• Light/Dark
  • Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.

What's a good scotch for under $75?

Bessy67

Bessy67

Member
Oct 29, 2017
11,557
Within the last year I've discovered the pleasure of single malt scotch. I realize that the best bottles are very expensive, however the most I'm willing to spend on 750 mLs is $75. I realize there are a lot of good options for this price point and I've tried a few including Glenmorangie 10 year, Glenfiddich IPA cask finish, Oban 14 year and Glenlivet 15 year French oak reserve and I've thoroughly enjoyed all of them. I do feel like all of these are pretty mild flavored though and I think I'd like to try something with a little more bold, peaty flavor. From what I've seen Ardberg might be a good option to try next but I'd like to see what you might suggest as a good single malt scotch for drinking neat under $75. Thanks in advance for your input.
 

Deleted member 14377

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
13,520
tenor.gif
 

cobell

Member
Oct 31, 2017
49
Hmm more peat?

I know you said $75, but for usually around $5-10 more you can get Lagavulin 16 which is my favorite. Beyond that, I quite like Talisker's offerings as well.
 
OP
OP
Bessy67

Bessy67

Member
Oct 29, 2017
11,557
cobell said:
Hmm more peat?

I know you said $75, but for usually around $5-10 more you can get Lagavulin 16 which is my favorite. Beyond that, I quite like Talisker's offerings as well.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I did just watch Parks and Rec and Lagavulin gets the Ron Swanson seal of approval. Sounds like Laphroaig is popular as well
 
weekev

weekev

Is this a test?
Member
Oct 25, 2017
6,213
Tamnavulin is a nice wee speyside. I don't know if you guys get the same selection over there that we do in Scotland. All of the ones you have listed are highland malts whereas Speyside malts tend to be peatier with more flavour. Try looking up some tasting notes on speyside malts and pick the one you fancy the most.

Would also agree with Laphroig which is one of my favourites.
 
XMonkey

XMonkey

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,827
Ardbeg Uigeadail or Laphroaig Quarter Cask if you're looking for a good intro to peat.
 
Chikor

Chikor

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
14,239
Bessy67 said:
I'd like to try something with a little more bold, peaty flavor.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Check out scotches from Islay for that.
I think you should be able to get Caol Ila (or Bowmore if you want it peaty, but not *that peaty*) for under $75.
Though generally speaking, I think if you're looking for good value in whiskey, you need to look outside Scotland.
 

Deleted member 19024

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
122
zzz said:
Lagavulin
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Yeah..pricing for Lagavulin 16 can be a bit all over the place, tho. I can get it by me for $70, but I've seen it between $90 and $100 and other places. With that said, it's one of my top 3 whiskeys and usually the first I'd recommend for folks looking to stay under $100, for sure, especially now that Yamazaki 12 is so damn expensive. You can often find the Lagavulin 8 for around the the same price as the 16, but it's not nearly as good in my opinion.
 
OP
OP
Bessy67

Bessy67

Member
Oct 29, 2017
11,557
Chikor said:
Check out scotches from Islay for that.
I think you should be able to get Caol Ila (or Bowmore if you want it peaty, but not *that peaty*) for under $75.
Though generally speaking, I think if you're looking for good value in whiskey, you need to look outside Scotland.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I definitely like American and Irish whiskey as well for more value (I actually pretty much always have a bottle of Paddy's on hand) but I do like to splurge sometimes and to me moderately priced scotch is that splurge.

BasilZero said:
I thought coming into this thread , it would be about Tape...
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I mean, if you have a good suggestion for scotch tape I'll take that too. Not sure I'm willing to spend $75 on that though ;)
 
Chikor

Chikor

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
14,239
FernandoRocker said:
I mean, the reason why I'm asking is because $75 USD is actually some decent money (at least for my blood).
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I would be shocked if you wouldn't be able to find whiskey you enjoy for way less than $75.
I generally think it's pointless to buy liquor that you can't really afford to drink. Alcohol should be consumed and enjoyed.

Bessy67 said:
I definitely like American and Irish whiskey as well for more value (I actually pretty much always have a bottle of Paddy's on hand) but I do like to splurge sometimes and to me moderately priced scotch is that splurge.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Oh, don't get me wrong, I do the same, it's just that some people almost refuse to drink any whiskey which isn't from Scotland, and I think that's silly, especially if you're concerned about price.
 
megalowho

megalowho

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,562
New York, NY
Would also recommend a Highland Park 12, it's in the $50-70 range. The distillery is in the Orkney Isles, not Islay, but there's a nice balance to the peat and it's one of my favorite single malts for everyday sipping.
 
exodus

exodus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,936
Bessy67 said:
According to Total Wine $85. Still might be worth checking out though and there are a couple liquor stores where I might be able to get it cheaper.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Definitely worth checking out. It's one of the most approchable peated whiskys out there. I'd personally recommend it over Ardbeg. A bit more balanced with the peat and smoke. Ardbeg is great, but the pest will knock your teeth out if you're not used to Islays.
 
XMonkey

XMonkey

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,827
FernandoRocker said:
I really have zero experience with all of kind of whisky. I'm a craft beer kind of guy. Is there a Whisky Era OT?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Ah, no worries! Craft beer is great.

There is one I believe, but it's not really active.

If I could recommend one bottle to start with I'd say pick up a Johnnie Walker Green Label. A lot of their stuff isn't that worthwhile (or in the case of Blue Label, worth the price), but the Green flies under the radar and is pretty inexpensive for the quality. Total Wine has good prices on it (~$45). Monkey Shoulder is also a good cheap bottle that's a great starter whisky (it's a blend of 3 major Distilleries, ~$35).
 
OP
OP
Bessy67

Bessy67

Member
Oct 29, 2017
11,557
FernandoRocker said:
I really have zero experience with all of kind of whisky. I'm a craft beer kind of guy. Is there a Whisky Era OT?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I've yet to find a better per dollar whiskey than Paddy's Irish whiskey. Trouble is it's not really easy to find in the US. Total Wine and Woodman's (a local grocery store) carry a 750 mL bottle for around $16.
 
Aurica

Aurica

音楽オタク - Comics Council 2020
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
23,462
A mountain in the US

Wat

Member
Dec 10, 2017
221
These are all strong flavors so if possible, don't buy a bottle before you've had a taste. Go to a bar where they'll sell you half or quarter portions for tasting, and/or order online from a place that sells tiny taster bottles. I have saved a decent bit of money that way. For instance, Laphroaig 10, Highland Park 12, Lagavulin 16 and Ardbeg 10 all have good reputations, but I hated the first two and liked Lagavulin and Ardbeg.
 
Xeno

Xeno

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,828
For peat? Laphroaig, Ardbeg, Lagavulin.

Laphroaig 18 was my favorite scotch and I don't think they make it anymore.
 
HTupolev

HTupolev

Member
Oct 27, 2017
2,413
Laphroaig 10 is a pretty good cheap Islay, but if you can spare the extra few bucks, Lagavulin 16 is the GOAT.
 
UsefulSpoon

UsefulSpoon

Member
Oct 27, 2017
262
I would recommend Talisker 10 for a somewhat peaty experience or Dalmore 12 if you want a fantastic Highland scotch. Dalmore also has a pretty dope bottle with a stag on it.
 
Aurica

Aurica

音楽オタク - Comics Council 2020
The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
23,462
A mountain in the US
Might I make a recommendation that's outside of your expectations and parameters?

Last year, for christmas, I bought a scotch advent calendar through drinks by the dram. I got to try a ton of scotch (more than I wanted, to be quite honest), and it helped me recognize a bunch of great scotch I never would've known! It's kinda pricey, but I felt it was very worth it.
 
Atomic Playboy

Atomic Playboy

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,897
Portland, OR
Bessy67 said:
Within the last year I've discovered the pleasure of single malt scotch. I realize that the best bottles are very expensive, however the most I'm willing to spend on 750 mLs is $75. I realize there are a lot of good options for this price point and I've tried a few including Glenmorangie 10 year, Glenfiddich IPA cask finish, Oban 14 year and Glenlivet 15 year French oak reserve and I've thoroughly enjoyed all of them. I do feel like all of these are pretty mild flavored though and I think I'd like to try something with a little more bold, peaty flavor. From what I've seen Ardberg might be a good option to try next but I'd like to see what you might suggest as a good single malt scotch for drinking neat under $75. Thanks in advance for your input.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I didn't see it posted, but where are you located? That obviously has a huge influence on price. Something that's $75 in California might be $120 in Washington. That said, if you're looking for peat, but not a crazy amount (Ardbeg and Laphroaig are pretty extreme in this regard, which I personally love, but a lot of people find hard to roll with), Talisker is absolutely beautiful. The Talisker 10 year is brilliant, but the Talisker Storm is also pretty good and generally cheaper (I would still favor the 10 year if the price is within $15 or so). Depending on your location, Lagavulin 16 year is absolutely spectacular and right on the edge of your budget. And, frankly, I think the offerings from Laphroaig and Ardbeg are delicious across the board. If you happen to be in Oregon, Ardbeg Uigeadail is $70 at the moment and it is one of my favorite whiskys ever. So that would be my top recommendation if it fits your budget in your location. Talisker 10 year is a close second; you can't go wrong with either.
 
TRS8088

TRS8088

Member
Oct 27, 2017
822
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Check out Ralfy.com for like hundreds of scotch (and other booze) reviews. Guy has like 700 video reviews. He recently re-reviewed the Laphroig 10 year and went over how it's changed over the years. Also lamented that apparently in the US it's sold at 43% whereas in his country (Scotland?) it's 40%.

Also don't be afraid to check out Costco, they sometimes bottles aged single malt under the Kirkland brand that's a good deal. Probably not the super peaty stuff though.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.