Thanks Jolly Rover! Still weird to think myself part of Whiskytube haha 😊 Thanks for the vote of confidence and support towards that 1k mark! Certainly intend to keep going. Cheers 🥃
This is a very well-considered metric for determining favorite overall distillery ratings! I’ve been rallying various WhiskyTubers for exactly this kind of comparative comprehensive analysis for years, thx! It is valuable enough to put in written form so enthusiasts can use your descriptions of both the OB and recommendations for IB offerings! What about making that a Patreon benefit? At least a chart showing the results at the end or in the description would be great. Congrats and thanks for the intelligent and valuable contributions to the WhiskyVerse!
Hey Marc! It took alot of work and time to put together so it's really nice to get a comment like this one. Thanks for the feedback on the metrics and letting me know I'm on the right track. I will definitely consider something like that as a Patreon benefit(been trying to come up with ideas on what I could offer). In the meantime, maybe I'll submit it to a place like Dramface until I get that going. Thanks again for the appreciation, happy to be part of the WhiskyVerse! Cheers 🥃
@@whiskyonthewestcoast I’d highly recommend that a metric including your variables be adopted across the board by Dramface or another major grouping of multiple reviewers. It would be invaluable for gaining some consistency in how we evaluate distilleries as a whole. Roy’s most recent rating poll for his vPub would have definitely benefitted from a better mutual understanding before the voting. I think he was struggling a bit more than necessary in the last vPub to find a consensus amidst the different interpretations of “best distillery” that could have been minimized defining a metric like yours beforehand. Writing something for Dramface could be the perfect place to hash this out and the timing is perfect given the recent vPub.
As we finished editing I began to watch Roy's Vpub and thought, well this is topical! Timing does seem to be perfect. I'll see what comes from reaching out to Dramface and team. Thanks again for the feedback Marc. Cheers 🥃
Thanks Kevin! Yeah I was surprised when I tallied it up that Bowmore came out ahead. When I do it in the future we'll see if that changes. I do have a soft spot for Bowmore's really good stuff. Thanks for the encouragement! Cheers 🥃
Great video! I’m still a relative Newbie in my Islay journey, but I thought I’d take a shot at a ranking and see how my ranking changes over time. 1. Bruichladdich 2. Ardbeg 3. Laphroaig 4. Kilchoman 5. Lagavulin 6. Bunnahabhain 7. Caol Ila 8. Bowmore
Thanks man! I like your top 4. Glad you appreciate Bruichladdich as much as I do! As for Bowmore, I only started to appreciate they when I tried older Independently Bottled expressions. Nothing else like 1980's Bowmore. I don't think there are wrong answers on Islay haha 😆 Cheers buddy🥃
Thanks Jimmy! I have a couple of playlists for reviews and list videos, though I don't think this one went into one as it was sort of it's own category. If I make another Power Ranking video I'll make it's own playlist. Thanks for the suggestion. Cheers 🥃
Brilliant episode Matt. Wow, Bruichladdich....great offerings to say the least. Laphroaig special releases are amazing too minus a couple of disappointments.
Thanks Rohit! I appreciate the comment as always. What can I say, I'm a sucker for Bruichladdich and they seem to do it the right way. The wonderful thing for Laphroaig is that there is still lots of room for improvement in really simple ways. If Beam-Suntory ever decides to change some of their practices it will be very exciting. Cheers 🥃
@@whiskyonthewestcoast I totally agree re: Laphroaig. I have a few different releases and some are excellent. They just need to be consistent and perhaps bit more transparent. Maybe good times ahead. Cheers!
@@Rohit_M as a Laphroaig fan love your optimism but to be honest: i dont think so! Also Distillery owners 101% dont agree your wishful thinking 🤷♂️. TBH Laphroaig's best affordable core range expression is quarter cask which has no age statement!! So future for me is in dark colours. I wish im wrong. 😁🥂🙋🏻♂️
@@peatbull3426 Fair enough and I've had and continue to enjoy the QC. As for the special releases, it boils down to each their own I suppose. Some offerings I may like that others may not necessarily like and vice versa.
Thanks Sandy! Glad you're getting back over to Islay soon. Bunnahabhain is a great choice for a favourite. I love the 18 year old and IB Staoisha. What makes them your favourite?
Great work, good to see your benchmark comparison of the Islay distilleries. I am not sure how important legacy is in the overall scoring, particularly given the impact and great whisky new distilleries are now making, including Kilchoman. But as a proud Scot I get the pride and emotions that their legacy emotes. I wonder if in 10 or 20 years you do this again how their legacy scoring will have changed, or will Diageo owned distillers have destroyed theirs !!?
Thanks for the awesome comment Euan! I do dread seeing what damage is done long term by Diageo's current course. But that is balanced out by the hope I see in Kilchoman, the rebirth of Bruichladdich, amongst others including newer distilleries like Ardnamurchan. I definitely agree that I'm not sure how much legacy or history matters, which is why I wanted to give 80% of the score to whisky, 20% for intangibles seems fair. I'm planning on visiting Islay for the first time this summer so maybe I drop it to 10% in the future and add 10% for Distillery tour? Either way once again thanks for the comment! Cheers 🥃
Thanks Henri! Funny enough I'm currently watching the New Zealand All Black's play at the Canada Rugby Sevens Tournament in Vancouver. Always glad to hear about Kiwis watching the video's. As for which region next? The thought of taking on the 50+ distilleries in the Speyside is daunting 😆 we'll see what the future holds. Cheers 🥃
Thanks David!😄 Picking favourites on Islay is like trying to pick your favourite child, there is no wrong choice in that top 3 for me. Love what you guys do up at Bunnahabhain. I'm still a bit obsessed with that Bunna 2008 Manzanilla. In June I'm making the 7,000km journey to Islay for the first time, planning on taking the Warehouse 9 tour. Hope I get to bump into you. Oh, and thanks for the views from the verandah, can't wait to see it in person! Cheers 🥃
Hey Tristan! I'm looking for it to drop somewhere here too! As far as I can tell(and I could be very wrong) it hasn't come to anywhere in Canada yet. Anyone who has it, imported from elsewhere. A buddy of mine saw it in Vegas and I've heard of some importing from the U.K. to Canada. Hope it changes soon, but it feels a bit like Ledaig 18, yet another Distell bottling I'd love to be able to buy but isn't imported. Good luck on your hunt. Cheers 🥃
The best is is extremely subjective, which is why I tried to come up with a formula, and even then, still very subjective. Laphroaig and Ardbeg are both great for that peat punch. Cheers🥃
I’m a sucker for these videos. Your top 3 is the same as mine but in a different order. I’m currently loving Bunna the most. I like to consider also where these distilleries would have placed maybe 5-10 years ago. I would bet that the Kildalton 3 would have been firmly wedged in there. How the mighty have fallen.
Having the same three on the podium makes me feel like we're in good company! I could see the likes of Lagavulin, Ardbeg taking those places a decade ago. They have some work to do to mend fences with the whisky lovers out there. Cheers 🥃
Couldn't be happier to hear that Ryan approves! Haha. I'd reckon you're right about Islay. Actually, funny that you mention that. We were supposed to go to Islay last June but the trip got cancelled, but I am currently planning the makeup trip right now for this June! Cheers 🥃
Hi Matt, quite brave ranking experiment, so, kudos for that...And nice presentation of each distillery you've chosen. On my side, i did found that system interesting but also partly problematic, but i still tried to play the game myself, though struggling with some categories (I did separate the 'Indie bottling & Single Cask" category in just "I.B.s" as for me it doesn't make sense not to group the ".O.B.'s Special Releases" within the "Special Releases" category...I had also issues with the I.B. category when it meant "not enough casks sold to indies", shall we blame them score wise for that ? not sure...But yet I still tried to fit to your criterias as much as I could, but based more on my experience of tasting, as often, to rank distilleries like I did on my website (though sorry alas what is on it is not the latest version, mind you, I did change a lot, passed the 10 first ones/100, a Top 30 would have been maybe more easy?), I prefer to consider how many bottlings I tried from those distilleries & what is the satisfaction ratio + what is the current offer & is it still relevant...Also, even if for instance, we can't add Ardnahoe & the 2 or 3 new distillery projects on Islay yet on the ranking, I couldn't skip the "10th" one, which is my favorite of all distilleries, Port Ellen, currently & slowly restarting to reopen & maybe soon to get its first new run...it was complicated to select a "core range" for that one tbh...But yeah I based my choices here with the 437 different Islay whiskies tasted & Bruichladdich (81 expressions tried including PC/Oc) & Caol Ila (70) were the ones I tried the most whiskies so far... Now MY POWER RANKING (to be detailed another time as there are huge contrasts between the different criterias for many of them, some being disappointing, core range wise for me (count Bruichladdich but not PC in it, count also Bunna, etc...), other S.R. wise, others being really most of the time fantastic on indie bottlings offerings (Bunna especially, but sometimes Bowmore & Caol Ila as well), etc....(& it gets even more complicated for Bruichladdich with their 3 + different brand names ranges), so please don't draw conclusions too quickly on which are my favorite (after P.E. of course), but yeah you're gonna be surprised & disagree, it's the game, "colors & tastes vary"' 😉: PORT ELLEN (93 points) / ARDBEG (67) / BOWMORE (75) / BRUICHLADDICH (67) / BUNNAHABHAIN (72) / CAOL ILA (72) / KILCHOMAN (61) / LAGAVULIN (77) / LAPHROAIG (65)....Also, I'm jealous about that E.D. 33 yo Bowmore you have...!!! hope to try it some day....Cheers !
I think bunnahabhain peated whisky is so underrated, their toiteach is great and Staoisha is Laphroaig cask strength level peat. I'm really excited to crack open my feis isle bordeaux moine
I'm with you on the Staoisha. It's great stuff, especially when young it seems which is even better on the wallet. And it bodes well that they are increasing production of it. I'm already jealous of that Feis Moine bottle as that sounds like an incredible paring :) Cheers 🥃
Very good point. Craft presentation should be the main factor IMHO plus price. These both are absolutely key things for us, whisky enthusists. Bruichladdich is fo me nr 1 with Bunnahabhain close to 2nd. Have problem with nr 3. There is no clear candidate for this position IMO. Definitelly last one is BOOmore!! 😁🥂🙋🏻♂️
That's a sad state of affairs because I can confirm my wage has remained nearly static in comparison lol. No wonder it feels unaffordable now. I'm moving on to other offerings, for better or for worse. Cheers 🥃
I just counted. I have 11 bottles of indie Caol Ila and not one of them is a disappointment. So good. I have 0 bottles of official Caol Ila. Cheers Gareth 🥃
I was a bit worried when I saw the title, but pleasantly surprised upon watching. Of course, as I've never been out of stock of Laphroaig 10 since July 1982 and have been a registered Friend of Laphroaig since 1996, I would have liked to see that distillery in first place, but I'll settle for second. Also, as I preferred Bruichladdich before Mark Reynier and Jim McEwan 'ruined' it (!), I would never put that in the Top 5, but I can see why 'enthusiasts' might...
Happy to pleasantly surprise! It was a tough video to put together because I know it could have easily gone south. I'm glad it's been well received. I have a deep adoration of Laphroaig but nowhere near the length of history you have with it, wow. That's a lifetime of Laphroaig. I gotta ask, what ruined Bruichladdich for you? Was it the wine cask/terroir related stuff, or the bottling strength? Something else? Cheers 🥃
@@whiskyonthewestcoast It's a combination of things with Bruichladdich, but butyric acid/baby puke notes figure quite strongly, terroir is bunk (not sure if that's exactly what Dave Broom said, but...), bottles that look like they contain shampoo and the stupid prices for Octomore and the very disappointing Black Arts will do for starters!
A VERY good scale + great video. __________ But, this is heavily tilted toward and scaled for GenX onward, as seen in the fun of CORE RANGE and SPECIAL Releases weighted at 30/30- - - Though many of today's distilleries are but a shadow of yester-years, much were hidden in the past, hence I would weigh LEGACY of the past 100 years (like Froaig) more heavily, and re-scale as 40/20/20/20 or so. Also, TRANSPARENCY (in the stated age) means something - such as integrity, and Laddie has few age-stated bottles ( 8-10-15-18-21 up to the end of 2010 , all for less than 100-120 $CA (OMG !) and the 40yo was 400 $CA (double-dog down OMG) ! ! ... all disappear some 10-15 years ago, despite HUGE variety ) and Kilchoman virtually had all NAS bottlings since its inception (except some early SUmmer/Autumn Vintages - what History ?? ). My suggested scale will put Laph on Top (it received Royal Warrant for its 15 by the present-day King Charles you know . . . it means a LOT in UK, you know) and move Bowmore forward and ahead of Kilchoman --- my 2 cents from Ontario. Cheers !
Thanks for the feedback! That was more than 2 cents Timothy, I think that might have been a whole dime! :) Thanks for the extensive thoughts. I actually really like the idea of adding a category simply for Transparency. It's funny, I had a few comments suggest only considering Non-Chill Filtered, No colour added and that Legacy shouldn't be considered at all. I think a seperate category for transparency could be a great solution. I did take some flak for putting Bowmore so high, so having someone suggest it place higher is nice to hear. And the story of Charles piloting the plane, the emergency landing in the field, followed by the Royal Warrant is something I really should have remembered to mention. I guess the other thing I still should balance is the recency bias. Power Rankings in sports inherently are based off of the current season, with a little of the previous. The whole "what have you done for me lately" routine figures pretty prominently, which is likely why the slant towards Gen X onward. All told, I feel like we could have a roaring good time chewing on this topic over a dram. Cheers 🥃
@@whiskyonthewestcoast Yes, more draming , a 21 y Talisker C.S would suffice ---- btw, the OLD pre-2008 Bowmore are VERY floral, like Mizunara cask Japanese single malt Yoichi 21 comes to mind. . .
Sounds downright delectable, and I do mean all of it. But old school Bowmore will become an obsession if I'm not careful. The best kind of obsession. haha.
Bowmore above Lagavulin? Really ? Bowmore should be dead-last. :). I know, lists, subjective etc... enjoyed this vid & others anyways, keep up the great work :)
Haha, yeah, when I saw the numbers shake out that way I was surprised. I really love Lag 16 and 12CS(Prices aside). I didn't want to tinker with numbers to put distilleries where I wanted them to finish. I think what happened was that Lagavulin got hit hard due to a low score in Independent Bottlings/Single Casks. Without this metric, which Bowmore did ok at, Lagavulin would have been ahead by 6 points. It's a fun one to argue, as Lagavulin's core range is clearly better though limited. How would you order all 8? Where would Lagavulin rate overall? Thanks again for the comment. Cheers 🥃
@@whiskyonthewestcoast I've thought about this for a while, I think I wouldn't rank them to be honest LOL I'd place them in 3 tiers, Tier 1: Bowmore, Caol Ila Tier 2: Kilchoman, Bruich., Bunna. Tier 3: Ardbeg, Laga., Laphroaig I'm a huge Isaly fan, specially the peated expressions, with Laga 16 may fave, however personally I can't say definetively if Ardbeg is better or Laphroaig or lagavulin,etc... as each one offers some fantastic stuff :) cheers !
Love the tiers! Interesting way to think about them. Funny that all of the Kildalton coast distilleries wound up together. I do find them to be the most consistently heavily peated so that makes sensevseeing as it sounds like that is your wheelhouse. Thanks for the response. Cheers 🥃
There are several bastard malts that are widely known to be from Lagavulin including Finlaggan and the Ileach - which are typically great value. Also Blackadder’s Smoking Islay is a great example of indy Laga. I agree though that by comparison to the other Islay distilleries, there are fewer options.
GREAT content Matt, thank you! Great addition to Whiskytube!! We need to get you past that magic 1k subs mark! Keep going please!!
Thanks Jolly Rover! Still weird to think myself part of Whiskytube haha 😊 Thanks for the vote of confidence and support towards that 1k mark! Certainly intend to keep going. Cheers 🥃
This is a very well-considered metric for determining favorite overall distillery ratings! I’ve been rallying various WhiskyTubers for exactly this kind of comparative comprehensive analysis for years, thx! It is valuable enough to put in written form so enthusiasts can use your descriptions of both the OB and recommendations for IB offerings! What about making that a Patreon benefit? At least a chart showing the results at the end or in the description would be great. Congrats and thanks for the intelligent and valuable contributions to the WhiskyVerse!
Hey Marc! It took alot of work and time to put together so it's really nice to get a comment like this one. Thanks for the feedback on the metrics and letting me know I'm on the right track. I will definitely consider something like that as a Patreon benefit(been trying to come up with ideas on what I could offer). In the meantime, maybe I'll submit it to a place like Dramface until I get that going. Thanks again for the appreciation, happy to be part of the WhiskyVerse! Cheers 🥃
@@whiskyonthewestcoast I’d highly recommend that a metric including your variables be adopted across the board by Dramface or another major grouping of multiple reviewers. It would be invaluable for gaining some consistency in how we evaluate distilleries as a whole. Roy’s most recent rating poll for his vPub would have definitely benefitted from a better mutual understanding before the voting. I think he was struggling a bit more than necessary in the last vPub to find a consensus amidst the different interpretations of “best distillery” that could have been minimized defining a metric like yours beforehand. Writing
something for Dramface could be the perfect place to hash this out and the timing is perfect given the recent vPub.
As we finished editing I began to watch Roy's Vpub and thought, well this is topical! Timing does seem to be perfect. I'll see what comes from reaching out to Dramface and team. Thanks again for the feedback Marc. Cheers 🥃
Nicely done! I would have put Lagavulin above Bowmore on the list but other than that I agree. Keep up the great work!!
Thanks Kevin! Yeah I was surprised when I tallied it up that Bowmore came out ahead. When I do it in the future we'll see if that changes. I do have a soft spot for Bowmore's really good stuff. Thanks for the encouragement! Cheers 🥃
Great video! I’m still a relative Newbie in my Islay journey, but I thought I’d take a shot at a ranking and see how my ranking changes over time.
1. Bruichladdich
2. Ardbeg
3. Laphroaig
4. Kilchoman
5. Lagavulin
6. Bunnahabhain
7. Caol Ila
8. Bowmore
Thanks man! I like your top 4. Glad you appreciate Bruichladdich as much as I do! As for Bowmore, I only started to appreciate they when I tried older Independently Bottled expressions. Nothing else like 1980's Bowmore. I don't think there are wrong answers on Islay haha 😆 Cheers buddy🥃
A great detailed review. Laphroaig is one of favorites as well.
Thanks Akira! It's a great, distillery Laphroaig is. Cheers 🥃
Mate, such a great list. Would love to see more of these 😮 Do you have a playlist of some sort?
Thanks Jimmy! I have a couple of playlists for reviews and list videos, though I don't think this one went into one as it was sort of it's own category. If I make another Power Ranking video I'll make it's own playlist. Thanks for the suggestion. Cheers 🥃
Brilliant episode Matt. Wow, Bruichladdich....great offerings to say the least. Laphroaig special releases are amazing too minus a couple of disappointments.
Thanks Rohit! I appreciate the comment as always. What can I say, I'm a sucker for Bruichladdich and they seem to do it the right way. The wonderful thing for Laphroaig is that there is still lots of room for improvement in really simple ways. If Beam-Suntory ever decides to change some of their practices it will be very exciting. Cheers 🥃
@@whiskyonthewestcoast I totally agree re: Laphroaig. I have a few different releases and some are excellent. They just need to be consistent and perhaps bit more transparent. Maybe good times ahead.
Cheers!
@@Rohit_M as a Laphroaig fan love your optimism but to be honest: i dont think so! Also Distillery owners 101% dont agree your wishful thinking 🤷♂️. TBH Laphroaig's best affordable core range expression is quarter cask which has no age statement!! So future for me is in dark colours. I wish im wrong. 😁🥂🙋🏻♂️
@@peatbull3426 Fair enough and I've had and continue to enjoy the QC. As for the special releases, it boils down to each their own I suppose. Some offerings I may like that others may not necessarily like and vice versa.
I had to subscribe after watching this video. GREAT JOB!!!
Enjoyed the video. I'm going over to Islay in 10 days time for a couple of nights and going to my favourite first which is Bunnahabain.
Thanks Sandy! Glad you're getting back over to Islay soon. Bunnahabhain is a great choice for a favourite. I love the 18 year old and IB Staoisha. What makes them your favourite?
@@whiskyonthewestcoast I think Bunna has a distinct flavour profile and I like most of the range and the distillery is in a fantastic location
Enjoy the view from the verandah and the whisky!
Very impressive and well presented.
Cheers 🥃
Thanks John, always appreciate the feedback! Looking forward to your next video! Cheers 🥃
Awesome content. Thanks and subscribed.
Thanks for watching! Cheers eh 🥃
Great work, good to see your benchmark comparison of the Islay distilleries. I am not sure how important legacy is in the overall scoring, particularly given the impact and great whisky new distilleries are now making, including Kilchoman. But as a proud Scot I get the pride and emotions that their legacy emotes. I wonder if in 10 or 20 years you do this again how their legacy scoring will have changed, or will Diageo owned distillers have destroyed theirs !!?
Thanks for the awesome comment Euan! I do dread seeing what damage is done long term by Diageo's current course. But that is balanced out by the hope I see in Kilchoman, the rebirth of Bruichladdich, amongst others including newer distilleries like Ardnamurchan. I definitely agree that I'm not sure how much legacy or history matters, which is why I wanted to give 80% of the score to whisky, 20% for intangibles seems fair. I'm planning on visiting Islay for the first time this summer so maybe I drop it to 10% in the future and add 10% for Distillery tour? Either way once again thanks for the comment! Cheers 🥃
Great review. Greetings from New Zealand. Speyside or Highland next?
Thanks Henri! Funny enough I'm currently watching the New Zealand All Black's play at the Canada Rugby Sevens Tournament in Vancouver. Always glad to hear about Kiwis watching the video's.
As for which region next? The thought of taking on the 50+ distilleries in the Speyside is daunting 😆 we'll see what the future holds. Cheers 🥃
Small world. My eldest son is at UBC.
Funny how big it all seems, until it's not! 😄 UBC is a fantastic school. Lots to be proud of with him studying there.
I’ll take 3rd! 😁👍🥃 Good job all-round! 👊
Thanks David!😄 Picking favourites on Islay is like trying to pick your favourite child, there is no wrong choice in that top 3 for me. Love what you guys do up at Bunnahabhain. I'm still a bit obsessed with that Bunna 2008 Manzanilla. In June I'm making the 7,000km journey to Islay for the first time, planning on taking the Warehouse 9 tour. Hope I get to bump into you. Oh, and thanks for the views from the verandah, can't wait to see it in person! Cheers 🥃
Super informative and helpful! Thanks
Thanks man, glad it was informative! Cheers 🥃
Ive been looking for the bunnahabhain cast strengh here in alberta and cant find it. Any luck finding it in bc?
Hey Tristan! I'm looking for it to drop somewhere here too! As far as I can tell(and I could be very wrong) it hasn't come to anywhere in Canada yet. Anyone who has it, imported from elsewhere. A buddy of mine saw it in Vegas and I've heard of some importing from the U.K. to Canada. Hope it changes soon, but it feels a bit like Ledaig 18, yet another Distell bottling I'd love to be able to buy but isn't imported. Good luck on your hunt. Cheers 🥃
Laddie is also my favorite!!! Well done sir!!❤❤❤
Thanks! Laddie is great, glad to hear you enjoy it too! Cheers🥃
The best is pretty subjective, for me it’s Laphroaig & Ardbeg. What’s the helmet for?
The best is is extremely subjective, which is why I tried to come up with a formula, and even then, still very subjective. Laphroaig and Ardbeg are both great for that peat punch. Cheers🥃
Shush, don't give the big D ideas about premiumising my Caol Ila! Good video
Yeah, maybe best to speak in whispers about how good IB Caol Ila is, lest Diageo Special Release it like you've suggested. Cheers 🥃
I’m a sucker for these videos. Your top 3 is the same as mine but in a different order. I’m currently loving Bunna the most. I like to consider also where these distilleries would have placed maybe 5-10 years ago. I would bet that the Kildalton 3 would have been firmly wedged in there. How the mighty have fallen.
Having the same three on the podium makes me feel like we're in good company! I could see the likes of Lagavulin, Ardbeg taking those places a decade ago. They have some work to do to mend fences with the whisky lovers out there. Cheers 🥃
Would have been helpful to have had the score at the bottom of the screen while you talked about each distillery
That's also a good way to do it. Thanks for checking out the video once again.
At least a chart showing the results at the end or in the description would be great!
Ryan Gauld Approves! XD
You should get over to Islay for a Video someday man... You'd love it for sure!
Couldn't be happier to hear that Ryan approves! Haha. I'd reckon you're right about Islay. Actually, funny that you mention that. We were supposed to go to Islay last June but the trip got cancelled, but I am currently planning the makeup trip right now for this June! Cheers 🥃
Hi Matt, quite brave ranking experiment, so, kudos for that...And nice presentation of each distillery you've chosen. On my side, i did found that system interesting but also partly problematic, but i still tried to play the game myself, though struggling with some categories (I did separate the 'Indie bottling & Single Cask" category in just "I.B.s" as for me it doesn't make sense not to group the ".O.B.'s Special Releases" within the "Special Releases" category...I had also issues with the I.B. category when it meant "not enough casks sold to indies", shall we blame them score wise for that ? not sure...But yet I still tried to fit to your criterias as much as I could, but based more on my experience of tasting, as often, to rank distilleries like I did on my website (though sorry alas what is on it is not the latest version, mind you, I did change a lot, passed the 10 first ones/100, a Top 30 would have been maybe more easy?), I prefer to consider how many bottlings I tried from those distilleries & what is the satisfaction ratio + what is the current offer & is it still relevant...Also, even if for instance, we can't add Ardnahoe & the 2 or 3 new distillery projects on Islay yet on the ranking, I couldn't skip the "10th" one, which is my favorite of all distilleries, Port Ellen, currently & slowly restarting to reopen & maybe soon to get its first new run...it was complicated to select a "core range" for that one tbh...But yeah I based my choices here with the 437 different Islay whiskies tasted & Bruichladdich (81 expressions tried including PC/Oc) & Caol Ila (70) were the ones I tried the most whiskies so far...
Now MY POWER RANKING (to be detailed another time as there are huge contrasts between the different criterias for many of them, some being disappointing, core range wise for me (count Bruichladdich but not PC in it, count also Bunna, etc...), other S.R. wise, others being really most of the time fantastic on indie bottlings offerings (Bunna especially, but sometimes Bowmore & Caol Ila as well), etc....(& it gets even more complicated for Bruichladdich with their 3 + different brand names ranges), so please don't draw conclusions too quickly on which are my favorite (after P.E. of course), but yeah you're gonna be surprised & disagree, it's the game, "colors & tastes vary"' 😉: PORT ELLEN (93 points) / ARDBEG (67) / BOWMORE (75) / BRUICHLADDICH (67) / BUNNAHABHAIN (72) / CAOL ILA (72) / KILCHOMAN (61) / LAGAVULIN (77) / LAPHROAIG (65)....Also, I'm jealous about that E.D. 33 yo Bowmore you have...!!! hope to try it some day....Cheers !
I think bunnahabhain peated whisky is so underrated, their toiteach is great and Staoisha is Laphroaig cask strength level peat. I'm really excited to crack open my feis isle bordeaux moine
I'm with you on the Staoisha. It's great stuff, especially when young it seems which is even better on the wallet. And it bodes well that they are increasing production of it. I'm already jealous of that Feis Moine bottle as that sounds like an incredible paring :) Cheers 🥃
Great Video!!! Thx
Thanks for the feedback Marcin! Cheers 🥃
How about an integrity ranking with 50 points for % of expressions that are non chill filtered, and 50 points for % that are at or above 46% ABV.
That would be an interesting way to compare these. Hopefully one day they'll all get on the right side of that ledger. Cheers 🥃
Very good point. Craft presentation should be the main factor IMHO plus price. These both are absolutely key things for us, whisky enthusists. Bruichladdich is fo me nr 1 with Bunnahabhain close to 2nd. Have problem with nr 3. There is no clear candidate for this position IMO. Definitelly last one is BOOmore!! 😁🥂🙋🏻♂️
In the 5 years that I have been drinking whisky Lagavulin 16 has doubled in price.
That's a sad state of affairs because I can confirm my wage has remained nearly static in comparison lol. No wonder it feels unaffordable now. I'm moving on to other offerings, for better or for worse. Cheers 🥃
Cao Ila and Indi guys Signatory is pretty much a safe bet and a bloody good bottle 🙂
I just counted. I have 11 bottles of indie Caol Ila and not one of them is a disappointment. So good. I have 0 bottles of official Caol Ila. Cheers Gareth 🥃
I was a bit worried when I saw the title, but pleasantly surprised upon watching. Of course, as I've never been out of stock of Laphroaig 10 since July 1982 and have been a registered Friend of Laphroaig since 1996, I would have liked to see that distillery in first place, but I'll settle for second. Also, as I preferred Bruichladdich before Mark Reynier and Jim McEwan 'ruined' it (!), I would never put that in the Top 5, but I can see why 'enthusiasts' might...
Happy to pleasantly surprise! It was a tough video to put together because I know it could have easily gone south. I'm glad it's been well received. I have a deep adoration of Laphroaig but nowhere near the length of history you have with it, wow. That's a lifetime of Laphroaig.
I gotta ask, what ruined Bruichladdich for you? Was it the wine cask/terroir related stuff, or the bottling strength? Something else? Cheers 🥃
@@whiskyonthewestcoast It's a combination of things with Bruichladdich, but butyric acid/baby puke notes figure quite strongly, terroir is bunk (not sure if that's exactly what Dave Broom said, but...), bottles that look like they contain shampoo and the stupid prices for Octomore and the very disappointing Black Arts will do for starters!
I've got time for those arguments to be made. We'll thought. Cheers 🥃
A VERY good scale + great video. __________ But, this is heavily tilted toward and scaled for GenX onward, as seen in the fun of CORE RANGE and SPECIAL Releases weighted at 30/30- - - Though many of today's distilleries are but a shadow of yester-years, much were hidden in the past, hence I would weigh LEGACY of the past 100 years (like Froaig) more heavily, and re-scale as 40/20/20/20 or so. Also, TRANSPARENCY (in the stated age) means something - such as integrity, and Laddie has few age-stated bottles ( 8-10-15-18-21 up to the end of 2010 , all for less than 100-120 $CA (OMG !) and the 40yo was 400 $CA (double-dog down OMG) ! ! ... all disappear some 10-15 years ago, despite HUGE variety ) and Kilchoman virtually had all NAS bottlings since its inception (except some early SUmmer/Autumn Vintages - what History ?? ). My suggested scale will put Laph on Top (it received Royal Warrant for its 15 by the present-day King Charles you know . . . it means a LOT in UK, you know) and move Bowmore forward and ahead of Kilchoman --- my 2 cents from Ontario. Cheers !
Thanks for the feedback! That was more than 2 cents Timothy, I think that might have been a whole dime! :) Thanks for the extensive thoughts. I actually really like the idea of adding a category simply for Transparency. It's funny, I had a few comments suggest only considering Non-Chill Filtered, No colour added and that Legacy shouldn't be considered at all. I think a seperate category for transparency could be a great solution. I did take some flak for putting Bowmore so high, so having someone suggest it place higher is nice to hear. And the story of Charles piloting the plane, the emergency landing in the field, followed by the Royal Warrant is something I really should have remembered to mention. I guess the other thing I still should balance is the recency bias. Power Rankings in sports inherently are based off of the current season, with a little of the previous. The whole "what have you done for me lately" routine figures pretty prominently, which is likely why the slant towards Gen X onward. All told, I feel like we could have a roaring good time chewing on this topic over a dram. Cheers 🥃
@@whiskyonthewestcoast double dog-down right ! A dram of that 21y Talisker sherry CS "miss it and your life is utterly incomplete" by J. Murray ! !
@@whiskyonthewestcoast Yes, more draming , a 21 y Talisker C.S would suffice ---- btw, the OLD pre-2008 Bowmore are VERY floral, like Mizunara cask Japanese single malt Yoichi 21 comes to mind. . .
Sounds downright delectable, and I do mean all of it. But old school Bowmore will become an obsession if I'm not careful. The best kind of obsession. haha.
Bowmore above Lagavulin? Really ? Bowmore should be dead-last. :). I know, lists, subjective etc... enjoyed this vid & others anyways, keep up the great work :)
Haha, yeah, when I saw the numbers shake out that way I was surprised. I really love Lag 16 and 12CS(Prices aside). I didn't want to tinker with numbers to put distilleries where I wanted them to finish. I think what happened was that Lagavulin got hit hard due to a low score in Independent Bottlings/Single Casks. Without this metric, which Bowmore did ok at, Lagavulin would have been ahead by 6 points. It's a fun one to argue, as Lagavulin's core range is clearly better though limited.
How would you order all 8? Where would Lagavulin rate overall? Thanks again for the comment. Cheers 🥃
@@whiskyonthewestcoast I've thought about this for a while, I think I wouldn't rank them to be honest LOL
I'd place them in 3 tiers,
Tier 1: Bowmore, Caol Ila
Tier 2: Kilchoman, Bruich., Bunna.
Tier 3: Ardbeg, Laga., Laphroaig
I'm a huge Isaly fan, specially the peated expressions, with Laga 16 may fave, however personally I can't say definetively if Ardbeg is better or Laphroaig or lagavulin,etc... as each one offers some fantastic stuff :)
cheers !
Love the tiers! Interesting way to think about them. Funny that all of the Kildalton coast distilleries wound up together. I do find them to be the most consistently heavily peated so that makes sensevseeing as it sounds like that is your wheelhouse. Thanks for the response. Cheers 🥃
There are several bastard malts that are widely known to be from Lagavulin including Finlaggan and the Ileach - which are typically great value. Also Blackadder’s Smoking Islay is a great example of indy Laga. I agree though that by comparison to the other Islay distilleries, there are fewer options.
Kilchoman
Bruichladdich
Ardbeg
Laphroaig
Lagavulin
Bunnahabhain
Caol ila
Bowmore
Ardnahoe doesn't count.
Nice list! I love seeing Kilchoman so high on your list, likewise with Bruichladdich. Thanks for watching. Cheers Whisky Fan! 🥃
These are the peatier Scotches.
They absolutely are! Personally, I adore this style. Thanks for watching! Cheers 🥃
I think your hat is too big for your head.
Haha, yeah. I got my hair cut that day and forgot to tighten up the hat. Cheers 🥃