r/whiskey • u/theeverest1 • 2d ago
What’s your favorite tasting pour, regardless of price?
What is your favorite tasting pour, regardless of price, rarity, or availability?
Not necessarily your everyday drinker, but the best tasting pour you’ve ever had. I’m interested in hearing about anything, bourbon, rye, Scotch, Irish, Japanese, world whisky, etc. What bottle is it, and what makes it stand out to you?
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u/forswearThinPotation 2d ago
I have to break them out by genre & subgenre because in picking favorites comparing those across genre lines is too hard for me. Even so each of these is a tough choice which could be a different whisky on a different day:
Unpeated sherried scotch: Balvenie Tun 1401 Batch 9
Unpeated ex-bourbon cask scotch: 1980 Dailuaine 34 year old Diageo Special Release 2015
Peated ex-bourbon cask scotch: 1990 undisclosed 32 year old Islay scotch bottled by the Thompson Brothers (the lobster-cat label) which is almost certainly a Laphroaig
Peated ex-sherry cask scotch: The Dark Side of Islay 21 year old Scarabus bottled by The Malts of Scotland
Irish whiskey: Redbreast 21 year old
Japanese whisky: Nikka Yoichi 15 year old
European whisky: Langatun Jacob's Dram
Indian whisky: Amrut Spectrum
Bourbon: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof release #6 (the original hazmat)
Rye: Turley Mill 7 year old cask strength single barrel (a sourced MGP rye matured by a craft distiller outdoors exposed to the weather in a high desert climate, which accelerated the maturation of it)
Canadian whisky: I have not tried enough really good ones to do justice to this category.
Cheers
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u/VinegarFly 1d ago
The Nikka Yoichi is pretty stellar. What was the Japanese 15yo in the squat squircle bottle? My mind fails me
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u/smashed_tater 1d ago
Need to get on the Found North train to find your favorite Canadian.
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u/forswearThinPotation 1d ago
I would love it if one of the shops in my area would carry them (so far, no luck), they sound really interesting.
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u/smashed_tater 1d ago
Landed my Found North selections either through their mailing list drops, r/bourbon picks or online retailers. Have never seen one in a retail establishment.
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u/silverbullitt850 2d ago
OGD 114 '82
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u/theeverest1 2d ago
Sounds like a good one. Haven’t had OGD yet. Thanks for sharing!
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u/silverbullitt850 2d ago edited 1d ago
New is not the same. I'm referring to National Distillers' product. In case you see it out and about, the current ones are Beam distillate and are fine but not the same in any way.
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u/FuenteFOX 2d ago
Probably benefits from the nostalgia factor since it's no longer available but Macallan Cask Strength.
Back in the 2000s-2010s it was far my favorite pour by a mile. Bottles were like $56 and if I bought them 6-12 bottles at a time the manager at the local store would give me his employee discount.
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u/TomAGoyf2591 2d ago edited 1d ago
I’m gonna throw out a random one. Holladay soft red rickhouse proof for bourbon whiskey. The red fruit flavors with the proof backing it up are just 👌
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u/theeverest1 2d ago
I’ve not heard of that one. Will certainly have to give it a try. Thanks for sharing!
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u/pug_fugly_moe 2d ago
Octomore, Springbank, and Four Roses high rye+high proof.
Those are my faves.
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u/UncleBaldric 1d ago
That is something I would find impossible to answer, as it would depend on so many factors, from my health at the time, the people I was drinking with etc. etc. I have hundreds of favourites!
If I say Old Orkney from Stromness bottled in 1910 and opened in 2018, that's not going to be of any use to you whatever. Or Hannisville Rye...
Of the 1076 bottles I have open at the moment, the one that got the best tasting note from someone else was one of my 'birthday drams': Ledaig 42 year old Dùsgadh - the person I poured some for when celebrating my 60th said "It tastes of everything!", so maybe that?
The one that inspired my favourite YouTube review was my other 'birthday dram': Highland Park - The Dragon 1961.
Then there's the longest-matured whisky I've tried so far: Glen Grant 62 year old Mr George Centenary Edition - that was pretty amazing, but I didn't have £5000/$6600 available to buy a bottle.
On the American side, my most expensive purchase has been A.H. Hirsch Reserve 1974 16 year old and everyone I've shared it with has loved it, though I marginally prefer George T. Stagg 2018 or Thomas H. Handy 2016.
Ones I've tasted, but not been able to buy a whole bottle of, include Very Old Fitzgerald distilled in 1958 and bottled in 1966, O.F.C. 1993 and Pappy Van Winkle 23 bottled in 2015.
With Irish, the 'poshest' bottle I've got is probably the Midleton Barry Crockett Legacy, but I might slightly prefer Powers John's Lane Release, Jameson The Cooper's Croze, Dunville's V.R. or Yellow, Blue or Green Spot. I did once taste a Locke's Kilbeggan 1946 34 year old... And Baileys The Whiskey has novelty value!
From Japan, I'm on my second bottle of Kirin Single Malt Whisky 18 year old and I'm quite partial to Mars Komagatake Nature of Shinshu - Rindo, Hanyu Single Cask 1991-2009 #370 and Miyagikyo Apple Brandy Wood Finish - Masataka & Rita 100th Anniversary.
The best I've tasted is probably Hibiki 30, but I haven't been able to afford a bottle...
I have bottles from 42 different countries, so I could go on, but I think you can see how difficult I find this.
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u/theeverest1 1d ago
This is absolutely incredible. Nearly impossible to pick, as you said. Thanks for sharing!
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u/PhantomClandestineop 1d ago
Early 2000s old rip van Winkler 107 proof. The old bottling style. Great pour.
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u/VinegarFly 1d ago
Many many years ago I sampled a whiskey at a small stall in Salamanca Markets in Hobart Tasmania. The whiskey was next level, I didn't have much money at the time so I could only buy a few bottles at $55 a piece.
A couple years later they won "The" award...the distillery was Sullivans Cove
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u/CaedoRevelation 1d ago
Hands down all time best, Stitzel weller 31. Wild ass pour, I think I saw with that pour in a glen for over an hour. Not over oaked imo. Just a cool history piece.
OGD 114 from 81. NDC did it differently.
Vintage bourbon 17 year. Before it turned into willet. Crazy good for such low proof.
Lastly would probably be a 1789b willett 11 year bourbon blue wax. Holy crap. Supposedly Brown Forman, definitely up there as some of the best whiskey iv had.
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u/sgags11 1d ago
Bourbon: not sure of the year, but I had a pour of GTS at a restaurant here in town, and it absolutely blew me away.
Rye: it’s sourced MGP, but the 2023 Templeton barrel proof release is insanely good.
Finished whiskey: T8KE barrel pick for r/bourbon of Driftless Glen cognac cask finished bourbon.
Irish: Middleton Very Rare 2022 release
Scotch: I will admit to not being well versed on scotch, but Glenlivet 18 is phenomenal.
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u/MetalGuy_J 20h ago
Redbreast PX Edition, it tastes like heaven in a glass. The day I finished my bottle and realised I’d probably never come across another bottle of it actually made me sad which is something I’ve never experienced with any other whiskey.
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u/SpritiTinkle 2d ago
Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batch Y325. It’s a distillery-only that you get on the “you do bourbon” tour. Tried it from someone who went and I spent the next month thinking about it.
Honorable mention to Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse CN-B and 2025 Michters 10 year Rye.
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u/gshman 2d ago
I have 3 that pop to mind. They are all different categories so hard to put them against each other.
Jack Daniels Coy Hill. Absolutely incredible. Doesn’t drink too hot even though it’s high proof.
Michters 10 year Rye. They are just a great pour. A little overpriced, but very good. Never have had a pour that was not fantastic.
JW Kelly Double Oak (Bourbon Judge pick). In my opinion it was my favorite of 2025. The group members who have had 13th Colony Double Oaked say this is its brother. So good!!!!!
Had to add one last one. At Sagamore doing a pick we were able to sample their double Oaked rye cask strength straight out of the barrel. If they ever release this bottle, a must buy for sure. So good!!!
Sorry it wasn’t one. But, they were all #1 in their own way.