The 2006 Drammies

The world has been waiting - the votes are in - it is time to announce the winners of the 2006 Drammies.

I'd like to thank all of the people who took the time to send in their nominations. I've included some of the more interesting comments included with the nominations (green, italics).

Without further ado...

FIRST...The Special Mentions

Best Packaging - Special Mention
The Glenrothes

What can you say about the Glenrothes bottle? Simple. Beautiful. Elegant. A departure from the standard whisky bottle - it looks magnificent. And what's inside is pretty damn good too.

Most Innovative New Product - Special Mention
Monkey Shoulder

What? A "Triple Malt"? Monkey Shoulder gets a special mention because of the innovation that has gone into the product, packaging and marketing. Yes, it's innovative. And yes, it deserves to be acknowledged. And yes, it tastes good.

Innovator of the Year - Special Mention
Jim McEwan & Bruichladdich

Mention innovation and two names immediately come to mind. Jim McEwan is one of those names. A veritable cornucopia of new expressions have been coming out of Bruichladdich - no single product stands above any other in terms of innovation - this special mention is in recognition of the way Bruichladdich approaches whisky.

Bang for the Buck - Special Mention
Talisker 18

At between $60-$80 a bottle, the judges agree - grab a bottle before Diageo realizes how much this exceptional whisky should cost.

Distillery of the Year - Special Mention
Ardbeg

Ardbeg is loved by many - and they are doing some very interesting things. With the recent departure of Distillery manager Stuart Thomson, let's hope Ardbeg doesn't lose any steam.

"I genuinely believe that Ardbeg earns this accolade; the consistent innovation and fun which has emerged from this Islay gem is in my estimation unparalleled in the industry. New expressions of varying ages, not always necessarily aged for as long as some would imagine, are all excellent."

Best Distillery Tour - Special Mention
Balvenie

Small and intimate - you see it all on the Balvenie tour. Limited to just a few people - and priced to keep out the tourists, it really is a great tour. You get to see the whole process including a working cooperage. As if that weren't enough, you get a tutored tasting of the entire range. Best of all? No multimedia presentations.

Edradour

The Edradour was a favorite among nominators. Free from any sort of corporate feel, and situated in a bucolic setting - the bonus? No charge for the tour.

"Edradour's tour is excellent. The distillery's size makes it comfortable and comprehensible, and there is no heavy corporate push - just a few guys carrying on a long tradition of making whisky."

Most under-rated Whisky - Special Mention
Isle of Jura 10

The Isle of Jura 10 is one of those love it or hate it drams. It certainly has it's detractors, but in the end, it really is a good dram for a great price.

"My vote goes to Jura ten year old, a superb dram which I consider one of the best single malts around, and which I believe ought to be priced at a higher level than it is currently retailed."

Best New Product - Special Mentions
Laphroaig Quarter Cask

OK, so it is not exactly "new" but it was a fan favorite.

"Amazing for a 6 3/4 year whisky"

Misako Udo's "The Scottish Whisky Distilleries"

This fantastic resource deserves a special mention. First released as a hard to find soft-cover, self-published edition; a smart publisher picked this up and released as an even better hard-cover.

Misako is not only a human encyclopedia of distillery information - she's a really nice person as well!

"Serious about whisky? Then you need this book."

Most over-rated Whisky - Special Mention
Macallan 18

A lot of people are apparently down on The Macallan. Backlash against it's success? Maybe. Maybe it's the price ($150+). Of course, The Macallan has legions of loyal followers - so it all evens out in the end.

"Compare with the Tali 18."

"Most over-rated? Macallan 18. There, I've finally said it."

AND NOW...The Winners:

Best Packaging
Highland Park

We are just suckers for a pretty face.

Edrington treated this "great personality" whisky to a full-blown make-over - and now it's a beauty outside as well as in. New bottles, new labels, new containers. And they stopped adding caramel to the 12. What's not to like?

Most Innovative New Product
Compass Box - The Spice Tree

Does sticking some staves in a cask make you an innovator? It does when your passion for the quality of the wood and your commitment to producing the very best product result in something as amazing as the Spice Tree.

Innovation isn't just about doing something new - it's about doing something right. The Spice Tree is a sterling example. We've never met a CB whisky that we didn't like - and we expect continued great things from Compass Box.

Innovator of the Year
John Glaser & Compass Box

John. Please stop doing innovative things. Give someone else a chance to win these kind of awards.

There's obviously a direct correlation between passion and creativity. Innovation is more then just trying a new marketing twist. John understands this and it is his raison d'être.

"Who'da thunk Chiswick is a font of creativity?"

Bang for the Buck
Old Pulteney 12

The various Inver House brands are not first in the minds of most whisky drinkers. This is really unfortunate, as Inver House has an awesome stable of distilleries producing some really excellent whiskies - AND for the most part, they are incredibly well-priced. When we first tried this, we were bowled over by the big malt taste - and the fact that it goes for around $35. Rich but clean - and nicely balanced. A real cracker. Should be in every whisky cabinet.

You definitely need to try this - at this price, what do you have to lose?

Distillery of the Year
Bruichladdich

Narrowly missing out on Innovator of the Year, Bruichladdich takes the cake for Distillery of the Year - for their entire body of work. If Willy Wonka produced whisky, he'd own Bruichladdich - fun and innovation are an essential ingredient in everything they do.

Fiercely independent. Irreverent. Prolific. And with just the right amount of benign belligerence.

Mark Reynier says it best: "we rather like variety - even if it takes a great deal of work, money and effort. So if blandola standardization is your thing, Bruichladdich is most definitely not for you. After all, we have a bottling hall and we ain't afraid to use it."

Best Distillery Tour
Aberlour

People seem to prefer gravitate towards their favorite distilleries. i.e., you love Ardbeg, you visit Ardbeg, you love the tour. The Same for Macallan, Bruichladdich, etc. Others gravitate towards the more "corporate" tours - Glenfiddich, Dewar's World of Whisky, Glenturret/Famous Grouse, etc.

But the real winners, when it comes to tours, combine style with substance. Aberlour has a reasonable price, a little bit of glitz, a real look at the distillery AND you get to try a range of Aberlour whiskies.

Most under-rated Whisky
Longmorn 15

Most of the Longmorn produced is destined for blends such as Chivas Regal. Chivas Brothers do very little to promote this gem - which is a real shame, as aficionados consider this to be one of the very best Speyside single malts.

Complex, smooth and elegant - and surprisingly reasonably priced - when you can find it.

Best New Product
Benriach Authenticus 21

An Islay whisky, right? Nope. This one is produced smack-dab in Speyside.

Jim Murray gets it right when he says (Whisky Bible 2006): "A previously unknown masterpiece pulled...from...a warehouse where it lay forgotten and unloved".

This is a fantastic whisky - not inexpensive - but at about $140, well worth the price.

Most over-rated Whisky
Johnnie Walker Blue Label

What happens when you let marketers steer the ship? You get a decent (but not outstanding) blend, priced and marketed as a status symbol.

Want to spend $200 on a blend? Four words: Chivas Regal Royal Salute. (And you'll have $40 left-over to buy a bottle of Asyla).

"Johnnie Blue - for ignorant stockbrokers"

"Worth $65 NOT $200."

Well, there you have it. I'm already looking forward to see what new things are in store for us in 2007 - and who might win next year's Drammies.