing one as “the best” to be nigh on impossible. But if it’s a dilemma, it’s a pretty nice one to have, so I’ve decided to embrace the fact that I will probably change my mind as soon as I’ve submitted this, and simply choose one of the front-runners and be damned.
Honorable mentions have to go to a host of Ardnamurchans (without doubt my Distillery of the Year – but that’s a different question). I would happily have chosen the Sauternes Cask release, the recent (and first) 10 year old or any of the Golden Promise bottlings that I’ve enjoyed. Or the latest ArdnAmerican release. Every one of them is superlative.
Less obviously, it could have gone to another Ardna. Ardnahoe’s 5 year old Inaugural Release, which came out of the gate as an absolute belter that could easily have been confused for a 14 year old Caol Ila. Remarkably good whisky that really made an impact on me and which promises much for what’s to come for Islay’s newbie distillery.
But my actual choice for this year’s WOTY is one that I bought a few years ago at retail and which I somehow didn’t get around to opening until this year. It’s the Kilkerran Cask Strength 8 year old 2021 Batch 5 release at 56.9%, which is one of the very best whiskies I’ve yet tasted.
Kilkerran 8 Year Old, Cask Strength, 2021 Release, Batch 5, 56.9% ABV
Sold out - secondary only.
Score: 9/10
Exceptional.
TL;DR
Magnificent!
This bottle has made a profound impression on me. I’ve continually come back to it, shared it with numerous friends – “because you have to taste this!” – and have even tracked down a couple more bottles at auction to avoid the tragedy of running out.
Dougie shared his take on this magnificent dram here – and there’s a lot in that review that aligned perfectly with what I love about this whisky.
Nose
Earthy, oily and a little bit fungal. Burnt treacle, charred orange, pine resin and dark, jammy fruits. A touch of black pepper and some molasses.
Palate
This is like licking the particularly delicious floor of a mechanics workshop. It’s dirty, grubby, sulphurous and chewy. Damp matchbox. There’s the very darkest of brown sugar, roasted walnuts and more burnt treacle. And bitter, barbecued orange. The pepper on the end comes in a wave before ebbing away – and is maybe mixed with some kind of dark chocolate chilli. A night out with this whisky would be a lot of fun.
The longer you sit with this dram, the more you find. It’s hugely characterful with loads going on.
The Dregs
This whisky is – to my mind anyway – a spectacular example of what a sherry-matured dram can be. It couldn’t be further from the sweet and syrupy (and often bland) sherried offerings that are so often targeted to the mass market. This is more challenging and more rewarding at the same time. Hugely characterful, ballsy and mucky. Memorably good.
May your ’25 be marked by encounters with whisky this good and with the people you’d most like to share it with.
Be healthy, be happy and here’s to better times!
NF
Wally Macaulay 🏴
Whit a year!
Despite this year doing what years do: whizzing by far too quickly and bringing all sorts of new challenges, the Dramface year has been staggeringly positive. We enjoyed another pretty amazing whisky year; full of ups and downs, with lots to comment upon and lots to participate in.
As for us, the whisky enthusiasts - the writers and readers of Dramface - we shared our opinions in the articles and comments as things unfolded; it’s all there for posterity and anyone who cares to come along and have a wee look. It’s 100% independent, genuine feedback and consumer perspective on - and for - an industry that is fuelled by passion.
And we really do hope we bring value to the punter, because you - the whisky customer - is always our focus. But we also hope that we offer another data point, another metric of valuable feedback for product developers, marketers, blenders, strategists and those in authority - not just from our ramblings and daily opinion, but the dearth of interesting comments and informed perspectives and reaction from those in our comments section. They bring a unique and honest daily value - to anyone who cares.
Before I hop to my whisky of 2024 nomination, I’d like to thank everyone who helped this site double in the last year. We welcome thousands upon thousands of you each month; you like, comment and share and you make this wee digital whisky space feel alive. There are even some of you who step up to make sure it survives. We don’t give our paying members a lot in return but make no mistake; without you, Dramface wouldn’t be here today. A heartfelt thank you. Because of you, we continue.
If you have made it this far in this pretty epic summary of whiskies for 2024, I hope you noticed the sheer diversity of our epic team - located all over Planet Whisky. Perhaps you may have even noticed how familiar you are with them and, if not, how familiar you are likely to become as you take in their individual exploration each day.
Speaking for myself, I am eternally grateful to them in building what Dramface has become over the last 34 months. They are an amazing team of individuals that I am privileged to have as whisky friends. I am as excited about 2025 as I was about our first year. Long may that continue!
And now, finally, my whisky contribution.
Bruichladdich 18yo, Official bottling, Re/Define 2024 Release, Various batches, 50% ABV
£150 widely available
Score: 8/10
Something special.
TL;DR
Brilliant whisky. Expensive? Yes, but I bought a second and (I think!) there’s a third under the tree
If any of you read my review back in February, you’ll know how I felt about this whisky.
I need to be honest, it’s grown in stature since then. It is one of the prettiest whiskies on my shelf and the easiest to reach for. I replaced my original reviewed bottle with another of the same batch, and I currently have a new bottle here for Christmas of what’s likely to be a newer batch. I’m not allowed my hands on it until Christmas Day so I really hope the quality has been maintained, but I’m assured that’s the case.
£150 is a lot of money to spend on anything, and an inordinate amount to spend on a bottle of booze. But that’s to do this particular bottle a disservice. It’s not just a bottle of booze. It is, quite frankly, exquisite.
I hope you find yourself a quiet moment or two of reflection and comfort over the coming days and, should that be the case, I hope something as worthy as this is accompanying you.
If you find yourself in the mood, you can head over to the Dramface YouTube page where you’ll find a wee Christmas Day gift from Gregor and the team; a Christmas video episode of the podcast. Chocolate optional.
Wishing you all the very best over Christmas and New Year and thank you for everything you’ve helped us achieve in 20124.
We look forward to welcoming you back in 2025!
We do, indeed, continue. But for now, we rest.
Happy Christmas!
WMc
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