Let’s be honest – who doesn’t like a nice, pure glass of whiskey after a hard day of work? And maybe even one in between as well. Whiskey is one of the most popular drinks out there, being distilled from rye, and then left to sit in the cask where it matures for a number of years. Now, whiskey is a drink that is mostly made in the Anglo-Saxon countries, thus Scotch, Irish, Canadian and US whiskeys are the most common ones. Believe us or not, a small country situated in Balkans takes its place among the top five countries making the best whiskey out there. It is Serbia and its Two Doves whiskey which has been rated among the top 5 for the past year.
source: zola.com
Anyways, out of all the Scotch whiskey has to be the best. Scotland is the country that has the longest tradition of making this alcoholic drink and is an exporter of most of the famous brands including renowned Chivas Regal. There are many types of whiskeys out there, and single malt is a favorite one for a lot of people.
Let’s take a look at what is the best as well as the most expensive Scotch whiskeys out there!
Contents
Best Single Malt Scotch Under $100
If you are on a budget and you still want a great bottle of single malt whiskey to enjoy, no worries there are more than few that can give you that experience:
- Talisker 18. Coming from a world famous brand Talisker, this bottle will satisfy all your cravings. It has an excellent nose including just the right ratio of smoke, spice, and Along with that, be ready to get intimated by the palate which is still balanced with a citrus kick. You can expect a well-balanced finish and that full-bodied oak taste at the end! It is an award winner for the Best Whiskey in the World of 2007, and comes at a price of $80 and is an excellent choice.
source: drinksupermarket.com
- Lagavulin 16. If you are rather a fan of a creamy nose than this 16-year old Lagavulin is just right for you. It costs around $60 and is an excellent drink to sip while you are by the fireplace. This whiskey includes a palate of complex flavors – from fruit to smokiness, and a drop of water will be just right to release the full potential!
- Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 12. This whiskey has a world-trip before finally coming to your hands – it matures in American white casks for 10 years, and then stays for 2 more in the Portuguese port ones. You can expect a smooth nose, with caramel and sweet notes kicking in the palate. The finish is sweet as well, and you can fill a full-bodied oak berry taste. An excellent choice after a nice dinner, and comes at a price of around $50!
The Best Single Malts Out There
After we covered the modest price ones we think that is fair to take a look at the best Scotch whiskeys that do come at a higher price, but still more than reasonable comparing to the quality:
- The Glenfiddich Winter Storm 21 Year Old. This one that comes at a price of $800 is a unique piece. It accompanies a sweet, full-bodied oak taste that includes fruit kick and has beautiful Icewine cask finish. The color of it is pure gold, and while you drink it will remind you of a nice fine wine combined with a quality single malt rye. It goes excellent with Turkish delight, and the finish is simple, short and crisp. This one has been a favorite for people around the world, especially now in the winter months when we all need something to warm up a bit!
- Johnnie Walker Scotch Private Collection Unique Smoky Blend. This one released in 2014 has since been one of the most popular whiskeys for people who want to pay the price of good single malt rye. It continues the Johnnie Walker legacy carrying full, rich and smokey notes. It is much better blended, and the taste is apparently more complex than the Red or Black label, which you can especially notice at the palate and finish. A beautiful drink to have on a Sunday afternoon and a bottle of 750 ml is priced at $800.
- Laphroaig 25. This one has been matured in two different ways – first in the traditional second fill Sherry (Oloroso) casks and later in the American oak ones (ex-bourbon). While the finish is long and dry, throughout the palate, you can feel the beautiful Sherry sweet taste and the crisp apple flavor. One of our favorites, it comes at a price of $450 and is pretty strong for a whiskey with the volume being 48.9%.
The Most Expensive Scotch Whiskey Bottles
Last, but not least we think that it is fair to name some of the most expensive whiskey bottles out there (not for the faint-hearted):
- Macallan M. A one of a kind whiskey bottle reached the price of $628,205 on a Hong Kong auction. That is a lot, and one must question why would someone pay that money. The bottle is crystal decanted, and it holds 6 times the normal amount of whiskey (6 liters). We doubt that the buyer will drink it, he will rather take the bragging rights, so we will never found out how does it taste.
source: amazon.co.uk
- Macallan 63y. The second most expensive Scotch whiskey ($460,000) every sold is this one that was placed in a Cire Perdue decanter and what is nice is to know the fact that most of the money was given away to the charity.
- Glenfiddich 1937 ‘Rare Collection.’ As this is an example of one of the oldest single malts out there and only 61 bottles were made at a time there is no doubt while a recent bottle reached the price of $120,000 at a Hong Kong auction!
Summary
It is important to suggest that in the first two sections listed only a couple of Scotch whiskeys that rate among the best, and are the most worthy ones for your money. We agree that there are more fantastic single malt choices that we simply didn’t have time to name. Depending on your taste, buy yourself a bottle or two and enjoy the Scotch prime!
