There’s a lot of great Scotch whisky out there. So much, in fact, that I’ve spent the past four months calling out list after list of great scotch at every price point from $20 to well above $500. But there’s a big asterisk adorning much of the whisky on those lists — especially at the higher ends: availability. I featured some expressions where only 60 bottles even made it to the United States. Ever.
That’s rare enough that most of us will never see them. So let’s flip the script.
Below, I’m naming 12 affordable Scotch whiskies that you can actually get. For the most part, every bottle on this list will be widely available at any liquor store or online retailer. Moreover, these bottles are all under $50. That means that you can actually find these modestly priced whiskies. I’ve also ranked these bottles. While most of these whiskeys tend to lean toward mixing highballs or cocktails, there are some true gems that work wonderfully as slow sippers at the end of this list.
Sound good? Let’s dive in!
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10. Buchanan’s DeLuxe Aged 12 Years Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $33
The Whisky:
Buchanan’s is making a big comeback. Part of that is due to this expression snagging a Double Gold from San Francisco World Spirit Competiton in 2020; another part is the quality Diageo whiskies in the blend.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The whiskey opens with a real sense of dark chocolate married to bright orange zest.
Palate: The palate builds on that adding hints of vanilla pudding and dark spices next to a cedar woodiness and a little bit of spicy/ chewy tobacco.
Finish: A whisper of peat arrives late and far in the background as the chocolate orange throughline lasts the longest on the fade.
Bottom Line:
This whisky has a long history as a classic “on the rocks” whisky. I don’t think it quite hits that mark. It does, however, perfectly suit cocktail or highball mixing with good resonance.
9. Naked Malt Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $29
The Whisky:
The whisky in the bottle is a blend of sherry-cask-finished whiskies from The Macallan and Highland Park. The whisky is then cut down to a very accessible 80-proof and then bottled in a nicely understated bottle.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sweet malt buried under a buttery scone dripping with raspberry jam with a touch of light spice lurking in the background.
Palate: The sherry really kicks in on the palate with big notes of dates soaked in black tea next to creamy caramel, vanilla cake, and a touch of dry raisins.
Finish: The end doesn’t overstay its welcome and leaves you with a lovely note of chocolate-covered cherries with a sweet/dry vibe.
Bottom Line:
This is the closest you’re going to get to a sipper at this price point. You can pour this over a big glass of rocks and it’ll be pretty tasty (a truly solid “B” whisky). But you really want to mix this into whisky-forward cocktails or highballs more than anything else.
8. Johnnie Walker Double Black Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $40
The Whisky:
This is basically Johnnie Walker Black that’s been re-casked in deeply charred oak barrels for a final maturation, making this a classic double cask whisky. The idea is to maximize that peat and amp up the Islay and Island whiskies’ smokiness.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Clove-forward spice and billows of softwood smoke — think cherry and apple trees — greet you on the nose.
Palate: The palate has a vanilla creaminess that’s punctuated by bright apples, dried fruit, and more peat that leans more towards an old beach campfire than a chimney stack.
Finish: The spice kicks back in late, warming things up as the smoke carries through the end with a nice dose of oakiness, fruitiness, and sweet vanilla creaminess.
Bottom Line:
This is actually a pretty solid on-the-rocks pour. It’s not life-changing but it gets the job done. That said, this really shines best as a simple highball base with good fizzy water and a savory and funky herbal/botanical garnish (dried chamomile, dried wild sage, rosemary, juniper berries, etc.).
7. Chivas Regal Mizunara Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $43
The Whisky:
Chivas is renowned for its iconic blended whisky. This expression — originally created for the Japanese market and released in the U.S. in 2019 — adds a unique dimension to the classic blend. A portion of the whisky is finished in Japanese Mizunara casks, adding a layer of nuanced flavors to the standard Chivas.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Caramel and dark dried fruits mingle with tasty pears, soft orange zest, a touch of leather, fresh and floral honey, and maybe some old oak staves on the nose.
Palate: The palate has a dash or two of winter spice next to walnuts and honey-soaked raisins with a hint of sunburnt heather and wildflowers.
Finish: The finish lets the spiciness warm the palate as pear and leather fade through the end.
Bottom Line:
This is probably the best “on the rocks” whisky on the list.
6. Ardbeg Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Wee Beastie Aged 5 Years
ABV: 47.4%
Average Price: $45
The Whisky:
This expression from Ardbeg was first released back in 2020 and instantly became a mainstay of the line (especially for bartenders). The hot juice is aged for only five years in both ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso sherry casks before marrying for the final product. The idea is to give a sense of the quality of the peaty whisky from Port Ellen’s malting house without too much wood influence.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is a little abrasive on the nose with alcohol soaking through dried berries and raisins next to a hint of pear candy, woody vanilla, and dried dirt.
Palate: The palate has a hint of smoked plums that leads directly into pear candy with a touch of smoked pork belly buried in BBQ ash.
Finish: The finish is a mix of hot asphalt and soft pear tobacco with a thin layer of salt water calming everything down.
Bottom Line:
This is a great peated whisky to mix cocktails with. As a sipper, it’s a little rough around the edges.
5. Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $32
The Whisky:
This Speyside blend is crafted as a workhorse whisky. The juice is drawn from the William Grant & Sons stable of distilleries. The juice is then rested for up to six months after blending to let it mellow even more before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a nice welcoming note of creamy vanilla that almost becomes cream soda, next to hints of zesty orange marmalade, malts, and dark spices.
Palate: The taste delivers on those notes by amping the spices up to Christmas cake territory with a slight tart berry edge next to that cream soda sweetness.
Finish: The end is short and sweet with a nice lightness that really makes this very drinkable.
Bottom Line:
This is the best mixing whisky on the list. It’s built as a mixer, so use it that way.
4. Old Pulteney Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $39
The Whisky:
Old Pulteney is all about sea vibes. Their entry-point spirit is aged for 12 years in second-fill bourbon casks before it’s batched, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a clear sense of creamed honey with a touch of sea spray on the nose.
Palate: The taste really holds onto that creamy honey while notes of wildflowers and oaky spice mingle with malts.
Finish: The end is fairly short and leaves you with a sense of that creamed honey and a touch of spicy warmth.
Bottom Line:
This is a solid and unique single malt that blended sweet honey with seaside vibes, which feels very Scotland. It’s perfectly fine on the rocks but really shines in cocktails with a dark citrus twist.
3. Compass Box Glasgow Blend Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $40
The Whisky:
This expression is a marrying of whiskies from all over Scotland. 65% of the blend comes from single malts from a “distillery near the town of Aberlour,” Laphroaig, and Clynelish. The rest is part Highland malt blend (from the Glen Moray, Tomatin, and Balmenach distilleries) and a grain whisky from Cameronbridge distillery. Those whiskies were barreled in sherry and bourbon casks with a French oak barrel thrown in too.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose draws you in with this subtle peaty malt that feels more kissed by a hint of smoke than drowned in it in a malting room with a hint of stewed stone fruit.
Palate: The first sip is “malty scotch!” That then leads to dry straw, very mild plum, the memory of opening up a bag of charcoal, and almond shells.
Finish: You’re left with a slightly sweet straw and a buzzing maltiness that is more reminiscent of a cleaned-out fireplace than “smoke.”
Bottom Line:
This is just good. It works however you want to use it.
2. Highland Park Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $49
The Whisky:
This is a pretty unique whisky. The distillery is located in Scotland’s far north Orkney Islands. The whisky in the bottle is a classic peaty single malt that spends 12 years maturing in European and American oak, both of which were seasoned with sherry. The whiskies are then married and proofed down to a very accessible 40%.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a real sense of rich and almost rummy holiday cake full of dark spices, dried fruits, candied citrus, and nuts with a hint of smoke.
Palate: A touch of fragrant honey arrives to smooth out the texture while adding sweetness.
Finish: That smoke pops back in on the finish but it’s more like a chimney smoke from a house a few doors down on a snowy day than a funky peaty smoke from a bog.
Bottom Line:
This is a lovely blend of deeper fruit/citrus flavors with dark peatiness. There’s a sweetness that ties it all together and makes this a great whisky to have on hand for cocktails or sipping over some rocks thanks to some serious refinement.
1. Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskey Aged 14 Years
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $46
The Whisky:
Glenmorangie’s 14-Year expression spends 10 years resting in used American oak casks. Those barrels are vatted and the whisky is re-barreled into Quinta Ruban port wine casks from Portugal for another four years of mellowing before batching, proofing, and bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose draws you in with a sense of burnt orange layered into dark chocolate and then melted over a singed marshmallow with a hint of malted vanilla cookie tying it all together.
Palate: That dark chocolate drives the palate with a hint of waxiness and woody winter spice next to whole black peppercorns, fresh tangerine, and a whisper of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Finish: The dark chocolate, woody spice, bright orange, and sharp spearmint all collide on the finish with a sense of soft malted sweetness and faint old oak staves.
Bottom Line:
Delicious. It’s perfect neat, on the rocks, or mixed into your favorite whisky cocktail. This is an exceptional whisky at this price point.
