In 2025, I will continue to drink whiskey, find a bottle that I like and think is delicious, and if possible, buy it.

Best releases in the second half of 2024

This time, we will decide on the best whiskey releases that will be released in the second half of 2024 and are delicious.

This is an introduction that includes not only drinks at home but also drinks at bars and whiskey events.

We will introduce three from the official and three from the bottlers.

The best release of the first half of 2024 is “here』。

[Whisky] Best Releases of the First Half of 2024 [Top Six]

今回は2024年上半期のベストリリースをご紹介していきます。 2024年の1月から6月に発売されたウイスキーの中で私が飲んでこれは美味いと思ったウイスキーです。 上半期は蒸溜所には『富士御殿場蒸溜所』、『ガイアフロー静岡蒸溜所』、『江井ヶ嶋

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Official 1st: Laphroaig 18 years

This is the official bottle of Laphroaig 18 years old, which has been revived for the first time in 10 years.

It is already sold overseas, and in Japan you can now see it being sold as a parallel import.

The taste is delicious with notes of peat and yellow fruit.

The short-ripened Laphroaig has a peat taste, and the longer it ripens, the darker the yellow fruits appear, but the medium-ripened one, which is around 18 years old, has the best of both worlds.

Regarding the similar age, I found Asaya Shoten's single cask Williamson 17 Year Old to have a similar taste.

This is also a pretty delicious bottle, and I think the taste itself is better than the official 18 year old.

However, the bottleneck was the price of 55,000 yen.

Laphroaig 18 year old is sold as a parallel import for around 35,000 yen to 40,000 yen.

I don't know if it will be sold officially, but if the price difference is around 15,000 to 20,000, I think it's okay to go with the official version, even if it's not single cask or cask strength.

Official 2nd bottle: Lagavulin Diageo Special 2024

It has already been released overseas, and I think it has finally arrived in Japan.

In 2021, I had a refill American Oak, so it was a bottle that showed the goodness of the original sake and had a profound feeling.

The 2022 has a slightly stronger barrel feel with refill American oak and virgin oak barrels, and the 2023 has a tequila barrel finish, which is a nice curveball, but if you ask me if I'd personally own one, I'm not sure.

This time, they used 1st fill and refill bourbon barrels to finally make a decent release, aged for 12 years and with a cask strength of 57.4%.

It has a bit of spiciness from the barrel, but it also gives you a strong sense of Lagavulin's peat sweetness, so I think it's a good bottle to buy.

Official 3rd: Nikka Nine Indices

I think it's the most talked about book in 2024!?

The price is 300,000 yen per bottle, so I couldn't afford to buy it, so I decided to sample it instead.

At most places, the average tasting price is 10,000 yen for a half bottle or 10ml, so it's quite expensive just to taste it.

The scent is aged incense and raisins.

The taste is raisins, apricots, grapes, lychees, bitterness from the barrel and fruit, dust, and a hint of peat, with nuts and brown sugar remaining at the end.

It has a complex flavor typical of a long-aged blended wine.

This time it was a tasting, so I drank it standing, but if possible, I would like to sit at a bar and drink a 30ml shot over time.

I drank it when it was first opened, so I would like to try it again from about the middle to the end of the bottle, near the bottom of the bottle.

Bottler's first bottle: Maltman Glen Rossie 1997 26 years

This bottle was distilled in 1997 and aged for 26 years in refill sherry butts.

Since it's a refill sherry, it doesn't have that much of a barrel taste, and you can enjoy the gorgeous, fruity nuances of Glen Rossie.

I get the impression that the berry flavor and sweetness of the sherry is added to it, making it even more fruity.

It costs about 40,000 yen per bottle, and I can't help but feel that it was still at this price even in the late 90s, but I personally thought it was a good buy, so I bought it.

If you see this at a bar, you should try it before you buy it.

Bottler's 2nd bottle: Cheers Secret Highland 1981-2023 42 years

This is a bottle of Secret Highland distilled in 1981 and aged for 42 years, released by Kanpai-san.

Secret Highlands is said to be the tallest pot still in Scotland, so I guess it's Glenmorangie inside.

As for the taste, it has long-ripening tropical elements and a long aftertaste of ginger and brown sugar.

In 1981, the law regarding sherry was changed in Spain, allowing it to be exported in barrels.

This wine was distilled in 1981, so I think that sherry casks were used for transportation rather than seasoning.

Each bottle costs 100,000 yen, but if it has been aged for this long, I think this price is reasonable.

Bottler's 3rd bottle: KFWS Tam Dew 1989 34 years old

This is a bottle that was distilled in 1989 and aged for 34 years.

Tam Dew is sherry, but this one is probably a bourbon refill hogshead.

It has a barley taste, but it also has a tropical fruitiness, ginger, and a little spiciness, with a nutty lingering finish.

It's not flashy, but it's simply delicious.

Personally, I like this kind of plain and delicious food, so it really stuck with me.

It costs about 80,000 yen per bottle, so I'm putting it off for now, but if I can afford it in the future, it's one I'd like to buy.

2024 Best Release Official

We will decide on the bottle that we think was the most delicious among the bottles released in 2024, and the official version of the best release.

If I had to choose one out of the three in the first half and the three in the second half, it would be 'Lagavulin Diageo Special Release 2024”.

Although I have some presumptions that I like Lagavulin, I decided on this one because I think it is a bottle that lets you enjoy the goodness of Lagavulin.

2024 Best Release Bottlers

We will decide on the bottler's version of the best bottle released in 2024 that we think was the most delicious.

*Image far left

If I had to choose one out of the three in the first half and the three in the second half, it would be 'Dornoch 2019-2024 5 Years Fresh Bourbon Barrel Chichibu Whiskey Festival 2024”.

Although it is short-ripening, you can feel the complex flavor, and you will never forget the shock that you felt as if you were drinking passion fruit juice.

I regret not being selected in the lottery.

You may be able to drink it at the bar of the Chichibu Whiskey Festival Executive Committee or at the Chichibu Whiskey Festival booth at a whiskey event, so if you see it, be sure to give it a try.

Closing Thoughts

I'm sure everyone has a bottle they drank in 2024 that was delicious, so I hope you'll look back and see what it was.

In 2024, we drank various whiskeys at bars and whiskey events.

As my tastes became more established, I was able to encounter completely unmarked whiskeys such as Dornoch, and I think it was an enjoyable year.

In 2025, I will continue to drink whiskey, find a bottle that I like and think is delicious, and if possible, buy it.

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