It’s just a very standard, young-ish, mildly malty and well-balanced starter scotch that goes down easy in terms of neat drinking. — This is a tasting of scotches, with a strict price limit of $25 or less for a 750 ml bottle. Though Jura 10 is made on Jura, an island adjacent to Islay, it is light on the peat and, thanks to some time spent in ex-sherry casks, has a beautiful sweetness that comes out even more when poured over ice. A post shared by Jura Whisky US (@jurawhiskyus) on Jun 19, 2017 at 2:14pm PDT. Finished in India Pale Ale casks, it has bright, herbaceous, hoppy notes and a zesty, almost citrusy finish. Everything about this bottle and its plain, unadorned label screams “I am very cheap scotch.” Which makes sense, because it is. Piney wood and hints of berry fruitiness offset a slightly sugary profile on Old Smuggler, but the harsh booziness and paint thinner-esque nose are major turn-offs. Slightly fruity with an iced coffee finish, it is easy drinking and food-friendly. Poured over a rock, it opens up into bright honeyed flavors with cereal undertones—perfect for sipping before dinner. I don’t doubt that to seasoned single malt scotch drinkers, Lismore would likely seem “thin” or “basic,” but in this field of bottom-shelf bottles under the $25 price point, it drinks like royalty. And if you can get it for less than $20? Certainly, if you’re in the market for cheap blending scotch, you can do a whole lot better than this. Hey look, we’re making progress! ABV: 40% (80 proof) Price: $16.99 (for a 1.75 L bottle!). A post shared by Auchentoshan Whisky (@theauchentoshan), A post shared by Jura Whisky US (@jurawhiskyus), A post shared by Craigellachie (@craigellachie). If those things are something you value, it’s a strong incentive to drop an extra $10. Buy a case. The difference was shockingly apparent—the intensity of the smoke in Johnnie Walker Red gets smoothed out and much more perfectly integrated into the overall presentation in the bottle of Black, and the entire profile greatly benefits from 12 years of aging. Slightly vegetal, burnt and savory on the nose—like a BBQ with a bunch of different things on the grill—this one opens up with peppery spice and some apple fruitiness on the palate that give it a bit of dimension beyond the smoke. You are, however, going to be less likely to request a coveted (pricey) glass of the brand's Blue Label served the same way. A classic Speyside whisky, Glen Grant’s 10-year-old bottling is packed with bright green apple notes. The most expensive scotch in this bottom-shelf tasting also happens to be the only single malt of the bunch, which isn’t terribly surprising. When a bottle of cheap, blended scotch displays its age in months rather than years, that’s rarely a good sign. I know folks who like to drink it with club soda or water and there are a whole bunch of people i know out there who just like it neat or on the rocks. But whatever, at least they form a sort of interesting, weirdo result. As I stated above, we were genuinely surprised by the lack of overt smokiness/peatiness present in a lot of the cheaper blended scotches, but that just made this particular flavor characteristic stand out more when it did show up. Scoresby Very Rare Blended Scotch Whisky, 5. Even at $25, pushing the very tip-top of our allowed price range, it stands out from the pack in all the right ways. Dewar’s “White Label” Blended Scotch Whisky. Its really up to you on how you like it. If the goal of these tastings is to find the best booze you can buy, in terms of sheer, absolute value, then Inver House is the answer to the question posed by this format. There’s still not a terrible lot to cover up the raw alcohol flavors, and one taster’s sheet still tags its booziness as possessing a “medicinal” quality, but you could probably safely mix this with some ginger ale and be no worse for the wear. Big smoke is present on the nose, and a bacon-like savoriness, but it stops short of omnipresence. ABV: 40% (80 proof) Price: $16.99 (for a 1.75L bottle!). Seen as a benchmark for blended whiskies around the world, Johnnie Walker Black uses only whiskies aged … This is the point where we start getting slightly—that’s “slightly,” mind you—better in terms of overall profile. Toffee-like caramelization is present to a degree, giving the sweetness more character than the “sugar syrup” quality present in so many cheap scotches. The first thing one can’t help but notice is textural, rather than flavor—this scotch benefits heavily from being all-malt rather than a blend of malt and grain whiskies, which gives it a thicker (but also velvety smooth) texture in comparison with the cheaper blends. Lightly earthy flavors of grass, citrus pith and biscuity malt provide ample balance. Cutty Sark has a profile that will almost seem familiar to lovers of hop-forward American craft beer styles—lemony citrus pops big on the front end, supported by moderately assertive honey sweetness, apple fruitiness and a hint of green resin and peaty earth. But in the modern mixology and cocktail culture boom, it sometimes feels like scotch has been left behind a bit. Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident brown liquor geek. We must be getting into the halfway decent selections, then. That might sound like a bad thing, but it’s really not in this case, as the sourness helps balance the sweet just a bit. Where would the likes of Mad Men have been without it? In fact, for a liquor style defined in the eyes of many by smoky flavors, smoke ended up being curiously absent from the majority of the blended scotches in this tasting—with a couple major exceptions. Perhaps it’s only a matter of time, though, until scotch sees its moment in the sun? Instead, opt for one of these bottlings, which taste great on the rocks: A post shared by Auchentoshan Whisky (@theauchentoshan) on Oct 10, 2017 at 9:02am PDT. Regardless, this is a cheap, plastic-capped blended scotch that has apparently been around for decades, and it seems like it has its fans—but once again we assure you that you can most definitely do better, even in this rock bottom price range. It shares most of the same pitfalls as the previous Scoresby, being so mild in terms of barrel-derived flavors that you’re left with pure ethanol being one of the major flavor drivers—and that’s never going to be a good thing in cheap scotch. Unsurprisingly, the lack of flavor means that the ethanol is instead highlighted, giving this one a thin, boozy unpleasantness. Certainly, it comes off as a bit more composed in comparison with the brash likes of Scoresby. Inver House Green Plaid Very Rare Scotch Whisky, 3. But you do have to take into account which scotch you’re choosing to chill and dilute. What is surprising is that this so-called “bastard” or mystery malt—the distillery is unknown, but is rumored to be Glenrothes or Glenfarclas—can apparently be had in some places for $20 or less, which represents a serious value. In the battle of the smokier blended scotches, we have to give the nod to Dewar’s. Cluny is considerably more sweet and fruity than the other blended scotches in this bracket, with an unusually tropical, almost banana-like note on the nose and moderate acidity on the palate, which lends it a slightly sour twang. — Scotches were judged completely blind by how enjoyable they were as individual experiences and given scores of 1-100, which were then averaged. Clan MacGregor undoubtedly looks like cheap stuff, and just glancing at the label makes you wonder how many cheap blended scotch brands out there probably have similarly tribal-sounding names. Chilling it down over ice results in even more of those bright, lightly bitter notes coming forward. The blend was determined by the New Malt Order, a group of 12 bartenders from around the world. As far as we’re concerned, this is the best, most balanced scotch you can get for less than $25. A label you probably recognize as having actually seen on liquor store shelves in the past? And with all of the new drinks that have been developed with the likes of mezcal in mind, perhaps some could be ported over to the original smoky European liquor: Scotch! Entries were judged by how much we enjoyed them for whatever reason, not by how well they fit any kind of preconceived style guidelines. With a name like “Old Smuggler,” you’d almost expect for this to be a bottle of rum rather than scotch, would you not? Single malt scotch tends to follow suit. Several score sheets use some words akin to “watered down,” while another insists upon Scoresby’s “sweaty” aftertaste. If budget is your #1 concern, this is what you should be seeking out. While purists may insist that only a drop or two of water may touch their precious dram, sometimes all you want is a heavy pour over a big ol’ ice cube. Instead, opt for one of these bottlings, which taste great on the rocks: A post shared by Auchentoshan Whisky (@theauchentoshan) on Oct 10, 2017 at 9:02am PDT Auchentoshan The Bartender’s Malt ($47) And hoo boy, does it show up in Red Label—maybe a little bit too much, if we’re being honest. Slightly hot, with a long-lasting aftertaste of malt, honey and char, it’s certainly not lacking in character, and would probably make for a good companion with a couple cubes of ice. Whereas American bourbon (and especially rye) whiskey, rum, tequila, mezcal and gin have all seen surges, scotch hasn’t quite had the same attention, nor has it been reclaimed as a cool hipster drink in your average dive. The Famous Grouse has been the top-selling scotch in Scotland for decades, which is a bit like saying it’s the scotch equivalent to Bud Light in the U.S.—cheap-ish, mass-produced, dependable and “good enough,” although not the top of the class. You can follow him on Twitter for more drink writing. You may enjoy a decent blended scotch like Johnnie Walker Black Label on the rocks after work. This is a bombastic mixing scotch, but not one you’d ever call balanced. Certainly this can compete with many other single malts that are found at $10-20 above its price range, which makes it a steal. So it is with “36 months old” Scoresby, which has the audacity to proclaim itself as “very rare,” among other things. Still, this is the kind of scotch that will definitely make its presence felt as a mixer—it’s going to shine through strongly in any standard mixed drink, which is probably what you want.

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