The Scotch whisky aisle at the liquor is pretty deep these days. More and more brands are getting shelf space with seemingly endless expressions on offer — 20-year-old this, cask strength that, sherry finished this, double oaked that… It’s all a lot to try and keep track of. Then there’s the price. Scotch is generally just more expensive than American whiskeys (for obvious reasons thanks to the costs of importing booze, tariffs, etc.).
That begs the question, what is the best value in Scotch whisky right now? I’m going to try and answer that today with a blind taste test of very good Scotch whiskies that also don’t cost all that much… relatively speaking.
For this exercise, I grabbed 10 bottles of Scotch whisky that I believe have great value (then my wife was kind enough to shuffle and pour those for me). Importantly, “value” does not mean “cheap.” It means that each of the bottles blindly tasted today has a convergence of high-quality and lower prices. Still, all of the Scotch whiskies on this list are under $100 and they all taste pretty good in their own way.
Our lineup today includes the following bottles:
- Compass Box The Peat Monster Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
- Macbeth Bloody Sergeant Household Series Act One Blair Athol Aged 10 Years
- Elements Of Islay Sherry Cask Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
- Glenmorangie The Quinta Ruban Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 14 Years
- Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie Scottish Barley Unpeated Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- The Balvenie DoubleWood Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years
- Kingsbarns Balcomie Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 10 Years
- Arran Single Malt Scotch Whisky 10 Years Old
- Mossburn Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Island Smoke & Spice
So what tastes best among these expressions? I’ll answer that too via a ranking after my blind tasting notes. Because at the end of the day, it’s really all about what tastes best, even when you’re looking for bang for your buck. Let’s dive in!
- The 50 Best Scotch Whiskies Of 2022, Ranked
- The Best Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whiskies Under $100, Ranked
- The Absolute Best Scotch Whisky Between $60-$70, Ranked
- Single Malt Whiskeys From Around The World, Blind Tasted And Ranked
- We Blind Tasted Single Malt Whiskies From All Over The World To Find A Champion
Part 1 — The Value Scotch Whisky Tasting
Taste 1
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is peaty but not ridiculously so, thanks to the subtlety of the Caol Ila in the mix that presents as a soft campfire in the distance with notes of oyster liqueur and pear beneath it all.
Palate: There’s a really rich and sweet apple/pear vibe that cuts through the earthy peat while a vanilla cream brings about a velvet mouthfeel.
Finish: The smoke returns but is tied to the fruit — like a bushel of smoked apples, pears, and apricots next to a touch of ashy smoke — on the finish.
Initial Thoughts:
This is really nice. The peat is certainly there but not overpowering. It’s nicely balanced.
Taste 2
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Subtle winter spices and apple hand pies drive the palate toward rum-macerated blackberry, cloves stuck in orange peels, and cinnamon-heavy raisin bread.
Palate: The palate is classically sweet malt dipped in toffee and vanilla sauce with a counterpoint of star anise and clove wrapped in black tea leaves with a whisper of fall briskness.
Finish: The end has a nice honeyed malt vibe with more rich toffee, caramel malts, and mossy bark in a winter apple orchard feel.
Initial Thoughts:
Again, this is a very nice whisky. It’s subtle but delivers a pleasant overall experience.
Taste 3
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a subtle beachside campfire peatiness that leads to dried cranberries and raspberries dipped in salted dark chocolate with a hint of orange oils.
Palate: Those orange oils burn on the palate and then get very creamy with a sense of dark chocolate oranges, figs, and prunes with a hint of sticky toffee pudding that’s just starting to burn in the oven.
Finish: The burnt toffee and date vibe drives the spice on the finish toward a soft yet warming end with a hint more fig and dark chocolate.
Initial Thoughts:
This was very nice but a little thin at the end. I wasn’t 100% sold on the “burnt” edges — but it might work better over rocks?
Taste 4
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.
Initial Thoughts:
Well, this is just delicious unpeated malt. It’s basically everything you want from that category — deep and lush with a sweet base that tastes so specific from top to bottom. Again, delicious.
Taste 5
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Wildflowers and granola bars draw you in on the nose as a hint of brine and salted caramel linger on the back end with orange oils and softwood.
Palate: That brine becomes a full rush of seaspray as tart apples lead towards a Caro syrup mid-palate sweetness.
Finish: That sweetness fades into a spicy malt as sea salt and sweet oak dominated the finish.
Initial Thoughts:
This was shockingly succinct and just really easy to sip. I liked this a lot too, but more as a “I don’t have to think about this to enjoy it” sort of vibe.
Taste 6
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Soft and floral honey mixed with a hint of vanilla extract, sweet red berries, and wine-soaked oak.
Palate: The palate meanders through light touches of marzipan with a hint of cinnamon and fields of plum trees with a whisper of tree bark and leather lurking in the background.
Finish: The finish lets the spicy malt kick in with a dose of hot cinnamon and honey tobacco.
Initial Thoughts:
This was even more dialed than the last pour but very much in the same “don’t have to think about it” category. It’s just tasty.
Taste 7
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sweet caramel malts draw you in the nose with a mincemeat pie and nutty fruit cake aura with a solid toffee sweetness.
Palate: The taste leans into grilled pineapple with plenty of nutmeg and cinnamon that edges toward sharp ginger and maybe some rum raisin.
Finish: That ginger really pops on the spicy end with a rock candy feel as this Nutella lushness takes over at the very end.
Initial Thoughts:
This was pretty good but really all over the place. I like it but it took a little time for me to figure it out.
Taste 8
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with this soft sense of pitted orchard fruits next to a thin line of beach campfire smoke far off in the distance with a hint of minerality and bright spiced malts.
Palate: The palate has a hint of an oyster shell that leads to dried pears and apricot with a hint of warmth and spice malt next to dry sweetgrass.
Finish: The end is full of lightly smoked plums with a touch of cardamom and cinnamon next to sea salt and a final whiff of that beach campfire way down the beach somewhere.
Initial Thoughts:
I mean, I can smell that this is a Talisker from, like, across the room. I love this pour. It’s so subtle yet so freaking deep.
Taste 9
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has a bourbon vanilla vibe on the nose with a bunch of cinnamon sticks soaked in apple cider and then cut with orange oils.
Palate: That cinnamon takes a sharp turn toward chili spice on the palate with a soft caramel maltiness and a hint of apple candy.
Finish: The end sort of meanders through apple cider and used cinnamon sticks with a vanilla and caramel malted cookie base.
Initial Thoughts:
This is nice but a little thin overall.
Taste 10
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose feels like it’s almost salted with a sense of smoked apples and plums next to vanilla cream cut with fresh lemon zest.
Palate: The citrus turns into lemon meringue pie on the palate as caramel malts sweet toward digestive cookies with a hint of chocolate lurking somewhere deep in the palate.
Finish: The end kind of thins out the lemon pie toward a soft sweet grain roundness and a hint of salted vanilla sauce.
Initial Thoughts:
This was nice enough but not overly memorable outside of the salinity.
Part 2 — The Value Scotch Whisky Ranking
10. Mossburn Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Island Smoke & Spice — Taste 10
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $44
The Whisky:
This blended malt (that means only single malts are in the blend and not single malts and single grain whiskies) is made from a mix of whiskies aged in American oak. Those barrels came from the “Island” region of Scotland which is very wide-reaching. Mossburn vatted those barrels and then re-barreled the whisky into ex-bourbon barrels that were refitted with toasted new European oak heads for a final rest.
Bottom Line:
This was fine. I didn’t really get that much “smoke” on the profile which feels odd. Anyway, I’d easily use this to mix cocktails or highballs.
9. Elements Of Islay Sherry Cask Islay Blended Malt Scotch Whisky — Taste 3
ABV: 54.5%
Average Price: $87
The Whisky:
This whisky from the Elements of Islay bottlers focuses on sherry casks. Essentially, we’re looking at orphan sherry casks from Islay distilleries that go into a wide-ranging blend that focuses on sherry as the primary flavor profile.
Bottom Line:
This was a perfectly nice sherry-cask finish whisky. It didn’t stand out that much on the panel but there was nothing wrong with it at all. I can see mixing cocktails with this. It feels like a good building block.
8. Arran Single Malt Scotch Whisky 10 Years Old — Taste 9
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $65
The Whisky:
This is Arran’s entry-point bottle. This is classic unpeated malt that’s left in ex-bourbon to age for a decade before vatting, proofing, and bottling as-is.
Bottom Line:
This was nice. If you’re looking for a bourbon-adjacent malt pour, this is a good place to start. Just don’t expect to be wowed.
7. Kingsbarns Balcomie Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Taste 7
ABV: 59.9%
Average Price: $51
The Whisky:
This new blood from the Lowlands of Scotland is a quality single malt. The vat of whisky here is from 100% ex-Oloroso sherry casks. Once vatted, that whisky is bottled completely as-is at cask strength, letting the whisky in the barrel shine on through.
Bottom Line:
This was nice too. It feels like an easy everyday pour-over ice or a crackin’ cocktail base with some serious depth.
6. Macbeth Bloody Sergeant Household Series Act One Blair Athol Aged 10 Years — Taste 2
ABV: 51.8%
Average Price: $100
The Whisky:
This expression from the new Macbeth series celebrates Blair Athol whisky — a true whiskey nerds distillery. The actual whisky is a blend of ex-bourbon and red wine casks that are vatted and then bottled at cask strength.
Bottom Line:
This is getting into the really good stuff. This is a very well-rounded whisky that hits high flavor notes while still feeling approachable. This is going to be nice anyway that you want to enjoy it.
5. Compass Box The Peat Monster Blended Malt Scotch Whisky — Taste 1
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $69
The Whisky:
Compass Box is one of the most interesting blenders/bottlers working today. This expression is the perfect example of the craft of whisky blending, with six masterfully married peaty barrels coming together, focusing on Caol Ila and Laphroaig. A touch of Highland malt is added to bring in hints of dark spice to balance all that Islay peat.
Bottom Line:
This was nicely peated with a great balance. That said, it wasn’t the best peated whisky on the panel. Still, if you’re looking for a peaty that doesn’t blow your senses out on first nose and sip, this is what you’re looking for. It’s subtle and balanced in all the right ways.
4. Bruichladdich The Classic Laddie Scottish Barley Unpeated Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Taste 5
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $56
The Whisky:
Bruichladdich’s philosophy on whisky making is pretty unique. Each batch highlights local, unpeated Scottish barley that’s fermented and distilled. That juice then goes into some combination of ex-bourbon, ex-sherry, and ex-wine casks for a varied amount of time. That means each batch is unique. Bruichladdich then provides a code on their bottles so that you can go to their website and find out what makes the bottle in your hand special.
Bottom Line:
This is so dailed that it’s hard not to love. This might be the epitome of “I don’t have to think about this” whiskies on the list. It’s just good and easy to sip. Sometimes that’s enough. This makes a great cocktail too.
3. The Balvenie DoubleWood Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years — Taste 6
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $64
The Whisky:
This is the whisky that launched the “double aging” trend back in 1982. This unpeated single malt spends 12 years mellowing in ex-bourbon casks before it’s transferred to ex-sherry casks for a final maturation of nine months. Finally, the whisky is vatted in a “tun” where it rests for three to four months before proofing and bottling.
Bottom Line:
Again, this is just good. There are no bells or whistles but it doesn’t need it. This feels like the perfect bottle to have around for everyday pours (neat or on the rocks) or for making your favorite whisky-forward cocktails.
2. Glenmorangie The Quinta Ruban Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 14 Years — Taste 4
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.
Bottom Line:
The only reason this isn’t in first place today is that it felt more Christmas-y and it’s summer. It’s thick and luscious. It’s delicious. I’ll break it out in October.
1. Talisker Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 10 Years — Taste 8
ABV: 45.8%
Average Price: $66
The Whisky:
This is one of the most awarded single malts ever. The juice is matured in ex-bourbon casks in Talisker’s warehouse which is literally feet away from the sea. The subtly peated malts take on a real seaside feel as those years tick past, creating a whisky that will not disappoint.
Bottom Line:
This is just so f*cking delicious for what it is. This is a bottle of 10-year-old lightly peated malt from a small island off the coast of Scotland that you can get everywhere without paying dearly for it. That’s kind of a miracle, especially when you consider how damn tasty it is. This also feels like a malt that you can drink year-round. Summer seafood spreads, wintery desserts, backyard cookouts, falling leaves — it works with it all in one way or another.
Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the “Value” Scotch Whisky
Yeah, Talisker 10 is probably one of the best deals that you can get in Scotch whisky right now. I’d also put The Balvenie 12 right there with it if you want to go the unpeated route for a great year-round whisky to have on hand.
I love the Glenmorangie but it really presented as a thick and lush winter pour on this panel. So maybe grab a bottle and save it until the leaves start turning.
As for the rest, there’s some quality and good-value whisky on the list. You can’t go wrong with any of them. So look back at those tasting notes and see if anything jumps out at you and then click those price links to get some.
