It’s my job to find the best whiskeys in the world and tell you about them. I know, it’s ridiculous. Part of that job is to tasting (not drinking) a ton of Scotch whisky, but finding them is about more than just blindly pulling bottles off the shelf at my local liquor store.
One way to parse it all is to look at what everyone else is buying. To that end, I pulled the 25 best-selling Scotch whiskies from ReserveBar to get some insight.
Today I’ll be ranking all 25 of those whiskies according to my tasting notes. This is mostly because ReserveBar doesn’t rank their best-selling bottles. It’s also to give you an insight into what American whisky drinkers are actually buying when they’re looking for the “good stuff” — ReserveBar generally has one of the highest-end selections on the internet.
Before we dive in, be warned, American whisky drinkers seem to love The Macallan. The bougie brand makes up nine (!) of the 25 entries. Look, I dig the stuff — to an extent — and am lucky enough to get to try the whole line every year. But, folks, there’s so much more out there than The Macallan, which is a very “entry-point” whisky (albeit very investable on the high end). Now that that’s off my chest, let’s dive in.
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Scotch Whisky Posts of The Last Six Months
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- The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021
- The Best Scotch Whiskies Under $50, Ranked
- Every Scotch Whisky Brand From Diageo’s Massive Portfolio, Ranked
- The Best Value-Per-Dollar Scotch Whiskies, Ranked
25. The Macallan A Night On Earth: In Scotland
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $600
The Whisky:
This very limited The Macallan release combines a trio of barrels from the warehouses. The juice is rendered from The Macallan’s sherry seasoned American oak, European oak, and ex-bourbon casks. Those barrels are vatted and then proofed all the way down to 40 percent before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This has those classic The Macallan notes of vanilla, honey, and citrus on the nose but they’re very muted. The palate is fairly muddled as well with almond and chocolate fading toward lemon oil and light vanilla cookies. The finish hits a hint of nutmeg and cinnamon with woody vanilla before petering out into all of that proofing water.
Bottom Line:
This is one of those releases where you think “what were they thinking?” It’s just so washed out compared to pretty much any other The Macallan, especially the heavy-hitting masterpieces from the distillery further down on this very list.
24. The Macallan 12 Double Oak
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $82
The Whisky:
Where many scotches spend time in ex-bourbon and then ex-sherry casks or some combination therein, this expression spends all 12 years of its maturation just in sherry casks. The barrels are imported from Jerez, Spain, and hand-selected for their excellence to mature this much-beloved whisky.
Tasting Notes:
Apple cider with a cut of cinnamon and clove in the juice greets you with a clear sense of vanilla, nuts, and plums on the nose. On the taste, those plums turn into prunes as orange peels mingle with sweet oak and a hint of tobacco spice. The end is long, full of that sherry, dried fruit, and sweetness, and returns back to the chewy tobacco spice.
Bottom Line:
This is a good place to actually start with The Macallan. This expression is the epitome of “entry-point” Scotch whisky. It’s easy-going and very base level with no rough edges or objectionable characteristics.
23. The Balvenie DoubleWood Aged 12 Years
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $70
The Whisky:
This is the whisky that launched the “double aging” trend back in 1982. This unpeated single malt spends 12 years mellowing in ex-bourbon casks before it’s transferred to ex-sherry casks for a final maturation of nine months. Finally, the whisky is vatted in a “tun” where it rests for three to four months before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Soft and floral honey mix with a hint of vanilla extract, sweet red berries, and wine-soaked oak. The palate meanders through light touches of marzipan with a hint of cinnamon and fields of plum trees with a whisper of tree bark and leather lurking in the background. The finish lets the spicy malt kick in with a dose of hot cinnamon and honey tobacco.
Bottom Line:
This is another great “entry-point” into the world of unpeated Scotch whisky. That said, this is more of a cocktail whisky that’s just fine as a sipper on the rocks.
22. The Sassenach Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $102
The Whisky:
Yes, Scotch whisky has celebrity white label brands too. This one comes from Outlander star Sam Heughan. The juice is under wraps so there’s not much more to say.
Tasting Notes:
Lemon drops and Almond Joys drive the nose with a hint of honey, bourbon vanilla, and dried apricot. That apricot gets leathery on the palate as the malts arrive with plenty of honey and cinnamon-forward spice next to a hint of eggnog nutmeg. The finish is concise with a little cinnamon, honey, and almond rounding things out.
Bottom Line:
This is meant as a sipping blended whisky. It’s good for that, but I’d pour it over some rocks.
21. The Balvenie Caribbean Cask Aged 14 Years
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $83
The Whisky:
The Balvenie is renowned for doing everything in-house from grain to glass and for being the distillery that spearheaded the whole “finishing whisky in a different cask” movement. In this case, the juice spends 14 years maturing in ex-bourbon barrels. The whisky is then batched and transferred to barrels that The Balvenie used to aged their own blend of West Indies rum.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a welcoming rush of buttery toffee up top with hints of brown spices, bright red berries, and a touch of sweet malts. The palate brings around creamy vanilla dotted with those sweet and slightly tart red berries next to a very soft and sweet oakiness. The finish is medium-length and full of soft wood, vanilla cream, and a touch of that spice.
Bottom Line:
This is an easy sipper, especially with a rock or two. It’s also a nice cocktail base for a simple whisky cocktail like an old fashioned or Manhattan (Rob Roy).
20. The Macallan 15 Double Cask
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $173
The Whisky:
This whisky utilizes the “double” barrel maturation that’s become very commonplace in Scotch whisky. The juice spends 15 years in both ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before the barrels are blended and vatted, proofed, and finally bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Raisins and dates drive the nose towards bourbon vanilla, lemon oils, and a touch of butterscotch with apple blossoms and dark cacao nibs lurking under it all. The palate largely delivered on the nose with the addition of lightly spiced malts with a cinnamon/clove vibe. The spice, apple, and lemon combine to make an apple compote note near the end with a soft honeyed finish.
Bottom Line:
This is another “that’s fine” pour. For me, it falls down as it doesn’t really build much off the nose. It’s really nice but a little one-note.
19. The Macallan Harmony Collection: Rich Cacao
ABV: 44%
Average Price: $340
The Whisky:
The Macallan Whisky Maker Polly Logan went to Spain to create this expression. The whisky is built from ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks to highlight cacao notes that formed in the whisky through maturation. Those barrels are then vatted and proofed down before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a nice line of almost sour dark cacao on the nose that leads to freshly peeled and blanched almonds with cinnamon sticks, allspice berries, and creamy dark chocolate-covered plums. The palate leans into the chocolate as well with a Lava cake vibe next to chocolate-covered raisins, fresh raspberry in chocolate sauce, and a hint of chocolate bars with peanuts. The finish lets some spice sneak in with a hint of zesty orange and dried chili pepper next to a honeyed sweetness.
Bottom Line:
This is made for pairing with chocolate. It’s great for that. Otherwise, it’s a little sweet for me.
18. The Macallan Classic Cut
ABV: 51%
Average Price: $150
The Whisky:
This expression from The Macallan changes things up a bit in maturation. The whisky is made from ex-bourbon and ex-sherry barrels from America (instead of the standard European ones from Spain) that are seasoned in Spain for The Macallan. That whisky is then vatted and proofed before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a hint of apple candy next to sharp and fresh ginger with hints of floral honey and bourbon vanilla acting as support on the nose. The palate turns that ginger into gingerbread with plenty of cinnamon and brown sugar next to a dash of orange oils. The finish layers the vanilla and gingerbread over stewed plums and a whisper of spicy/malty tobacco leaf.
Bottom Line:
I actually dig this one. It’s a very drinkable whisky neat or on the rock.
17. Aberfeldy 18 Limited Edition French Wine Cask Finish
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $144
The Whisky:
This release is a master class in finishing whisky. The juice is first aged for 18 years in refill bourbon and sherry casks. Then the whisky is transferred to first-fill Côte Rôtie casks from France. The whisky is then proofed with the soft water from a local, gold-flecked river to a very accessible 86 proof.
Tasting Notes:
That beautiful creamy honey and vanilla of Aberfeldy greets you with notes of blackberries, soft cedar, and a hint of marzipan and rose water. The palate creates this bowl of vanilla sauce poured over ripe red berries (blackberry and raspberry especially) that are drizzled with fresh honey next to soft and dry cedar leading to dry grass. The end embraces the fruit and takes on a fermented apricot (not quite a schnapps) vibe, as the honeyed sweetness and nuttiness slowly fade out.
Bottom Line:
This is a pretty goddamn good whisky. That just goes to show how deep we’re about to go on this list if this is 17th.
16. The Balvenie PortWood Aged 21 Years
ABV: 47.6%
Average Price: $300
The Whisky:
This masterfully crafted expression from The Balvenie takes some serious time. The whisky is initially aged for 21 years in ex-bourbon casks. That whisky is then transferred to small port pipes, which held port in Portugal for 30 long years. That’s a long, long time, creating some very rare and well-seasoned oak. The effect is singular and distinct.
Tasting Notes:
You’re pulled in by a gentle sense of ripe yet soft peaches next to wet rose petals and a small billow of cherry tobacco smoke from a pipe. The palate, again, is gentle and carries notes of red, sweet, and tart berries, stewed plums, and tiny moments of velvety and buttery pain au chocolat. The finish holds onto that chocolate as it slowly meanders through your senses, leaving you with dark fruits, a whisper more of that cherry tobacco, and a pure silk mouthfeel.
Bottom Line:
This is a great whisky for a bourbon lover. There’s a serious bridge in the flavor profile with some serious depth at play. It helps that it’s straight-up delicious, whether you like bourbon or not.
15. The Macallan 18 Sherry Oak
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $350
The Whisky:
This single malt from Scotland’s famed and stunning Highlands is matured for 18 long years in two separate cask programs. Part of the juice rests in American oak casks that were sent to Spain to hold sherry for a spell before they’re sent up to Scotland to hold this whisky. The other casks are European oak that also held sherry in Spain before their trip to the Highlands. Each wood brings a unique character to the mix that helps this single malt really shine. Finally, those barrels are married and cut down to proof with local water before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
There are very delicate notes of American oak on the nose with hints of dry vanilla, orange oils, and buttery toffee next to the finer European sherry woodiness, with candied fruit and a touch of eggnog spices, especially clove and nutmeg. The palate leans into the soft vanilla with a cut of raw ginger spice, golden sultanas, more orange, and a touch of salted caramel with a pure silk texture. The mid-palate hones those spice notes towards a mildly dry wood with the candied and dried fruit bringing a sweetness and velvet texture. The very end has a candied orange peel bitterness and sweetness that sits with you for a while, reminding you to go back for another sip sooner rather than later.
Bottom Line:
Yeah, I like this too. It’s one of those drams where you say, “ah, that’s what all the fuss is about.”
14. Lagavulin 11-Year Offerman Edition Finished in Guinness Casks
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $133
The Whisky:
This release from 2021 is the second Nick Offerman collaboration with Lagavulin. This is an 11-year-old single malt that’s then finished in Guinness stout casks for a four-month final maturation. That whisky is then cut down to 92 proof with Lagavulin’s own Islay spring water.
Tasting Notes:
The briny, peated malts come through on the nose with hints of black coffee beans, slightly waxy cacao nibs, and a hint of creamy mint-chocolate ice cream. The palate is one part beach campfire from a mile down the beach and one part Milk Duds and drip coffee with hints of vanilla and pine resin lurking in the background. The finish leans into the dark cacao with a smoky edge (smoked dark chocolate?) while the wood stays dry and resinous and the briny peat gently supports the bitter yet creamy mocha espresso and mild malts.
Bottom Line:
This isn’t my favorite Lagavulin or stout cask-finished whisky. But it is a pretty good one. I’d give it a solid B+. Pour it over some ice, and then STFU and just enjoy it.
13. The Glenlivet 18
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $148
The Whisky:
This unpeated single malt is a classic. The whisky ages first in ex-bourbon and then ex-sherry casks for 18 years before a lot of proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a rush of burnt tropical fruits drizzled with cinnamon syrup and a touch of almond, white pepper, and vanilla. The palate builds on that with orange and lemon oils next to a mix of winter spices — cinnamon, clove, anise — before a leathery vanilla pod kicks in. The finish dries out with almond shells and hard raisins before the vanilla attaches to a spicy tobacco leaf on the slow fade.
Bottom Line:
This isn’t overpowering, it’s only 40% ABV. But it isn’t washed out either. This is just an easy-drinking sweet whisky, and sometimes that’s enough.
12. Glenmorangie Signet
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $240
The Whisky:
This Glenmorangie expression — from the famed Dr. Bill Lumsden — is a prime example of something truly special. The juice is a mix of single malts with estate-grown malts and “chocolate malts” (meaning they were roasted until dark and chocolate-y). The hot juice then went into new American oak (not ex-bourbon) for varying amounts of time. While there’s no age statement, there are barrels up to 40 years old in this mix.
Tasting Notes:
You’re greeted with a note of dried apricots with a hint of clove, leading towards a very light dark orange chocolate. The chocolate amps up the bitterness, reaching espresso bean levels as some eggnog spice kicks in with a silky mouthfeel and a touch of wet tobacco. The end brings about a flourish of bright citrus zest that dries everything out, leaving you with a lingering end and a final note of earthy dried mushrooms.
Bottom Line:
This has a great balance of familiar and funky. It’s very easy drinking but takes you on a journey. Like I said above, we’re into the really good stuff now.
11. Highland Park 18
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $148
The Whisky:
This Viking whisky from high up in the Orkneys takes barreling one step further. Their 18-year expression is matured in casks made from American and European oak specifically for Highland. Those bespoke vessels are sent to Jerez, Spain to age sherry for three years. The same barrels are then sent back to Orkney to age this whisky for 18 years.
Tasting Notes:
This really feels like a classic scotch at every step. You’re greeted with notes of marzipan, dark berries, honey, and light lines of smoke on the nose. Those notes hold on as buttery toffee arrives with a dark chocolate counterpoint, leading towards ripe red cherries and floral honey. The end embraces distant billows of sweet smoke with a dry and earthy undertow on the slow, sweet, and berry-filled fade.
Bottom Line:
This is all about balance. The balance between soft smoke and dark berries and cacao is deliciously in step. Pour this over a single rock and you’ll be set.
10. Oban 14
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $120
The Whisky:
This is a great gateway to both Oban and scotch to have on hand. The juice is classically made and then matured in the Oban storehouses for 14 long years — all within a stone’s throw of the sea.
Tasting Notes:
Citrus, salt, and a billow of peat smoke open this one up in classic fashion on the nose. That citrus carries on as a foundation for mild spices on the palate as a note of honey, hints of pears, and plummy dried fruits mingle on the tongue. The oak spice and extremely mild peat smoke meet on the end with a slight malty sweetness as the sip fades.
Bottom Line:
Oban 14 is a great introduction to the tiny seaside brand. It’s easy-going, like the distillery and town. But it also has a serious depth that’s very rewarding once you dive in.
9. The Macallan No.6
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $5,024
The Whisky:
This ultra-rare The Macallan is from only five casks. The whisky is a combination of American and European sherry-seasoned casks that held whisky that felt like the Highland countryside around the distillery.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a deep profile of black-tea-soaked dates in a sticky toffee pudding with dark cinnamon and soft nutmeg next to a salted caramel sauce, chocolate-covered raisins, vanilla cream, and a hint of candied ginger. The palate layers meaty figs and sharp orange zest into the mix with more black tea and a hint of florals next to creamed honey, marzipan, and smooth apple sauce with a touch of cinnamon heat. The finish is lush and hits on that creamy vanilla and sticky toffee pudding vibe while slowly fading away with an echo of old cedar planks wrapped in suede at the very end.
Bottom Line:
While this is probably not worth $5k if you’re not an investor, it’s one hell of a pour to get at a high-end whisky bar. It’s truly a delicious sip.
8. The Macallan Estate
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $424
The Whisky:
This ups the ante by using barley from the Easter Elchies Estate around The Macallan distillery, making a single estate whisky. The spirit from that hyper-local mash is aged for an undisclosed amount of time in undisclosed barrels but you can bet there’s some sherry and bourbon involved.
Tasting Notes:
Woody cinnamon sticks rubbed with orange zest pop on the nose as a thick banana bread batter with walnuts, nutmeg, and plenty of butter leads to a smidge of lemon oil and maybe some river rock. The palate has plenty of woodiness from that cinnamon and adds in a touch of clove and allspice before savory figs and meaty prunes lead to a mix of raisins, nuts, and candied orange peels. The finish is pure silk with layers of orange cake, cinnamon frosting, and fig jam culminating in a rush of soft woody spices on the back end.
Bottom Line:
This is another whisky that’s probably better for investors than anything else.
7. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky Limited Edition Year of the Tiger
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $299
The Whisky:
This is the mountaintop of Johnnie Walker’s whiskies. The blend is a marriage of ultra-rare stock from extinct Diageo distilleries around Scotland. That’s cooler than Brad Pitt wearing work boots and aviators on his motorcycle. This expression is all about barrel selection and the mastery of a great noser and blender working together to create something special. Then, that juice is bottled in a special, hand-painted bottle to celebrate 2022’s Chinese New Year, or Year of the Tiger.
Tasting Notes:
Soft malts and dried fruits lead the way on the nose with meaty plums, soft and worn leather, winter spice, and dry fireplace smoke balancing it out. The palate leans into orange oils and marzipan with a splash of rose water. The mid-palate has a nice, floral honey sweetness that leads to a finish full of bitter dark chocolate, lightly smoked malts, dried fruits, and dry-roasted nuts all with a pure silk mouth feel.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the most beloved blended malts in the world for a reason. Yes, it’s that good, lives up to the hype, and is worth the price. That’s especially true given the beauty of the bottle’s artwork.
6. Lagavulin 16
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $123
The Whisky:
This is the most recognizable Lagavulin out there. The malts are smoked just down the road from the distillery at Port Ellen and the juice is crafted expertly by the sea at the famed and beloved Lagavulin Distillery. Finally, the whisky spends 16 long years mellowing in old American and Spanish oak before being blended and proofed with spring water from a creek just outside the distillery walls.
Tasting Notes:
Imagine a beach fire that’s using dried seaweed as fuel next to mugs of honeyed black tea and a clump of wet moss on the nose. The taste of this dram meanders through dried pipe tobacco smoke laced with hints of vanilla and tart apple while notes of briny caramel lead towards an oyster shell minerality. The finish is pure silk as the seaweed grows wetter and the smoke sweetens towards that caramel, vanilla, and apple.
Bottom Line:
This is my personal favorite Lagavulin because it’s just so damn easy drinking for a pretty hefty-peated Islay whisky. It’s so much more
5. The Macallan Sherry Oak 25
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $2,900
The Whisky:
This is a high water mark for The Macallan. The whisky is made from sherry casks that are at least 25 years old. That whisky is vatted, proofed, and then bottled.
Tasting Notes:
This is very The Macallan on the nose with equal measures of cinnamon and honey next to orange spice, hints of candied ginger, grapefruit pith, and a dash of waxy cacao nibs. The palate dials down on those notes while adding in dried berries, prunes, dates, figs, dark brandied cherries, and plenty of wintry spice next to lush vanilla, soft shortbread, and a hint of singed cedar bark. The finish combines the dried fruits and spices into a rich and moist Christmas cake with a touch of that smoldering cedar lurking in the background.
Bottom Line:
This is great but that price, ouch. Look, buy a pour at your favorite whisky bar and then go from there.
4. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare Pittyvaich
ABV: 43.8%
Average Price: $629
The Whisky:
This release comes from a line of whiskies drawn from shuttered distilleries. In this case, the juice is a blend of whiskies primarily from Pittyvaich, which closed in 1993, layered with barrels from Port Dundas and Carsebridge. The rest of the blend is made up of barrels from open distilleries, Mannochmore, Auchroisk, Cragganmore, Strathmill, and Royal Lochnagar. All of those are put together and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
This whisky is shockingly fresh on the nose with ripe and tart apples next to earthy honeycomb, dry sticks of cinnamon, and a flourish of wildflowers. The palate starts to boil everything down, creating a sweet and spicy apple pie filling with a mincemeat pie crust and sugar frosting that gives way to soft toffee with a flake of salt and a hint of apricot leather. The finish is pure velvet with a cinnamon vanilla cream next to a soft apple compote on a soft scone with a hint of woody pear stems and sweet malt on the backend.
Bottom Line:
This is a spectacular whisky that also happens to be extremely rare. If you do find one, buy two. One to drink and one to save in the vault.
3. The Dalmore 25
ABV: 42%
Average Price: $1,500
The Whisky:
Like many whiskies on this list, this is all about the casks. This whisky spends around 25 years aging in ex-bourbon casks and Tawny Port pipes and casks, some of which held Matusalem oloroso sherry for 30 years before they got to The Dalmore. Those barrels are married and then the juice is proofed down before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
This opens with a hint of lychee next to grilled papaya before veering more traditional with sticky toffee pudding, Earl Grey tea, salted toffee sauce, and a good dusting of dried orange blossoms. The palate amps up the vanilla to the point of rich and oily pods being squeezed in your hands as waxy cacao nibs mingle with soft wintry spices and a plum pudding with plenty of dark stone fruit. The finish takes on a slight maple syrup vibe before hitting a soft cedar bark braided with a single leaf of ginger-infused tobacco.
Bottom Line:
I know, the 25-year-old whisky is delicious? Shocking!
2. Johnnie Walker King George V
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $618
The Whisky:
This blend from Johnnie Walker is a celebratory Blue Label variant. Part of what you’re paying for is the extinct Port Ellen distillery juice in the bottle. Another part is that all the whiskies in the blend are from distilleries that were running when King George V reigned in the U.K., between 1910 and 1936. Then, of course, there’s the bespoke flint glass decanter that has its own serial number (don’t throw it away!).
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a delicate dance between honeyed almonds dusted with coarse salt, dark chocolate just kissed with vanilla and an orange-honey sweet smokiness. The taste builds on that orange-honey vibe with a touch of rose water and marzipan as the dark chocolate sharpens its bitterness and the smoke moves far into the background. The end is like pure velvet with a bright fresh rose note next to the final slow fade of smoked oranges and almonds.
Bottom Line:
This is another killer from Johnnie Walker. It’s expensive but also makes a great centerpiece for any collection.
1. Ardbeg 25
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $1,450
The Whisky:
This expression from Ardbeg also happens to be their oldest expression (as of their current lineup). The whisky is the epitome of peat on Islay. What makes this expression so special and extremely rare is that it was distilled and casked when Ardbeg was on its knees as a company, in the early 1990s. They simply weren’t making that much whisky back then and there’s hardly any of it left. That makes this a one-and-gone whisky with only 278 bottles, 90 of which were sent to the U.S.
Tasting Notes:
Heavy cream, smoked toffee, lemon pith, and ashes from last night’s campfire open this one up on the nose before veering toward soft sea-filled air, a touch of muddy bog, and old shovel handles from a well-worked farm. On the palate, there’s this deep sense of potting soil that’s still in the plastic from the garden shop next to uncooked smoked bacon rashers with plenty of black pepper and a slightly sour edge leading back to that heavy cream and smoked toffee by the mid-palate. Finally, hefty/spicy packed tobacco chewiness brings about a full-on head buzz — it’s a wild sensation.
Bottom Line:
This is the one expensive whisky on this list I would not hesitate to drink for a single second. It’s delightfully creamy and soft with a deep flavor profile that, I think, defines the beauty of Ardbeg.