At $200 a bottle, we’ve finally landed on the great bottles of Scotch whisky. This is where it gets fun! We’re not anywhere near the top of Scotch Mountain — there’s so much more Scotch out there to talk about. But we are in the first real sweet spot with amazing special releases, cask-strength variants, and one-of-a-kind bottlings.
The 10 amazing Scotch whiskies profiled below are all so freaking good. They deserve the hype and are worth those hefty price tags. The fact is, Scotch whisky is such a broad category with unique creations that you sometimes have to put aside the price point — you certainly can’t compare it to the price of bourbon, which is simply cheaper to make.
We ranked these whiskies according to where we found the most depth. That said, it’s really up to you to decide on the “bottom line” that fits your taste!
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- The Best Whiskeys Of 2023, According To The John Barleycorn Awards
- Every Bottle Of Johnnie Walker Scotch Whisky, Power Ranked For 2023
- One Of The World’s Biggest Whiskey Influencers Shares His Favorite Pours Of 2023
10. Roseisle Single Malt Scotch Whisky Aged 12 Years “The Origami Kite” Special Release 2023
ABV: 56.5%
Average Price: $199
The Whisky:
Diageo adds a unique release to its Special Release lineup every year and 2023’s honor went to Roseisle. The distillery and malt house are very new, it opened in 2010. The whisky in this new release is a 12-year-old single malt that was aged in first-fill ex-bourbon and re-fill ex-bourbon casks for all 12 of those years. Once batched, the whisky was bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Rich and silky bourbon vanilla pops on the nose with a clear sense of stewed apples and pears with plenty of winter spice, buttery caramel, and almost tart red berries just starting to dry out and sweeten.
Palate: That vanilla really amps up on the palate as the red fruit sweetens and darkens toward raspberry crumble and brandy-soaked cherry before this lush sense of macadamia nut cookies arrives with a burnt sugar vibe (think of fresh cookies from the oven).
Finish: Finally, the old oak arrives with a deep winter spice bark vibe over hints of white chocolate mocha lattes that are verging on eggnog territory with a whisper of (very mild) peppermint and nutmeg working in tandem.
Bottom Line:
The fact that we got a single Roseisle is a bit of a miracle. This is a very new distillery in Scottish terms. It opened in 2010 and the whisky, so far, has largely been left to age while the younger juice is being used for Diageo’s wide range of blended Scotch whiskies. This is the first sneak peek into what’s coming from the distillery and it’s exciting in that this is pretty goddamn delicious for a 12-year-old single malt.
9. Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky
ABV: 40%
Average Price: $199
The Whisky:
This is the mountaintop of Johnnie Walker’s whiskies. The blend is a marriage of ultra-rare grain and malt stock from extinct Diageo distilleries around Scotland. That’s just … cool. This expression is all about barrel selection and the mastery of a great noser and blender working together to create something special.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this one feels like silk with soft malts, dried plums, good marzipan, old boot leather, mulled wine spices, and a whisper of fireplace smoke.
Palate: The taste layers orange oils into the marzipan as rose-water-infused honey leads to a line of bitter dark chocolate that’s touched with smoked malts and nuts.
Finish: The end has an even keel of velvet mouthfeel next to floral honey, soft smoldering smoke from a fireplace, and old dried fruit.
Bottom Line:
Johnnie Blue is an icon. This is one of the most coveted blended Scotch whiskies on the market, and it’s easy to see why. This is a super easy sipper that delivers a nicely balanced and deep profile without overwhelming smoke. It’s subtle and delicious, especially over a single large ice cube.
8. Benromach Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky Vintage 2013 Cask Strength Batch 01
ABV: 59.7%
Average Price: $199
The Whisky:
This late 2023 Benromach release was 10 years in the making. The batch is made from a mix of first-fill ex-bourbon barrels (that means that this whisky was the first thing to go into the barrel after the bourbon was dumped) and ex-sherry casks. Those casks were vatted and then the whisky was bottled 100% as-is at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Stewed plums and mulled wine-soaked cinnamon sticks mingle with dark salted chocolate-covered espresso beans, vanilla husks, and creamy toffee rolled in roasted almond.
Palate: Sticky toffee pudding with a hint of black tea and plenty of nutmeg and cinnamon drive the palate toward a moment of burnt orange that’s just kissed with smoldering cacao nibs.
Finish: Smoked plums and black-tea-soaked dates lead to old winter spice barks and more musty orange on the finish with a hint of buttercream.
Bottom Line:
This is a great bridge between subtle bourbon and bold cask-strength single malt. It’s incredibly sippable over some ice and will remind you of spicy, jammy, and nutty bourbons.
7. Laphroaig Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky Càirdeas 2023 White Port And Madeira
ABV: 52.3%
Average Price: $165
The Whiskey:
2023’s Càirdeas from Lahroaig was a banger. This whisky was aged right by the sea in Islay in White Port and Madeira casks until just right. Then the whisky was vatted and bottled at cask strength.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fresh ginger coins and green apple pulp dance on the nose with caramelized pear cut with orange zest and ground cinnamon that’s all countered by a sense of old campfire coal that’s still just smoldering and spitting tiny drops of rain.
Palate: Honey malt cakes dipped in orange syrup draw the palate toward heavy oak dipped in Nutella and caramel before the peat kicks in with massive amounts of bandages, seawater, and smoldering orchard barks.
Finish: The smoldering bark gets ashy on the finish with a real sense of the inside of a cold smoker that’s smoked everything from pears to salmon to brisket before a lightly sea-salted dried pear comes in with a hint of brandy.
Bottom Line:
This is one of the most “acquired taste” whiskies on the list. It’ll either be love at first sip or completely off-putting. If it is off-putting, add some water or ice and give it time. There’s incredible depth in this whisky that’s waiting for you to find it. Take your time and it’ll reward you.
6. Ardbeg Anthology: The Harpy’s Tale Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $194
The Whiskey:
This Ardbeg limited edition is a funky masterpiece. The Islay whiskey was aged in Sauternes wine casks (a French dessert wine) and ex-bourbon barrels right next to the sea. After 13 years, those barrels were vatted and kissed with local spring water for bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Beeswax and unfiltered olive oil greet you on the nose with a deep sense of fatty roasting herbs, saddle soap, floral honey malted biscuits, vanilla-laced condensed milk still in the can, and blackberry brambles — dirt, berries, thorns, et al.
Palate: The salted meaty fat from the roasting herbs drives the palate toward absinth botanicals, smoldering beeswax candles, raw sugar rock candy, and this fleeting sense of smoldering white moss next to eucalyptus oils in a warm clay pot.
Finish: Smoked apricot and plum arrive on the finish with a hint of toasted coconut layered into a rich and creamy South Asian curry full of turmeric, cumin, and cardamon with a twist of smoked lemon and burnt cinnamon bark.
Bottom Line:
This is a savory, fruity, and smoky delight. Yes, it’s an acquired taste, but it’s so much more … if you give it a chance. Add water, re-nose, play with ice, and give it some effort from your end. Trust me, it’ll draw you in slowly and reveal its beautiful profile. It just might hook you on peated Islay malt.
5. Aberlour Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky Double Cask Matured 18 Years Old
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $163
The Whisky:
The expression from Speyside’s Aberlour uses ex-bourbon casks for its primary maturation and ex-sherry for its finishing maturation. Those barrels are batched after at least 18 years and proofed down with soft Speyside water and bottled.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: You’re drawn in with a note of hard butterscotch candies next to a touch of chinotto (bittersweet Italian orange), butter toffee, and the slightest wisp of peach pits.
Palate: The taste builds out from that peach pit layer with a note of ripe peach flesh and fuzzy skin while jammy blackberry leads towards a soft cedar.
Finish: The finish really takes its time and leaves you with a silken texture next to a honeyed sweetness and a final roundness of vanilla cream.
Bottom Line:
This is succinct and lush sipping whisky. There’s a lot of connective tissue between this and supple bourbon to draw you in. But in the end, this is a nostalgic malt that’s deep, dark, and delicious. Try it neat, over a rock, and then in a Manhattan. It’ll slap.
4. Springbank Aged 15 Years Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $159
The Whisky:
This is made with Springbank’s mildly peated malts and then aged for 15 years in ex-sherry barrels. The whisky is then blended and proofed down with local spring water before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This is a funky and savory nose with hints of teriyaki beef jerky next to powdery stock cubes with a hint of smoked brisket fat next to hydrogen peroxide before turning sweet with stewed prunes with a hint of cinnamon and honey.
Palate: The palate is like a marriage between a nutty and spicy Christmas cake and a low-and-slow brisket with tons of sea salt and fat and a whisper of smoke.
Finish: The finish arrives with a walnut dark chocolate crumble with minor notes of old leather and fireplace ashes next to a thin line of rocky beach after the rain.
Bottom Line:
This is 100% its own thing and it’s delightful. This is the sort of whisky that you feel the depth and brilliance of as soon as you nose it. Try it neat and then over a rock, you’ll be delighted.
3. The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky French Oak Aged 16 Years
ABV: 47.6%
Average Price: $199
The Whisky:
The Balvenie just added a new release to its core lineup late last year. The whisky is a masterful blend from whisky legend David Stewart. After around 15 years of aging, the whisky is transferred to Pineau des Charentes casks (a French fortified wine) for a final maturation, which is The Balvenie’s first foray into French oak finishing. The whisky is then bottled with a touch of water but as-is otherwise.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Red geraniums and fresh honeycomb greet you on the nose with supporting characters of green grass, pear skins, apple cores, a hint of a cinnamon roll with vanilla frosting, and a dash of nutmeg.
Palate: The palate leans into a lemon curd with a hint of grapefruit pith before layering in floral honey, ginger beer, vanilla-heavy shortbread, oatmeal raisin cookies, and a good dose of orange zest with a pinch of dark chocolate powder mixed in.
Finish: The end is light and airy with a hint of savory fig next to ginger-infused rock candy dipped in creamy dark chocolate that’s just kissed with cinnamon spice.
Bottom Line:
This is a breeze to sip. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any meat on the bones. This is a delicate and nuanced pour of incredible malt. It also pairs amazingly well with oysters, crab, and caviar.
2. The Glendronach Allardice Aged 18 Years Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $174
The Whisky:
This Highland whisky is a local tradition of sorts, dating back to the brand’s origins in the 1820s. The whisky in the bottle is hewn from barrels of at least 18-year-old whiskies. The maturation is done exclusively in hand-picked Olorosso sherry casks from Spain.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Old orchard wood, soft leather, dried orange peels, raspberry jam, and creamy dark chocolate gently mingle on the nose.
Palate: That jam leans into a spiced cherry compote as stewed plums with plenty of allspice and clove lead to soft walnut cake with a malty backbone.
Finish: The mid-palate takes that walnut and sweetness and moves the taste toward velvety malts and soft and sweet orchard wood, dusting more of that dark chocolate and dark berry silkiness.
Bottom Line:
This is an essential malt, especially for dark fruit and spiced winter vibes. While that sounds very wintry, this whisky works year-round, especially if you’re looking for something bourbon adjacent.
1. Oban 2023 Distillers Edition Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 43%
Average Price: $162
The Whisky:
This expression is a love letter to the tiny town of Oban on the western coast of Scotland. The whisky is standard Oban that’s finished in Montilla Fino sherry casks to add an extra dimension to the already finely crafted whisky from the distillery. Those casks are then vatted and proofed before bottling.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A small billow of smoke greets you on the nose next to notes of sea brine, orange zest, and a hint of vinous fruit that feels a little like saltwater taffy and a little like old Fruit Roll-Ups with a sense of soft winter spices lurking under it all.
Palate: Sweet caramel malts form on the silky palate as stewed pear and apple mingle with salted toffee and a light sense of oyster shell and toasted seaweed barely breakthrough on the back end.
Finish: That hint of the sea fades on the finish as you’re left with soft caramel maltiness and even softer stewed pear just kissed with saffron, clove, and anise next to a whisper of plum pudding.
Bottom Line:
This is a must-have for any whisky collection. This is one of the best whiskies, full stop. It’s delicate, delicious, and a delight to sip. It’s also amazingly complex without feeling like homework. It’s truly comforting.