vPub Live - The Best of 2024

[@Aqvavitae]

Hop on the Navigational Express Timestamps 0:00 - Opening 2:39 - Brief intro to topic 4:14 - Remembering Quig: A tribute to Foodquig 9:15 - Welcoming in the lounge 22:10 - What I'm grateful for in 2024 23:38 - 1: Our WhiskyTube Community 27:18 - 2: Dramface 29:27 - 3: Opportunity 35:00 - Moments & Highlights of 2024 47:48 - Best Indie Bottler of 2024: Thompson Bros 1:10:05 - Best Producer of 2024: Glasgow Distillery 1:39:57 - WOTY 2024: Ardnahoe Infinite Loch 2:05:02 - The 2024 Wooden Spoon: Ardbeg's 17yo 2:22:28 - Quiz at the End

[@maltymission]

RIP Andy! A heartfelt tribute Roy! He was one of those ‘beacons’ of knowledge and insight without ever coming across as Mr. Knowitall, quite the contrary. Fitting way to pay your respects. Your ‘best off’ list for 2024 only acknowledges there’s still so much more for me to discover and embrace. Long may that continue! Slainte mhath!

[@WhiskyWolf514]

Awwww This at 24 minutes really touched me personally. I did dissappear for a while due to several differenth situations in my life. I just had too much going on to hangout on Thursday nights. But now, things kind of found a new balance by so I finally decided to watch at least a recording. Happy I made this choice ...I always felt a warm welcome in this community even if I am not a paid member. Cheers to you Roy and to all the braflies! All the best for 2025! Sainte 🥃🥃🎩

[@elduderino3120]

Speyburn obviously discovered that it was no longer considered a bottom-shelf bargain and are taking steps to rectify the situation!

[@alasdair_gray]

Again catching up on the replay. Totally agree with Glasgow. Kicking it out of the park right now. Great whisky made by a great team. The Islay cask finish is my bottle of the year. As for Speyburn...and as the admin of the Friends of Speyburn Facebook group. Im pissed off. I setup the group to celebrate what Speyburn were quietly doing, producing affordable, lovely whisky especially the 15 and 18 year old. Whisky that was naturally presented(the duty free 46% 10yo i enjoy too). But they have scrapped their decent duty free range...they are reducing the 15 and 18 to 40%....total f**kin madness. Im not going to chase and stock up on the 15 and 18. Even if the 18 year old is £72 on WhiskyExchange... Im done with them and I move on. Thank you Roy for an excellent vPub as always.

[@barrydunham896]

Thanks for the great tribute to Andy. My first crack of a new bottle is still followed up with a seach for a Foodquig vid on that whisky. He'll be missed.

[@hellswidd4628]

Finally roused ourselves from our sickbed to catch up on last night’s Vpub! Getting there, but still a little under the weather! Fave moments of 2024: the 2nd gathering and our 4th visit to Islay. Having Blair (Mr Leg) & his lovely lady visiting with us, along with Jerry, frank (peathead & Rick was the icing on the cake! Fave dram to be decided... 2025 is shaping up to what could be a big year for us, so hope we can get to share plenty of time with fellow barflies along the way! Slainthe roy, much love as always from the two of us

[@hellswidd4628]

10/10 in the quiz ... chuffed with that! Expect might not be so high next week😂

[@NoteworthyWhisky]

Great vPub, Roy! I like the quiz being about one distillery. It’s a great way to learn. Cheers!

[@GeoffreyBangers]

Two highlights from the vPub: 1. Adultmore 12: I poured one in solidarity and ooo mama, that's a nice dram! 2. Speyburn: Like a dagger through the heart, you short sighted idiots! There are 2 bottles of the 15yr at my local liquor store, and I'm picking up both tomorrow to stash away. Thanks again Roy for hosting this wonderful thing. Here's to you, here's to the barflies!

[@majornut9728]

Missed the live as the flu bug is roaming the house and affecting me too, so fell asleep early. However catching the replay, the next best thing. My best whisky moments was tasting the Ardnahoe and Cambletown Loch. Never connected that strong with any whisky before. Also, it felt as a victory to click home a Springbank 10yo before at least a few flippers. I am also greatful to be part of the Bar Fly community. Always feels welcome here. Hoping to be able to meet some of you some day.

[@whisky1017]

Finally managing to catch up! Thank goodness for the replay. Crazy busy since legfest, not managed to join a live but using the Christmas break to enjoy catching up with a relaxed dram. 9/10 on the quiz as well! The best learning is not to pour any whisky into my wooden glencairn from peathead😂. It will stay forever ornamental. Slainte

[@Whisky_Total]

Another great Vpub 👏🏻👏🏻🥃🥃

[@fredhansen3340]

Just watched you video from April 2019 "Ardnahoe - my dream distillery?" Sometimes things just work, and I must say that I look forward to what they can make given some time😄🙌

[@peterlee2279]

Thanks for the easy 10 out of 10 ever. 2024 has been amazing but the best of 2024 vpub has yet to come 👍

[@larsrogers3081]

@aquavitae 🎉 great vpub!! Love Ardnahoe and Aultmore!! Looking forward to Infinite Loch finally getting to Canada in 2025 sometime soon!!

[@larsrogers3081]

Have to revisit Glasgow 1770! Wasn’t enamored with the early releases at 500ml

[@elduderino3120]

Re: Glasgow 1770 - Not concerned about possible hometown bias LOL? Is this your best distillery based on what they’re selling in ‘24, or where you think the spirit will be when in the future? As much as I applaud the enthusiasm and support, I certainly couldn’t say that they’ve put out the best whisky of ‘24.

[@jamescostigan3721]

They Speyburn news breaks my heart. Once I see 40% on the shelf, I'll be done with them. Such a shame, I've loved both the 15 & 18.

[@elduderino3120]

Ardnahoe - I’m very excited for where they’re going, but surprised when you were mentioning other Islay distilleries you didn’t talk about the Jim McEwan connection between Islay’s current champion and Ardnahoe.

[@rellorellin7544]

My whiskey of the year was Penderyn Impex Portuguese wine single cask/Penderyn Impex Rye single cask. Although they were released earlier, I had them this year. Impeccable! Another overlooked whiskey.

[@rellorellin7544]

I would have to say that these were US releases. Luckily we got them.

[@michaelwood3203]

Great Vpub. Lots of info and guidance. Monkey 5. Me 6. Yippee.

[@forlornHope]

Cheers 🥃

[@Sundre-AB]

That's a very sad news 😞 Thank you for doing a tribute to Foodquig Whisky was his passion. His video were nothing but a honest review of the spirit in front of him. Andy will be missed... And his Anaconda move will stay with us forever.

[@SimonneNZ]

Great vPub as always, Roy. Still some low volume issues, had to turn my speakers up. Many of your picks aren't available down here yet. I'm still deciding my ultimate WOTY as I purchased some bottles in the Black Friday sales which could change things once I get past the neck pours. Got 10/10 on the quiz. Cheers!

[@russell3733]

Good grief! For the first time ever I got a 10/10 on the quiz. Roy, it was obviously too easy - but then again, it's Christmas, so why not? Enjoyed the rant on the wooden spoon candidates - all of them sadly deserving their excoriation. Can well agree with the Ardnahoe dram of the year. They're making great 5-year-old whisky which is winning hearts and minds. In the same category, I'm very much enjoying various offerings from Torabhaig and Raasay which roughly fall into that category of approx. 5 years of age, yet taste much older and more rounded and settled. Cheers!

[@rellorellin7544]

Glasgow is a very underrated and overlooked whiskey. My first was the triple distilled and I loved it. I love their distillate. I can't wait for for aged and rounded version. It's my daily sipper.

[@NZDave]

Nick came back from his Islay raving about Ardnahoe so can see how this topped your annual mountain. My WOTY is the Speyburn 18yo but so sad to hear the news....luckily everything happens a bit slower in the upside down.

[@stevengallery5561]

Best thing that in 2024 was getting a space in SMWS Bath Streets Keep 🥃👍

[@grbadalamenti]

Oh my God, I can't believe Foodquig left us. Every now and again I saw one of his reviews and from his channel I learned what is Poutine in Canada.

[@elduderino3120]

Which is better: Speyburn 15 Craigallachie 17 Speyburn 18 All affordable age-statements, think I’ve heard some people say prefer Speyburn’s younger bottling though.

[@FernandoSilva-wo7ut]

And what about a segment for the departed ? Waterford distillery. This news shocked me. I took it as a warning sign for all of us "geeks". I think the geek model for distilleries is not sustainable. We go lengths at critizicing Benromach for not bringing us a core range at 46 % but how many of us have the air dried + kiln dried combo of bottlings? Probably the most geeky bottles in the market. I feel sad for Waterford there are not some many geeks to keep afloat a distillery. In the rum scene Renegade will be the next to fade away, hope not.

[@rkostyantyn]

The Inaugural 5yo Ardnahoe is officially available in Ukraine for around £90. A bit too expensive IMHO. Hopefully, the new core release will also appear here and will cost closer to £60. Then it will compete with Kilchoman, which is still a bit cheaper)

[@hellswidd4628]

Deffo think franks wooden spoon is a genius idea 😂

[@elduderino3120]

Best of the year? Port Charlotte 10 still the best 10yr-old on the market in 2024. Got a Ledaig 18 & a Bunna CS ‘22 to open for Xmas though… ..I suspect the Port Charlotte 18 might’ve been my whisky of the year, but I’ll never know at that ridiculous price :/

[@FernandoSilva-wo7ut]

Everytime a whiskytuber passes away I can't help to think about alcohol consumption. We don't become good at tasting spirits by tasting every now and then. To become good we need to taste almost everyday like any other thing we want to become good at we need training but for alcohol the toll can be very high for some of us.

[@larsrogers3081]

100% agree with the Wooden Spoon! Love Ardbeg historically, but can’t stand recent developments

[@annabelplahuta]

can someone please link where inverhouse have said theyre watering down the speyburn?

[@geofre44]

Foodquig RIP Legend 😢

[@savvaslouka9194]

7/10 😂😂

[@bobsander4589]

Picking up on replay as usual. On Waterford...too young, too many releases and too expensive. Shame for the employees but a failed strategy unfortunately.

[@jujtan5412]

JW continue to do what they hv always been doing.... keep walking... away.. 🤣🤣