By Richard Thomas
(Credit: Richard Thomas)
As a rule, Scotch Whisky is the category of whiskey least compatible with the term “bargain.” While it is true that scarcity has driven Japanese Whisky prices to a level that would make me consider teetotaling were it the only choice, Scotch has always been somewhat more expensive than American, Canadian and even Irish whiskeys. Even a fairly ordinary Scotch like Johnnie Walker Black runs between $35 and $40, which puts it at the same price point as Knob Creek rather than its actual peers of Jim Beam and Jack Daniel’s. And that was before Trump threatened to make Scotch Whisky a target in his trade war bluster.
Even so, that does not mean good Scotch is synonymous with “painfully expensive.” Here are six Scotch whiskies that cost $50 or less.
Aberfeldy 12 Year Old ($48)
The Aberfeldy is one of the core malts behind Dewar’s, which was formerly the favorite blended whisky in the United States and still the second-best seller in the country. The whisky goes a long way to making Dewar’s so approachable, since on its own the malt is a tasty, uncomplicated example of the fruity and honeyed goodness that comes out of the Speyside region.
Cutty Sark Prohibition ($30)
Drawing from Glenrothes, Highland Park, The Macallan, Tamdhu, Bunnahabhain and Glengoyne for its malts, Cutty Sark Prohibition is a cut above its flagship and entry-level stablemate. The whisky is substantially more complex than basic Cutty Sark, and at 50% ABV it is substantially stronger as well.
Glenfiddich 12 Year Old ($30)
The triangular green glass bottle of The Glenfiddich is a classic, and it ought to be, because it is with the antecedents of this very expression that the concept of single malt whisky was pioneered. Past that, there are not many real bargains to be had with Scotch Whisky, but this is certainly one of them. There is nothing fancy here, just a malt whisky that is fruity, nutty and a little buttery.
(Credit: Diageo)
Johnnie Walker Black Label ($40)
The 12 year old run of Walker’s ladder, upon reflection it should be thought odd that so many consider Walker Black a rather ordinary blended Scotch. Johnnie Walker Red certainly is, but Walker Black? For the other blended Scotch brands, the 12 year old is considered a major step upwards. The only explanation for it must lie in the expression’s ubiquity. In terms of what is in the bottle, Johnnie Walker Black draws on more than 40 different sources in blending. The whisky is noted for being smokier than Walker Red, and a little more sophisticated than its peers.
Monkey Shoulder ($40)
Monkey Shoulder is a vatted malt, or blend of just malt whiskies. In this instance, the sourcing draws on the three malt distilleries owned by brand owner William Grant & Sons: Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kininivie. The style of double and triple malts fell out of favor decades ago, and Monkey Shoulder shows why that was a mistake. Monkey Shoulder retains the character of a single malt, while using the blender’s art to balance honeyed sweetness and vanilla against spicy notes, making it a very easy drinking whisky.
(Credit: Richard Thomas)
Pig’s Nose ($35)
When I first wrote about Pig’s Nose more than a decade ago, I called it proof that Scotch Whisky does not need to be old or expensive to be good, and the expression is still proving it today. Despite being just a five year old, the whisky has a very high proportion of malt in its blend (40%), which goes a long way to explaining how it develops so much character at such a young age. My opinion is that Pig’s Nose is a true sleeper, in that it is so overlooked that it rarely appears on lists of overlooked whiskies. Find some, try it and join the process of changing that.
Speyburn 10 Year Old ($38)
If some whiskies are true sleepers, because they are good but genuinely little known, others are false sleepers: good, underappreciated, but often spoken of by folks like me. Speyburn 10 Year Old is an example of the latter. This expression repeatedly appears on lists of neglected and bargain single malts. It’s a solid, simple example of an unpeated malt, and one that sits on the light side of malts to boot.
