I would like to continue to find delicious bottles to drink at home in 2025, while drinking in moderation and opening the bottle appropriately.

Introducing delicious whiskey in the second half of 2024

This time, we will introduce some delicious whiskeys to drink at home in the second half of 2024.

Please note that in addition to bottles purchased between July and December 2024 (second half), this also includes bottles purchased in the past and consumed during this period.

We will introduce 3 bottles from the official and 3 bottles from the bottlers.

The delicious whiskey home drinking edition for the first half of 2024 is “here』。

[Top Six] My Favorite Whiskies of the First Half of 2024 [Home Drinking Edition]

今回は2024年上半期美味しかったウイスキー宅飲み編をご紹介していきます。 若干定義がややこしいのですが、2024年1月〜6月（上半期）に開栓して家で飲んで美味しかったウイスキーからオフィシャル3本、ボトラーズ3本をご紹介していきます。 も

nww-blog.com

Official 1st: Bunahabun 12 years old

When I drank it straight after opening the bottle, I felt that it had a very strong nuttiness, which I didn't like.

I think it's been almost a year since I opened the bottle, but when I tried it again, I was able to pick up the impression of green apple, and I think the balance has gotten better.

I think it would be easier to pick up the green apple elements if you give it a highball or add water.

Lately, Bottler's has been releasing Bunahabun from 10 to 15 years ago, and I've been drinking it from time to time, but even compared to those, I feel that the official bottle is of high quality.

I think the average price for a 10 to 15 year old Bunahabun bottler is 15,000 yen or more.

I think the official price for 12 years is around 6,000 to 7,000 yen, so this is the one that made me think that the official version is fine.

Official 2nd run: Glen Moray 12 years old

Glen Moray 12 Year Old is one of the most cost-effective whiskies.

You can buy a 12-year-aged single malt for around 3,500 yen, which I think is a bit of a bug these days, with prices often going up.

The taste isn't cheap or bad, it's delicious.

If you drink it straight, you can taste the barley flavor, and if you drink it as a highball, you can taste the green apple flavor, so I think it's worth having one.

It is said that 2007 and 2008 were successful years for Bottlers, but it is interesting to compare them with Bottlers.

It's a bottler's cask strength, so you can feel more barley, fruitiness, and white flowers.

This official item alone is recommended, and I think you'll enjoy it if you have a bottle of Glen Moray from around 07 or 08.

Official 3rd: Saburomaru V

The series consistently offers the taste of peat and yellow fruit.

Honestly, some Japanese whiskey releases are a little strange, or they don't change much from the release a year ago, but I think Saburomaru has a consistent taste and differences that make it interesting to compare.

This is a water-added type, but there is also cask strength, so I think you can try it at bars or at whiskey events, so please try it if you have a chance.

Each series is different, so if you can compare drinks at a bar, try it.

There are 12,600 bottles of Outturn, and the number is increasing slightly with each release, so while it's not like you can just go to a liquor store and buy it, I think it's becoming less difficult to obtain.

I think this is a bottle you should try, even if you don't buy it.

Bottler's 1st bottle: Brave New Spirits Blair Athol 2011 11 years old

Distilled in 2011, which will probably be called a hit year in the future.

Aged for 11 years in bourbon barrels, single cask strength, 55.2% alcohol.

As for the taste, I think it has a malty and banana-like taste, and a slightly sour citrus nuance.

Although it is young, there is no youthful feeling such as alcohol attack, and you can feel a solid sense of maturity.

Aged for 11 years, the price is about 12,000 yen, so I think it's a good value for money, considering the number of years x 1,000 yen.

It seems that you can still buy it, so if you have the budget and storage space, this is a recommended item.

Bottler's 2nd bottle: Asaya Shoten x Tofu Miltonduff 2009 14 years

This is a single cask Milton Duff selected by Chichibu's famous liquor store Asaya Shoten and Tofu.

It has a very gorgeous, floral taste just like the label.

I sometimes feel the nuances of white flowers in 07 or 08 Malay, but this bottle is just like a bouquet, with the floral flavors of various flowers.

This is the first time I've had such a floral whiskey.

I don't think it's hard to buy anymore, and it was released about six months ago, so I think it may have sold out in some bars, but if you see it at a bar or event, it's definitely one to try.

Bottler's 3rd bottle: Boutique Whiskey Speyside #4 24 Years Batch1

Although it is listed as Speyside #4, the contents are Glenlivet.

Personally, I don't like Glenlivet 12 years old.

At the beginning, you can feel honey and apple-like nuances, and I think this part is delicious, but in the second half, you can feel kelp-like nuances, and I don't like this flavor, so I don't like this whiskey overall.

The Glenlivet 200th Anniversary, which was released this year, also had a slight kelp-like quality to it, which I didn't like.

However, that doesn't mean I don't like Glenlivet at all.

I like the long-ripened Glenlivet, which is the official version of 18 years old or over 18 years old, because it has a strong honey and apple flavor, but almost no kelp flavor, which I dislike.

This is also a bottle where you can enjoy only the goodness of Glenlivet honey and apples.

Another thing I would like to pay attention to is the boutique whiskey itself.

I think some people may see the fact that it's vatted instead of a single cask as a negative, but I think the fact that the bottle is 500ml and the price is lower is a plus.

This is also about 20,000 yen aged for 24 years, and even if converted to 700ml (1.4 times), it is 28,000 yen, so you can see how cheap it is.

There are many official price hike announcements, and bottlers' prices are also going up, but I think it's one of the cheapest, so it might be a bottler's manufacturer that can be a savior.

2024 Whiskey that was delicious to drink at home Official Edition

We will decide on the official version of the whiskey that was delicious to drink at home in 2024.

If I had to choose one out of the three in the first half and the three in the second half, it would be 'Bunahabun 12 years” I think it was good.

From my personal experience, I think that there are many bottles from Bottler's that are more delicious than official ones because they are single cask and cask strength, and the taste is easier to understand.

However, I think this Bunahabun 12 year old had a level of perfection that made me think it was official.

When it's freshly opened, it has a strong nuttiness, but I think it's easier to pick up the green apple elements if you drink it a little later after opening it, or pour it into a glass even if it's just opened, and give it a little more swirl.

2024 Whiskey bottlers that were delicious to drink at home

We will decide on the whiskey bottlers that were delicious to drink at home in 2024.

If I had to choose one out of the three in the first half and the three in the second half, it would be 'Asaya Shoten x Tofu Milton Duff 2009 14 years” I think it was good.

The floralness was shocking.

When I first started drinking whisky, I knew that whiskey had a smoky flavor, but when I first drank whiskey with a fruity flavor, I was impressed by the fact that there were whiskeys that tasted like this.

I've started drinking whiskey to a certain extent, but this bottle made me realize that there's still a lot more to it.

Closing Thoughts

This year, I've been busy organizing the bottoms of bottles throughout the year, so I haven't been able to open them much.

Nowadays, it's fine to open the bottle immediately after purchase, but people are starting to think that it's best to leave the bottle to mature for at least 5 years before opening the bottle.

Even though I haven't been able to open many bottles, I was able to learn about and encounter bottles that I wish I had tried again or that I'm glad I bought this year.

I would like to continue to find delicious bottles to drink at home in 2025, while drinking in moderation and opening the bottle appropriately.

YouTube