Finding the best value in anything is a tricky prospect. You never really know where to draw lines. Is it about price? Not really. $40 might seem like a lot to pay for a bottle of whisky to one person while others might not even blink at a $100 price tag. For us, value is really about what you’re getting for that money — no matter if it’s $20, $50, or even $100.
What is the quality of the juice in that bottle? How good is it, really? Does it taste underpriced compared to the rest of the market?
That’s what I’m going to try and answer below by calling out ten bottles of blended Scotch whisky that offer superb value per dollar. For the most part, that means that we’re talking about bottles that fall into the $30 to $60 range (depending on your state’s taxes). That range in and of itself is a great value for Scotch whisky. Really any bottle under $80 or even $100 is going to be a good value as long as the juice is high quality.
Are we ranking our picks? You’d better believe it! Let’s go!
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10. Old Parr 12 Year Old Blended Scotch
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $33
The Whisky:
This old-school blend is built around Cragganmore and Glendullan single malts. The whiskies mellow for 12 years before they’re vatted and proofed for this bottling.
Tasting Notes:
There are cinnamon apple cookies on the nose with a touch of honey, nuts, and dry malt. The taste is very malty with a touch of cedar, tobacco spice, and more honey/apple/cinnamon. The end is warm, malty, and slightly sweet thanks to the honey with a sense of apple fritters and maybe even some Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Bottom Line:
This is simple, sure. But it’s also exactly the right place to start getting into affordable blended Scotch whisky. The honey nut apple vibe is approachable while not being overblown. The maltiness is front and center, which should be the point at this price level. Overall, this is a great candidate for making highballs with good fizzy water and a nice twist of lemon or apple slice!
9. Ballantine’s 12
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $44
The Whisky:
Ballentine’s is a classic grocer-turned-whisky-maker, a tried and true Scottish tradition. In this case, the juice in the bottle is built from 50 different grain and single malt whiskies that are at least 12 years old. Once those barrels are vatted, the whisky is proofed down to a very accessible 80 proof.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a nice mix of fresh honey and lush vanilla on the nose next to hints of sweet oak and soft malts. The palate leans into the honey with a creamy edge as short hints of wildflowers balance against vanilla creaminess, a touch of holiday spice tied to the malts, and a nice dose of that sweet oak with a lightly charred sense. The finish is short and sweet and balances that vanilla and honey cream against florals and lightly spiced malts.
Bottom Line:
This really shines over some rocks. That creaminess really amps up with that addition of water to the point of creamed honey and even some light malted chocolate milkshake vibes. In short, use this for highballs with soda water, it shines the most that way.
8. Buchanan’s DeLuxe
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $33
The Whisky:
Buchanan’s is another Diageo blend that’s making a big comeback. Part of that is due to this expression snagging a Double Gold from San Francisco World Spirit Competiton back in 2020. The whisky has a long history and is built to be a classic “on the rocks” whisky.
Tasting Notes:
The whiskey opens with a real sense of dark chocolate married to bright orange zest. 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. 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 really works over some rocks best. The chocolate takes on a malted creaminess that layers with the tobacco well. The peat is almost non-existent with a little water or ice. So if you’re peat hesitant, this is might be your play.
7. Monkey Shoulder
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 distilleries. The whiskey is rested for up to six months after blending to let it mellow even more before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
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. 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. The end is short and sweet with a nice lightness that really makes this very drinkable.
Bottom Line:
The fact that you’re getting William Grant & Sons Speyside whisky in this, means you’re getting high-quality juice at a lower price. This is a great value by definition due to that. It also makes for the perfect cocktail or highball base thanks to that creamy vanilla and hint of wintry spice.
6. Naked Malt
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $31
The Whisky:
The juice 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:
There’s a sweet malt buried under a buttery scone dripping with raspberry jam with a touch of light spice lurking in the background. 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. 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:
The Macallan and Highland Park are expensive single malts. Their entry-point expressions cost anywhere from $60 to $75. You can get two of these bottles for that price. If that’s not a great value, I don’t what is. The only reason this is a bit lower is that it’s a really good mixer rather than a go-to sipper.
5. Compass Box Artist Blend Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $35
The Whiskey:
The lion’s share of this blend — 45 percent — comes from a single grain whisky aged in ex-bourbon from Cameronbridge Distillery. 22 percent is a single malt aged in ex-bourbon that comes from Linkwood Distillery. The rest is a mix of French oak and ex-bourbon single malts and blended malts from the Highlands, Clyneilish, Linkwood, and Balmenach. Those whiskies are vatted and then proofed down before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a very clear and concise note of apple candy with a hint of salted caramel ice cream cut with a touch of eggnog spices. There’s a nice maltiness that leans into a creamy vanilla, soft holiday spice mix, butter toffee, and a hint of milk chocolate near the end. The finish is warming with a whisper of tobacco next to a woody apple, spice candies (maybe ginger), and a final hint of cocoa and caramel.
Bottom Line:
This blend is made with a lot of niche whiskies that are hard to find outside of their local regions (that means they’re even hard to find in Scotland if you’re not in the right place). That aside, I really like sipping this in a great cocktail. The creamy spiciness shines in an old fashioned with a little orange oil accent.
4. Chivas Regal Mizunara
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $40
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:
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. 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. The finish lets the spiciness warm the palate as pear and leather fade through the end.
Bottom Line:
While the Mizunara in this expression is mild, it’s still there. Generally speaking, that’s a super expensive way to age whisky (Japanese whiskies aged in this barrel can cost thousands). So getting this bottle at around $40 is a great deal for what it is. This also really works on the rocks or in a cocktail, but I’d lean more toward a sipper on this one.
3. Compass Box Orchard House
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $58
The Whisky:
This blended malt leans into apples as a predominant flavor note of sweet Scotch whisky. The juice in the bottle is a blend of 39 percent Linkwood single malt aged in ex-bourbon barrels, 20 percent Clynelish single malt also aged in ex-bourbon barrels, and Benrinnes single malt from ex-bourbon barrels. The next eight percent is a single malt from a distillery in the town of Aberlour (not the distillery) that aged in ex-sherry butts with two percent from a Highland malt blend that aged in custom-built and toasted French oak barrels, and the final two percent from a peated malt from Caol Ila that matured in ex-bourbon casks.
Tasting Notes:
Naturally, apples burst forth on the nose with tart, sweet, and juicy notes next to a soft pear vibe, lemon and lime zest, a touch of sweet pineapple, and a soft echo of dry but fragrant Earl Grey tea leaves. The palate leans into fresh ginger soaking in a pot of floral honey next to minor notes of fresh strawberry shortcake with a soft vanilla sponge cake, fresh berries, and a dollop of vanilla-laced whipped cream. The finish leans into a light white floral note while the pear and apple return with a ripeness that feels like they’re fresh off the vine and a final note of lightly spiced malts with a whisper of applewood smoke.
Bottom Line:
This is a great sipper (truly) with a killer lineup of whiskies in the mix. The Benrinnes alone is worth the price of admission (it’s a very small and bespoke distillery). Add in the Caol Ila, Linkwood, Highland, and Clynelish malts and you have something that’s greater than its individual parts.
2. Dewar’s 18
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $64
The Whisky:
The heart of Dewar’s is Aberfeldy whisky. This blend is a testament to Master Blender Stephanie MacLeod’s prowess in bringing good whisky together to make great whisky. The juices are aged for 18 long years in American oak before they’re vatted into a large oak tun and allowed to rest before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
There’s that signature Aberfeldy honey on the nose with hints of almonds, stone fruits, and red berries next to a hint of dried leather, Christmas spices, and maybe even some tobacco leaf. The palate dials all of this in with a marzipan vibe next to floral honey, bruised apricot skins, and dark chocolate-covered red berries with a hint of tartness and bitterness. The end is soft, silky, and brings a final bite of sweet oak with a slight tobacco chew layered with dark chocolate and marzipan.
Bottom Line:
This is an old and very good sipping blended malt. It’s devised from Aberfeldy, which is amazing at around 18 years but also at least twice the price. Overall, this is a pretty solid sipper that shines on the rocks and really takes on a creamy and chocolate malted vibe that sings in the glass and on your senses.
1. Johnnie Walker Green Label
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $55
The Whisky:
Johnnie Walker’s Green Label is a solidly crafted whisky that highlights Diageo’s fine stable of distilleries across Scotland. The juice is a pure malt or blended malt, meaning that only single malt whisky is in the mix (no grain whisky). In this case, the primary whiskies are a minimum of 15 years old, from Talisker, Caol Ila, Cragganmore, and Linkwood.
Tasting Notes:
Soft notes of cedar dance with hints of black pepper, vanilla pods, and bright fruit with a wisp of green grass in the background. The palate really delivers on that soft cedar woodiness while edging towards a spice-laden tropical fruit brightness. The finish is dialed in with hints of cedar, spice, and fruit leading towards a briny billow of smoke at the very end.
Bottom Line:
This has some killer whiskies in the blend. A Caol Ila and Talisker is like the meeting of two subtly peated masterpieces. Add in the Cragganmore and Linkwood for sweet refinement and you have something truly special. The fact that this is only $50 to $60 is amazing. It’s truly a great whisky that shines on its own (neat) or on the rocks.
It also makes one hell of a Rob Roy.
