TOP 10 WHISKIES UNDER £50

If you're looking for the Top 10 best whiskies at bargain prices under £50, you've come to the right place! Here's our pick of the Top Ten Best Whiskies you can buy for £50 or less, featuring great value whiskies at the best prices.

Tobermory 12 Year Old
Tobermory 12 Year Old

Tobermory 12 Year Old

Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 46.3%

Tobermory is a distillery that has really begun to thrive recently, with a growing cult following for their Ledaig peated single malt whisky.

To focus on Ledaig alone, though, would be to miss out on the delights of the distillery's standard unpeated single malt, which seems to get better and better with each new batch.

Consistency is not a word much previously associated with Tobermory, but their recent bottlings have been consistently top drawer.

This Tobermory 12-year-old replaced the old 10-year-old as the distillery's standard bottling in 2019, when Tobermory reopened after a two year rebuild.

Matured in ex-bourbon casks before a finishing period in virgin oak, it's been very well-received and represents another step up in quality for Tobermory.

Attributes
Distillery

Tobermory

Bottler

Distillery

Country Scotland
Region Island
Cask Type Ex-Bourbon & Virgin Oak
Bottle Size 70cl
ABV 46.3%
Pre-Owned No
Tasting Notes

Nose: Rich fruit, orange and citrus notes, fresh floral hints and rich oak with vanilla and spice.

Palate: Sweet orange and citrus, creamy caramel and rich vanilla with spicy hints of cinnamon and clove.

Finish: Long and lingering vanilla and spice.

£39.00 inc VAT.
£32.50 exc VAT.
Berry Bros & Rudd Sherry Cask Matured | The Classic Range
Berry Bros & Rudd Sherry Cask Matured | The Classic Range

Berry Bros & Rudd Sherry Cask Matured | The Classic Range

Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Bottled By Berry Bros & Rudd 70cl / 44.2%

Now featuring new and improved snazzy packaging, this fantastic Sherry Cask Matured blended malt from the boys at Berry Brothers & Rudd is finally back in stock.

Sherry casks are not cheap, so this marriage of single malt whisky from sherry butts is really great value, punching well above its weight in complexity with distinctive flavours of dried fruit, patisserie and citrus with  nice nutty and spice notes in the background.

Attributes
Distillery / Brand

Unknown / Berry Bros & Rudd

Bottler

Berry Bros & Rudd

Series The Classic Range
Country Scotland
Bottle Size 70cl
ABV 44.2%
Pre-Owned

No

Official Tasting Notes

Appearance: Enticingly dark

Nose: Sherry prominence with secondary resinous and prune-like notes. Invitingly seductive.

Palate: Well-balanced fruit on a Sherry bed. Wonderfully satisfying and fulfilling.

Finish: Long, lingering Sherry delight

£33.00 inc VAT.
£27.50 exc VAT.
Ledaig 10 Year Old
Ledaig 10 Year Old

Ledaig 10 Year Old

Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 46.3%

The 10-year-old Ledaig heavily-peated single malt whisky from Tobermory Distillery was introduced in 2007 and like many single malt whisky fans we were knocked out when we first tried it. Subtle it ain't, but this is a thrill ride.

Ledaig's full-on character is a combination of very boisterous wet, earthy peat alongside coastal salinity balanced by a toffee sweetness, but it also frequently has unique layers of rubber, sweet and peppery spices and barbecued meat. It's definitely not for everyone, but fans of this take-no-prisoners malt will accept no substitute.

Attributes
Distillery

Ledaig

Bottler

Distillery

Country Scotland
Region Island
Cask Type Ex-Bourbon
Age 10
Bottle Size 70cl
ABV 46.3%
Pre-Owned No
Tasting Notes

Official Tasting Notes

Colour: Bright lemony gold.

Nose:
Sweet briny smokiness with distinct island character and playful notes that hint at mild antiseptic, creosote, wax polish, mint chocolate and floral seaside aromas. Soft peat, gentle smoke.

Palate:
Tantalisingly sweet, medicinal flavours infused with enticing sparks of spicy pepper and dried fruit with rich peaty smoke and a velvety vanilla and malty creaminess.

Finish:
A wondrous union of sublimely spicy white pepper, the vibrant sweetness of liquorice and a kick of cloves with a exquisite lingering saltiness.

£39.00 inc VAT.
£32.50 exc VAT.
Caol Ila 13 Year Old Discovery Range
Caol Ila 13 Year Old Discovery Range

Caol Ila 13 Year Old Discovery Range

Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 
Bottled by: Gordon & MacPhail 70cl / 43%

A 13-year-old Caol Ila bottled at 43% by Gordon & MacPhail for their Discovery Range of great value, accessible single malt whiskies. The Discovery Range is colour-coded, with this Caol Ila 13-year-old's grey packaging indicating a Smoky flavour profile.

We were so impressed when trying the whiskies from the Discovery Range that we could not believe the RRP. In our opinion, these Gordon & MacPhail bottlings are better than a lot of whiskies at twice the price, and are a must for anyone looking to get into single malt whisky.

Attributes
Distillery

Caol Ila

Bottler

Gordon & MacPhail

Series

Discovery Range

Country Scotland
Region Islay
Age 13
Bottle Size 70cl
ABV 43.0%
Pre-Owned

No

Tasting Notes

Official Tasting Notes

Nose: Sweet vanilla and dried cured meat aromas with peat smoke undertones are complemented by banana and apricot.

Palate: Ripe banana, kiwi with vibrant hints of fresh citrus.

Finish: Long sweet and smokey.

£47.00 inc VAT.
£39.17 exc VAT.
Benromach 10 Year Old
Benromach 10 Year Old

Benromach 10 Year Old

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 43%

Relaunched in 2020, Benromach 10-year-old is produced using a mix of 80% ex-Bourbon casks, 20% ex-Sherry casks aged for nine years and then finished for a further year in ex-Oloroso Sherry casks.

Benromach's textbook Speyside spirit ages very well in both bourbon and sherry casks, showing flavours of creamy malt and forest fruits with a wisp of smoke and lingering sherry notes. An absolutely tremendous dram for the money, Benromach 10-year-old is one of the best value entry-level bottlings you'll find.

Attributes
Distillery

Benromach

Bottler

Distillery

Country Scotland
Region Speyside
Age 10
Bottle Size 70cl
ABV 43%
Pre-Owned No
Tasting Notes

Official Tasting Notes

Colour: Golden Amber.

Nose:
Sweet green apple and pear complement creamy dark honey. Soft vanilla develops alongside gentle smoke.

Palate:
Smooth flavours of malted cereal and stewed fruit combine with warm toffee and a hint of black cherry.

Finish:
Full bodied finish with malted cereal and soft smoke.

£37.00 inc VAT.
£30.83 exc VAT.
AnCnoc 12 Year Old
AnCnoc 12 Year Old

AnCnoc 12 Year Old

Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery Bottling 70 cl / 40%

AnCnoc's entry-level 12-year-old has long been a reliably excellent dram, with gentle, sweet fruit flavours alleviated by a touch of citrus.

If you think that sounds like the ideal Speyside whisky, you wouldn't be far wrong - AnCnoc is distilled at Knockdhu, which was considered by many whisky writers (including Michael Jackson) to be a Speyside distillery before the regional borders were finally legally defined (badly) in the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009.

Attributes
Brand

AnCnoc

Bottler

Knockdhu

Country Scotland
Region Highland
Age 12
Bottle Size 70cl
ABV

40%

Pre-Owned No
Tasting Notes

Colour: Gentle amber with a slight yellow hue.

Nose: Soft, very aromatic with a hint of honey and lemon in the foreground.

Palate: Sweet to start with an appetising fruitiness and a long smooth finish. Light yet complex, smooth yet challenging.

This is a dram that has something for everyone.

£29.00 inc VAT.
£24.17 exc VAT.
Edradour 10 Year Old
Edradour 10 Year Old

Edradour 10 Year Old

Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 40%

A short hop from the picture-postcard town of Pitlochry lies Edradour, one of Scotland smallest and prettiest distilleries. Edradour's miniscule output - barely 200,000 litres despite the recent construction of a second stillhouse - is occasionally idiosyncratic but has been improving ever since Signatory Vintage owner Andrew Symington bought the distillery in 2002.

Edradour 10-year-old has been the staple of the distillery's core range ever since Signatory took over and is one of those whiskies whose fans will accept no substitutes. If you've never tried Edradour before, you should - and this is where to start.

Attributes
Distillery

Edradour

Bottler

Distillery

Country Scotland
Region Highland
Age 10
Cask Type Sherry
Bottle Size 70cl
ABV 40%
Pre-Owned No
£45.00 inc VAT.
£37.50 exc VAT.
An Islay Journey | Whisky Miniature Gift Set
An Islay Journey | Whisky Miniature Gift Set
An Islay Journey | Whisky Miniature Gift Set
An Islay Journey | Whisky Miniature Gift Set

An Islay Journey | Whisky Miniature Gift Set

Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
4x 5cl / 40%, 46.3%, 40%, 43%

An Islay Journey is a whisky miniature gift set featuring 5cl bottles of four excellent Islay single malt Scotch whiskies, namely Bunnahabhain 12-year-old, and a trio of mystery islay single malts: Smokehead, Islay Storm and The Ileach.

The Islay Journey whisky gift pack makes a delicious Christmas stocking-filler gift for fans of smoky Islay single malt whisky or indeed a great introductory pack for anyone looking to explore Islay single malt whisky for the first time.

Please note that the product image here is a representative example and contents may vary between packs.

Attributes
Distillery

Various

Bottler

Distillery

Country Scotland
Region Islay
Age Various
Bottle Size 5cl x4
ABV Various
Pre-Owned No
£26.00 inc VAT.
£21.67 exc VAT.
Tomatin 12 Year Old
Tomatin 12 Year Old

Tomatin 12 Year Old

Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 43%

The splendid Tomatin 12-year-old, one of the finest entry-level Highland 12-year-old single malt whiskies you're ever going to be lucky enough to find.

Tomatin's 12-year-old has always been good, but since the bump to 43% about ten years ago it's never been less than very good indeed. A judicious mix of ex-bourbon and sherry casks with one of the best ratios of bang to buck in the business.

Attributes
Distillery

Tomatin

Bottler

Distillery

Country Scotland
Region Highland
Age 12
Cask Type Ex-bourbon & Sherry
Bottle Size 70cl
ABV 43.0%
Pre-Owned No
Tasting Notes

Nose: Rich and fruity.

Palate: Sweet, smooth apple flavours with pears and a subtle nuttiness.

Finish: Oily, long and lingering. 

£38.00 inc VAT.
£31.67 exc VAT.
Peat's Beast
Peat's Beast

Peat's Beast

Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky
70cl / 46%

Peat's Beast is an independently-bottled peated single malt from an unnamed Scottish distillery, bottled at 46% without colouring or chill filtration. Peat's Beast was launched in 2011 and has been delighting phenol fans ever since.

Youthful, fulsome and packing a real peaty kick, Peat's Beast is a top-notch peaty dram without the pretensions. When a smoky whisky is this good value, does it really matter which distillery it's from? 

Attributes
Distillery

Unknown

Bottler

Peats Beast

Country Scotland
Bottle Size 70cl
ABV 46%
Pre-Owned No
Tasting Notes

Official Tasting Notes

Colour: Straw yellow with glittering highlights. 

Nose:
 A rugged fusion of sea spray, bonfire smoke, damp earth and spicy cinnamon immediately arouses the senses.

Palate:
Strong and bold with plenty of backbone and structure as this great monster unfolds its fiery fangs on your palate. This is not for the faint hearted. Take a generous mouthful with a biting wind blowing furiously in your face. Hold it long in your mouth allow the thick tar, peat smoke and creamy liquorice to penetrate every part of your tongue. Time will tame it. 

Finish:
The powerful aromas of peat moss and wet grass must be fully respected before seductive notes of crushed pear, apple and freshly baked bread provide the perfect finish to this memorable melody.

£42.00 inc VAT.
£35.00 exc VAT.