Top 5 • 10 February 2024
5 of the best - 12 year old whiskies for 2024
Welcome to the heartland of the Scottish whisky industry — the realm of twelve-year-old whiskies. While whisky must legally age for a minimum of three years, it's the twelve-year mark that truly embodies the pinnacle of maturity and flavour development: a sweet spot of depth, character and value. It's the age statement I find myself reaching for most.
A good twelve-year-old has character without pretension — the kind of bottle you're happy to pour for a curious newcomer or to sip quietly at the end of a long day. The five below are ones I rate highly, and between them they cover a lot of ground: Speyside richness, Highland indulgence, Lowland delicacy and plenty in between. Whatever your taste or budget, there should be something here for you.
Balvenie 12 DoubleWood
The one for everyone. Matured first in traditional oak and then finished in sherry casks, the DoubleWood marries honeyed sweetness with rich vanilla and just a whisper of spice. Reasonably priced and endlessly easy to drink — if you're buying for someone whose tastes you don't yet know, you won't go far wrong here.
Dalmore 12 Year Old
The one for the extravagant. Dalmore has built its name on a sense of luxury, and the 12 lives up to it — chocolate, orange peel and a flicker of spice draped over a velvety, almost decadent texture. It feels like a treat, and it's priced to match.
Aberfeldy 12 Year Old
The one for the more cost conscious. Don't let the modest price fool you — Aberfeldy 12 charms with honey, caramelised fruits and a touch of oak, all wrapped in a warm, inviting character. Just the thing for an unfussy dram by the fire.
Glenkinchie 12 Year Old
The one that's a little different. Lighter and greener than its Highland and Speyside cousins, Glenkinchie 12 leads with fresh-cut grass, citrus and a hint of vanilla. A refined, delicate Lowland dram — and a refreshing change of pace if your shelf leans rich and sherried.
Aberlour 12 Year Old
The one for me! My pick of the bunch. Aberlour 12 is all deep, sherried complexity — dried fruits, a dusting of cinnamon and a richness that keeps pulling you back to the glass. If I had to keep just one of these five, this would be it.
In whisky, few things are as rewarding as a well-aged gem that captivates the senses and lingers long after the glass is empty. These five represent some of the finest twelve-year-olds out there, each a window into its distillery's house style and heritage — and proof that you don't need a rare bottling or a three-figure price tag to drink really well.
Whether it's the honeyed crowd-pleasing of the Balvenie, the Highland decadence of the Dalmore, the golden value of the Aberfeldy, the Lowland poise of the Glenkinchie or the Speyside splendour of the Aberlour, there's a twelve-year-old here worth making room for on the shelf. Five cracking drams — and any one of them a worthy addition. Slàinte!
Comments
Loading comments…
Leave a comment
Fancy another dram?
Highland Park 12 Year Old
Highland Park's reputation precedes it — Orkney's finest, distilling since 1798, the 12 often held up as a benchmark for balanced, lightly-peated, sherried Scotch. In the glass: gentle heather smoke, honey and dried fruit, smooth and easy-drinking, with a medium finish of oak and lingering smoke. Reputations are made to be tested, though — does it earn its billing?
Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old
There's something quietly rebellious about Bunnahabhain. While the rest of Islay shouts about peat, this remote distillery lets sherry and coastal character lead. The unpeated 12, their flagship, is rich and inviting: nutty dried fruit — raisins and figs — Christmas-cake spice and a whisper of coastal salt, all remarkably smooth at 46.3%. Proof Islay can do far more than peat bombs.
5 of the best whiskies for Christmas 2025
Halloween's over — it's nearly Christmas!!! I know it's an unpopular opinion, but I can't wait for the start of November: it always signals the run-in to the festive season. From a dependable Speyside crowd-pleaser to a rich sherried treat, a port-finished curveball, a peaty showstopper and a special festive release, here are five whiskies I'd happily have on the shelf this Christmas.