Blended whiskey is a wonderous, wide, wooly category. It’s where all those whiskey barrels that don’t fit “single malt” or “straight” whiskey designations go to create a new expression that has its own vibe. It’s easy to find amazing blended whiskeys from all over the world that include everything from different bourbons and ryes to different single malts and grain whiskies to expressions that mix whiskies sourced from all over the world into one bottle. Since this genre of whiskey is so massive, I thought it was high time to blindly taste some blended whiskeys and rank them.
Before we dive in, a little context. It wasn’t that long ago that so-called “whisk(e)y experts” scoffed at the idea of drinking blended whiskeys. The erroneous idea was that a “blended” product was a mix of all the stuff that wasn’t good enough to be “straight bourbon” or “single malt” or “single pot still” whiskeys. That just wasn’t and still isn’t based in any sort of reality, since all of those whiskeys are blends too.
All whiskey has always been about balancing flavor notes from barrels that match whatever expression the whiskey-making team is going for. In most cases, a “blended whiskey” is something that’s built from different styles of whiskey. When a “straight bourbon” or “single malt” is made, it’s a blend of the same style of whiskey barrels, without any other types of whiskey in the mix. But even then, those whiskey barrels could be decades apart in age and have vastly different mash bills, making them different whiskeys at the end of the day. So everything — unless it says “single barrel” or “single cask” on it — is a blend of whiskeys.
These days, whiskeys call themselves “blended” even when they’re made with varying, say for example, bourbons. “Blended straight bourbon” has become a huge thing and generally refers to expressions where bourbons from different regions come together to create something delicious for all of us to drink. All of this is to say that the idea of “blended” whiskey — in any form — being somehow inferior was as wrongheaded 20, 50, or 100 years ago as it is in 2023. So I grabbed a dozen blended whiskeys from all over the world off of my shelf and blindly taste them a find a truly great one for you to try too.
Our lineup today includes the following bottles:
- Compass Box The Spice Tree Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (UK)
- Keeper’s Heart Whiskey Irish+American 110 Proof (US)
- Nikka Days Smooth & Delicate Blended Whisky (JP)
- Suntory World Whisky AO A Blend Of Five Major Whiskies (JP)
- Bluebird Days Whiskey Straight American Whiskey (US)
- The Deacon Scotland Blended Scotch Whisky (UK)
- Dewar’s Blended Scotch Whisky Aged 19 Years (UK)
- McConnell’s Irish Whisky Aged 5 Years (IE)
- Barrell Bourbon Cask Strength Batch# 034 A Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys (US)
- The Beverly High Rye Fine American Whiskey (US)
- Jameson Black Barrel Triple Distilled Irish Whiskey (IE)
- High West Campfire Batch No: 22F30 (US)
Let’s jump in a rank some whiskey!
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Part 1: The Tasting
Taste 1
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose dances between dark orchard fruits, dried ginger coins, creamy nutmeg over a frothy latte, clove-stuffed oranges, and a fleeting sense of winter-spiced vanilla cake.
Palate: The taste is luxurious with deep and dark dried fruitiness next to soft and honeyed malts, cinnamon bark, whole nutmeg, and a whisper of salted black licorice next to soft tobacco spice.
Finish: That soft tobacco drives the finish back toward those honey malts with a subtle layer of nutty creaminess on the back end, adding to the lushness.
Initial Thoughts:
Damn, this is good whisky. I wanted to pour more of this immediately after tasting it. That’s a good sign.
Taste 2
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Oatcakes and vanilla wafers mingle with raisins, bushels of apples, and gingerbread with a hint of honey and I want to say mango skins.
Palate: The palate leans into the soft and powdered winter spices with a soft orange citrus note that leads to apple nut oatmeal with plenty of fresh honey and raisin next to spicy apple cider and ginger snaps.
Finish: The end has a maltiness that’s followed by sweet winter spices, honey, and nuttiness.
Initial Thoughts:
This was pretty damn good too. That oatcake vibe 100% felt very Irish whiskey forward and the orchard fruit confirmed it. Still, this was a little extra and I dig it.
Taste 3
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is very thin on the nose with a hint of malt and butterscotch that leads to straight-up tap water.
Palate: There’s a hint of floral malts on the taste that lead back to that creamy butterscotch with a hint of soft spice.
Finish: The finish is watery.
Initial Thoughts:
This is clearly something you mix highballs with when you want to tie one on.
Taste 4
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a nice mix of maltiness and spiced creaminess with a touch of tropical fruit and old oak staves on the nose.
Palate: That spice leans toward cinnamon bark and allspice with oakiness to it next to a hint of smoldering apple wood and maybe some rock candy.
Finish: There’s a whisper of sweet smoke next to seared peaches and dry tobacco leaves with a whisper of vanilla.
Initial Thoughts:
This was very “fine” but a little indistinct. It felt more like a mixing whisky that you build with than a slow sipper.
Taste 5
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose opens with old oak and leather with a hint of winter spice and a can of corn — just a plain ol’ can o’ corn.
Palate: The old leather drives the palate with a soft vanilla base and a sweet but singed marshmallow sweetness next to more of that mild winter spice.
Finish: The end really leans into the sweetness of it all with a creamy butterscotch and vanilla sheet cake with white frosting that’s cut with cinnamon and clove tobacco.
Initial Thoughts:
This started off a little weak but ended pretty strongly. It feels like a smack-dab middle-of-the-road whiskey.
Taste 6
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is a sweet peaty with clear notes of burnt orange and honey-dipped malt cookies with a hint of spice and smoke.
Palate: That spice attaches to the malt on the palate with a sense of smoked citrus fruits and a touch of oakiness.
Finish: The smoked oranges and spices peak on the finish with a hint of caramel sweetness.
Initial Thoughts:
This is a Johnnie Walker Black clone.
Taste 7
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose runs deep with stewed apples spiced with cinnamon bark, nutmeg, and clove next to marmalade and dried apricot with a faint touch of honeyed malt.
Palate: A can of spiced peaches drives the palate toward coconut macaroons dipped in dark chocolate and just touched with salt next to lemon meringue pie.
Finish: Rich toffee leads the way on the finish with deep dark malted creaminess and a touch of those stewed stone fruits.
Initial Thoughts:
This is pretty goddamn tasty. It’s definitely the best pour since the first one.
Taste 8
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Irish oatcakes with vanilla wafers, orange rinds, and light peppery spice lead the way on the nose.
Palate: Orchard fruits confirm the Irishness of it all on the palate as butterscotch and vanilla pudding mingle with white pepper and a fleeting sense of old oak.
Finish: The orchard fruits peek on the finish with a honey oatmeal cookie vibe.
Initial Thoughts:
This is very standard Irish whiskey. Nothing wrong with that but not really that exciting either.
Taste 9
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This has a dry apple cider vibe that leans into orange marmalade, dried apricot, and moist almond cake dipped in luxurious eggnog on the nose.
Palate: There’s a woody huckleberry jam vibe on the front of the palate that leads to old-fashioned cinnamon apple fritter, pecan waffles, more orange marmalade, and nutty almond cookies dusted in powdered sugar and nutmeg.
Finish: There’s a hint of dry sweetgrass and dried pear chips with a hint of sasparilla root, sea salt flakes, and this fleeting sense of cold slate on a rainy day balanced by rich yet dry chili spice and dark and burnt orange and espresso beans.
Initial Thoughts:
Goddamn, this is a killer whiskey. It’s clearly a bourbon blend but goes so far beyond anything remotely average. This is good stuff.
Taste 10
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is soft and full of rye bread crusts, a touch of pound cake, and a hint of marzipan with a mild “woodiness” below everything.
Palate: The palate feels very Irish Whiskey with a spiced maltiness — cinnamon and nutmeg mostly — next to wet brown sugar, floral honey, and a hint of lemon pepper.
Finish: The end really leans into the maltiness with a hint of nutshell woodiness and toffee sweetness next to mild raisin notes.
Initial Thoughts:
This is pretty nice overall. It has a nice depth that I dig but it is a little short on the finish.
Taste 11
Tasting Notes:
Nose: That oated sweet grainy nose of a good Irish whiskey mingles with dark chocolate cut with creamy vanilla sits next to a rich buttery toffee with a note of orange on the nose.
Palate: The palate amps up that vanilla with a dusting of Christmas spices and fatty nuts that lead to a minced meat pie feel with a dark orange/chocolate underbelly.
Finish: The end has a hint of tannic oak with a creamy vanilla lushness that’s spiked with dark wintry woody spices.
Initial Thoughts:
This is pretty good too. It’s not a “wow” pour of whiskey but it is a solid one.
Taste 12
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this one is immediately peated with a sweet edge of toffee, buttered cinnamon toast, and plenty of dark red berries next to green tea, soft leather, and a hint of pine tobacco.
Palate: The palate has a general “peatiness” that remains sweet with plenty of vanilla and fresh honey next to more of those red berries and a good dose of matcha tea dusted with nutmeg and cinnamon.
Finish: The end leans into the rye and bourbon with a hint of orange zest, salted caramel, and spiced tobacco next to that sweet smokiness.
Initial Thoughts:
This is pretty close to “wow” from nose to finish. There’s a delicate balance of sweet peatiness and dark, spicy, and sweet American whiskey vibes that just work.
Part 2: The Ranking
12. Nikka Days Smooth & Delicate Blended Whisky (JP) — Taste 3
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $66
The Whisky:
This whisky from the legendary Nikka Distillery blends grain and peated malt whiskies. The mix is fine-tuned as a mixing whisky, primarily for highballs.
Bottom Line:
This was so thin that I couldn’t imagine it anything but a whisky highball with fizzy and sharp sparking water and a big garnish of something bold (maybe grapefruit or rosemary) to help it pop.
11. The Deacon Scotland Blended Scotch Whisky (UK) — Taste 6
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $39
The Whisky:
This new blend from a bottler mixes smoky peated whiskies from Speyside and Islay. Those whiskies are dialed to create a mixing whisky blend.
Bottom Line:
This was fine if you’re looking for a highball whisky. It tastes exactly like Johnnie Walker Black Label, which costs about the same price and is probably on every shelf at every liquor store within a 20-mile radius of your door from coast to coast.
10. Suntory World Whisky AO A Blend Of Five Major Whiskies (JP) — Taste 4
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $149
The Whisky:
This whisky from Suntory blends five whiskeys from the five big whisk(e)y regions on the planet. The blend is Irish whiskey from Cooley Distillery, Scotch whisky from Ardmore Distillery and Glen Garioch Distillery, American whiskey from Jim Beam’s Clermont Distillery, Canadian whisky from Alberta Distillery, and Japanese whisky from Yamazaki Distillery and Hakushu Distillery.
Bottom Line:
This was very much “fine.” It was a little indistinct. That said, if you’re looking for a highball or cocktail base, this might work but seems like a waste at this price point. This whisky isn’t bad, it’s just a little too expensive, and that hangs it low on this ranking.
9. McConnell’s Irish Whisky Aged 5 Years (IE) — Taste 8
ABV: 42%
Average Price: $32
The Whisky:
This Irish whiskey is batched from sweet bourbon barrels. The blend is a mix of malt and grain Irish whiskeys that spent at least five years resting in old bourbon casks before blending, proofing, and bottling.
Bottom Line:
This is another one that’s perfectly fine. It’s clearly rendered for mixing and will shine in a highball with ginger ale and a twist of lime. So if you’re looking for something that’s a single notch above standard Jameson or about five notches above Proper No. 12, get this.
8. Bluebird Days Whiskey Straight American Whiskey (US) — Taste 5
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $49
The Whiskey:
Country Artist Jordan Davis partnered with Bluebird Distilling in Pennsylvania to create this American blend. The blend is a mix of Bluebird’s oldest barrels of wheat whiskey and bourbon that’s proofed down before bottling.
Bottom Line:
This is the last of the “fine” pours. There’s nothing wrong with this whiskey. It’s standard and goes down easily. It’s definitely more of a mixer than a sipper though.
7. Jameson Black Barrel Triple Distilled Irish Whiskey (IE) — Taste 11
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $47
The Whiskey:
This masterfully crafted whiskey leans more towards the single pot still whiskeys than grain whiskey. Those whiskeys are aged in a combination of ex-sherry and ex-bourbon for anywhere from eight to 16 years. Then, the whiskey is finished in an extra-charred ex-bourbon barrel, bringing about the “Black Barrel” moniker, before blending and proofing.
Bottom Line:
This was very good. I can see sipping this or mixing up a mean cocktail with it. Brasstacks, if you’re a fan of Jameson, this is the bottle you graduate to. This is a huge step up from the standard bottle of Jameson.
6. The Beverly High Rye Fine American Whiskey (US) — Taste 10
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $60
The Whiskey:
This new whiskey is rendered from a marriage of Iowa’s famed Cedar Ridge and Indiana’s MGP whiskeys. The blend balances bourbon with a majority of rye in the mix to create a “high rye” American whiskey.
Bottom Line:
This is another one that’s just good whiskey. No notes! Overall, if you’re looking for something new and fresh that still feels like coming home to a warm embrace, then this is the whiskey for you. If you do pull a bottle for your bar cart, make sure to try it in a Manhattan or Sazerac.
5. Keeper’s Heart Whiskey Irish+American 110 Proof (US) — Taste 2
ABV: 55%
Average Price: $35
The Whiskey:
The latest release from Irish-American whiskey brand Keeper’s Heart blends Irish grain and pot still whiskeys with American rye whiskey (all aged over four years). Unlike the previous releases from the brand, this expression ramps up the rye whiskey and ABVs with a higher proof and only a touch of water in the final blend.
Bottom Line:
This is another winner. Irish American whiskey is about to blow up as a style and Keeper’s Heart is the spearhead. The beauty of this bottle is that blend of funky rye with soft Irish whiskey, which creates a really solid whiskey for sipping over some rocks or mixing into your favorite cocktail.
4. Dewar’s Blended Scotch Whisky Aged 19 Years (UK) — Taste 7
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $81
The Whisky:
This is a commemorative expression from Dewar’s that celebrates the brand’s long history as a sponsor of the U.S. Open. The whisky in the bottle is a one-of-a-kind 19-year-old blend of Dewar’s classic whiskies that are all aged in ex-bourbon casks.
Bottom Line:
Goddamn, this is a tasty Dewar’s expression. Not to be too on the nose, but this is a great bottle to bring out on the back nine on a sunny day. It also works as a perfect gift for the golfer in your life. Golf aside, this is good enough to buy for any fan of Scotch whisky.
3. High West Campfire Batch No: 22F30 (US) — Taste 12
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $80
The Whiskey:
This blend from Utah’s beloved High West is a big mix. The majority is a blend of MGP’s famed 95% rye (with 5% malted barley) mixed with High West’s own 80% rye/20% malted rye and an MGP bourbon with 75% corn, 21% rye, and only 4% malted barley. Finally, a dash of blended pure malt Scotch whisky is added to the mix from an undisclosed distillery somewhere in Scotland. All of that is then proofed down and bottled.
Bottom Line:
This perfectly balances soft and sweet peated malt with American whiskeys. It’s great for the peat curious but also slaps if you’re looking for a whiskey to bridge Scotch and American whiskey. It’s really the best of both worlds situation.
2. Barrell Bourbon Cask Strength Batch# 034 A Blend of Straight Bourbon Whiskeys (US) — Taste 9
ABV: 57.31%
Average Price: $84
The Whiskey:
The latest Batch from Barrell Bourbon is a blend of bourbons from Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana. The barrels in the mix are between six and 15 years old. Those barrels are masterfully blended and bottled 100% as-is.
Bottom Line:
This is a stellar blended bourbon whiskey. There are zero faults. It takes you on a journey. Buy this fast, it won’t be around much longer. Hell, buy a case and make it your 2023 house bourbon pour.
1. Compass Box The Spice Tree Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (UK) — Taste 1
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $64
The Whisky:
This blended whisky from British powerhouse blended Compass Box is a highwater mark for the brand. The mix in the bottle has a super unique aging process that includes barrels of heavily toasted French oak with lumber sourced from nearly 200-year-old trees in France’s Vosges forests that are built into casks made specifically for this whisky.
That’s just … cool.
Bottom Line:
This was the most nuanced and transcendent whisky on the panel today. It was deeply hewn but also fun and fresh. You wanted to spend more time with this whisky and plumb its murky depths. Moreover, it’s a great bottle to buy for whiskey fans in general who are looking for something without fault that takes them somewhere new and fun.
Part 3: Final Thoughts
This is one of those tastings where the top half is far superior to the bottom half (give or take). 12 through eight are all passable, which means you can easily pass on them at the liquor store. There’s nothing that special there that you can’t either get for a better price in another brand or just skip altogether.
Seven through one are all worth your time, with the top three picks really being the winners. That said, any of the top three will serve as great pours on your bar cart. They each offer something a little unique, so re-read those tasting notes and then click those price links to see if you can get them in your neck of the woods. Good luck!