Blended Scotch is a great place to start your whisky journey. Very generally speaking, expressions are often softer and gentler. They’re also generally cheaper than Scottish single malts, which saves you a little coin while you find your footing on the Scotch playing field. To help you find your way, I’m going to conduct a blind taste test with new and classic blended Scotch whiskies.
For this exercise, I’m looking at blended Scotch whiskies that range from very affordable to outrageously expensive. I’m also mixing some mildly peated blends in with the sweeter stuff — trust me, there’s something to like in both styles. But in the end, this is about what tastes best and that’s the only metric I really used to rank these.
Our lineup today is:
- Compass Box Ultramarine Blended Scotch Whisky (new)
- Grand Old Parr 18 (classic)
- Trader Joe’s Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (wildcard)
- The Last of Us Moth & Wolf Blended Scotch Whisky (new)
- Compass Box Flaming Heart Blended Scotch Whisky (new)
- Dewar’s Blended Scotch Whisky French Cask Smooth (new)
- Chivas Regal 18 (classic)
- Monkey Shoulder (classic)
Let’s dive right in and find a great blended Scotch whisky for you to add to your November bar cart!
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Part 1: The Tasting
Taste 1
Tasting Notes:
There’s a light sense of briny fruitiness on the nose with a sweet toffee candied malt, light pine varnish, and a hint of smoked pear and apple woods. The palate has a nuttiness that leans toward smoked pecans and marzipan with a light feel of minced meat pies cut with dark spices and just a whisper of vanilla that leads back to mild earthy peatiness with a whisper of smoked brisket fat. The end is all about stewed plums with a rum-raisin and winter spice feel.
This is delicious. The peat is so subtle and sweet with that twinge of brininess that speaks more toward a beach campfire than an ashy or tarmac vibe. Overall, this is a really good whisky.
Taste 2
Tasting Notes:
Dark and meaty dates and figs are countered by a hint of vanilla cream, woody cinnamon, and … I want to say … oyster or clam shell. The palate is a classic malty experience with a touch of sage over caramelized root vegetables with a touch of vanilla cake filled with spicy stewed plums. The end has a mild woodiness that’s attached to the spices with a hint of oak and mustiness.
This feels purely classic from top to bottom. It’s fruity but dark with a nice malty base full of caramelization.
Taste 3
Tasting Notes:
Butterscotch is the dominant note on the nose with a touch of vanilla and maybe some bran muffin batter. The palate is very light as well with a watery sense of orchard fruits next to indistinct woodiness and a hint of spice. The end does have a nice honeyed base with a little dry apple and pear next to woody winter spice and more of that proofing water.
This isn’t bad per se. It’s more that it’s just, “meh” with a shrug. That said, I’m sure this would be fine in a whisky and Coke.
Taste 4
Tasting Notes:
This is pretty light too. The nose has a hint of tangerine and vanilla, creating a sort of orange creamsicle next to Nutella and maybe a hint of charcoal ash. The palate is also pretty light with a note of red apple next to Palmolive, more tangerine, and maybe some apricot jam on a scone. The end has a soft vanilla base with more apricot and tangerine next to a singed sense of cigarette ash.
This was just fine. There was nothing really that jumped out as it was very light and proofed down pretty heavily.
Taste 5
Tasting Notes:
There’s an immediate wisp of old yet sweet charcoal embers on the nose with candied ginger, old orange rinds, apple cider spiked with clove and cinnamon, and a touch of a burnt cigar. The palate leans into the burnt cigar with oiliness and smokiness that’s bold as marzipan and dark chocolate offer a counterpoint. The end has a moment of burning wild sage next to singed menthol tobacco leaves with a hint of old oak staves and smoked cherry.
This was pretty damn good. It was boldly peaty but that peat was more tied to sweetness than bitterness or astringency. It was nice.
Taste 6
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with pear and apple cut with a hint of lemon oils, cinnamon, and rum-raisin with a maltiness underneath. The palate leans into the citrus with an orange oil vibe next to cinnamon bark and rich toffee. The end has a butteriness thanks to the toffee with a bit of burnt orange and vanilla that ultimately ends very light.
This was pretty good overall but ended fairly quickly thanks to that low proof.
Taste 7
Tasting Notes:
This smells like classic “Scotch” from the first sniff thanks to layers of creamy dark chocolate, dried tart berries, buttery toffee, and a sense of marzipan just kissed with rose water and orange oils. The palate has a mild old leatheriness that leads to dried roses, salted dark chocolate bars, and smoked cranberry next to a whisper of raspberry vanilla cake. The end has a hint of dry and almost woody florals and winter spices next to smoked berries and dry cedar bark.
This is really good whisky.
Taste 8
Tasting Notes:
Hints of cream soda and orange marmalade mingle with caramel malts and dark winter spices with a hint of woodiness and sharpness. The palate leans toward a moist and dark holiday cake full of spices, candied fruits, and plenty of vanilla with a rum-raisin vibe. That cream soda smoothness hits again late as the finish fills with caramel malts and woody winter spice.
This is pretty damn fine. It’s nothing crazy or mind-blowing but it feels almost … quintessential.
Part 2: The Ranking
8. Trader Joe’s Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky — Taste 3
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $21
The Whiskey:
This Speyside whisky is sourced for Trader Joe’s and bottled before being shipped over to the U.S. The juice in the bottle is a standard single malt aged for eight years before blending, filtering, and proofing.
Bottom Line:
There you go. I called this a “whisky and Coke” pour and that’s exactly what this is.
7. The Last of Us Moth & Wolf Blended Scotch Whisky — Taste 4
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $59
The Whisky:
This brand-new whisky is a collaboration with Naughty Dog and The Digital Spirits Project to celebrate The Last of Us Part II and the forthcoming HBO show. The whisky in the bottle is a blend of grain and malt whiskies that went in old American oak barrels back in 2013. Fast-forward to 2022 when those barrels were vatted, proofed, and bottled.
Bottom Line:
This was very light. It had a nice balance but needed a few more percentage points on the ol’ ABV to really pop.
6. Dewar’s Blended Scotch Whisky French Cask Smooth — Taste 6
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $26
The Whisky:
This is part of Dewar’s “Smooth” line. The juice takes classic Dewar’s and finishes it in Calvados casks from Normandy, France. Those barrels are then batched and proofed way down for bottling.
Bottom Line:
This was really nice overall. It 100% presents as a mixing whisky for highballs, but that’s fine as not everything needs to be a $1000 sipper extraordinaire. Mix this with some good fizzy water and maybe a fruity garnish and you’ll be set.
5. Grand Old Parr 18 — Taste 2
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $94
The Whisky:
This old-school brand just expanded into 18-year territory this year for the U.S. market. The juice is made from malts and grain whiskies mostly pulled from the famed Cragganmore distillery. Those whiskies are vatted/batched, proofed, and bottled in this old-school stubby bottle.
Bottom Line:
This is an old-school blended whisky and it feels like it. It’s kind of like taking a time machine to the 1970s when everyone was drinking “Scotch on the rocks” and that’s why it’s good. It’s balanced, fresh, and tastes pretty damn good.
4. Compass Box Flaming Heart Blended Scotch Whisky — Taste 5
ABV: 48.9%
Average Price: $148
The Whisky:
This brand-new release from Compass Box blends some serious malts from Laphroaig, Caol Ila, and Talisker with their signature Highland Malt Blend that spent five years mellowing in Compass Box’s bespoke toasted French oak casks. Those whiskies along with several others were vatted for this release of only 9,606 bottles this year.
Bottom Line:
This was a subtle yet clearly peated whisky. There was a nice sweetness to it that transcended just “peat” or “smoke.” There was nuance afoot.
3. Monkey Shoulder — Taste 8
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $36
The Whisky:
This Speyside blend is crafted as a workhorse whisky. The juice is drawn from the William Grant & Sons distilleries, focusing on Kininvie, Glenfiddich, and The Balvenie. The juice is then rested for up to six months after blending to let it mellow even more before proofing and bottling.
Bottom Line:
Am I surprised to see this one so high in the blind ranking? Not really. This is pretty good whisky with a real depth that also doesn’t overdo anything. I stand by my assessment in the blind tasting notes — this is quintessential blended whisky. The only reason it’s third today is that it wasn’t a “wow” when I tasted it.
2. Chivas Regal 18 — Taste 7
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $79
The Whisky:
Chivas 18 is the brand’s signature higher-end blend. The juice is built around a specially made Strathisla 18 single malt. That juice is supported by 20 other single malts from around Scotland with various casking processes.
Bottom Line:
This hits both the “quintessential” vibe while also tasting really f*cking good. It’s so deep yet light. It’s fresh yet feels like you’re transported to a different time. There’s nuance here that’s both fun and comforting. Pour this over a rock or two and you’ll be all set.
1. Compass Box Ultramarine Blended Scotch Whisky — Taste 1
ABV: 51%
Average Price: $350
The Whisky:
This brand-new whisky from Compass Box is part of the Extinct Blends Quartet they’ve been releasing. The blend is about 50% malt whiskies from Caol Ila and Glendullan distilleries and grain whiskies from Cameronbridge and Girvan distilleries and 50% malt and grain whiskies from seven other lots from all over Scotland. The end result is bottled as-is without coloring, filtration, or proofing.
Bottom Line:
This was the most “wow, that’s tasty” whisky of the day. It’s just super easy to drink while offering the biggest and most satisfying flavor profile.
Part 3: Final Thoughts
Compass Box Ultramarine was hands down the best whisky today. That said, it’s not going to be the easiest to get as it’s pricey and unique. Still, I’d argue it’s worth at least trying if you see it at your local whisky bar.
You can easily find Chivas 18 at pretty much any liquor store. That bottle is excellent. Sure, it’s going to be around $80 for one bottle, but it’s worth it this time of year to have something a little special on the bar cart.
And if those prices are prohibitive, then grab a Monkey Shoulder. It stood out in a blind tasting among scotches two, three, and even five times its price tag.
So how did the new blood stack up again the classic whiskies? I’d say it was a pretty even split. A brand-new whisky won the day, but two classics were hot on its tail in this blind tasting. I think the point is to find the tasting notes that speak to you and give that whisky a shot.