Niche hobbies are easy to lose interest in quickly. Having no one to share your joy with drains your vitality more than you'd think, which often leads to hitting a plateau. Looking back at when I was 21, before I knew about Whigall, boozing wasn't nearly as fun as it is now. That's why even if I'm just drinking some entry-level bottle rolling around the house, I love doing 'Relay Drinks' with the Whibung-is here. It's been a blast being active on Whigall this year and drinking so much. As I wrap up this 2025 Annual Recap, I’m going to look back at everything I drank this year. [Table of Contents] - Whigall Activity Recap - Best Awards - Worst Awards [Whigall Activity Recap]

AI Translated Image

First off, my total drinking days this year was '192' days. I kept track of the number of glasses, but I never bothered to add up the actual days until now. I didn't realize I spent more than half the year pickled in alcohol. It was a bit of a shock. However, since I had a rough idea of the glass count, I've been thinking about cutting back, so I’ve been intentionally drinking less since October.

AI Translated Image

This shows in the monthly glass count graph, where it drops sharply from October. I'll have to pace myself more in 2026. My total glass count for 2025 is '747' glasses. There are two spikes in the graph: May was the Children's Day Relay Drinking Contest, and August was the 80-bottle BYOB event in Cheonan. Also, seeing how my consumption plummeted during busy deadline periods in June and Nov-Dec, it seems the best way to stay sober is just to stay busy with work.

AI Translated Image

Compared to the total volume, I didn't participate in 'Relays' that often. Total Relay count for 2025 is '316' times. While the glass count was higher in August than May, the Relay count was higher in May. The Relay Contest had a huge impact. Just some TMI: I almost died after drinking over 40 glasses during that contest, and then I went to a BYOB the very next day. If I recall correctly, my body was trashed, but more than that, I got so sick of alcohol itself that I stayed sober for a few days after.

AI Translated Image

I think drinking slowly at your own pace while writing a review is definitely the best way. Writing reviews is a bit tiring, but it makes me feel like I’m making the most out of every single glass. Total reviews posted to Whigall in 2025: '241'. This only counts pure 'Whigall Reviews' (Wi-Wi-Ri); miscellaneous reviews and blinds are excluded.

AI Translated Image

I started blind reviews for the first time this year, totaling '79' sessions. I was super nervous at first, but now it's just fun. Honestly, even if you get it wrong, the process of racking your brain is fun, so it's a challenge with no downsides. Though sometimes, a catastrophic miss leaves a deep 'mental scar.' Ex) Mistaking Chusa Port Cask for a high-age Sherry whisky. I'm definitely not saying this because my accuracy is high! (Only guessed the distillery correctly 16 times out of 79...)

AI Translated Image

If I add up all individual reviews I've backed up (2024+2025), it's '732' types. I like gin, rum, and brandy so I wanted to try everything, but I blinked and suddenly my collection is mostly whisky, specifically single malts. One weird stat: I had 8 different reviews just for Kavalan Solist Port, which was interesting.

AI Translated Image

Total 'Nanum' (giveaways) in 2025: 25 times. Since February, I've done one regular giveaway per month plus extras. It feels like both a lot and a little at the same time. Since I've received so many giveaways from you guys while active here, I need to step it up. [Best Awards] While doing monthly recaps, I picked the best bottle of each month. I finally filled all 12 months. Looking back, it was a year of drinking great stuff.

AI Translated Image

January Best: Laphroaig 25yo CS 2021 Release. I think this is the gatekeeper for high-age Laphroaig. High-age IB Laphroaigs are great, but usually, they end up being similar to or slightly worse than the Official 25yo CS. The official bottle is just incredibly well-made.

AI Translated Image

February Best: TWA Glen Keith 30yo. Bourbon Cask + Aged Glen Keith is a combo you can always trust. The sweet and tangy fruity notes, including golden kiwi, were impressive.

AI Translated Image

March Best: Laphroaig 34yo Ian Hunter Book 4. There are many experts on Whigall who might have tried better stuff, but in my limited experience, this is the peak of Laphroaig. Truly delicious.

AI Translated Image

April Best: SV 'Anonymous' Macallan. The so-called 'Sig-Mac' (Signatory Macallan) has various versions, but they're mostly all good. I've tried about 3-4 versions with different ABVs and ages, but this 17yo was the best, making me think age isn't everything. It's a case where Macallan's classy sherry nuances met Signatory's strong cask influence perfectly.

AI Translated Image

May Best: Lagavulin 200th Anniversary 25yo. The harmony between Lagavulin's elegant peat and the sherry cask gives off an impression of a high-end dessert served with coffee. It's sweet and smooth enough that I think anyone would like it regardless of preference.

AI Translated Image

June Best: Glen Keith 28yo. Compared to the more common Glen Keith 25yo, the 25 had better directness, while the 28 had more sophisticated completion.

AI Translated Image

July Best: Glencadam 30yo Single Cask. Known as the 'Hanji-cadam,' it's a 30yo bottle with a surprisingly high ABV of 62%. This was my favorite bottle of the entire year. Despite the 62% ABV, the flavors spread smoothly with diverse fruit touches. Amazing.

AI Translated Image

August Best: Aquavitae Shinanoya Abyss & Aiba Mortlach 1991 33yo. Many of you probably tried this at the Loenhi tasting. This Mortlach was way better than the Aquavitae Dragon Label high-age from last year. Maybe they put more effort into it since it was a collaboration? lol. I've only tried about 10 Aquavitae bottles so I can't be certain, but they seem to be an IB that puts out a lot of bangers.

AI Translated Image

September Best: Macallan Boutique 2016 Release. I tried this along with the 2017 and 2019 releases, and this 2016 was by far the best. Honestly, Macallan's character isn't usually my thing so I couldn't relate when people hyped it up, but damn, a good Macallan is a GOOD Macallan.

AI Translated Image

October Best: Octomore Polyphonic. I was drinking a lot of Octomore around the time I tried this. I was actually getting tired of Octomore, so I didn't expect much, but it was still incredibly good. I've only tried about 10-ish Octomores, but Polyphonic was overwhelmingly superior.

AI Translated Image

November Best: The Maltman Secret Speyside 1993 30yo. Many people picked this as their #1 at the Loenhi tasting in late November. It lived up to its age statement.

AI Translated Image

December Best: Prima & Ultima Talisker 1976 46yo. An ultra-aged single malt labeled as the oldest Talisker in existence. Aroma, taste, and finish all had incredible complexity and a delicately tuned harmony. Even though the bottle was just popped, there wasn't a single off-note. It was fascinating to see the flavor profile evolve during the tasting. In terms of sheer completion of a single glass, this is the Best of 2025. [Worst Awards] I picked the 5 most memorable bottles for the wrong reasons. Coincidentally, there were exactly 5 'insanely disgusting' whiskies that stuck in my mind. I'll list them from 'tolerable' to 'worst.'

First Worst: Jura Red Wine Cask Finish. Compared to the four following it, this is a predictable kind of bad. It's just honestly not good. The overall flavor is thin, yet for some reason, the oak is weirdly strong, and the wine cask notes are unpleasant. Truly 'Nam-Ju-Ra' (Give it to someone else)...

AI Translated Image

Second Worst: Cadenhead’s World Whisky Kyro 2017. It tastes like a version of the Helsinki (mentioned later) that's been 'stabilized.' It has a weirdly strong umami and a powdery, chalky dryness. There's a fishy note too, making it taste like an undercooked sardine dipped in flour dough.

AI Translated Image

Third Worst: Helsinki Rye Malt. Coincidentally, this is also a Finnish Rye Malt. Out of the 5 worst, 3 are Rye Malts. Maybe the issue isn't the distillery, but Rye Malt itself. This was viral in the gallery so many of you probably tried it. It smells like a mess hall slop bucket...

AI Translated Image

Fourth Worst: Stork Club Rye Malt. Boasting a glorious 67 points on Whiskybase, this is the lowest-rated whisky I've ever had. It tastes like the stench of an old kimchi fridge. Even though it's German, it has that same 'food waste' vibe as Kyro and Helsinki, so Rye Malt is definitely the culprit.

AI Translated Image

Final Fifth Worst: Boutique-y Broger 6yo. While Jura was just a poorly made whisky and the others tasted like food waste, Broger tastes like something you shouldn't put in your body. It tastes like chewing on burnt combat boots or licking skid marks on a racing circuit. Honestly, I don't think any trash whisky I encounter in 2026 will beat this. It's a flavor that feels like hitting a wall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ And that's the 2025 Annual Drinking Recap. Looking back, I just spent a ton of money, but I feel weirdly proud. I hope I can keep drinking good stuff in 2026. I hope all you Whibung-is drink great stuff too.