Top 10 Whiskies From Around the World

Submitted by ssebastian

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If you read the average definition of whiskey, you’d probably wonder what all the fuss was about. So it’s booze distilled from some kind of porridge and stuck in a barrel for a while. Who cares about the fermented leftovers of a Goldilocks and the Three Bears reenactment, right?

Say that in a bar on St. Patrick’s Day and see how close you can get to the door before dozens of angry drunken Gaelic-Americans give you a right smack in the gob. Whether you spell it whiskey, whisky, or uisge, drinking this alcoholic “water of life” is a religious experience for many, even those without thistles or shamrocks in their DNA. Mock it at your peril. To escape the righteous indignation of any angry whiskey-lovers, try buying them one of these:

#10 - Wild Turkey American Honey. If your throat’s burning and you’re craving something sweet, try this honey-laced bourbon from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. Ashley Judd not included.

#9 - Dalwhinnie 15 years old. Scottish single malt, considered one of the “Six Classic Malts,” originating in the Highlands. Treat it respectfully or risk getting your head cut off by a Frenchman with a Japanese sword and faking a Scottish accent. (There can be only one!)

#8 - Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve. Regular Jameson on steroids, metaphorically speaking. Only 1,300 3-liter cases came out for the first vintage, which means you had an easier time getting the first copy of the last Harry Potter book.

#7 – Nikka Yoichi 20 years old. So it’s not from Ireland or Scotland. Japan’s an island, too, and in a 2003 blind taste test, this Asian single malt gave the Gaels one in the eye.

#6 - Suntory Hibiki 30 years old. Yet another entry from the Land of the Rising Sun, this whisky was declared the “World’s Best Blended Whisky” at the 2008 World Whiskies Awards. Boy, first it was cars, now it’s booze?

# 5 - Compass Box Hedonism. Winner of the 2008 “World’s Best Grain Whisky” award from Whisky Magazine. Made in Scotland by an American. Sip it respectfully, watch a Sean Connery Bond film, and chant “USA! USA!”

#4 - Glenrothes 25 years old. Another limited edition single malt, though with 2,400 bottles released upon an unsuspecting world, you may want to ask Glenrothes if they really know what “limited” means. Each bottle of this whisky contains spirits distilled in 1967, 1972, 1977, 1979, and 1980. Guess that’s what’s really going on when you save time in a bottle.

#3 - Blue Hanger 30 years old. The name has nothing to do with Joan Crawford’s closet fetishes and everything to do with an 18^th century whisky lover who liked to wear blue. Gee. Suddenly all those frequent customer points seem so hollow, don’t they?

#2 - Glenfiddich 40-year-old. Only 600 bottles were filled from the casks first laid down in 1963. If you have to ask the price, you probably can’t afford it. It’s earned enough gold medals to be served to Michael Phelps.

#1 - George T. Stagg. The pride of Buffalo Trace Distillery of Frankfurt, Kentucky. You can’t go wrong with a Bluegrass state bourbon, and if you’re willing to plunk down the bucks, George T. Stagg deserves a place on your rack.