WASHINGTON — Scotland and whisky go hand-in-hand, but a new ranking of the drink didn’t put Scotland-produced brands at the top.
In fact, for the first time in 12 years, Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible didn’t include Scottish whisky in the top five rankings. Murray released his 2015 list Monday.
The No. 1 whisky was Yamazaki Single Malt Sherry Cask 2013, which comes from Japan’s oldest whisky distillery, Suntory.
The Whisky Bible, a highly respected rank of whisky from around the world, described the Yamazaki as “rich and fruity” with an “exquisite boldness,” according to TIME.
Some special shops in the United Kingdom sell Yamazaki for about $160, TIME reports.
American whiskies ranked second and third on the list, including repeat second-place winner William Larue Weller, a Kentucky bourbon.
Although a Scottish whisky — Glenmorangie Ealanta — ranked No. 1 last year, Murray said the samples he had this year fell flat.
“Where were the complex whiskies in the prime of their lives?,” he said to TIME.
See the full list of winners on Murray’s Whisky Exchange website.
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