Finding a great Scotch whisky for a cocktail can feel overwhelming. First of all, there’s just so much of it on the shelf these days. Where do you even start? Then there’s the pressure of some — let’s call them uninformed purists — who insist you shouldn’t dare “ruin” an amazing Scotch whisky by mixing it with something else.
Both of those elements combined make it pretty hard to dip your toes into the wonderful world of Scotch cocktails. Which is a shame.
Let me help you surmount those obstacles. First, don’t let anyone ever tell you how to drink your whisky. The fastest way to know if someone isn’t an “expert” or true whisky devotee is if they tell you that you can’t use x, y, or z bottles of Scotch whisky for mixing a cocktail. One of the best whisky old fashioneds that I’ve ever had was made with a 30-year-old single barrel of single malt scotch that was damn near priceless. This is the one axiom that you should live by — use great ingredients and you’ll get a great result.
Yes, that means using absurdly expensive and rare whisky to make cocktails. Sometimes. When your budget can sustain it and your skills as a mixologist are up to the challenge.
To get to that point, start slowly and build. You have to develop your cocktail mixing skills while building your palate. This takes time. So to that end, I’m calling out 20 Scotch whiskies that are great for mixing and widely availible. I’m doing this by splitting this list of 20 whiskies into two categories — one for blended Scotch whiskies that you can practice with while still making killer cocktails and one for single malts that excel and will deliver exemplary cocktails. There are peated whiskies in both categories, offering a variation on themes but still delivering on greatness.
The catch here is pretty simple. You should be able to find all of these Scotch whiskies at any good liquor store nationwide (your state may vary). That means that there are a lot of crazy expensive or rare bottles that do indeed make killer cocktails but are not listed below. This list is about you starting a Scotch cocktail-making journey right now with bottles that you can 100% score.
- The 100 Best Scotch Whiskies Under $100, Ranked
- The 50 Best Scotch Whiskies Of 2023 (So Far), Ranked
- The Best Whiskeys To Chase Down This May
- The Best Scotch Whiskies Of 2023, According To The International Wine & Spirits Competition Awards
- The Full Core Line Of Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky Bottles, Ranked
Part 1 — Blended Scotch Whiskies For Cocktails
10. Johnnie Walker Double Black Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $40
The Whisky:
This is Johnnie Walker Black that’s been re-casked in deeply charred oak barrels for a final maturation, making this a classic double-cask whisky. The idea is to maximize that peat and amp up the Islay and Island whiskies’ smokiness.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Clove-forward spice and billows of softwood smoke — think cherry and apple trees — greet you on the nose.
Palate: The palate has a vanilla creaminess that’s punctuated by bright apples, dried fruit, and more peat that leans more towards an old beach campfire than a chimney stack.
Finish: The spice kicks back in late, warming things up as the smoke carries through the end with a nice dose of oakiness, fruitiness, and sweet vanilla creaminess.
How To Use It:
This is where every Scotch cocktail journey should start. This whisky is built for mixing. Start with highballs with really good sparkling water. Then add garnishes like dried florals, woody botanicals, and dried citrus.
From there, try this in very citrus-forward cocktails that beg for a layer of smoke like a penicillin or whisky sour.
9. ARDRAY Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 48%
Average Price: $62
The Whisky:
This new Beam Suntory whiskey was made from prime Scotch whisky barrels (both grain and malt). Beam Suntory’s Chief Blender of Scotch, Calum Fraser, worked with Suntory’s best Japanese blenders to make a truly unique and new Blended Scotch.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Ripe tangerines mingle with fresh pear and sweet apples fresh from the orchard next to a hint of smoked pork fat stewed with cumin, oregano, and more orange vibes.
Palate: The soft orange takes on a floral note on the palate as vanilla buttercream creates a silken mouthfeel next to very thin lines of smoke from a backyard smoker that’s held plenty of meat over the years.
Finish: The smoke takes on a sweet orange depth as a dusting of white pepper leads back to the dry oregano with a fleeting whisper of smoked pork fat tying it all together at the end.
How To Use It:
This is a wonderful base for a highball with good fizzy water. Add dried herbs, peppercorns, or even clove buds to spice it up alongside citrus peels.
Then start toying with cocktails but stay citrus-focused with sours and smashes. The spice and vanilla will layer nicely with the acids from the fruit.
8. Compass Box Artist Blend Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $35
The Whiskey:
The lion’s share of this blend — 45% — comes from a single-grain whisky aged in ex-bourbon from Cameronbridge Distillery. 22% is a single malt aged in ex-bourbon that comes from Linkwood Distillery. The rest is a mix of French oak and ex-bourbon single malts and blended malts from the Highlands, Clyneilish, Linkwood, and Balmenach. Those whiskies are vatted and then proofed down before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with a very clear and concise note of apple candy with a hint of salted caramel ice cream cut with a touch of eggnog spices.
Palate: There’s a nice maltiness that leans into a creamy vanilla, soft holiday spice mix, butter toffee, and a hint of milk chocolate near the end.
Finish: The finish is warming with a whisper of tobacco next to a woody apple, spice candies (maybe ginger), and a final hint of cocoa and caramel.
How To Use It:
This is a great whisky to use for an orchard fruit-forward highball cocktail. Try this with a dried apple or pear chip in highball. Then move on to apple hot toddies and boozy apple ciders.
If it’s summertime, mix this with sparkling apple cider and a dash of bitters — it’ll be delightful.
7. Dewar’s Blended Scotch Whisky Aged 18 Years
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $63
The Whisky:
The heart of Dewar’s is Aberfeldy whisky. This blend is a testament to Master Blender Stephanie MacLeod’s prowess in bringing good whisky together to make great whisky. The juices are aged for 18 long years in American oak before they’re vatted into a large oak tun and allowed to rest before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s that signature Aberfeldy honey on the nose with hints of almonds, stone fruits, and red berries next to a hint of dried leather, Christmas spices, and maybe even some tobacco leaf.
Palate: The palate dials all of this in with a marzipan vibe next to floral honey, bruised apricot skins, and dark chocolate-covered red berries with a hint of tartness and bitterness.
Finish: The end is soft, silky, and brings a final bite of sweet oak with a slight tobacco chew layered with dark chocolate and marzipan.
How To Use It:
This is a classic on the rocks pour. To take that a little further add a dash of two of bitters and the whisky will pop in the glass.
This one also works if you want to start experimenting with replacing bourbon with easy-going scotch in whiskey-forward cocktails like an old fashioned. There’s enough sweet oak, vanilla, and tobacco spice to feel like a good bridge between America and Scotland in that format.
6. Naked Malt Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $29
The Whisky:
The whisky in the bottle is a blend of sherry-cask-finished whiskies from The Macallan and Highland Park. The whisky is then cut down to a very accessible 80-proof and then bottled in a nicely understated bottle.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a sweet malt buried under a buttery scone dripping with raspberry jam with a touch of light spice lurking in the background.
Palate: The sherry really kicks in on the palate with big notes of dates soaked in black tea next to creamy caramel, vanilla cake, and a touch of dry raisins.
Finish: The end doesn’t overstay its welcome and leaves you with a lovely note of chocolate-covered cherries with a sweet/dry vibe.
Bottom Line:
This is a nice whisky for very simple highballs with a 50/50 scotch/sparkling water ratio. This will allow the scotch to shine through. Add a lemon twist or a touch of nutmeg and you’ll be set.
I’d also argue that this whisky works in bolder and creamier whiskey cocktails like nogs and even delicate flips.
5. The Sassenach Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $96
The Whisky:
Yes, Scotch whisky has celebrity white-labeled brands too. This one comes from Outlander star Sam Heughan. The whisky’s recipe/build is under wraps so there’s not much more to say besides that Sam Heughan is not simply slapping his name on a bottle. He’s fully involved in the process as a deeply caring whisky fan who wants to put something special on the shelf.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Lemon drops and Almond Joys drive the nose with a hint of honey, bourbon vanilla, and dried apricot.
Palate: 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.
Finish: The finish is concise with a little cinnamon, honey, and almond rounding things out.
How To Use It:
This is a very concise whisky that works if you want to try a Scotch old fashioned and still feel the uniqueness of the whisky (no one would mistake this for a bourbon but there are familiar flourishes).
4. Compass Box Orchard House Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $59
The Whisky:
The blended malt leans into apples as a predominant flavor note of sweet Scotch whisky. The whisky in the bottle is a blend of 39% Linkwood single malt that aged in ex-bourbon barrels, 20% Clynelish single malt also aged in ex-bourbon barrels, and Benrinnes single malt from ex-bourbon barrels. The next 8% is a single malt from a distillery in the town of Aberlour (not the distillery) that is aged in ex-sherry butts with 2% from a Highland malt blend that is aged in custom-built and toasted French oak barrels, and the final 2% from a peated malt from Caol Ila that matured in ex-bourbon casks.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Naturally, apples burst forth on the nose with tart, sweet, and juicy notes next to a soft pear vibe, lemon and lime zest, a touch of sweet pineapple, and a soft echo of dry but fragrant Earl Grey tea leaves.
Palate: The palate leans into fresh ginger soaking in a pot of floral honey next to minor notes of fresh strawberry shortcake with a soft vanilla sponge cake, fresh berries, and a dollop of vanilla-laced whipped cream.
Finish: The finish leans into a light white floral note while the pear and apple return with a ripeness that feels like they’re fresh off the vine and a final note of lightly spiced malts with a whisper of applewood smoke.
How To Use It:
Okay, this is delicious whisky on its own. Drink it over some ice and have a great time. But where’s the fun in that?
The huge orchard fruit notes built into this whisky make it the perfect candidate for apple martinis with a whisky twist, boozy ciders, and seasonal punches with a good dose of spice and stewed fruitiness.
3. Chivas XV Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $50
The Whisky:
This is a classic Chivas that has finally arrived in the U.S. The whisky is classic Chivas blended whisky (made from malt and grain whiskies) that was left to age for 15 long years before the whisky is moved into French cognac casks for a final rest. Finally, that whisky is vatted, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Orange marmalade on wheat toast is accented by freshly ground cinnamon, a touch of clove, and mincemeat pies iced with a thin layer of powdered sugar icing.
Palate: Dark dried fruits — think prunes, sultanas, and dates — drive the palate toward soft berries, rich butterscotch, and a touch of caramel-laced toffees dipped in roasted almonds.
Finish: The end is lush and creamy with a hint of vanilla kissed with more mincemeat pie, brandy-soaked dates, and a dark Christmas pudding swimming in brandy butter.
How To Use It:
This is another great on the rocks whisky that pops with a dash or two of bitters. That said, you’ll want to use this in more refined Scotch cocktails like a Blood and Sand (the cherry and orange really adapt well here) or even a Godfather as the Amaretto speaks to the toffee/almond/raisin vibes.
2. Monkey Shoulder Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $32
The Whisky:
This Speyside blend is crafted as a workhorse whisky. The juice is drawn from the William Grant & Sons stable of distilleries. The juice is then rested for up to six months after blending to let it mellow even more before proofing and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: There’s a nice welcoming note of creamy vanilla that almost becomes cream soda, next to hints of zesty orange marmalade, malts, and dark spices.
Palate: The taste delivers on those notes by amping the spices up to Christmas cake territory with a slight tart berry edge next to that cream soda sweetness.
Finish: The end is short and sweet with a nice lightness that really makes this very drinkable.
How To Use It:
This is probably the best overall mixing Scotch whisky on the list (in both categories). This is made by bartenders for bartenders to mix cocktails and highballs. That makes this the perfect bottle to really practice those skills with while delivering truly well-rounded flavor notes.
My advice is to use Monkey Shoulder as a control whisky for cocktails. Try it in them all and then adjust with other Scotch whiskies as you learn and grow.
1. Johnnie Walker Green Label Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 15 Years
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $64
The Whisky:
Johnnie Walker’s Green Label is a solidly crafted whisky that highlights Diageo’s fine stable of distilleries across Scotland. The whisky is a pure malt or blended malt, meaning that only single malt whisky is in the mix (no grain whisky). In this case, the primary whiskies are a minimum of 15 years old, from Talisker, Caol Ila, Cragganmore, and Linkwood.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Soft notes of cedar dance with hints of black pepper, vanilla pods, and bright fruit — think red berries, fresh pear, and nectarines — with a wisp of singed green grass in the background.
Palate: The palate delivers on that soft cedar woodiness while edging towards a spice-laden tropical fruit brightness with grilled peaches covered in salted caramel, honey malt biscuits, and bitter yet sweet marmalade with a dash of winter spiciness.
Finish: The finish is dialed in with hints of soft cedar bark, singed wild sage, bark-forward winter spice, and stewed stonefruit leading toward a briny billow of smoke at the very end.
How To Use It:
This is excellent scotch, period. The subtle peat and deep dark fruitiness with plenty of warming spice make a great base for most whisky-forward cocktails. Try an old fashioned first. Then a Manhattan (well, Rob Roy technically), and you’ll be hooked. Then go a little experimental with a Scotch boulevardier or Sazerac. Finally, bring it back around to classic Scottish cocktails with a Churchill or a classic 50/50 highball (but clean so without a garnish).
Part 2 — Single Malt Scotch Whiskies For Cocktails
10. The GlenDronach Original Aged 12 Years Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $62
The Whisky:
This Highland malt is blended by Scotch icon Dr. Rachel Barrie to highlight the beauty of the Scottish Highlands. The juice is a blend of whiskies aged for 12 years in Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez sherry casks before vatting, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with spicy berries next to tart apples with a hint of lemon/lime and old leather.
Palate: The sip leans into a honey sweetness with vanilla beans, dark plums, and spicy malts.
Finish: The finish smooths out with a mineral water softness as old cedar boards mingle with a raisin tobacco chewy spice on the very end.
How To Use It:
Speaking of clean highballs, this is a great place to start with The GlenDronach 12. The whisky speaks to good sparkling mineral water and vibes perfectly with it.
From there, layer this into a penicillin with plenty of lemon and sweetness. Or go a more whisky-forward route with a Scotch old fashioned. You’ll be set with any path you choose.
9. Ardbeg Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Ten
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $56
The Whisky:
This is Ardbeg’s signature bottle and a true gateway to the peaty style of single malt scotches. The real highlight of this expression is the peat smokiness filtered through sherry casking. The phenol count tends to be on the higher end with this expression, so you’ll know you’re drinking a smoky whisky from the first nose. But it won’t absolutely floor you.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is classic Ardbeg with hints of BBQ smoker ash full of fat, tart red berries, lemon pepper, and a touch of creamy dark chocolate.
Palate: The palate follows the nose’s lead while layering in sea-salt brined pork fat, hints of bourbon vanilla, and an echo of Nutella.
Finish: The finish has that deep salted black licorice vibe leading to a slow fade through the peppery smoked fat, charcoal ash, chocolate nuttiness, and finally smoked red berries with a sweet/tart edge.
How To Use It:
Want to add some serious funk, fat, and smoke to your cocktail? Welcome to Ardbeg country! If the idea of a fat-washed whiskey old fashioned or Manhattan sounds like too much work, skip the fat-washing and use Ardbeg 10. The texture won’t be exactly there but the flavor profile will be — plus so much more.
That fatty spiced smokiness also really counterpoints citrus beautifully, so don’t be afraid to use this one in sours and smashes. Lastly, this works well in a smoky boulevardier too. It stands up to the Campari and shines with a lush sweet vermouth.
8. The Balvenie DoubleWood Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $64
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:
Nose: Soft and floral honey mixed with a hint of vanilla extract, sweet red berries, and wine-soaked oak.
Palate: 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.
Finish: The finish lets the spicy malt kick in with a dose of hot cinnamon and honey tobacco.
How To Use It:
This is a great candidate for berry-forward and orchard fruit-forward smashes and sours. Get experimental with the citrus too. Lime and mint smashes are delightful with The Balvenie 12. So are Amaretto sours. This a good whisky to have fun with when using acidic fruits and nutty bases.
7. Mortlach Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years
ABV: 43.4%
Average Price: $52
The Whisky:
This single malt hails from a tiny yet beloved Speyside distillery. The actual whisky is also made on their smallest still, nicknamed “Wee Witchie.” That juice then goes into ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks for 12 years. Finally, those whiskies are married, proofed, and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is subtle yet engaging, with a nose of almost burnt toffee next to bright red berries, mild spice, hints of oak, and a bit of cedar.
Palate: The palate leans into the berries by becoming jammy with more of that toffee and a mild sense of spicy tobacco arriving late.
Finish: The end is long-ish with a plummy chew next to that tobacco and malty spice.
How To Use It:
This is a very concise whisky that works wonders in simply whisky-forward cocktails. Try this in an old fashioned and then let your imagination run away with it. This is a delicate whisky though, so try to keep things more on the soft side (avoiding acidic citruses and harsh botanical-heavy bitters).
This may sound wildly basic, but this tastes amazing in a really good deli cream soda like Dr. Brown’s or Boylan as a simple but delicious highball.
6. Talisker Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky Distillers Edition 2023
ABV: 45.8%
Average Price: $113
The Whisky:
The 2023 Distillers Edition is a classic Talisker that’s aged by the sea and finished for six months in Amoroso sherry casks. The whisky was distilled in 2012 and bottled at 10 years old. It was then finished in another Amoroso sherry cask, making it “double cask” matured.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose runs deep on this whisky with mild hints of beachside campfire smoke whispering in the background as hints of red fruit, wet driftwood, and green peppercorns draw you in.
Palate: The palate embraces the red berries with a slight tartness next to the sweetness as the peat remains dry and distant and tied to the brine of the sea with an almost oyster liquor softness.
Finish: The finish lingers for just the right amount of time as sweet berries and dry peat lead towards soft dark cacao powder with a tiny note of vanilla and one last spray from the sea.
How To Use It:
This is the perfect whisky to use for a whisky-forward cocktail with a hint of smoke and salt. That makes this versatile as salt makes almost everything better from citrus to sweet vermouth to herbs. Still, this is a very gentle whisky so I’d stay more toward the old fashioned, Sazerac, and Manhattan (Rob Roy) end of the cocktail spectrum.
5. Oban West Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 14 Years
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $79
The Whisky:
This is a great gateway to both Oban and scotch, in general, to have on hand. The whisky is classically made and then matured in the Oban storehouses for 14 long years — all within a stone’s throw of the sea. The whisky barrels are then blended and proofed by Oban’s tiny distillery team (only seven people work there) before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Citrus, salt, and a whisper of briny peat smoke open this one up on the nose as this sense of dry orchard fruits at the end of fall mingle with soft honey drizzled over spiced malted crackers with a hint of smoked orange saltwater taffy lurking in the background.
Palate: That smoked citrus carries on as a foundation for mild winter spices as a note of honeycomb, hints of fresh pears, and plummy dried fruits with a fatty nuttiness mingle on the palate.
Finish: The oaky spice and extremely mild peat smoke meet at the end with a slight malty sweetness, old pear, and the faintest whisper of dried seaweed.
Bottom Line:
This is another incredibly delicate whisky that works wonders in subtle cocktail concoctions. A simple whisky old fashioned with seasonal fruit (apples in winter or berries in summer) would be wonderful with Oban 14.
4. Aberfeldy Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 18 Years Finished in Cabernet Sauvignon Wine Casks Napa Valley Limited Edition
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $129
The Whisky:
This whisky was made with Aberfeldy’s iconic and very honey-forward 17-year-old Highland unpeated malt. That whisky was then re-casked into old Cabernet Sauv casks from Napa Valley for an additional 15 months of aging. Finally, those barrels were vatted and the whisky was proofed for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Floral honey drives the nose toward cranberry sauce with a hint of spice oak layered with caramel apples and toffee candies rolled in dark chocolate.
Palate: Those caramel apples lead on the palate with a lush vanilla foundation next to bitter orange marmalade, apple pie filling, and a cup of regular drip coffee.
Finish: The honey arrives on the finish with a honeycomb earthiness before fresh and very sweet raspberry drives the taste back toward old oak with a hint of mince pies and mulled wine sneaking in at the very end.
How To Use It:
Yes, this is a limited edition Scotch whisky but it’s one that you can actually get. That said, this is where we get into great whiskies that can replace any bourbon or rye in your favorite cocktail while still holding its own in Scottish penicillins or Rob Roys. It’s kind of the best of both worlds.
3. Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 14 Years
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $46
The Whisky:
Glenmorangie’s 14-year expression spends 10 years resting in used American oak casks. Those barrels are vatted and the whisky is re-barreled into Quinta Ruban port wine casks from Portugal for another four years of mellowing before batching, proofing, and bottling as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose draws you in with a sense of burnt orange layered into dark chocolate and then melted over a singed marshmallow with a hint of malted vanilla cookie tying it all together.
Palate: That dark chocolate drives the palate with a hint of waxiness and woody winter spice next to whole black peppercorns, fresh tangerine, and a whisper of mint chocolate chip ice cream.
Finish: The dark chocolate, woody spice, bright orange, and sharp spearmint all collide on the finish with a sense of soft malted sweetness and faint old oak staves.
How To Use It:
This makes an excellent Manhattan, full stop. If you’re making a 50/50 cognac/whisky Sazerac, use this because it’s awesome.
I also like this in boulevardiers when I want something a little fruitier as it 100% stands up to those big flavors from the Campari.
2. Aberlour A’bunadh Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 56.2%
Average Price: $94
The Whisky:
A’bunadh (ah-boon-arh) means “the original” in Gaelic and the whisky in this Speyside bottle represents that idea for Aberlour. The whisky is matured in old Oloroso sherry casks exclusively. The whisky then goes into the bottle at cask strength, unfussed with.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: That sherry plumminess is evident right up top, with hints of bright orange oils, clumps of dark chocolate, honey, and nuts, and a hint of oak.
Palate: The taste shines with notes of dark, ripe cherries, prunes, more bright orange zest, dark chocolate, and a good measure of svelte vanilla.
Finish: The slow finish leaves you with a creamy mouthfeel next to bitter chocolate next to sweet cherries and plums, all of which lead towards a warming spice on the tongue at the end.
How To Use It:
Okay, you can straight-up replace this in all of your favorite bourbon cocktails. And … you might like them better with this in them.
This whisky is also deep and bold enough to stand up in nogs, flips, and delicate dessert cocktails. It’s basically Christmas in a glass.
1. Lagavulin Single Islay Malt Whisky Aged 16 Years
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $90
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 mash is crafted expertly by the sea at Lagavulin Distillery. The whisky then spends 16 long years mellowing in old American and Spanish oak before vatting, proofing, and bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: 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.
Palate: 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.
Finish: The finish is pure silk as the seaweed grows wetter and the smoke sweetens towards that caramel, vanilla, and apple.
How To Use It:
While I love a good Laga old fashioned or Manhattan with this, it really shines best in a Smoky Cokey. Yes, that’s a 50/50 mix of Lagavulin 16 and Coca-Cola (preferably the good stuff out of a glass bottle). It’s delightful and probably the best use of Coca-Cola and whisky in the whole cocktail game.