The 15 Best Scotch Whiskies to Buy Right Now
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If you’re in the market for the best scotch whisky you can find, there are some factors to consider. A single malt scotch is produced at one distillery from a mashbill of 100 percent malted barley and aged in barrels for a minimum of three years. Then there are factors like cask finish, peat level, and ABV to take into account. There are also blended scotch whiskies, which contain both malt and grain whisky from several different distilleries. Finally, there are blended malt whiskies, which leave out the grain element and are made from malt whiskies from different distilleries. The good news is that there are so many excellent choices of scotch distilleries and brands out there for you, so we’ve put together this list to help steer you toward some of the best bottles to buy in different categories. Happy hunting, and cheers.
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Our Best Scotch Whisky Picks
Best Overall Scotch
Highland Park 18
When it comes to scotch whisky, you’ve got your sherry bombs, your smoky beasts, your lighter and fruitier styles, and your richer and fuller drams. The best thing about Highland Park is that it strikes a balance between all of these styles, with a strong but not overpowering sherry cask and peat influence on the palate. The 18-year-old expression, Viking Pride, is superb—not too old but far from young, with natural color that comes from maturation in first-fill sherry-seasoned American and European oak casks. There are notes of spice, dried fruit, blackberry, vanilla, and smoke on the palate, making this our pick for the best overall scotch whisky you can find.
Best Sherry Cask Matured Scotch
Tamdhu 15
There are some better known sherry cask-matured single malt scotch whiskies out there from brands like the Macallan and the GlenDronach. Those are fantastic distilleries, but consider giving this 15-year-old expression from Tamdhu a try instead. The distillery has been around for about 125 years, and like the aforementioned whisky makers, it matures its whisky exclusively in sherry casks. The 15 was aged in Oloroso barrels and bottled at 46 percent ABV, with notes of vanilla, cinnamon, raisin, and fig on the palate followed by a warm, lingering finish.
Best Cask Finished Scotch
Glenmorangie Palo Cortado
The usual suspects when it comes to sherry cask maturation are Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez barrels. But it should come as no surprise that Glenmorangie, led by head of distilling and whisky creation Dr. Bill Lumsden, has been experimenting with other types of sherry casks to finish the distillery’s whisky. This single malt was matured for eight years in ex-bourbon barrels, then finished for four years in palo cortado barrels—really more of a lengthy secondary maturation than a finish. This type of sherry barrel is rarely used for whisky maturation, but the resulting liquid is light and floral with almond, chocolate, and floral notes.
Best Cask Strength Scotch
The GlenDronach Cask Strength
This Highland whisky distillery is an outstanding example of sherry cask-matured whisky, but it also has a really solid cask strength offering in its lineup. Batch 12 of the GlenDronach Cask Strength was released last spring, aged in both Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry barrels and bottled at 58.2 percent ABV. That’s a hefty proof but not overpowering, and the flavor is sweet, spicy, and altogether tasty. A few drops of water really open this whisky up and bring the palate to new places.
Best Islay (Peated) Scotch
Ardbeg Traigh Bhan 19 Year Old
Batch 5 of this single malt from Ardbeg was just released, and it is one of the best peated whiskies to be produced on the island of Islay, a region known for its very smoky whiskies. Other distilleries here make superb peated malts as well, like Laphroaig, Lagavulin, and Bruichladdich. But this 19-year-old whisky is delicious, with the smoke still very present but complemented by a range of other flavors from its maturation in bourbon and sherry casks. The distillery says that this batch is a bit sweeter than past ones, and that is true with notes of tropical fruit, ripe peach, and vanilla ice cream buttressed by the core peaty iodine flavor that anchors all of Ardbeg’s whiskies.
Best Highland Scotch
Oban Distillers Edition
Oban, part of the Diageo family, is a little seaside distillery located in the town of the same name that produces some excellent Highland whisky. The region is known for having a variety of whisky styles, as opposed to just one signature style like Islay, and Oban’s take is a maritime-influenced palate with a bit of salinity. The Distillers Edition is an annual release from Diageo that involves several different distilleries finishing their whisky in different types of barrels. The 2023 Oban Distillers Edition was finished in montilla fino sherry casks, filling the palate with notes of dried fruit, fresh stone fruit, and some gentle spice.
Best Speyside Scotch
The Balvenie Caribbean Cask 14
The Balvenie was one of the first scotch distilleries to give its whisky a secondary maturation, thanks to the oversight of malt master David Stewart MBE, who created the classic DoubleWood expression. That 12-year-old whisky is finished in sherry casks, but this 14-year-old spends time in casks previously used to hold rum from the Caribbean. The result is a marriage of classic Speyside notes of honey, vanilla, citrus, and spice with the sweet, floral, and tropical influence of the rum barrels, making this a standout expression from Scotland’s most prolific whisky region.
Best Lowlands Scotch
Kingsbarns Doocot
Kingsbarns is a relative newcomer to the scotch whisky scene (it’s been around for about a decade), and it’s a welcome addition to the Lowlands region of Scotland. This new whisky, Doocot, is made from locally grown barley and aged in a combination of first-fill bourbon and Portuguese wine casks that were given the STR treatments—haved, toasted, and recharred. This maturation has filled this single malt with notes of vanilla, citrus, ripe berry, and spice, making it a light, fruity, mellow whisky that is characteristic of the Lowlands region.
Best Campbeltown Scotch
Glen Scotia 10
Campbeltown is the smallest whisky region in Scotland, known for its rich and sometimes smoky flavors. Glen Scotia is a great example of this style, and the core 10-year-old expression is a wonderful single malt to start with. The distillery likes to point out the maritime influence on the palate, and it is in fact present here with a bit of salinity to be found between notes of fruit and spice and an altogether creamy mouthfeel. If you’re looking for something on the smoky side of the spectrum, there’s also a peated version of this whisky available.
Best Scotch Under $50
Laphroaig 10
You can spend a whole lot of money on scotch whisky if you want to, and while there’s nothing wrong with that you can also find some solid bottles for less than a 100 bucks. The core 10-year-old expression from Laphroaig is one of those gems. This is a very smoky single malt from the Islay region, and the palate can be divisive in the whisky world with its notes of iodine, burning rubber, and salty seaweed. But those mingle with vanilla, citrus, and oak flavors picked up from a decade of bourbon barrel maturation, making this a classic whisky that is worth trying.
Best Scotch Under $100
Bowmore 12
Bowmore is another Islay whisky, but the peat level is far less than the aforementioned Laphroaig and Ardbeg. The 12-year-old expression is a great affordable option at less than $50, with robust flavor and character. While more sherry casks are used to mature some of the older expressions in the lineup, the 12-year-old is aged mostly in bourbon barrels. This whisky has a nice, viscous mouthfeel, which augments the notes of caramel, dried fruit, and burnt orange peel on the palate.
Best Splurge Scotch
Talisker 30
This whisky is certainly a splurge with a price above $1,000 per bottle, but it is actually worth every penny. Talisker is located on the Isle of Skye, and the whisky it makes is peated but not aggressively so, with notes of vanilla cream, green apple, and baking spice on the palate. The 30-year-old was aged in refill American oak barrels and bottled at cask strength with no color added. It’s an excellent single malt that has only improved during its three decades in resting in barrels, and it pairs quite well with caviar if you’d like to extend your splurge even further.
Best Ultra-Aged Scotch
Gordon & MacPhail 1949 from Glenlivet Distillery
Ultra-aged whisky, meaning whisky aged for more than 50 years, is not always good. That’s because that long in a barrel can completely change the character of the spirit and cause it to be dominated by overpowering notes of oak and tropical fruit. That’s not the case with this new release from Gordon & Macphail, a 74-year-old whisky from the Glenlivet distillery. There are less than 200 bottles available of this extremely old and rare whisky, and the palate is remarkable with notes of tobacco, leather, tropical fruit, and a whiff of smoke picked up from nearly three-quarters of a century inside a sherry cask.
Best Scotch for Cocktails
Glenfiddich 14
Glenfiddich is known for its ripe pear and vanilla notes, and it’s an easy drinking single malt–which is probably why it’s one of the best selling in the world along with The Glenlivet. The 14-year-old expression is a great cocktail component in large part due to its specific maturation: It’s aged for 14 years in bourbon barrels and then finished in new charred oak casks to give it an extra burst of flavor. That last step helps it shine through and stand up to other ingredients in a classic cocktail like a Rob Roy.
Best Blended Scotch
Compass Box Orchard House
Compass Box sources whisky from across Scotland for its innovative blends, and a highlight of the portfolio is this standout expression. Orchard House is a blended malt, meaning only malt whiskies are in the bottle and no grain whisky (which would make it a blended scotch). Some of the whiskies used in the blend include Clynelish, Linkwood, Benrinnes, and Caol Isla, as well as a blended malt from the Highland region. You can enjoy this one neat, on ice, or in a cocktail.
FAQs
What are the different types of scotch whisky?
Scotch whisky can be divided into a few different styles, but some rules that apply to the category overall are as follows: It must be aged for at least three years in barrels, produced and matured in Scotland, and made only from cereals, yeast, and water (caramel coloring is permitted for color consistency). Single malt means the whisky was produced at one distillery from a mashbill of 100 percent barley, blended scotch is a blend of malt and grain whisky from different distilleries, blended malt is a blend of just malt whiskies from different distilleries, and single grain means the whisky is the product of one distillery made from a mashbill of different grains.
How should you drink scotch?
The short answer is however you like it. There is no wrong or right way to enjoy whisky. If you prefer cocktails, there are plenty of options and whisky goes well with other ingredients. But consider trying whisky on its own as well to explore the flavors. A Glencairn glass is a good way to nose and taste whisky neat, and some people like to add a splash of water. A tumbler works just fine if you’d like to add some ice. Just remember to drink it in the way that you like best.
How did we choose the whisky on this list?
We considered different factors when picking these whiskies, with the emphasis being on taste. Because after all, despite a bottle’s availability or the hype surrounding it, that is the most important thing. Tasting whisky involves a combination of sensations, including the nose, palate, mouthfeel, and finish. And each category has different characteristics, so part of the process is to consider how an individual pick fits into its style overall. The bottles on this list represent the best whisky brands and distilleries based on all of these options, providing a good overview of selections you can easily purchase in person or online that are good examples of each individual category.
Why should you trust us?
Jonah Flicker has been writing about whiskey and other spirits for a decade, visiting distilleries around the world to meet the people behind the bottles and find out more about their stories. He is a judge for the John Barleycorn Awards and New York Wine and Spirits Competition, and his work has appeared in many other national lifestyle outlets besides Robb Report, including Esquire, Men’s Journal, Food & Wine, Wine Enthusiast, InsideHook, Vinepair, CNN, USA Today, and more.
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