Home » Ballantine’s, Opinions

Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2011 is out!

11 October 2010 1,778 views Written by: Gal Granov

The time has come for another Whisky Bible. Who will Jim Murray choose as the “Best Whisky” of them all?

_48627925_whiskybible2011-1

I was almost sure he would name the “Supernova 2010” as best, since he loves Ardbeg so much, and i am glad he didn’t since i really don’t think it deserves #1.

But, a very big surprise – the world’s ‘best’ whisky is a BLENDED whisky. You heard me right a Blend! and is:

Ballantine’s 17 Years Old! (with a score of 97.5!!!)

With all of us “whisky snobs” mostly interested in Single malts, we tend to forget there are some very good blended whiskies. I must say i have not had the Ballantine’s 17 Years Old myself. I guess i should have it and see what all the fuss is about.

The 2nd and 3rd ‘best’ whiskies are  :

Second Finest Whisky in the World 2011 – Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye (129 proof)
Third Finest Whisky in the World 2011 – William Larue Weller (134.8 proof)

Yes, Two American whiskies. also very surprising. with the Sazerac winning 2nd year in a row (this year a younger expression than the 18 of last year).

Amrut does well this year as well, with the Intermediate sherry winning the best world whisky. Way to go Amrut!

In case you are interested , here are the rest of the winners:

Categories

Scotch Whisky of the Year – Ballantine’s 17 Years Old
Single Malt of the Year (Multiple cask) – Octomore Orpheus Aged 5 Years
Single Malt of the Year (Single cask) – Gordon & MacPhail Mortlach 70
Best Scotch New Brand – Compass Box, The Spice Tree
Scotch Blend of the Year – Ballantine’s 17 Years Old
Scotch Grain of the Year – Clan Denny Garnheath Aged 40 Years
Scotch Vatted Malt of the Year – Big Peat

Single Malt Scotch

No Age Statement (Multiple cask) – Ardbeg Corryvreckan
No Age Statement (runner up) – The Macallan Oscuro
10 Years and Under (Multiple cask) – Octomore Orpheus Aged 5 Years
10 Years and Under (Single cask) – Ardbeg 2000 Lord Robertson of Port Ellen KT
11-15 Years Old (Multiple cask) – The Arran Malt 1996 ‘The Peacock’
11-15 Years Old (Single cask) – SMWS 33.77 Aged 11 Years (Ardbeg)
16-21 Years Old (Multiple cask) – Highland Park Aged 18 Years
16-21 Years Old (Single cask) – Old Malt Cask Lochside Aged 18 Years
22-27 Years Old (Multiple cask) – Brora 25 Year Old 7th Release
22-27 Years Old (Single cask) – Duncan Taylor Highland Park 1986
28-34 Years Old (Multiple cask) – Auchentoshan 1978 Bourbon Cask Ltd Edition
28-34 Years Old (Single cask) – Old Malt Cask Auchroisk Aged 34 Years
35-40 Years Old (Multiple cask) – Highland Park 1973 Orcadian Vintage
35-40 Years Old (Single cask) – G&M Rare Old Convalmore 1975
41 Years and Over (Multiple cask) – Dalmore Candela Aged 50 Years
41 Years and Over (Single cask) – Gordon & MacPhail Mortlach 70

World Whiskies

Indian Whisky of the Year – Amrut Intermediate Sherry Matured

Note to self:

  1. Must try Ballantine’s 17
  2. Must try Sazerac
  3. I want a bottle of that intermediate sherry. i want it bad!

Slainte!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...
  • http://twitter.com/sgilboa Shai Gilboa

    With whisky, and in Israel with wine as well, there is a trend to tend to forget that blends are a form of art.
    There are good ones and there are amazingly bad ones, but all in all, making a blend, and keeping it consistent over the years with sometimes as many as 40 different whiskies in it, is nothing short of a complex work of art.

    If you look at the world of wine, most of the BEST wines ever are blends! Why should this be different with whisky? Why it is so easy for us to dismiss blends as “unworthy” and always run towards the single malts (or with wines, at least in Israel, towards single grape type wine)?

    I love single malts, as Gal knows, and used to buy blends as “something to give a non-whisky guest”.
    Lately however, I’ve rediscovered blends. I found that for quite good prices (and in Israel that means a lot!) I can buy some VERY good blended Scotch whisky, for example the Cutty Sark 18 and Whyte and Mackay Masters Reserve 12, both I just purchased in the past week.

    Some “cheaper” blends can also make a mark, and I was happy to learn that a well known whisky voice liked Cutty Black as much as I do (in a respond to a question I asked on twitter regarding Cutty Sark 18).

    When I compare the two worlds of wine and whisky, it is actually quite puzzling that a blend did not get such high praises so far! After all, if you read/listen to interviews with master blenders, you can see how proud they are in their hard labored bottled result. Look at Richard Paterson, agreeably one of the most prestigious master blenders and see how he passionately speaks about his W&M blends. Listen to the WhiskyCast.com show from Oct 2nd, and hear how Sandy Hyslop presents the hard work and love he puts into Ballantine’s blends.

    We also need to remember that up until the 60s, most of the whiskies sold and drank worldwide were blends. I think that it was bound to happen that with the rise in quality of single malts and whisky industry in general (like in the wine world), blends would improve as well.

    Final note: I’m not much of a believer in wine bibles or whisky bibles or so, but I do know JM bible is so important, and thus I congratulate Ballantine’s and its master blender Sandy.
    Slainte!

    Shai Gilboa

  • http://twitter.com/sgilboa Shai Gilboa

    With whisky, and in Israel with wine as well, there is a trend to tend to forget that blends are a form of art.
    There are good ones and there are amazingly bad ones, but all in all, making a blend, and keeping it consistent over the years with sometimes as many as 40 different whiskies in it, is nothing short of a complex work of art.

    If you look at the world of wine, most of the BEST wines ever are blends! Why should this be different with whisky? Why it is so easy for us to dismiss blends as “unworthy” and always run towards the single malts (or with wines, at least in Israel, towards single grape type wine)?

    I love single malts, as Gal knows, and used to buy blends as “something to give a non-whisky guest”.
    Lately however, I’ve rediscovered blends. I found that for quite good prices (and in Israel that means a lot!) I can buy some VERY good blended Scotch whisky, for example the Cutty Sark 18 and Whyte and Mackay Masters Reserve 12, both I just purchased in the past week.

    Some “cheaper” blends can also make a mark, and I was happy to learn that a well known whisky voice liked Cutty Black as much as I do (in a respond to a question I asked on twitter regarding Cutty Sark 18).

    When I compare the two worlds of wine and whisky, it is actually quite puzzling that a blend did not get such high praises so far! After all, if you read/listen to interviews with master blenders, you can see how proud they are in their hard labored bottled result. Look at Richard Paterson, agreeably one of the most prestigious master blenders and see how he passionately speaks about his W&M blends. Listen to the WhiskyCast.com show from Oct 2nd, and hear how Sandy Hyslop presents the hard work and love he puts into Ballantine’s blends.

    We also need to remember that up until the 60s, most of the whiskies sold and drank worldwide were blends. I think that it was bound to happen that with the rise in quality of single malts and whisky industry in general (like in the wine world), blends would improve as well.

    Final note: I’m not much of a believer in wine bibles or whisky bibles or so, but I do know JM bible is so important, and thus I congratulate Ballantine’s and its master blender Sandy.
    Slainte!

    Shai Gilboa

    • Anonymous

      well written shai!
      but, there are so many amazing malts and blends, it really is quite impossible to think this one is the best of all.
      but i guess murray wants to create a fuss, so people will buy the bible. if he selected a well known Malt, it would not be a ‘scoop’.

      anyways, i am not getting his book this year.

      • http://twitter.com/sgilboa Shai Gilboa

        Oh I don’t care what is the exact blend that won. Honest.
        I do care that we are amazed that a blend did win and not a single malt.

        It could have been W&M 30 or even the Stewart’s cream of the barley for all I care.
        The issue I was referring to, is that I think we need to start giving blends, good blends, more attention with no prejudice.

        I even suggest a WI summit about blends (good and bad!) where we’ll discuss this in depth.

        What say you?

        • Anonymous

          I say, we do that. some interesting stuff to be had.
          next time!

  • http://twitter.com/sgilboa Shai Gilboa

    With whisky, and in Israel with wine as well, there is a trend to tend to forget that blends are a form of art.
    There are good ones and there are amazingly bad ones, but all in all, making a blend, and keeping it consistent over the years with sometimes as many as 40 different whiskies in it, is nothing short of a complex work of art.

    If you look at the world of wine, most of the BEST wines ever are blends! Why should this be different with whisky? Why it is so easy for us to dismiss blends as “unworthy” and always run towards the single malts (or with wines, at least in Israel, towards single grape type wine)?

    I love single malts, as Gal knows, and used to buy blends as “something to give a non-whisky guest”.
    Lately however, I’ve rediscovered blends. I found that for quite good prices (and in Israel that means a lot!) I can buy some VERY good blended Scotch whisky, for example the Cutty Sark 18 and Whyte and Mackay Masters Reserve 12, both I just purchased in the past week.

    Some “cheaper” blends can also make a mark, and I was happy to learn that a well known whisky voice liked Cutty Black as much as I do (in a respond to a question I asked on twitter regarding Cutty Sark 18).

    When I compare the two worlds of wine and whisky, it is actually quite puzzling that a blend did not get such high praises so far! After all, if you read/listen to interviews with master blenders, you can see how proud they are in their hard labored bottled result. Look at Richard Paterson, agreeably one of the most prestigious master blenders and see how he passionately speaks about his W&M blends. Listen to the WhiskyCast.com show from Oct 2nd, and hear how Sandy Hyslop presents the hard work and love he puts into Ballantine’s blends.

    We also need to remember that up until the 60s, most of the whiskies sold and drank worldwide were blends. I think that it was bound to happen that with the rise in quality of single malts and whisky industry in general (like in the wine world), blends would improve as well.

    Final note: I’m not much of a believer in wine bibles or whisky bibles or so, but I do know JM bible is so important, and thus I congratulate Ballantine’s and its master blender Sandy.
    Slainte!

    Shai Gilboa

    • http://www.whiskyisrael.co.il Gal(WhiskyIsrael)

      well written shai!
      but, there are so many amazing malts and blends, it really is quite impossible to think this one is the best of all.
      but i guess murray wants to create a fuss, so people will buy the bible. if he selected a well known Malt, it would not be a ‘scoop’.

      anyways, i am not getting his book this year.

      • http://twitter.com/sgilboa Shai Gilboa

        Oh I don’t care what is the exact blend that won. Honest.
        I do care that we are amazed that a blend did win and not a single malt.

        It could have been W&M 30 or even the Stewart’s cream of the barley for all I care.
        The issue I was referring to, is that I think we need to start giving blends, good blends, more attention with no prejudice.

        I even suggest a WI summit about blends (good and bad!) where we’ll discuss this in depth.

        What say you?

        • http://www.whiskyisrael.co.il Gal(WhiskyIsrael)

          I say, we do that. some interesting stuff to be had.
          next time!

  • Pingback: A Palace Called – Aunt Julies Kitchen » montel william juicer

  • Keith Wood

    I thought these awards related to 2010? The peacock was a 2009 release!

    • Anonymous

      Yea. go figure!

  • Keith Wood

    I thought these awards related to 2010? The peacock was a 2009 release!

  • Keith Wood

    I thought these awards related to 2010? The peacock was a 2009 release!

    • http://www.whiskyisrael.co.il Gal(WhiskyIsrael)

      Yea. go figure!