When it comes to the bulk of Scotch whisky on the shelf, the proof is almost always low. Scotch — blended or single malt — usually comes in at 40%, 43%, or 46% ABV (80 proof, 86 proof, and 92 proof). While traditional, that’s a pretty low-proof point for whiskey in the 21st century. The thing is, there are much higher-proof Scotch whiskies hiding on the very same shelf — often, you only need to tilt your head up or check behind the glass.
Cask-strength Scotch whisky is prevalent and getting more abundant on U.S. liquor store shelves as whiskey booms and consumers clamor for more. Today, you can find a cask-strength version of almost every major brand via special releases, single-barrel bottlings, and new expressions for the U.S. market. It’s a bountiful time for Scotch drinkers looking for a little more kick in their whisky. That means that it’s high time to call out some amazing cask-strength Scotch whiskies that you can get right now.
Below, I’m naming 15 cask-strength Scotch whiskies that all deserve your attention. These should be relatively easy to track down at good whiskey shops, online (The Whisky Exchange in the UK delivers to the US!), or at great whiskey bars. I did rank these whiskies as there’s a lot of variation and some of them are simply wildly better than others. Still, they’re all good.
Lastly, I didn’t go too crazy with the prices. There are some very rare and pricey whiskies below, but I keep out of the bottles that cost tens of thousands of dollars or more. These are all gettable bottles from the last year that you’ll see around. You won’t have to go to an auction or join some elite whisky group overseas to find these. That’s not to say that there aren’t some pricey whiskies below. But even then, they’re 100% worth those price tags.
Let’s dive in!
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15. Octomore Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Super Heavily Peated 14.1 Edition Aged 5 Years
ABV: 59.6%
Average Price: $219
The Whisky:
The 14.1 Edition of Ocotmore is made with 100% Scottish-grown Concerto barley that was heavily peated during the malting process. The barley was fermented and distilled in 2017 and left in the barrel to age — in ex-bourbon casks — next to the sea on Islay until 2023 when it was batched and bottled 100% as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with a bold sense of fresh rubber bicycle tires that are hard to get past. Eventually, the sip reveals coconut cake, rich vanilla, soft buttery toffee, roasted almonds, and salted caramel all smoked next to a seaweed-fed fire as whispers of slow-smoked pork butt.
Palate: Smoked lemons preserved in salt open the palate toward vanilla buttercream cut with toffee and stewed pear, cinnamon bark, and clove before soft smoldering charcoal and burnt honeycombs veer the palate toward dark chocolate-covered espresso beans, floral honey, and eggnog spice.
Finish: That creamy eggnog spiciness mounts on the finish with saltwater-soaked applewood charcoal, nasturtiums, and a deep sense of old earthy peat that’s part black soil, part dry smoldering seaweed, and part smoked fatty pork meat with a light sense of red berries lurking underneath.
Bottom Line:
No list of cask-strength Scotch whisky is complete without an Octomore. The latest releases were bombastic peated malts that are not for the faint of heart. These whiskies almost dare you to hate them, and people love that. The fact that they’re not for everyone is the point. You’ve been warned.
14. The Singleton Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 14 Years “The Silken Gown” Special Release 2023
ABV: 55%
Average Price: $147
The Whisky:
The Singleton is a great gateway unpeated malt. It’s purposefully built to be subtle and welcoming and that’s especially true of their 2023 Special Edition. This release takes the malt and finishes it in Chardonnay de Bourgogne French Oak casks until they’re just right. Once small batched, the whisky is bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is buttery and lush with a sense of fresh sweet apples and overripe pears next to salted toffee rolled in almonds and just kissed with cinnamon and nutmeg before this whisper of yellow melon skins arrives.
Palate: The butteriness takes on a fresh and almost sour note (in a great way) before soft oak arrives with more subtle winter spices, soft sultanas soaked in pear brandy, and a touch of caramel cut with candied citrus.
Finish: The end softens toward more toffee and butter as the wood leans sweet and softly spiced with hints of plums, apricots, and stewed pears with a whisp of saffron.
Bottom Line:
On the completely other end of the spectrum, this is probably the most crowd-pleasing whisky on the list — at least the most accessible. This is soft and lush with a deep warmth that accents creamy toffee and vibrant fruits. It’s a dream to sip.
13. The Glenlivet Nadurra Oloroso Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 60.7%
Average Price: $81
The Whisky:
This version of The Glenlivet is aged for years in first-fill Oloroso sherry oak. Those casks are vatted and rested and then the whisky goes into the bottle at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Mince meat pies, sticky toffee pudding, and dark caramel drive the nose toward apricot jam and marmalade next to buttery scones cut with cinnamon and a whisper of real black licorice.
Palate: The palate is luscious with a sense of creamed honey leading to whipped butter, dark and sharp marmalade, and a thick layer of salted dark chocolate cut with lavender and cinnamon.
Finish: That cinnamon takes on sharpness with anise and allspice on the finish next to soft creamy vanilla, chocolate, and orange cream as warmth builds toward buzzing on the back of your senses.
Bottom Line:
This whisky packs a small punch that plays well with the darker chocolate and spice notes next to equally dark fruits. This is a very easy sipper if you’re already acclimated to warmer bourbons.
12. Roseisle Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years “The Origami Kite” Special Release 2023
ABV: 56.5%
Average Price: $174
The Whisky:
Diageo adds a unique release to its Special Release lineup every year and 2023’s honor went to Roseisle. The distillery and malt house are very new, it opened in 2010. The whisky in this new release is a 12-year-old single malt that was aged in first-fill ex-bourbon and re-fill ex-bourbon casks for all 12 of those years. Once batched, the whisky was bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich and silky bourbon vanilla pops on the nose with a clear sense of stewed apples and pears with plenty of winter spice, buttery caramel, and almost tart red berries just starting to dry out and sweeten.
Palate: That vanilla really amps up on the palate as the red fruit sweetens and darkens toward raspberry crumble and brandy-soaked cherry before this lush sense of macadamia nut cookies arrives with a burnt sugar vibe (think of fresh cookies from the oven).
Finish: Finally, the old oak arrives with a deep winter spice bark vibe over hints of white chocolate mocha lattes that are verging on eggnog territory with a whisper of (very mild) peppermint and nutmeg working in tandem.
Bottom Line:
This whisky works because it is cask strength. The profile is balanced and well-accented by the warmth of the proof. A lot is going on with this one, so take your time, enjoy the journey, and then make a killer cocktail with it.
11. Benromach Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky Vintage 2013 Cask Strength Batch 01
ABV: 59.7%
Average Price: $199
The Whisky:
This new 2023 Benromach release was 10 years in the making. The batch is made from a mix of first-fill ex-bourbon barrels (that means that this whisky was the first thing to go into the barrel after the bourbon was dumped) and ex-sherry casks. Those casks were vatted and then the whisky was bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Stewed plums and mulled wine-soaked cinnamon sticks mingle with dark salted chocolate-covered espresso beans, vanilla husks, and creamy toffee rolled in roasted almond.
Palate: Sticky toffee pudding with a hint of black tea and plenty of nutmeg and cinnamon drives the palate toward a moment of burnt orange that’s just kissed with smoldering cacao nibs.
Finish: Smoked plums and black-tea-soaked dates lead to old winter spice barks and more musty orange on the finish with a hint of buttercream.
Bottom Line:
This is a great bridge between Kentucky bourbon and bold Scottish single malt. There’s a lot of connective tissue that’ll feel comforting and nostalgic while delivering a balanced and warming unpeated malty profile.
10. Ardbeg BizarreBQ Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 50.9%
Average Price: $83
The Whisky:
This new release from Ardbeg is their first-ever barbecue-inspired release. Ardbeg’s Master Distiller Dr. Bill Lumsden teamed up with DJ BBQ (Christain Stevenson) to build a three-cask whisky. The casks, in this case, were double charred oak, Pedro Ximénez sherry, and “BBQ” casks. The blend was then vatted and bottled as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a creamy essence to the nose kind of like the fat on a smoked brisket that leads to an espresso and winter spice rub deep in a charred fattiness with marmalade hints and whispers of smudging sage and singed provencal herbs with this light sense of smoldering hickory ash underneath.
Palate: The taste is creamy as well with a sense of fatty pulled pork smothered in a chili-spiked gingery BBQ sauce with creamy honey and plenty of winter spice layered with grilled steak fat flaked with salt and dusted with white pepper as a fainter twinge of black licorice and that smoldering hickory draw a line from the nose to the back of the palate.
Finish: The end leaves you with fatty smoked meats, soft spices tied to burnt orange, and a sense of chili creamed with espresso pudding next to the ashes from a 24-hour smoker smoke session.
Bottom Line:
This is the perfect bottle to break out this coming BBQ season. It’ll pair perfectly with your smoky brouhahas until next winter hits.
9. Laphroaig Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Càirdeas 2023 White Port & Madeira Casks
ABV: 52.3%
Average Price: $165
The Whisky:
The new Càirdeas from Lahroaig has arrived. This whisky was aged right by the sea in Islay in White Port and Madeira casks until just right. Then the whisky was vatted and bottled at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fresh ginger coins and green apple pulp dance on the nose with caramelized pear cut with orange zest and ground cinnamon that’s all countered by a sense of old campfire coal that’s still just smoldering and spitting tiny drops of rain.
Palate: Honey malt cakes dipped in orange syrup draw the palate toward heavy oak dipped in Nutella and caramel before the peat kicks in with massive amounts of bandages, seawater, and smoldering orchard barks.
Finish: The smoldering bark gets ashy on the finish with a real sense of the inside of a cold smoker that’s smoked everything from pears to salmon to brisket before a lightly sea-salted dried pear comes in with a hint of brandy.
Bottom Line:
This is another whisky that’s not going to be for the faint of heart. A lot is going on here and almost all of it is deep in “acquired taste” territory. Still, this is one of those whiskies that can part the clouds for some folks and then they’re ride or die for peated Islay malt for life.
8. Highland Park Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 63.3%
Average Price: $85
The Whisky:
This yearly drop is part of a new line from the Orkney Islands distillery. The whisky is a blend of single malts that are aged exclusively in old American oak that previously held sherry. The barrels are married and bottled as is, to assure you’re getting all the nuance and flavor of their malts meeting that oak.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a light sense of wildflowers on the nose with a rich vanilla husk that leads towards a touch of peat.
Palate: The taste is surprisingly silken (for a cask strength) with rich and buttery toffee next to honeysuckle, eggnog spices and creaminess, and a small dose of orange zest as a counterpoint.
Finish: The end holds onto the creaminess and spices as the peat just edges in with a whisper of resinous pine smoke.
Bottom Line:
This is another great bridge between Kentucky and Scotland. This time that bridge is clouded in a smoky pall of peatiness. That makes this a good option to dip your toes into heavily peated whisky if you’re coming from an American whiskey background. It’s vibrantly smoky but full of familiar and comforting barrel notes that’ll feel like going home again.
7. Mortlach Single Malt Scotch Whisky “The Katana’s Edge” Special Release 2023
ABV: 58%
Average Price: $329
The Whisky:
Mortlach is a whisky lover’s whisky. This year’s Special Reslease classic Mortlach that’s been finished in a combination of ex-Kanosuke Japanese whisky casks (a small distiller) and ex-Pinot Noir casks. Once batched, the whisky went into the bottle at cask-strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Honeydew melon candy and stewed pear lead on the nose with a sense of sweet cinnamon and clove next to old oak that’s not musty but definitely spent time in a cellar.
Palate: Soft honey draws you in on the palate with a sense of those spices tied to the oak before salted dried pear chips mingle with dried lychee and maybe even a little salted dried mango with a hint of cream soda.
Finish: The end amps up the savory and the dried fruits before diving into a soft winter spice cake topped with marmalade, apricot jam, and stewed tropical melons over old yet soft oakiness with a fleeting sense of floral honey lurking deep in the background.
Bottom Line:
This is a devilishly delicious whisky. It’s so fruity and dark with a serious depth that just keeps delivering new flavor notes every time you go back in. Take your time with this slow sipper and let it slowly reveal all of its secrets to you.
6. Bunnahabhain Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Fèis Ìle 2023 Canasta Cask Matured
ABV: 51.2%
Average Price: $229
The Whiskey:
The annual Fèis Ìle release from Islay’s Bunnahabhain was fire this year. The whisky is an unpeated single malt aged exclusively in rare Canasta sherry casks. Those casks were vatted and bottled as-is for this annual release.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Old-school creamy sherry comes through on the nose with caramel-soaked pears and peach next to roasted almond, plenty of cinnamon stick, and a hint of mushroomy earthiness.
Palate: Those caramelized pears lead to stewed figs and orange-laced dark chocolate on the palate as vanilla cream and maple syrup add some serious sweetness and lusciousness.
Finish: The end is sweet with a sense of maple syrup, candied orange, sweet apple candy, and vanilla buttercream with a light touch of winter spice and roasted chestnut.
Bottom Line:
This has a wonderful depth that feels a little like Alice falling down the (Islay) rabbit hole. There’s an earthiness lurking beneath the beautifully fruity and lush profile that’s so enticing. Spend time with this whisky, it’ll reward you again and again.
5. The GlenDronach Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Cask Strength Batch no. 12
ABV: 58.2%
Average Price: $104
The Whisky:
Last year’s batch from Dr. Rachel Barrie at The GlenDronach is all about long aging. The whisky is left to mellow in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks from Andalucía, Spain. The age statement is on the bottle, but the blends tend to lean over a decade. The final mix is then bottled at cask strength to really highlight that Spanish oak.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Scoops of decadent dark chocolate powder draw you in with a hint of espresso cream, burnt orange, and marzipan with a moist sticky toffee pudding vibe next to a faint whisper of dried rose.
Palate: The palate is lush with a roasted and rich espresso bean vibe with salted dark chocolate, chinotto orange, and more rich and moist marzipan with a dash of ginger candy dipped in clove and allspice tea.
Finish: There’s a rich vanilla underbelly that smooths everything out on the end with a sense of rum raisin and faint bourbon cherry tobacco layered with soft cedar and mocha lattes.
Bottom Line:
This is the ultimate wintry bold malt. It feels like Christmas in a glass — kind of like walking through a Christmas tree lot with a spiced nutcake in one hand and a spiked hot cocoa in the other. This is warming and lovely from top to bottom.
4. Caol Ila Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 13 Years Fèis Ìle 2023
ABV: 60.4%
Average Price: $250
The Whisky:
This year’s Fèis Ìle special release combines Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry butts that were left next to the sea in Islay for 13 years. Once the barrels hit the right mark, they were vatted and then bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Dark smoked cherries tossed in smoked sea salt drive the nose toward fresh green peppercorns, rips of cinnamon bark, and stewed stonefruits with a twinge of moist pipe tobacco and cedar bark.
Palate: The fruit sweetens and takes on more winter spice as the smoked salt and smoked chili pepper move the palate toward a subtle dryness with. a hint of rock beach stones and nori sheets.
Finish: The end leans into the minerality, nori, and spice barks as stewed plums and smoked cherries merge with the malted tobacco on the very end.
Bottom Line:
This is a divine pour of malt. It’s so unique and darkly mesmerizing.
Admittedly, this is going to be the hardest bottle to find on this list. Only a few made it to the U.S. and those are mostly going to be stored at very good whiskey bars.
3. Aberlour A’bunadh Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 56.2%
Average Price: $94
The Whisky:
A’bunadh (ah-boon-arh) means “the original” in Gaelic and the whisky in this Speyside bottle represents that idea for Aberlour. The whisky is matured in old Oloroso sherry casks exclusively. The whisky then goes into the bottle at cask strength, unfussed with.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: That sherry plumminess is evident right up top, with hints of bright orange oils, clumps of dark chocolate, honey, and nuts, and a hint of oak.
Palate: The taste shines with notes of dark, ripe cherries, prunes, more bright orange zest, dark chocolate, and a good measure of svelte vanilla.
Finish: The slow finish leaves you with a creamy mouthfeel next to bitter chocolate next to sweet cherries and plums, all of which lead towards a warming spice on the tongue at the end.
Bottom Line:
This is the perfect “swap your bourbon for scotch” in cocktails whisky. It has everything a bold bourbon has plus a deep and balanced unpeated maltiness that’s like a holiday celebration in the glass.
2. Oban Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 11 Years “The Soul of Calypso” Special Release 2023
ABV: 58%
Average Price: $163
The Whisky:
Oban is another tiny distillery that’s doing some of the best work in peated malts right now. Their 2023 Special Release is made with classic Oban that’s finished in Caribbean Pot Still rum casks until just right. Once those barrels are batched, the whisky is bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is like sitting on an old dock next to an inky dark sea as someone makes fresh saltwater taffy in the distance and someone else brews up mulled pear cider (perry) with plenty of winter spice and a touch of butter depth cut with candied orange and lemon before this whisper of a fruit basket wrapped in golden cellophane arrives.
Palate: The palate opens with a luxurious sense of brandy-soaked mangos and grilled pineapple before hitting on the creaminess of the saltwater taffy (like the bright neon yellow stuff) next to old oak staves layered with mildly spiced tobacco.
Finish: The end lets that oak tobacco spice peak before smoothing out with more salted tropical fruit chewiness that’s just kissed with smoldering orchard barks that have been soaked in seawater with a twinge of old leather in there somewhere.
Bottom Line:
This is another delectable pour. There’s so much going on and it all works towards this grand finale of salted fruits, creaminess, and smoldering orchard barks with this whisper of seaside that’s just wonderful.
1. Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 30 Years
ABV: 45.8%
Average Price: $1,627
The Whisky:
Talisker’s seaside vibes are on full display in this beautiful bottle. The 2023 limited release (the 30-year is on a random release schedule) was around 3,000 bottles, making this a very rare expression from the Isle of Skye distillery. Those bottles were pulled from both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks and masterfully blended right next to the sea at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is shockingly subtle and soft with velvety notes of smoldering dried nori next to matchsticks that have been dipped in a buttery and rich dark chocolate with sea salt gently sprinkled all over.
Palate: The palate leans into the dialed-back peat by bringing about a smoked cream with fire-seared peaches next to a hint of wet cedar, very old tobacco leaves, and a touch of almond or oat milk flecked with salt.
Finish: That salt drives the mid-palate towards a finish that’s like getting kissed by merfolk on a beach next to a campfire that’s heating a cauldron full of spicy stewed peaches in more of that cream.
Bottom Line:
Gun to head, this is my favorite pour of whisky overall (right now anyway). It’s succinct, delicious, and bold in all the right ways. Few mainstream whiskies are this balanced and deep (yes, this is a mainstream yearly release even though the price is very steep).
