It is no secret that whisky is having a tough time lately. Prices are creeping up, and as someone who is famously tight with his budget, it takes a lot of convincing for me to part with my hard-earned cash. Yet, despite the market turbulence, an incredible array of new releases and classic staples continue to hit the shelves.
Today, I am pulling back the curtain on my ultimate wish list, detailing the bottles I have been eyeing up, and the whisky whales I am desperately trying to land. Let us crack on.
While it is easy to get distracted by high-priced unicorns, a true wish list must respect the accessible hits. Take the Glencadam 10. It is a well-loved staple in our circles, routinely available for under forty quid, and frankly, I have no excuse for not already owning it. But my gaze is equally caught by fresh innovation.
The latest Ardnamurchan Midgie release perfectly balances bourbon and port casks with a hint of peat, proving that young distilleries are producing absolutely stellar spirits right now. Similarly, exciting operations like Lochlea are dropping cask strength batches that are keeping the industry vibrant and firmly slapping.
Then we venture into the dangerous territory of the premium pours. A memorable trip to London left me haunted by the Redbreast 1997 Cream Sherry Cask. At a hefty price tag, it is a gritty, cookie-dough delight that remains securely in my dreams rather than my drinks cabinet.
The same applies to my absolute favourite discovery from a recent Edinburgh festival: the Dramfool Jim McEwan Signature Collection. It is an eleven-year-old, massively peated smoke show that somehow avoids being brash, instead bolstering the palate with immense flavour and body. These are the magnificent drams you dream of buying to celebrate major life events, even if the price makes your eyes water.
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Finally, there are the bottles that sit on the list purely out of nostalgia and missed opportunities. I have watched the Laphroaig 16 slowly creep up in price over the last three years, and I fear I may have missed the boat entirely.
The same goes for the Glenmorangie Signet. It is a premium stunner I first spotted years ago at a fraction of its current cost, yet it still occupies a very special place in my mind as an aspirational classic.
The truth is, no matter how much we might want to rein in our spending, the sheer quality of whisky out there makes it nearly impossible to stop hunting. My wish list is an ever-evolving beast, but it constantly reminds me why I fell in love with this spirit in the first place.
Are you still actively chasing new bottles, or are you joining the ranks of fans who are taking a step back? Let me know in the comments.
Watch the full YouTube video for my thoughts on each bottle.
