Scotch whisky is lovely because you can have it without hurting the bank. There is a tonne of fantastic bottles available for a relatively low price. Some excellent Scotch whisky costs less than $50. More importantly, you won’t have to scour the nation far and wide to track these lesser-priced treasures.
All in all, we’re winning here.
Here, I’ve compiled a list of the top 3 Scotch whiskies on the market. This is a straightforward matter. Do you think this whisky is any good? Is it $40-50? Both, please! To be sure, we’ll put it on our agenda.
The quality of each bottle will be the only criterion for its rating. Listed below are a variety of whiskies, including blended (a combination of single malt and grain whisky) and single malt varieties. Find the taste notes that appeal to you (some are peated and smokey, while others are unpeated and sweet), and then follow that pricing link to purchase a bottle.
Come on, then; let’s get started.
Ardbeg Wee Beastie
ABV: 47.4%
Average Price: $45
This whisky, launched in 2020, has been a staple of Ardbeg’s lineup ever since (especially for bartenders). After just five years of age, in both used bourbon and used oloroso sherry barrels, the resulting liqueur is ready to be blended and bottled. The goal is to convey the character of Port Ellen’s peaty whisky without muddying the whisky with too much wood.
Taste
The scent is a little harsh, alcohol soaking through dried berries, raisins, and a trace of pear candy, woodsy vanilla, and dusty earth.
The smokiness of the plums carries over to the tongue, where they are followed by the sweetness of candied pears and a hint of pork belly that has been smoked and buried in BBQ ash.
The lingering aftertaste is a fusion of smoky asphalt and sweet pear tobacco, with a hint of seawater to cool things down.
Conclusion
Use this finely-crafted peated whisky in your favorite cocktails. It has some rough spots as a sipping wine.
Highland Park 12
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $49
You will find a few whiskies like this one. The Orkney Islands, near the very top of Scotland, are home to the distillery. The whisky within the bottle is a traditional peaty single malt that has spent 12 years aging in sherry-seasoned European and American oak. The whiskies are blended and reduced to 40% alcohol by volume for easy consumption.
Taste
The aromas of dark spices, dried fruits, candied citrus peels, almonds, and a touch of smoke combine with the sweetness of the festive cake.
The addition of honey’s aromatic sweetness and smoothness makes for a satisfying experience on the tongue.
The smoke returns in the end, but it’s more like the smoke coming from a neighbor’s chimney on a snowy day than the smoke from a swamp.
Conclusion
It’s a great combination of dark peatiness and richer fruit/citrus notes. A pleasant sweetness brings everything together, making this a versatile whisky that works well in cocktails or on its own.
Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14 Year
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $46
Glenmorangie’s 14-Year expression rests in previously used American oak barrels for an entire decade. After four years of age in the original barrels, the whisky is re-barreled in Portuguese Quinta Ruban port wine casks for a further four years of mellowness before batching, proofing, and bottling uncut.
Taste
It’s alluring because of the aroma, which evokes a combination of burned orange, dark chocolate, melting marshmallows, and malted vanilla cookie.
On the tongue, you’ll find black peppercorns, tangerine, and a bit of mint chocolate chip ice cream, along with a trace of waxiness and woody winter spice from the dark chocolate.
In the last stages, a sensation of gentle malted sweetness and light old oak staves clash with dark chocolate, woody spice, vivid orange, and biting spearmint.
Conclusion
Delicious. You may have it neat, on the rocks, or in your go-to whisky cocktail.