The 8 Most "Classic" SPEYSIDE Scotch Whiskies (according to whisky lovers)

Our whisky community voted up the most "classic" speyside scotches! (Not necessarily their "favorite".) Thanks to Keeps for sponsoring this video! Head to keeps.com/whiskeytribe to learn more and get 50% off your first order of hair loss treatment.
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Taste can be subjective - especially when it comes to whisk(e)y. (The "best" whisky is the whiskey you like to drink - the way you like to drink it.) But is there a consensus for what COMMON flavors define Speyside Scotch? Here are your results for the most CLASSIC / QUINTESSENTIAL / REPRESENTATIVE / PROTOTYPICAL / CONSUMMATE Speyside Whiskies available today.
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And here's your link to see the Speyside FLAVOR CLOUD we mentioned in the video:
imgur.com/a/VsWE7ql
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[@tusharjamwal]

1. Glenfiddich 12 2. Glenlivet 12 3. Balvenie DoubleWood 12 4. Aberlour 12 5. Macallan 12 6. Aberlour A'bunadh 7. Glenfarclas 12 8. Glenfiddich 15 Solera Cask

[@ascajc]

Thank you my friend, your comment should be on the top of the list. I don’t know why they don’t just put the list on the video description.

[@jeffvannda1250]

I would buy 1 on your list...I have better Speysides...by far

[@sander3326]

​​​Craigelachie 17 for example.. and what about Tamhdu and Glenmorangie ...​ Glenmorangie 16 and Palo Cortado in particular.. however... Glenmorangie pioneered cask finishing... so.maybe not the most classic Scotch...@@jeffvannda1250

[@travisrobertson1553]

Glenlivet 12 - "Always lovely to drink, but hard to remember." 100% hit the nail on the head. It is exactly that.

[@MR-hn3rw]

"Karma's gonna wreck that ass, bro" I'm going to use this all the time. Hahaha.

[@khicks72]

That's my new ringtone.

[@MalRae6713]

That was the best line !

[@Jorge_Rafa]

Hahahahha

[@jimmyboyle3543]

I nearly pissed my pants lol

[@jeremytheoneofdestiny8691]

Not sure if she meant figuratively or literally, but I like to imagine it was literal!

[@LLS.R]

Aberlour A’bunadh was the one who got me into this delicious hobby.

[@mjhearns23]

You guys are so good at making me watch your sponsorship ads. They keep getting better!

[@Ian_P]

40% ABV whiskies..."I've had more dramatic... Iced teas" 🤣🤣

[@SkankbumJerry]

Now I have to try some Aberlour lmao 😂👌

[@magicvibrations5180]

@@SkankbumJerry It's one of my favourite whiskies honestly

[@user-ft2vf9lk7v]

Aberlour 12 is the only scotch I will drink at 40 % alcohol by volume. Usually prefer 43 percent and up.

[@UJSupanova]

@@user-ft2vf9lk7v all tasters proof it down to about 35% when nosing and tasting. I'm a bit of a snob when it comes to buying whisky and I do get skeptical when I see "40%" on the bottle buy when you consider that Laphroaig 10 sits happily at 40% you can forgive it a little.

[@ThiagoGasparino]

After the first couple bottles showed up I was like "There are a lot of bottles on that Speyside list that say 'Highland Single Malt'." Then I googled a bit and was about to comment something, but decided to watch further. Good to see the explanation came up. I was surprised no Cardhu, though.

[@JWSpeedWorkz]

This sponsor spot is FANTASTIC!

[@Abbicis]

went to comment this and glad i'm not the only one lol

[@NeosGuns]

it was so great lol

[@srve8908]

lmaoooo Karmas gonna wreck that ass bro lololol

[@scottym.9077]

Anyone else notice that he kept pouring more in Rex’s glass than in his own but Rex was leaving his glasses unfinished?

[@scottym.9077]

I’d really like to see more videos in this format. I had a bottle of Glenfiddich 12 several years ago before I really got into whiskey and didn’t care for it much. I don’t think I had the tasting reference to appreciate it at the time. I kinda steered away from Speyside ever since but this video has inspired me to circle back to it.

[@mateusz.w.nawrocki]

This is extremely helpful for entry level whiskey enthusiasts. Please do videos also for other regions and types (e.g. sherry casked, blended single malts etc.).

[@dkelly387z]

The Glenlivet 12 was my introduction to Scotch 20+ years ago.... haven't looked back since and quit ordering mixed drinks until I recently moved to Hawaii.

[@waldo15]

Best sponsor plug I have seen in a KZbin video by far. And very happy that Glenfiddich 12 came at the top (which is the only scotch in this list I have at home right now)

[@Remrcm]

As a Scotch single malt whisky lover this is the best episode in a long time!! Thank you!🥃🥃

[@stephenhudec]

My personal favorite is the Tomatin 14-yr., aged in Port Casks. Stumbled upon the distillery while driving through Scotland, and absolutely love it.

[@andrewsimpson3073]

Would very much like to see the rest of the regions covered in this way. Keep up the good work - Andy, UK

[@harrr53]

In the solera method, they tend to empty half of the barrel. That means the older whisky decreases exponentially. The whisky they pour in is aged separately before going into the solera cask, so, let's say every year the cask is half-emptied (being generous here, it's probably months), and 14 year old whisky is poured in. When you take half out, half of that is 15 year old whisky. A quarter is 16 years old. And that already accounts for 75% of the bottle you buy. 12.5% is 17yo, 6.25% is 18yo. Just over 3% is 19yo. And so on. So thank god for whisky labelling rules, because when Ron Zacapa rum advertises 6 to 23yo rum in their solera rum...there's about 3 drops of 23yo rum in that bottle. And one final note. The Glenfiddich solera should be labelled "solera". The true solera method is a little more complex, because there is no long normal maturation to start with. There is a descending array of younger solera barrels, which are emptied into the next oldest solera barrel each time. To be a true solera, Glenffidich would literally need a series of 15 barrels, with barrel 15 (the oldest) half-emptied each year, and refilled from barrel 14, which would in turn be filled from barrel 13...and so on, with new spirit poured into barrel 1.

[@jetpieolet23]

Great video! Would also love to see something similar for blended scotches... or maybe even a voted best of??

[@joellathers5959]

Hope you are doing this with every category is scotch. Very informative. Scotch is one of those journeys I want to explore more of , but I’m still waiting on my decoder ring to come in the mail. Love you guys you shave even a great source for my whisk(e)y journey thus far. 👏👏👏👏👏🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃🥃

[@HolstThorsen]

Thanks for the tip of putting a few drops of islay into the Glenlivit. Made a massive difference. Now it is actually GOOD! Please try at home!

[@andyn2003super]

This was a playlist of All my favorites, with the flavour and nose notes word for word

[@MenChooseSlavesObey]

I have Never watched a commercial on KZbin, twice. Briana Crushed It!!!

[@thewingedpoet8658]

Sipping on Glenfiddich 15 as of the moment, first thing that hit on the pour nose wise is a strong granny smith apple, slight tanin that reminds me of white wine like a chardonnay. First taste completely flips the lid with strong barrel taste with a subtle burning on the back of the throat. Going back in has softer wood notes that turn floral, almost dandelion covering small bits of caramel. Such a solid Speyside.

[@joshuamire2721]

Macallan has been my absolute favorite bar/club night scotch. You can find it just about everywhere and it's such an easy drinker.

[@JamesPancoast]

OMG, "It's always lovely to drink, but hard to remember" hits right on the head (at least for me & Glenlivet). Great way to put it.

[@blingblingstarmie-5294]

i hate being basic, but with every speyside i try, my respect for the glenfiddich 12 grows. its not the best whiskey you'll ever taste, but it's never dissapointed me

[@marcracioppi766]

Great video guys!! Glenfiddich 15 is my favorite… My Go To whisky!! I’m surprised Mortlach didn’t make the list. Really enjoyed your list though and looking forward to more videos. The Genie was Awesome as well. 😂😂

[@Raven_Leblanc]

Holy... The glenlivet 12 hit me where I live I remember when I was in Scotland for vacation, my family and I went to the Glenlivet distillery and did a tour, and it was my first whisky I've tasted properly! OOOH the memories!

[@TheMerls]

Great video. So much fun. Hoping to have friends this Friday to replicate this tasting

[@thevashfan12392]

strongly agree with glenfiddich 15! I started with glenfiddich 12 which got me into scotch but it was 15 that really sold me on scotch!

[@golfinweg]

I went to Scotland a couple years ago. We hung out in Aberlour for lunch. I never tried Aberlour whisky until after we got back home in Texas. The instant I nosed Aberlour for the first time, it took me back to that Scotland trip. Those scents were just like what I smelled in that little town. Memories flooding back. That was the coolest thing I've ever experienced with whisky. Also if you're ever in Aberlour....get a burger from the Mash Tun restaurant there in town

[@doctorsayce1010]

You went to Aberlour and enjoyed it? I went to school at that dump and somehow came out with my insanity intact hahah, but Aberlour whisky is really good, particularly the Aberlour 12, it was one of the first whiskies I ever tried and what got me into whisky, glad you enjoyed it there, take care lad

[@kellywellington7122]

I've done two tours, each nearly forty years apart. The first was the Strathmill distillery (J&B) in Keith, Scotland, in 1980, where I got a whirlwind personal tour from the manager, which ended in the courtyard, where the crew was gathered with the excise man to do some sampling. My 'sample' was a good sized beaker with three of four inches of amber liquid. They gave me the lot, and even though I told them I couldn't down it, they encouraged me to drink what I could, as they'd have to throw out the sample, any way. That was my first taste of 'single malt' Scotch. It didn't exist in the markets of the US in 1980, or was so new and expensive that it was outside my ken. But, I had been tainted. My return included a tour of the Blair Athol distillery (Bell's) in Pitlochry, Scotland, in 2017. This time the tour was far more 'official', a herd of tourists lead by a uniformed guide, but there was still a tasting, carefully poured out in measures less than a dram. It was tasty. I figured out why when I returned home. Its single malt price excludes it from my parsimonious list. It was really good stuff, though. I sure wish I'd had time to tour the Highland Park distillery in Kirkwall, but poor clueless me didn't even know Highland Park existed, much less had a much vaunted distillery where I was wasting time. I ate dinner and sampled their product at a restaurant literally next door to the distillery.

[@albertmiller3082]

A very welcome episode, gentlemen. Nuanced & honest. Bravo!

[@ryanc473]

Don't think I've ever skipped one of their sponsorship ads, they're always so great

[@khaaaaaaaaaannn]

I have a bottle of Aberlour 12 sat in my kitchen waiting for a special occasion, one of my favourite Speysides

[@barryh.2306]

As someone who's trying to get into Scotch, this is super useful! Would love to see similar videos for the different Scotch regions.

[@mknewlan67]

Very first scotch I had was Macallan 12 sherry cask. Made me fall in love with scotch.

[@Parcello123]

Hey man! The glasses look clean and polished! Congrats! 🎉 👏👍🏻

[@kaseyowens3065]

just joined the tribe and i get to see this video 4th! you guys rock!

[@MrRoper-pp9mx]

Hey fellas!! Just to let you know your infinity bottle feature inspired me to ise my glass barrel for that very purpose;)) currently 3/4 full and has Oban14/Highland park 10/Penderyn Celt/and Classic Laddie... its so nice guys what a great idea🤓 all the best fellas and Slangé

[@eyedeasneverdie3348]

I've been in lockdown for too damn long. Just watching these 2 guys share a drink in a garden is awesome, cannot wait for the summer and hopefully restrictions lifted so me and friends can do this shit again.

[@lickmyfart]

The lockdowns are exactly why I started drinking more

[@lickmyfart]

@@aframs-cctaf-rams-cct6424 Not a liberal but I live in a liberal state, CA

[@eyedeasneverdie3348]

@@aframs-cctaf-rams-cct6424 1 - you sound like you're in a cult 2 - Im not American, I live in England. 3 - This whole real americans are free is a complete falsehood. 4 - I trust science and lockdown is proven to slow the rate of transmitions meaning our free healthcare service wont get overrrun as well as other benefits. 5 - have a good day.

[@HeWhoShams]

@@eyedeasneverdie3348 Imagine giving up your freedoms and letting government dictate everything.. even how you should spend your life. Lol pathetic

[@felironmaden1429]

Hello from the FUTURE! Lockdowns are over! Covid is still a thing, but noone really cares anymore (until they actually get it, but we got a pill for that now) Hope you made it through OK and you and your mates are drinkin whiskey on a porch somewhere! Cheers!

[@jasonpullan488]

Best whiskey I ever had was a 63yr old speyside, was 24yr old when it was bottled. Was honored to be one of 5 people who got to enjoy the bottle 😍

[@azraelf.6287]

I just bought a bottle of Lagavulin 16 to open tomorrow for my Army retirement. You guys are going to make me buy a speyside, too aren't you?

[@Alex-ir9nx]

Thats a big occasion, so you will fore sure also need a speyside. Also for science

[@piltdownman2151]

Congratulations!

[@azraelf.6287]

@@Alex-ir9nx I'll have to take that up with my bank. Currently I have the sealed bottle of Lagavulin, about 1.5oz of Johnnie Blue, and maybe 8oz of Wild Turkey 101

[@Alex-ir9nx]

@@azraelf.6287 All you need then is a Macallan. They aint that expensive

[@timothyjuarez5306]

Congrats on the retirement and for serving our country...many thanks.

[@jamesgraham6796]

Reeeaaly enjoyed this episode. Keep up the fine work.

[@DavidFraser007]

It's nice to think that whisky produced about an hour or 2 from my part of Scotland is appreciated everywhere in the world. Also the best salmon fishing.

[@monkeymauer7693]

First sponsor spot I’d actually watch again!!! Awesome

[@CannonRanger-1]

The Solera cask at the Glenfiddich Distillery is a marvel to behold. It brought a tear to my eyes.

[@duckcc73]

Revisiting this and noticing I still need to try the Aberlour A'bunadh. I love the Aberlour 12, so I think the A'bunadh may be my next scotch purchase.

[@paulmagee4887]

Hi just fond you channel im loving it iv watch about 30 vids so far in two days they are lots of fun and im learning a lot can you make a vid on the oldest whiskeys in the would and how mutch and how good and can you make a vid on the most costly Wisley ever

[@jessetheunending9357]

Good to see all you MBs!

[@BillMcGirr]

Interesting fact on the Glencairn glasses.👍🥃

[@Punkologist]

The first single malt I ever bought was the Glenlivit 12 and the second was the Balvenie 12. So looks like I made decent choices.

[@Pyraxxis]

The flavor cloud bit was my favorite. Had to pause it and pull out my bottle to follow along. Can confirm that Glenfiddich 12 does indeed taste like Ron Burgundy’s flop sweat. 😂 but in the best way...

[@jppagetoo]

I have some summer plans where I was looking for a new bottle to share. That Aberlour sounds like a great bottle to try and share with my bourbon loving friends.

[@masterkey5025]

Briana is lowkey becoming my favorite, you guys better step it up lol

[@JSJ07]

Can we bring back the intro? I miss that!

[@jakolantern6790]

Aberlour 12 is my into for all new comers. Glad it was on the list. Longmorn Distillers choice is my 2nd.

[@larrywagner1432]

The word cloud for the Glenfiddich 12 is so wild for me. Seeing all the fruit notes that other seem to get is mind blowing. All I get is old garden, dried leaves, and funky malt, and that’s about it. I’m one of those that would have voted the Glenlivet 12 up.

[@LimPu]

You are not the only one Sir. I love the Glenfiddich 12 for its mostly (for me) spicy and strong woody notes with very mild fruit in the background. IF I am getting the fruity notes, which I seem to not always get.

[@nemo4907]

Some of the finest acting I've ever witnessed! It would be a tragedy if the Academy overlooked this cinematographic MASTER PIECE.

[@chadp6456]

Loved the commercial with Briana!

[@stephenhill6555]

Love A'bunadh!! My special occasion whiskey at the moment. You should do a whiskey tribe top 10 'special occasion' whiskey episode. That would be Interesting

[@godithdadrag]

Glenlivet 12 is hard for me to remember because I end up drinking too much of it and forgot that I had it

[@scottthomas4779]

Great video as always

[@JH-up5zj]

My guys yes! Actually talking about whisky first and the indulgent banter a distant second. I love these 2017 vibes.

[@dominicteresi3835]

Love this channel, you should give us your thoughts on Canadian whiskey

[@jarrettjordan]

I see Rex's moochling showed up lol. That was awesome.

[@codylargeteau7658]

I love glenfiddich its the first wisky i ever bought and i can definitely find it anywhere but it's always 55-65 per bottle

[@shashimenon1000]

That was a great tasting. After 8 swallows, everyone should be smoothly on the way to a cushioned cloud. I agree with the top three. They are my favourite swallows for quite a while now.

[@quentins5692]

Glenlivet 12 is one of my first and still FAVORITE scotch whiskys especially for the money

[@polyclot1976]

I like the outside setting. Way chill. I like the vault atmosphere. But I find I spend a lot of time looking at the shelves with envy.

[@gedionsamuel2256]

Highly recommend Glen Fohdry Darach Caribbean. It’s a Speyside matured in Caribbean rum oak casks. Also Glenfiddich 14 is remarkable!

[@davidhalliday7776]

Oh man, my favorite Speysides are the smooth almond cherry goodness has of Longmorn (the new 16 is fine) and in the Sherry category Tamdhu 15 over the others but I guess these are well-kept secrets.

[@ahpadt]

Craigellachie, Mortlach and Linkwood are good options if you want outliers in this region

[@keithlow3056]

This was the best sponsor edit everrrrr!

[@capitaldd3693]

Great info.... Would have liked to see a list of the 8 in the intro- so I could play along..... now I have to write them.down and play.. it's just time consuming....ya know..🥃

[@sonata2477]

Hi , I love your channel , Just to ask what is the best liquor describe the smoky oak woody dry intense and robust feeling?

[@philindeblanc]

The balvini 12 double wood is one of my favs

[@SAMBAMTHEBATMAN]

favorite speyside single malt whiskey of all time is Spey River Peated Finish 12 year, so so smokey and sweet, its like love in a bottle, highly recommended

[@sp5072]

Make this a series!!! For Highland, Islay, Campbeltown, and Island!

[@Wof135]

Thank you for making spirits 💕 lovable and fun 💖

[@irahartoch1075]

Love Glenfarclas, but I have always thought of it as a Highland. Possibly because it says "Highland" on the label. But I DO have some 21 and some 25 in my cabinet (along with a number of Balvenies)

[@theFsibal]

Had the Glenfiddich 12, Glenlivet 12, Glenferclas and Balvenie, will try the Macallan and AberLour

[@kerenslate3815]

I'd like to see some of the whiskey that have been in rum casks and what they think of them.

[@rsgard]

I have a Glen Fiddich cask strength. Filled it myself in the distillery

[@bigpattyboy36]

Daniel's take on Glenlivet 12 at 11:05 is spot on. Pretty Darn Good speyside scotch, , , lovely taste, and then you count to 3, and it's gone. i suppose that's what keeps you comign back for another sip.

[@gerardobarron5992]

Loving the outside set 🤙🏼🤙🏼🔥🔥

[@C3Cooper]

You should do a high-end Speyside ranking review that might compare things like Balvenie 21 Portwood and Macallan 18

[@Jorge_Rafa]

Best commercial ever!!!! “Karma is going to wreck that ass” did a spit take on that one.

[@Ian_P]

Content is great as always lads.... But the editing... Well done editor. Good job.

[@Im_Old_Gregg]

You actually put a sponsor in your video without pissing me off. Well done. First time that's ever happened on a KZbin video

[@karl_alan]

Sponsor ads usually piss you off?

[@diegomacias4787]

Glenlivet 12 will always have place in my heart it was the forst LEGAL bottle I got think my dad bought it for me for my 21st bday .He also bought me a glen 18yr once. Its a good whisky heavy warm apple notes tbh .

[@thetardis5763]

The Scotch's were great. That Keep spot though, I think you're all on to something in entertaining your audience while pitching the product. Plus, you have to love the Mooch Run. Here's to keeping your Karma clean...cheers!

[@RaduB.]

Glad to hear that Glenfiddich 12 came on top!... It's my favorite Speyside whisky. 🙂

[@johnwallace2319]

why did they dress her up like Daniel on his days off?

[@thetardis5763]

ouch...

[@kellywellington7122]

Yep. Once I'd settled on Speyside for my preferred Scotch, I went with Glenfiddich 12. I kept it in my selection for years....until I tried the Solera. The Solera dominated until I returned to Scotland and tasted Highland Park Einar. In the subsequent five years, I've vastly expanded my available selection searching for an adequate replacement for the non-existent Einar and found Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban and the Auchentoshan Three Barrel, with which I've very happy. But, I still sought that 'hint of smoke' that Einar had imparted. I just invested in a bottle of Lagavulin 16 and, although I found the flavor better than the Laphroig 10, it was still too much peat for me. The Quest continues...I've been pointed to Benromach 10 as a contender.

[@rohahouse]

Thanks lads. Now I’m hungry for a wee dram. And it’s only 11:37 AM 😂

[@harmvzon]

I always water the a'bunadh a bit down, just a bit more than a drop, for me it opens it up even more.

[@Chisholm.Motorsports]

I'd love to get your thoughts on Syndicate 58/6 12 year blended scotch.

[@davidc1961utube]

Aberlour 12 was my first. You always remember your first. Once upon a time they released something called "Antique". Quite liked that, but cannot get it any more and because it is not being released any more it is stupid expensive. Fortunately, there are others...

[@jnaga48]

That was the best ad i've seen on youtube.

[@bavo981]

On a binge through all of your videos, this is one of my favourites. Bourbon brought me into Whiskey but Scotch made me stay.