Blended scotch whisky is often pigeoned-holed as “mixing” whisky. The story of this whisky is amazing. Another unapologetically peated Islay, and a great value for all the complexity. Its 12-year-old expression premiered in 1979, and in 2006, as part of a rebrand, the 18 and 25 years were added to the lineup. Say “Laphroaig” to a group of whisky friends and you may divide the room—you’ll get unembarrassed peat and coastal notes here, smoke, salinity, Band-Aid, black pepper. You’ll get light cereal/grain notes with some delicate buttery notes, honey, soft orchard fruits and light, grassy spring florals. ... Laphroaig’s 10-year-old scotch is slightly sweet with a luxuriously silky body and an oceanic finish. This is a very easy sipper and bridges the old-school Scotch single malts with newer Virginia whisky-making. Best Peaty Scotch for Price: Ledaig 10 Year; Best Scotch to Drink Around a Campfire: Laphroaig Quarter Cask; Best Scotch to Pair with Food: Caol Ila 12; Best Rum-Cask Scotch: The Balvenie Caribbean Cask An iconic Islay Scotch, bursting with peat and salinity. The end holds onto the orange as the sweetness edges towards toffee on the quick fade. Ledaig 10-year via allthingswhisky.com Honey and subtle fruit flesh out a rich mouthfeel, giving way to oaky spice and a subtly smoky, drying finish. Dram A Lot: The 14 Best Scotch Whiskeys Under $50 Highland Park 12 Year. The extra three years this blend gets in the barrel adds a nice depth that speaks to how good blended scotch can be while still being affordable. ... Best 12-Year-Old: The GlenDronach Original . The end holds onto the sweetness of those fruits then fades quickly towards an earthy final note. Average Price: $26 This edition of Famous Grouse is a nice step up from their... Chivas Regal Aged 12 Years. (Not a single barrel, or a single year.). This is a classic blend that harkens back to simpler times in whisky without losing any beauty in its juice. There’s a clear spicy Christmas cake nose that’s cut with a slice of lemon and a dash of black pepper. The distillery has been around for over 200 years, and this bottle has become something of a staple at every bar you visit. *Prices are an approximation or average, some retailers (online and in-person) may charge more or less, so shop around! The end isn’t too long, but touches on those sweet honey notes, the spice, and a final touch of fresh mint sprigs. This Campbeltown whisky finishes with a balance of first-fill bourbon and Pedro Ximenez (sweet) sherry casks, intermingling an almost fudgy fruitiness with vanilla, and a drying oaky spice. Compass Box Whisky is all about creating very sippable blends of scotch. The 18 is its most prefect bottle, having been upgraded from 40% to 46.3% ABV and bottled un-chillfiltered; it blends ex-sherry cask and ex-bourbon cask notes, with much, much less peat than other Islay examples. The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year. The end is medium-length, with hints of that fruit next to a dailed-in smokiness. The whiskies are aged primarily in American oak and refill bourbon casks before blending. Ardbeg 10 Year Old. The only two parameters we’re following are 1) is this scotch enjoyable on its own? Decanter recommends a varied selection of whiskies under £50 - from Scotland, Ireland and the US, and that deliver great value for money ... Best whiskies to buy under £50/$50. Buy on Drizly Buy on ReserveBar. Best Bang for Your Buck: Aberfeldy 12; Creamy and Accessible: Bunnahabhain 8 Year Old The MacPhail’s; Best Scotch Under $75. Just after Prohibition in 1938, the brand launched its 12 Year blended Scotch when it returned to the market. Laphroaig Quarter Cask is a stronger, spicier version of its 10 year old cousin. Browse the top-ranked list of Scotch Under $50 below along with associated reviews and opinions. Maybe a touch of spice. Chivas Regal 12 and 18 year old whiskies are triple blended. Best Whiskeys Under $50. It’s our list and we’re giving it a spot. Definitely drop in some water to help it reach its full potential or just drink it on the rocks as I do. But the Valinch (named for the tool a distiller uses to taste the barreled whisky) is cask strength, meaning it’s got more kick (57.2% ABV kick) and heat, even in all that smoothness. It’s the best selling single malt in the world, a classic and you can still get it at a reasonable price. The Aberlour 12-Year made the list of best scotch whiskey under $50 on Men’s Journal. The wood comes in late, as the spice and sweetness fade slowly towards a final billow of faint smoke. Laphroaig Quarter Cask - £36.95 ($47.50); Another heavily smoked affair. There’s a plummy nature that’s counterpointed by a subtle yet clear peaty smoke on the nose. On the other end of the Speyside style, richer and Sherry-finished, you’ll get luscious fruit flavors, buttery and smooth with notes of toffee, vanilla, and dark dried fruits. To help you with the decision, we've compiled a list of best rated Scotch Whiskies, according to Flaviar community. Purchase: ~$47. Panelists admired this whisky’s dark gold color “with a bit of red in it, almost... 2. Good for cutting your teeth on, or coming back to again and again. This blended Scotch whisky was personally created by Chivas Master Blender Colin Scott and includes over 20 single malts from around Scotland. Malt crackers mingle with a sweet-cinnamon nose. It is often considered a blend for grown-ups and is a phenomenal introduction to Scotch whisky. This hits enough of those creamy, bourbony notes to drink with a few rocks. But for the price, their 15-year-old expression really is a winner. bourbon, port, sherry). Maybe it’s best to call it a “blended” whisky and just leave it at that. The 12 Best Single Malt Scotches Under $50 Highland Park 12 Year ($48). The taste really basks in the plummy and nutty sherry aspects, while touching on a lighter vinous note and plenty of berry sweetness. The Best Blended Scotches To Drink Straight For Under $50 The Famous Grouse Bourbon Cask. Really, Scotch shouldn’t be intimidating at all. Click here to browse our full list of reviews! One of the better bargains on the blended Scotch market, this light-amber spirit scores 4 out of 5 stars at The Whisky … Speyside is known for its delicate, honey-driven single malts, and BenRiach’s celebrated 10 Year... Highland Park Magnus. It’s also worth noting that this is a killer workhorse blend that’ll really amp up a cocktail. The main reason is that this is a very well-crafted blend that harkens back to the old-school “scotch on the rocks” days. Fragrant with heavy charcoal smoke, interlaced with black coffee and (unsweetened) cocoa notes, but also a lightening salinity and fleeting melon/soapy note. A marquee and fairly well known single malt from the Orkney Islands, Highland Park 12 Year... Glengoyne 12 Year ($50). This actual expression was recreated from bottles found in Shackleton’s Antarctic camps nearly 100 years later, alongside recipes from the 1800s for the actual whisky. You’re greeted with a nose of salted caramel, cedar, citrus, anise, vanilla cream, and a note of distant banana. They’re fine bottles. The 12-year-old bottling is a part of the brand’s core range of whiskies which received an updated look in August 2018 along with three new expressions. The average price is $42 or less, and it is distilled in the Speyside. The taste is light and accessible with a lean toward apple fruit, honey sweetness, and a nice cut of orange zest. Medicinal notes as with the Laphroaig, with spice and, again, sweetness only to balance. This is a fine sipper on the rocks. The end is sweet, creamy, and short. Most bartenders will automatically use this as a mixer. 5 Best Smoky, Peaty Scotches for $50 and Under. This is a really fine sipper to have on hand and feels like it should cost twice as much, easily. Even if you’ve never taken a snort of whisky in your life (yeah, that’s a thing), you’ve probably heard the term Single Malt Scotch, likely spoken with an air of importance or terror. Laphroaig — 10 Year Old Single Malt ($50) “In Ohio, this bottle is $62.99 retail. Introduced in September 2018, this affordable single malt is from the Scotch brand’s Soleo Collection. The end arrives with a billow of creamy pipe tobacco with a slight peaty edge as it quickly fades out. Single Malt just means the whisky is 100% malted barley and the product of one distillery. The expressions highlighted below are blended scotches we love at a price point most folks can manage. The juice is a blend of around 40 whiskies that are each aged for a minimum of 12 years. This edition of Famous Grouse is a nice step up from their entry-level blend (which is a great highball base, by the way). The palate definitely delivers on that with a sweet sense of honey, a touch of citrus, and creamy vanilla pudding body and taste. The 12 in the name means that is has been aged in oakwood barrels for 12 years, which gives it a really rich and smooth taste. This is one of those blends that can lead to an “ah-ha” moment when you realize how great and complex these bottles can be on the rocks or with a drop or two of water. Citrus and orange peel are pronounced on the nose of this Scotch, “like an Old... 3. But don’t be intimidated, either by the Scotchiness or the Single Malt-iness. Best Under $50: Aberfeldy 12 Year Old Buy on Drizly Buy on ReserveBar For a reasonably-priced option, look no further than this whisky from Aberfeldy, a Central Highlands distillery that started operating in … Notes of orange, cacao, creamy vanilla, and a hint of peat mingle on the nose and draw you in. The vast majority of expressions are created, at least in part, as sippers — either neat or on the rocks. Yes, You Can Buy a Good Scotch Whisky for Under $50 BenRiach 10 Year Old. Glenrothes 10 Year. Distilled in the Highlands and stored in the lowlands, Glengoyne is all about its totally unpeated barley—meaning not a hint of smoke, not even a subtly bracing smoky dryness on the finish. ... (514 Reviews) Scotland- The original Walker family blend, handcrafted from as many as 40 of the finest Scotch whiskies aged a minimum of 12 years, for a smooth and robust blend. Best Scotch under $50 With $50 to spend, you should be able to buy yourself a nice Scotch . Typically, “scotch” is a whiskey that is produced in Scotland according to a set of guidelines set forth by the Scotch Whisky Association. $50 to $75 1. Peat does all the heavy lifting here. Best Scotch Whisky Under $50. Otherwise, it’s a social drink, meant to be enjoyed, savored, chewed up and swallowed down with relish, and maybe a tall tale to follow. Yes, some of it is literally blended to be a mixer, especially for highballs (a combination of whisky, fizzy water, and ice). You’re met with a clear sense of crème brûlée next to Christmas spice, cacao, and a touch of orange marmalade. The taste embraces the vanilla and creaminess with a counterbalance of berries, apples, and caramel. And believe it or not, decent Single Malt Scotch isn’t necessarily expensive—in fact, many distilleries put out a great Single Malt around or under $50 as a sort of introduction to their style (since, as we said, a single malt is the expression of just one distillery). Famous for a reason, a great value. Twelve years is the benchmark for many distilleries, most of which have an entry-level whisky aged for this amount of time. Maybe both. This Speyside blend from William Grant & Sons highlights the shingle’s three Dufftown distilleries: Glenfiddich, Balvenie, and Kininvie. It’s not exactly a blend either, because that usually denotes a blend of malt and grain whiskies. A common name that has proliferated because it’s buckwheat honey flavor behind mass of floral... Monkey Shoulder. Those spicy caramel apples linger the longest with a distant wisp of oak and smoke tying off the sip’s long end. Sure this one might seem a bit obvious, but there is a 50/50 shot this was the first single malt you ever had and with good reason. So not only are you saving money, but you’re also getting something intriguing but not as…aggressive, as other, more expensive bottles from the same distillery. Best Under $50: Bowmore 12 Year Old . Best Whiskeys Under $50. So it’s not a single malt. © 2014 - 2020 VinePair Inc. — Made In NYC, Next Round Live: What's Happening in the Drinks Industry Now, The Internet’s Hilarious Freak Out Over The UK’s New Alcohol Rulings, Here’s A Way To Waste $40,000 On Cocktails And Not Even Drink A Drop Of Booze, Best Practices: Perfecting the Whiskey Highball Is a Science and an Art Form, Next Round: Belinda Chang on the Future of Virtual Events, The 12 Best Single Malt Scotches Under $50 | VinePair, https://vinepair.com/buy-this-booze/best-single-malt-scotches-under-50/, wbs_cat Spirit, wbs_type Scotch, wbs_type Whiskey, scotch, single malt, whiskey, The Internet’s Hilarious Freak Out Over The UK’s New Alcohol Rulings | VinePair, https://vinepair.com/wine-blog/reacting-to-the-uks-new-rulings-on-wine-consumption/. And feels like it should cost twice as much, easily an Islay (... Scotch to single malts with newer Virginia whisky-making s long end 12 get a Lot of,... 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