No. 1 will be controversial | TOP 5 Non Budget Whiskies of the Year

[@whiskynotes9326]

1. Craigellachie 17 2. Kilkerran 16 (2023 bottling) 3. AnCnoc 18 4. Talisker 18 5. Glenmorangie 18

[@Oooooo-xi2mx]

Talisker 18 dropped back down to old prices. Glad to see this trend.

[@Johnny__Silver]

I was drinking before clicking the video, I guess it’s Sunday.

[@RideHard_GER]

Bunnahabhain 18 for me is the go-to dram when I want something truly special without overspending. Its rich, sherry-driven profile, with notes of dried fruits, nuts, and a touch of coastal brine, offers incredible depth without overwhelming peat. The smooth, oily texture makes every sip a pleasure, and the slight variations between batches only add to its charm. It’s a whisky that feels indulgent yet approachable - a true gem for anyone who appreciates balance and complexity.

[@EuropaWill]

Over $350 in my market

[@RideHard_GER]

​@@EuropaWillThat's more than double the price you pay here in Germany.

[@88johnbarnes]

I have recently got myself a bottle of Arran 18. I will open it Christmas night. 🎅🎄😊

[@carlsavard9050]

better open it now to give it time to breath before christmas!

[@88johnbarnes]

Good idea! 👍🏾 😃

[@kevinnordby4808]

Another great list Geoff! I’m going to add in the Kilchoman 16…..I picked up a bottle on sale and it is absolutely great stuff.

[@timloucks4325]

Good shout on the Roseisle. I wish I’d grabbed a backup at Costco when I had the chance. Laphroaig Cairdeas 10 Cask Favourites is my #1. Lagg Corriecravie is a near 2nd & competes well for a young NAS. I just wish it were cheaper for an expression from a newer distillery. Speyburn 18 worth a mention too. Cheers.

[@RobertPremeaux]

Thanks for doing this list. I really need to bite the bullet and snag one of those Bruichladdich 18s ... everything said about it suggests I'd love it. FWIW my 2024 list is something like: 1. Daftmill 2006 (46%, 12 years old) 2. Bruichladdich Black Art (#10, 29 years old) 3. Glenfarclas 25 4. Balcones Cataleja 5. Caddenhead's Fettercairn 15 (46% - stunning stuff, tastes almost as old as the 29-year-old Black Art) Cheers!

[@allanwhittle3041]

Good calls MR G Longmorn 18 , Glenmoranhie Infinita 18 ….And Roseisle 12 all absolute bangers , the Roseisle , as you say …Takes the prize ..love the stuff , it’s not even that bad value the Abv is so high it needs water and lots of it , it’s hard to drown so makes it go a little further 👍🥃

[@Gwhisky]

Agree! The Roseisle was such a pleasant surprise this year. Can't get enough of it! Cheers Allan! 🥃

[@lesterlau]

And the Roseisle 12 takes it this year! Totally agree - it is a phenomenal bottle and the only whisky that I have two backup bottles of. However, it's a very VERY tough call between this one and the Longmorn 18, which I also adore. Strangely, the only one I haven't tried on this list is the Aberlour 18. Will have to try it next time. Another great list @gwhisky!

[@Gwhisky]

Yeah honestly all things being equal I'd probably still go with Longmorn. But it was my #1 last year and it's discontinued, so it's time to move on... 😥

[@peathead4450]

Thanks for sharing Geoff Interesting list, but happy to leave the purchasing to others. Enough Interesting stuff in the two-digit range. Slàinte mhath

[@guillaumej9067]

Merci!

[@Gwhisky]

Non, merci a VOUS! Cheers Guillaume! 🥃

[@guillaumej9067]

It's a pleasure

[@chentim1751]

Interesting lists! Totally agree with redbreast 21, a nice dram, and I will include my beloved ancnoc 18 or 24 in the listing. Tamdhu 18 is a great dram too, but it is over $200 in Taiwan.

[@-xirx-]

The Roseisle 12 is absolutely excellent!! I got one of the 20cl bottles, and i will definitely, definitely be buying more of this. Excellent recommendation!

[@RebMordechaiReviews]

Thinking about 18 Year Olds which I've really enjoyed. Caperdonich 18. If you see it in the Duty Free in Europe, grab a bottle. It's superb. Caol Ila 18. Discontinued but still available in my market, but running out fast. Inchmurrin 18. One of the cheapest 18-Year-Olds but really tasty stuff. Laphroaig 18. Yes, it's horrendously expensive but really good. My most disappointing 18-Year-Olds Deanston 18. I have loved this in the past but latest batches have tasted like apple vinegar. Glen Grant 18. Bland. Glen Moray 18. Has a slight bitter aftertaste to it. Glencadam 18. I was expecting so much more from this. It's a descent whisky but the 15-Year-Old is so much better and cheaper.

[@821lancevance]

My most disappointing 18 year old was Tanya

[@Pepingco]

I think the premium bottles we get here in Australia that I would rank would be: 5. Lagavulin Offerman Edition, Charred Oak Cask. $350 AUD 4. Bushmills Causeway Cask collection (any of them, but i love the Double Moscatel cask.) $250 AUD 3. Hibiki 12 $350 AUD 2. Bunnahabhain 12 Cask Strength 2022 $200 AUD 1. Yamazaki 12 $350 AUD

[@GOTAisMe]

Great description of the Roseisle 12. You nailed what makes it such a desirable bottle. I did recently pick up the 2024 and it's similar but not quite as good as the 2023 was. Since you brought it up I just looked up the price of Redbreast 21 at my local Total Wine. $430. Yup, you could have pretty much picked up 4 of them in Japan for 1 here in the US

[@Gwhisky]

Jeeeeez. Over $400 is insane. Book a flight to Japan! 😂

[@astroboy3507]

Why I like this vid cos it has no PEATY STUFF!!!!! 👌🏻👍🏻🥃

[@peatbull3426]

@@astroboy3507 thats really bad. I call the police 😎😅🥂🥂🥂🙋‍♂️

[@astroboy3507]

@peatbull3426 🫢😁

[@enotrilogy]

This is year 2 for that Roseisle release! ...and yes surprising number 1

[@enotrilogy]

Bottles that come to mind! KILCHOMAN 16 LAPHROAIG ELEMENTS 2 PORT CHARLOTTE 18 LAGAVULIN OFFERMAN 24 HIGHLAND PARK CASK STRENGTH BATCH 5 LAGG CASK STRENGTH 24 OCTOMORE 15.3

[@heretobrew]

I picked up the Oban 10 galactic bunny but was considering the Roseisle (they were both ~AUD$120 on sale). Oh well, I'm sure it will still be fantastic. I find the Diageo special releases are so dominated by bourbon matured whiskies, but the Oban had some more intrigue.

[@deefischer8198]

Really enjoyed the Roseisle, expensive but worth it!

[@doronneuhaus30]

I found a Longmorn 18 on special at Schiphol Airport about 18 months ago for 85 euro. Still have about half a bottle left. Always enjoy it when I have it but I tend to enjoy other styles a little more. As for the Redbreast 21, it's available at about 170 euros at some shops here so does offer decent value for a premium 21 year old in my market and I might be tempted to give it a go on your recommendation.

[@ctaylor88]

Absolutely love Aberlour 18. Fortunate to get my bottles at $130 before they went up to $260.

[@joonjoon819]

Redbreast 21 is definitely on my shopping list for my Japan trip this month. Haven't tasted it, but it can't be a bad choice given how I liked the 15 and 12CS. Also the price there is an absolute steal. Very likely the cheapest in the world.

[@Gwhisky]

It's not at every shop, so you might have to look around. Mine was at a small shop in Ginza called Liquor Express. I don't know if they have any left but it was the only place I found it for that price. Cheers and good luck! 🥃

[@bradl2636]

Good luck finding RB21 in Japan at the moment.

[@Gwhisky]

@@bradl2636 I got it about a month ago. It was the only bottle I came across at all in Tokyo, so it does seem pretty sparse...

[@bradl2636]

@ Did you see many interesting Kanosuke or Ichiro's out in the wild there?

[@Gwhisky]

@@bradl2636 Ichiro's is really cheap there. Was considering grabbing one but my suitcase was already as full as could be.

[@Lokotraktor]

Just had the Roseisle and it blew my mind. Overpriced, young Diageo made in automated factory run by computer. But oh boy is it complex and delicious. Try it if you like funky whisky like Laddie or Springbank.

[@ramanb]

Nice list Geoff, and yes, I'm jealous of your Redbreast 21! Validate away! Sadly the new Glemo's are yet to find their way to the Australian market. I keep looking, but they're not here yet.

[@Proefkonijntje]

€­200 for the Bruichladich here in the Netherlands, so I don't think that will make my to buy list very soon. But the other ones are interesting. The best bottles I opened this year were the Springbank 10 Palo Cortado, the Bunnahabhain 12 CS 2023 and the Ancnoc 18. I consider them premium whiskys even though all three of them were under €100.

[@chentim1751]

Springbank 10 PC is under €100 ? Unbelievable? !!

[@Proefkonijntje]

@@chentim1751 I know, right? I've got an awesome local liquor store around the corner, and the owner regularly manages to get his hands on special bottles like that, and then sells them to his loyal customers without any rarity markup. I was feeling very lucky after paying €95 for that one. 😎

[@jamescostigan3721]

anCnoc 18, Balblair 18, Longmorn 16 (discontinued) & Speyburn 18. Cheers!

[@Koby616]

Good list. I saw aberlour 18 with a broken box for 100€. Usually I don't buy such expensive whiskey. This year most expensive bottle for me was Rum leek 21 for 110€.

[@peatbull3426]

Rum tastes leek interesting 😅😉 Lum Reek good stuff, like their 10yo CS. Did you tried it already?? 😁🥂🥂🥂🙋‍♂️

[@Koby616]

@peatbull3426 no, but I have it

[@WhiskyWolf514]

Nice my friend! Honestly thought it would be the Longmorn 23 as number 1 or the Ardnamurchan Paul Lanoise. I'm actually glad I didn't see this coming. Hah Would you say the Aberlour 18 stands up to anCnoc 18? 🤔 Cheers Buddy🥃🥃 "Diagio just quietly slipped it in....." - that's what she said 😂

[@Gwhisky]

Hey man. Hot take, but I definitely prefer the Aberlour to the AnCnoc 18. Not craft, but I don't care. I think it's a more interesting and complex whisky. Cheers! 🥃

[@WhiskyWolf514]

You are just full of hot takes my dude. I like it. Cool that you aren't just following trends but genuinely stick to your own opinions openly. Definitely no snobery here . Cheers my friend to that 🥃🥃

[@Gwhisky]

@@WhiskyWolf514 Lol I'm a snob, I just hide it well. 😉🥃

[@WhiskyWolf514]

But on honest snob non then less 😎🎩🥃

[@tommysimpsonandtheloadeddice]

No peat!!!

[@bradl2636]

The Bruichladdich 18 is the only one I'd include on my list. Arran 18, Ancnoc 24, Springbank 15, and Ichiro's The Peated would fill out my five.

[@ianphillips103]

Just curious, I decided to buy myself a Ledaig 18 to treat myself for my 32nd birthday coming up. I spent $191 dollars US (really $181 dollars since I get a $10 incentive for buying it at the store I work at). How would it compare to the whisky on your list?

[@jackthepickledhound]

No peat on the list, but Ledaig 18 is beautiful stuff. If you can find it in the US I'm psyched. In the NY metro area I haven't seen it in a couple of years. The older subtle peat and the mild sherry makes it the best of everything

[@ianphillips103]

@jackthepickledhound yeah it was the first time I had ever seen it stateside, let alone Texas where I live, if I had the option I would have had it shipped in from the distillery but alas Texas has strict blue laws. Not as strict as Oklahoma or Maryland but the only deliveries we can recieve are gifts and DoorDash/Uber Eats from the liquor stores.

[@peatbull3426]

​@@jackthepickledhound£80 on sale at Black Friday week in uk. Amazing dram 🥳🥳🥂🙋‍♂️😊

[@-xirx-]

​@@peatbull3426 I too snagged a bottle during BF week. With a £10 discount on top from a previous purchase, and free delivery, it was ridiculously cheap. Best bargain of the year for me!

[@heisenbergguy7772]

Agreed 100% with Glenmorangie 18. It’s fruity, chocolaty, toffee, butterscotch, cigar, and leathery notes. The #5, #2, and #1 aren’t available in Texas, USA.

[@skipmado22]

I can find all of these around Austin and I’d assume you can find any of these offerings in any of the other large metro areas.

[@billlennox3636]

I find it difficult to warm to Roseisle, not because of it's quality or taste, but I worry about the impact that this distillery could have on whisky making in Scotland. The death star mega distillery at Roseisle is designed to create any style of distillate that Diageo wants/ needs. This reduces their dependency on other smaller distilleries, most of which operate on a less efficient basis. I can foresee a time when Diageo will close/mothball smaller distilleries and use multiple styles of Roseisle whisky in their blends.

[@hansvaneenennaam457]

Roseisle again 😇😎

[@SimonneNZ]

$100 - 200 USD is approx. $170-340 NZD. Most 18-year-olds would be in that price range here and therefore too expensive for me. Also, the Red Breast 21 is in that price range around $300-330 NZD ($175-190 USD) depending on the retailer. Cheers!

[@cmbrn8315]

Glendronach 15

[@20thoughts]

Personally, I actually prefer the Longmorn 16 over the 18. There's just SOMETHING about it. It's a little more flavorful, a little less sharp for some reason. They're both great bottles, though.

[@MortAllachie]

I agree. Just to bad they stopped making the 16 😢

[@anthonysillett6678]

Am I going deaf or is this again low volume ?

[@geofre44]

Low volume unfortunately

[@anthonysillett6678]

@@geofre44 at least this is not just my ears

[@jasoncraig2281]

What?

[@EuropaWill]

Yeah had to max volume out then ads were super loud.

[@Gwhisky]

Sorry guys my microphone is being wonky. I'll try to fix it for the next vid. 🙏

[@i_am_still_human]

Springbank 18 150 Ancnoc 18 100 Craighallachie 17 100 Hey Geoff, do you think buying a Springbank 13 Local Barley at 400€ is a good investment for the future?

[@petterstromfelt4640]

How can you not put Ancnoc 24 on this list?!

[@thewhiskyenthusiast]

Solid solid list dude. I'm curious to see how the new Longmorn 18 compares to the old one. Sure the higher abv will give it an advantage but the old one was at such a sweet spot maybe it won't be as good. I'd like to try it one day. My expensive whisky for this year which I'd like to try is the Signet Reserve. Cheers Geoff 🥃

[@neil_nicholas]

Bloody Hell Redbrest 21 for $120 only! Here in Singapore I bought a bottle for $331 😢

[@Gwhisky]

Oh man Singapore whisky prices are absolutely brutal. Most bottles there are double or triple what they cost here in Taiwan. 😬

[@jimmyjazz4605]

I caaaaaaaaaaaant heeeeeeaaaarrrr youuuuuuuu. Just joking, I have a volume button unlike other people 😂 Great video dude 👌🏻

[@Gwhisky]

Hah cheers buddy. Fair play to them though... sucks to turn the volume way up only to have your eardrums blasted when an ad comes on. 😬

[@jimmyjazz4605]

@Gwhisky I've got premium 😏

[@adamlogan384]

How many backups do you for the Longmorn? I have to know.

[@Gwhisky]

5 🥃

[@adamlogan384]

@Gwhisky respect

[@simongilbert2704]

good choice ;;.. for you , ha ha ,

[@vimalrajkappil]

I dont know why ..i guess this year's Banger is Roseisle12

[@RebMordechaiReviews]

KZbin have been deleting my comments all day but they have been about Middle East News. I wrote two comments for this video. I see that the first one where I commented on Geoff's choices, was deleted.

[@peatbull3426]

If you mean this on about 18's i can see it 😁🥂🥂🥂🙋‍♂️

[@RebMordechaiReviews]

@peatbull3426 No. I initially wrote a comment saying what I thought about Geoff's top 5 selections. That comment was deleted.

[@justsaying8159]

You need to try redbreast 18. A lot of people think its better than the 21.

[@Gwhisky]

I'd love to try it. I haven't seen it for sale here yet, though, and I don't know if the price will be reasonable. 🥃

[@justsaying8159]

@@Gwhisky Its priced like the 21 year old here around 150€. So definitely wont be super budget friendly.

[@damenjackson594]

Blasphemous. If budget is out the window, then I am ride or die with Macallan Rare Cask. Bought it. Sampled it. Loved it. Anyway, just my opinion. Cheers.

[@jackthepickledhound]

Their reputation must have some foundation in reality. In my world it's a no-go zone. The Classic Cut is the only one that even tempts me. It's the high end of my typical price range but .... A man has to live by some principals, as arbitrary as they are. Plus I have neither the space nor the money for brands that are sus.

[@chadwallace3598]

What happened to the sound?

[@heisenbergguy7772]

Red Breast 21 is $479+Tax. I haven’t had it.

[@ashythedon]

I also prefer 18yr Old's. I love to go "Hunt" for 18 yr old's. Sometimes you can negotiate the price down from the "street rate" for some 18 yr old's!!! 🤣😛

[@Gwhisky]

Police have been called. Stay where you are.

[@ashythedon]

😆😂😝

[@kirbycalgary2844]

The Roseisle is delicious. I won’t buy the new one. It is almost twice the price I paid 130 but I don’t wanna pay 200.

[@talamt]

Longmorn 18 for $110 is definitely a steal. I've seen the price climbing up from US$120 to US$160 in about a year in my market. If only I have more backup bottles.

[@lovebedi]

No kavalan olloroso sherry ? Or other solists that are available less than 200$ :-( 😞 😢 . Why ?

[@TheGameIka]

Where is Signet?

[@125ctg]

Hey, for your next vid why not list your seven most recent list vids.

[@Gwhisky]

List inception. At this rate I'll get there eventually. 😂

[@ironmantran]

Boss G. ! My list = JP WISERS 42y 50% /// Canadian Club 18y 58% /// Gibson's 18 40 % /// Alberta Premium DECADE 2001-2011 (18y) 42% /// JP WIser (Ontario) 18y 40% /// JP WISERS 22y 50%

[@osamashatat]

What’s wrong with your audio?

[@b1gsteve251]

Glenallachie 18 Tomatin 18 Deanston 18 Loch Lomond 18 Ledaig 18 Just can’t do the over-hyped and overpriced Diageo special editions. There’s way too much great whisky out here to pay for a pretty label and marketing bs. Sláinte 🥃

[@kingcobra357mag]

I have red breast 12 15 18 21 and got 2 more 15 because it's taste best

[@bradl2636]

The intros are really getting longer and longer... just get to the point... no laundry list of apologies and soothing of butt hurt feelings required.

[@Gwhisky]

I feel like just over two minutes is bog standard intro length on the channel...

[@bradl2636]

@ I am butt hurt over long introductions. Those minutes and seconds really add up.

[@Burrloin]

I love the intros and Geoff’s subtle comedy. Keep it up my friend!