Without question, the most common question I get asked is, “what’s your favorite whiskey?” Of course, this is a nearly impossible question to answer. It would be like choosing your favorite child or favorite Star Wars character. I’ve avoided doing something like this for a long time so as not to give into all the questions, but what better time to ruin that streak than the 5 year anniversary of Bargain Bourbon? Yes, March 2017 marks the 5 year run for the blog, so it’s time to satiate my readers with such questions about favorites.
So, over the course of March, I’ll be unveiling my favorite whiskeys in eleven different categories: Bourbon, Rye, American Craft, Irish, Blended Scotch, Speyside Single Malt, Islay Single Malt, Highland Single Malt, Island/Lowland/Campbeltown Single Malt, Canadian, and Value (Under $50). I have chosen the categories based on the similarities of whiskeys and the breadth of whiskeys I have tried for each category (i.e. I have not tried enough Indian, Australian, or Japanese whiskeys to warrant categories here). It is important to note that there are countless whiskeys in the world that I have not yet tried, and a great deal more that I will never try. As Judge Holden has said, more things in this world exist without our knowledge than with it. Thus, my favorite whiskeys should not be taken as some sort of universal truth about whiskey, just my personal favorites among drams that I have tried. For each category, I will present five nominees, and I will conclude the month of March by posting the winners in each category. Each whiskey will only be nominated for one category, whichever category suits it best.
I am making no claims that the whiskeys that will follow are the best of all-time in each of these categories; they are just my favorites. Everybody has their different opinions on whiskeys, and that is precisely what makes whiskey such a fun exploration. So, over the coming weeks, enjoy reading about my favorite whiskeys and as always, leave your comments and let me know what you think!
Thanks for hanging out for the last five years! Let it ride!
– Phil
