Top 5 whiskies I reviewed in 2024 under 100 euros

Greetings Folks. As my first article (besides my summary of 2024) we will have a top 5 list of whiskies I reviewed in 2024 that are under 100 euros.

Disclaimer: Everyones taste and what they like can differ, keep in mind that these ratings and winners here are ONLY MY OPINION, and I rate them accordingly to my taste and my preference to give you a general idea if they might be worth picking up.

I reviewed over 151 whiskies in 2024, so it was really hard to pick out 5 that are under 100 and rank them.

I will start with 3 runner-ups and then we will work our way down from the 5th to the 1st, I hope you enjoy it, let's get into it.

The runner-ups

Old Pulteney Harbour - Natural Color (?), Chill filtered, 40.0% - 85 points - 28.99€

Nose: After opening the bottle and pouring it to a Glencairn it is quite closed, reserved. Of course, it might have a so called "bottle shock". After letting it air for 5-10 minutes it opens up beautifully. Creamy, malty notes. Fresh toast with salted butter. Biscuits. Brine. Lots of vanilla and coconut. Orchard fruit basket, mainly green apples and pears. Lots of citrus notes coming through and a nice spiciness. Quite a fresh, salty, malty nose. My expectations are exceeded with this one for now.

Taste: Creamy and oily. It has a nice body with good viscosity. Nice legs too. Sweet vanilla with salted caramel. Tropical fruits such as pineapple and coconut. Again green apples, pears. Black pepper and cinnamon. Sweet and spicy. Freshly baked bread and sultana jam. Taste is great, not overly complex but also not boring. It has the nice salty DNA of Old Pulteney.

Finish: Medium. Fruity and spicy an the same time. A bit dry. Touch of sea salt and vanilla. A typical Old Pulteney whisky. 

The Epicurean Glasgow Edition #2 Cuvée Finish - Natural Color, Non-chill filtered, 50.4% - 85 points - 49.99€

Nose: Very malty right away. Lots of vanilla and toffee. Was it partly aged in FF Bourbon casks? Orchard fruits such as green apples, ripe pears and apricots. Citrus fruits. French toast with butter. Very fresh, very inviting. White grapes and oak. Great nose.

Taste: Hefty, oily. The 50.4% is very well integrated, it doesn't sting or burn at all. Fresh green apples, pears and apricots again. Maltiness and vanilla. Lemon zest. Grated coconut and toasted oak. White grapes, butter and espresso. Mouthfeel is great. Not an overly complex drink, but a good and enjoyable one.

Finish: Long finish, with malted barley, vanilla and toasted oak. It's sweet but gets dry by the end. It stays in the mouth for a few minutes, you don't feel the urge to drink drink and drink., It can be savored at a nice and slow pace.

Bunnahabhain Toiteach A Dhà - Natural Color, Non-chill filtered, 46.3% - 85 points - 61.99€

Nose: Wow. Surprisingly smoky. I tasted an Ardbeg 5 before this one and this one smells smokier. Cigar smoke, tar and iodine. Sea breeze, brine. Maritime. Raisins, milk chocolate and toasted nuts. Vanilla and toffee with caramel. Juicy oranges and red apples. Herbal notes. Cinnamons and cloves. Freshly cut wood and earthy peat. Great complex nose. Not at all what I had expected.

Taste: Elegant. Round and oily. Hefty mouthfeel. Alcohol is well integrated, doesn't stand out. Ash and earty peat. Campfire smoke. Maritime notes. Salt. When the smoke disappears, we are greeted by juicy blood oranges, raisins and forest fruits. Apple pie and cinnamon rolls with vanilla sauce. A hint of toasted oak at the end. It's great. Not boring. Definitely on the complex side of things. Doesn't feel too young either.

Finish: The finish is long but quite one dimensonal. Maybe this is where it lacks a little bit. Ash and salt. Very dry and very smoky. Spicy and fruity. It's nothing extraordinary, however it won't disappoint you.

5th place

Pike Creek Rum Finish Canadian Whisky - Natural Color(?), Non-Chill filtered(?), 42% - 86 points - 49.99€

Nose: Extremely sweet right away. Notes of maple syrup, vanilla, toffee and brown sugar. Fresh oak, freshly cut grass and some faint vegetal notes. Apple pie. Rum notes such as molasses. Confectionary smells. It's very reminiscent of bourbon. A hint of rye spice, cinnamon and cardamom. Very faint notes of tropical fruits in the background. Not too complex, very sweet but very very pleasant and warming.

Taste: Very sweet and syrupy. The texture is very much like a rum. Maple syrup, vanilla and toffee are the leading notes. Then soem rye spices and Christmas cake. Cinnamon and cardamom. A bit of oak and tropical fruits. It's not complex at all, but it's nice to drink. Sweet. A hint of spicyness at the back in the form of mint and black pepper.

Finish: Delicate, medium length. Brown sugar, molasses, maple syrup, vanilla and toffee. It's very enjoyable. Rum notes and rye spices. A hint of toasted oak at the back.

4th place

Bushmills 14 Years Old Málaga Cask - Natural Color (?), Chill Filtered, 40% - 87 points - 54.99€

Nose: Green apples with lots of vanilla and toffee. Apricot jam and pear juice. Sweet manuka honey, seville oranges, cinnamon and oak spice. Lovely nose.

Taste: Wow. Fresh apples, apricot and pear. Then the wine cask influence really kicks in with grapes, mango and some raisins. Tropical fruits such as pineapple. Spicy. Ginger, cinnamon and oak spice. Lots of vanilla and toffee. Very complex, very round and sweet. The 40% abv works very well here, this is what always surprises me with Bushmills. Their ability to be so tasty and complex at 40% abv.

Finish: Long. Sweet and complex. Lots of vanilla, seville oranges and cinnamon. This is a great finish.

3rd place

Ardnamurchan AD/ - Natural Color, Non-chill filtered, 46.8% - 87 points - 49.99€

Nose: A bit closed at first, but letting it air for approx. 5 minutes opens it up quite nicely. Green apples, salted caramel, muted peat, soft ash, crusty white bread, dusty books, mild medicinal note between menthol and iodine, cinnamon, nutmeg and maltiness. Freshly cut grass, hay, juicy peaches and salt.

Taste: Mouth coating and quite oily. Great structure. Cooked apple and pear pie, caramelized sugar, peaty malt, grilled nectarine, pineapple, salt and black pepper. It has a nice farmy style just like Springbank or Ben Nevis. Hay and freshly cut grass. I think the taste is quite complex, the 50/50 peated and unpeated structure is amazing.

Finish: Medium to long finish, ginger, pepper, light mint and mild oak. After a while some fruitiness appears in the form of green apples and papaya. Ash and dirt. Salted caramel, hay and smoked barley. Lovely.

2nd place

Cù Bòcan Creation #6 - Natural Color, Non-chill filtered, 46% - 90 points - 59,99€

Nose: Very interesting nose. There is a sweet but not to sweet aroma right away. You can immediately smell the "Jamaican funk", some esthers. Ginger is very dominant here, burnt toffee, grilled banana and pineapple. Lots of tropical fruits. Raisins, dates and figs with a beautiful malty base. It's very fresh and inviting. Everything is wrapped in a light and pleasant bonfire smoke. This is a wonderfully complex and lovely nose.

Taste: Wow. It's deep and dark but also fresh and light. It's a beautiful harmony. On the palate firstly the PX influence can be tasted. Raisins, dates and figs. Dark cherries and liquorice with digestive biscuits. Plum jam with cardamom and cinnamon. Then tropical fruits such as grilled pineapple and bananas. A hint of ginger and toffee. Vanilla. Light earthy peat and maltiness. Lovely. It's a very complex and round whisky.

Finish: Very long and tasty. Sweetness and smokiness lingers for quite a while, you are not pushed to have a second sip immediately.

1st place

Glenfarclas 2003-2013 Single Cask bottled for Culinaris Hungary 1 out of 330 - Natural Color, Non-chill filtered, 57% - 89 points - 72.99€ at the time of purchase, current market value can be higher!

Nose: Quite a powerful nose. Starts off with a very dry and very dusty note, almost like a book that hasn't been opened for decades. Then we get a tiny bit of acidity from the sherry cask. As one would expect, the sherry immediately fills your nose. Dried fruits such as prunes, dates and raisins. A hint of colombian espresso with a slice of peruvian triple chocolate cake. A very distant note of dry oak and sweet malt. Then red fruits start to come out. Redcurrants, raspberry and strawberry. It's very interesting and very complex. It has three layers in my opinion. The first one that you gotta get through is very dry and dusty, then comes the second layer with the typical sherry notes and a bit of sourness carried by the espresso and oak and then the third layer is a huge fruitiness that brings sweetness to the whisky making it a very whole and balanced experience. Sweet & sour. Lovely.

Taste: Since the nose was so good, we have very high expectations right? Right. It's very thick, almost syrupy. It's also very oily, coats the the glass very nicely. There is no bite. 0. Nada. It tastes more mature than it actually is. Very heavy sherry influence. You get tons of grapes, raisins, figs, prunes, dates and caramelized dark oranges. A hint of oak followed by spices such as cardamom, cinnamon and allspice. Fruitcake. Milk chocolate and espresso. Sweet malt and vanilla. Strawberries and raspberries. I can't taste any acidity so that's great. The distillery character is hidden. The sherry cask took over. It must have been a very active cask. It's very sweet, to some it may be overly sweet. It's a sherry bomb but it's not a modern sherry bomb. It has the profile of an older whisky and not these new seasoned sherry cask bombs. If I had describe this whisky in one expression it would be: Christmas in a glass.

Finish: Very long and warm. It leaves a very sweet taste in the mouth. Dried fruits but also fresh forest fruits. Sweet malt, espresso and chocolate cake. Balanced.

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Check out the points on all the whiskies I've rated and ranked head-to-head over HERE.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. To many more. Sláinte.