Abov App Top 10 Whiskeys of 2022
It’s hard to believe this is the 5th edition of the Abov/Whisky Suggest annual Top 10 list. With so many new whiskeys coming out its hard to pick a favorite, but you all helped by continuing to share which bottles you were most excited about. Read on below to see all your favorites in Abov’s list of the Top 10 Whiskeys of 2022.
First up, we have a Japanese whisky produced by the Suntory distillery, one of the oldest and most renowned whiskey makers in Japan. The Chita is a single grain whisky, which means it is made primarily from corn and distilled using a continuous column still, rather than the traditional pot still used for most other types of whiskey.
The Chita is aged in a variety of casks, including ex-bourbon, wine, and sherry casks, and is blended together to create a smooth, mellow flavor profile. It is described as having a delicate, fruity aroma with notes of honey, vanilla, and citrus, and a soft, silky texture on the palate. The finish is said to be long and sweet, with a touch of spice and oak.
This 15 Year Old release from the Glenfiddich distillery in Speyside, Scotland comes in at number 9 on the list. The Solera Fifteen is a unique expression that is aged using a solera system, which is a traditional aging process commonly used in sherry production.
The solera system involves a series of barrels stacked on top of each other, with the oldest whisky at the bottom and the newest at the top. Each year, a portion of whisky from the oldest barrel is transferred to the barrel above it, and a portion of younger whisky is added to the oldest barrel to maintain the consistency of the blend. In this way, the whisky is continually mixed and aged, resulting in a rich and complex flavor profile.
12 years old. Refill American Oak. Cask Strength. Lagavulin.
That’s about all you really need to know about number 8 on our Top 10 Whiskeys of 2022 list. This was the 2021 edition of Diageo’s annual special release for Lagavulin, as part of the “Legends Untold” collection.
There is always a lot of hype around these releases, but from all accounts, this seems to be a very solid bottle from Lagavulin.
In a follow up to the highly popular A Tale of Cake release from Glenmorangie, that reached number 2 on last year’s top 10 list, comes A Tale of Winter.
This dram is finished in Marsala Wine Casks, giving it a smooth and creamy mouthfeel, with notes of vanilla, honey, and toffee. Crack this one open on a cold winter’s night in front of a roaring fire for added ambiance.
Mmm…toasty.
Keeping in line with the toasted barrel bourbon craze, you knew there had to be one on the list. For 2022, it’s Basil Hayden Toast.
Take your standard Basil Hayden bourbon, finish it with some additional toasted barrel staves, and voila!
Smooth caramel and toasted marshmallows, vanilla and oak all blend together in this easy drinking bourbon.
Another year, another Ardbeg. While many of Ardbeg’s annual releases experiment with different cask types, the 13 Year Old Fermutation is quite different. This great article from Cool Hunting goes into much more detail of the accidental production, but the TL:DR is that this batch was allowed to ferment for way longer than standard.
The result? Classic peat smoke with the “sharpest, zingiest, and wildest” Ardbeg flavor yet (Ardbeg’s own words).
Ledaig 18 Year Old is a single malt Scotch produced by the Tobermory Distillery located on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. Utilizing the classic Scotch ageing combo of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks and a smokey malt, the resulting dram is half sweet, half smoke, and a lot of wood.
In it’s fifth release, this is one of the highest rated Repeal Reserve straight bourbons yet! The George Remus brand is named after the famous Prohibition-era bootlegger, and has really gained popularity with it’s high end limited edition Repeal Reserve lineup.
The fifth release that is made from a blend of bourbons aged between 4 and 14 years, and is as sweet and smooth as it gets.
Coming in at the number 2 spot on our Top 10 Whiskeys of 2022 list is an exceptional bourbon from the Wild Turkey Distillery. This release benefits from 3 additional years of aging over the standard 10 year, not to mention it is bottled at a robust 57.4% barrel proof.
Packed with a rich, complex flavor, you’ll quickly pick up the strong notes of caramel, oak, and spice.
Torabhaig is a distillery located on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, and the Allt Gleann is part of their Legacy series. It is a quite young single malt Scotch, coming in at only 3 years of age, that is made from Scottish barley.
This particular release is matured in ex-bourbon American Oak barrels. It is described as having notes of honey, vanilla, and caramel, with a hint of peat smoke
Another year, and another set of delicious drams. If you are interested in seeing how 2022 compares to other years, check out our previous annual top 10 lists:
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