Times are tough for whiskey aficionados on a budget. Tariffs, supply shortages and markups on rare releases have all contributed to rising whiskey prices. Even so, there are still incredible bargains to be had in just about every category, so there’s no need to settle for something less than excellent.
Just like scoring an amazing pair of boots without the runway price tag, there are whiskeys every bit as worthy of a slow, contemplative pour as their prestige brand counterparts. Here are a few that drink far more luxuriously than their price point suggests.
Precision Cask Management
For those who prefer a fruitier, more buttery flavor profile, Macallan or Glenmorangie is often the most obvious choice for a single malt. But hovering way under their price point — and punching well above it in terms of quality — is Tullibardine, a Highland distillery that recently released two whiskies exclusively for the U.S. market. Artisan, an absolute steal at around $35, is a beautifully-blended, non-age statement single malt with almond croissant-like flavors balanced by toffee notes and a hint of aromatic sandalwood. At $53, the 12 Year Old Double Wood is half the price of Macallan 12, with nuanced, salty-sweet-spicy structure from maturing first in first-fill ex-bourbon barrels then first-fill Oloroso sherry casks.
Won’t You Take Me to Campbeltown?
Scotch lovers have long been fascinated by Campbeltown malts produced in the Kintyre Peninsula. Releases from the small group of distilleries along its coast are known for their unpeated, bold, earthiness that’s offset by distinct bright notes of tropical fruits and creamy viscosity. Elite brands like Springbank, Longrow and Kilkerran are worth the pricey investment (if you can find them at all), but Glen Scotia is a dependable go-to. It’s recently been rereleased in the United States, which is great news for me — the 15 Year, with its sophisticated, roasted coffee-like backbone and tangy marmalade kick, is my favorite dram order at Keens Steakhouse for after a meal to sip alongside coffee or an affogato. And it retails for $119 (or less), which is relatively low for a 15-year-old single malt. The 10 Year Old ($75) also sips way above its age statement.
Your Local Liquor Store’s Barrel Selections Are a Whiskey Cheat Code
They’re a simple and often overlooked way to find your next favorite bottleOG Peated Bargains for the Smoke-Obsessed
If the mood calls for smoke and maritime-influenced brine, most age statement single malts run upwards of $90, typically more. Since its debut in 2003, Compass Box The Peat Monster has been a perennial favorite with whisky aficionados for its artful blend of various Islay single malts that deliver earthy, dark chocolate flavors, top notes of orange marmalade and lemon zest, along with curls of elegant, rich sweet, peated smoke. And it’s only around $65. For a more subtle hit of smoke, the lightly peated, delicately layered Highland Park 12 Year has just been re-released in the states at around $70. Jazz club vibes sold separately.
Highball-Friendly Whisky for the Home Bar
Even without ice-carving skills, a highball is sometimes just the thing for that early evening wind-down at home. Carbonation should enhance the flavor experience, not water it down, because the whisky needs to shine. For good reason, Suntory Toki is a Japanese whisky that’s so popular as a highball serve, bars are outfitted with machines dedicated to it.
For evenings in, another wonderfully balanced option to know — no special equipment required — is Hatozaki Finest ($46), a blend of malt whiskies aged an average of 12 years. It has rich, rounded shortbread-like flavors and a zippy hint of orange peel. Additionally, the brand’s latest in its limited-edition Omakase lineup — Hatozaki Omakase Small Batch 15 Year Old Mizunara Cask Finish — is a straight malt that clocks in at $150. Skip the sticker shock you’d expect from whiskies with the same age statement and cask credentials.
Wheated Bourbons That Deliver Top-Shelf Quality
Some of the most coveted limited-edition bourbons are what the bros call “wheaters,” but they can be tougher to score than front row Taylor Swift tickets (and can cost about as much). Here are three perennial favorites to know instead.
Middle West Spirits Straight Wheated Bourbon ($47) comes in 95 proof or cask-strength (around 122 proof) for $70. It’s a rich, caramel-y, spicy bourbon from Columbus, OH, distilled from sweet yellow corn, soft red winter wheat, dark pumpernickel rye and malted two-row barley. It tastes way more luxurious than it needs to.
Good ol’ Maker’s Mark is one of the original wheated bourbons, and it never disappoints, especially at around $40 a bottle. I’ve known people with access to veritable lakes of fancy whiskey but always order this one when out on the town because it’s so dependably good, either on the rocks or as a cocktail base.
Old Fitzgerald 7 Year Bottled-In-Bond from Heaven Hill is not only delicious (my tasting note: Cracker Jacks with apple butter), but it comes in a fetching cut glass decanter. The suggested retail is around $60.
Craft Rye That Doesn’t Taste Like a Woodshed Floor
$100 for a boutique spirit that tastes like it was only in a barrel for the duration of the average Marvel movie? No thanks! Cedar Ridge Bottled-in-Bond Rye is made with Iowa farm-grown grain, including 85% rye malted at the distillery. This expression is matured according to BIB quality standards — at least four years in standard new charred-oak barrels and bottled at 100 proof. It’s a satisfying rye that’s as good to sip neat as it is as a base for Manhattans, sours and everything a prestige rye should do (but for only $45). Incidentally, their excellent Rye Whiskey and Straight Bourbon (86 proof) are also both a pretty impressive steals at around $35.
Independent Bottlers
Sometimes the best way to own a real whiskey gem — either from a well-recognized distillery or one less obvious — is to look toward independent bottlers who select exceptional casks for limited-edition runs. These are often priced well below average distillery brand releases. Be on the lookout for bottlings from Single Cask Nation (both American and Scotch whiskies), Cadenhead’s, Signatory Vintage and Lost Lantern (a leader in American distillery releases).
Plus, a Few More to Try
American Single Malt, a category that is celebrating official TTB status as of earlier this year, can be a pricey one to dive into. A great place to start is the unpeated Westland Flagship American Single Malt ($60) from Washington State.
Another Japanese whisky bargain is Nikka Whisky From the Barrel, which is now available in the United States (so you no longer have to find room in your duty-free bag) in its beautiful original 500 ml bottle for $55. The full, refined flavor is what put cask-strength Japanese whiskies on the map, and it’s now celebrating its 40th year.
Whiskies with age statements exceeding 20 years can sometimes go for a whopping $1,000 or more. Garavogue 20 Year Old Irish Single Malt Whiskey, named for a river in County Sligo and the brainchild of Master Blender Helen Mulholland, is matured at least 14 years in ex-bourbon American oak before a few additional years of finishing in various cask types, including French Muscat, French Sauternes, Spanish Pedro Ximénez sherry and Barbadian rum. Sounds busy, but the flavors play off each other beautifully. With a suggested retail price of $199, it’s not cheap but certainly not as spendy as it could be.
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