To all our dear readers, followers and supporters,

Many thanks for your support in 2014. When we started this blog in 2013 I set myself the challenge of attempting to sample every whisky distillery in Scotland. Having summarily failed miserably we then decided in 2014 to go on a virtual world tour of whisky distilleries. Sadly I didn’t have the foresight of the Diageo planning and marketing departments and so 2014 actually turned into the year of grain whisky! For 2015 I have already set myself the challenge, after recently joining the Scotch Malt Whisky Society, of attempting to sample every distillery the SMWS bottle from (!). In the meantime we also continue our virtual globetrotting, bringing you the finest whisky from around the world. Here’s what we thought were the best drams from 2014:

The Whiskyphiles Awards 2014

Single Cask samples

Aberfeldy 26 Years Old 1988 Cask 1087 ~ Cask Strength (Single cask sample)

Ardbeg French Oak Cask (single cask sample)

Lagavulin 32 Years Old 1982 ~ Cask strength (Single Cask Sample)

Bottled single malt scotch whisky

‘Fidra’ Ben Nevis 17 Year Old single cask (Lockett Bros)

3.225 Galleon attacked by pirates ~ 57.2% (SMWS)

Aberlour-Glenlivet 21 Years Old 1989 Bourbon Hogshead ~ 57.5% (Wm Cadenhead’s)

Blended whisky

Peat Monster 10th Anniversary Park Avenue Edition Cask Strength ~54.7% (Compass Box)

Big Peat Christmas Edition 2014 ~ 55.7% (Douglas Laing & Co Ltd.)

The Feathery ~ 40% (Spencerfield Spirit Company)

Single grain whisky

Port Dundas 47 Years Old 1965 ~ 43.6% (Scott’s)

The Girvan Patent Still 25 Years Old 2014 ~42.6% (William Grant & Sons Ltd.)

North of Scotland 42 Years Old 1971~ 43.3% (Pearls of Scotland)

World whisky

Yamazaki 18 Years Old ~ 43% (Suntory) [Japan]

Mackmyra Special:08 Handplockat ~ 46% (Mackmyra) [Sweden]

Chapter 14 ~ 46% (The English Whisky Co.) [England]

Our Top 10 Whisky Review articles as chosen by reader traffic:

1. Laphroaig An Cuan Mor ~ 48% (Travel Retail Exclusive)
2. Extra Special Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky ~ 40% (ASDA)
3. Highland Earl Blended Scotch Whisky ~ 40% (Aldi)
4. Aberlour 12 Years Old Sherry Cask Matured ~ 40% (Travel Retail Exclusive)
5. Laphroaig Cairdeas 2013 ‘Port wood edition’ ~ 51.3% (Friends Of Laphroaig)
6. Fettercairn Fasque ~ 42% (Whyte & Mackay)
7. Kenmore Blended Scotch Whisky 5 Years Old ~ 40% (Marks & Spencer)
8. Extra Special Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky ~ 40% (ASDA)
9. Longmorn 17 Years Old 1996 Cask #105095 ~ 43% (Signatory)
10. Aberlour A’Bunadh Batch 45 ~ 60.2% (Pernod Ricard)

The Top 10 countries from which we have had visitors:

1. United Kingdom
2. United States
3. Germany
4. Canada
5. Australia
6. France
7. Netherlands
8. Sweden
9. Belgium
10. Switzerland