TOP 10 WHISKIES UNDER £50

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

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.

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

Ledaig is really becoming so popular that soon we won't be able to call it a cult malt whisky anymore. Tobermory distillery's peated Island single malt whisky is developing a legion of enthusiastic zealots.

Released in 2020 at the distillery's now-standard 46.3%, this Ledaig began life in ex-bourbon casks before a finishing period in Rioja wine barriques, which have added some fresh berry notes to the Ledaig spirit's trademark salty, smoky, rubbery flavours. 

Attributes

Tasting Notes

Nose: Notes of Turkish delight and rose petals balanced with candied fruits and grapes followed by rich leather and a beautiful peppery spice. A hint of chocolate comes through at the back.

Palate: Creamy mouthfeel packed full of almonds, barley and sweet malt with notes of peppery Ledaig, which give way to black raspberries, sweet vanilla and cocoa interspersed with cinnamon spice and hints of freshly cut grass.

Finish: Lingering smoky finish with red fruit and sea spray.

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

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

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

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

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

We were so impressed when trying the whiskies from this range that we could not believe the RRP. In our opinion, they are better than a lot of whiskies at twice the price, and these are a must-have for anyone as an introduction to G & M bottlings.

Nestled nicely in the smoky section of G & M's Discovery Range this Caol Ila shows what peated whisky is all about.

The whole range gives whisky lovers a tour of various flavour profiles and characters, and showcases what Gordon & MacPhail are good at.

Attributes

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.

Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky 
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 46% 

Kilchoman Machir Bay is a vatting of whiskies predominately matured in first-fill bourbon casks and a much smaller number from sherry casks. This beautiful marriage gives a unique balance of aromatic and coastal peat smoke, citrus and tropical fruit.

This excellent Kilchoman Machir Bay release is presented in a lovely presentation pack with 2 branded glasses, ideal for a gift or a treat for yourself.

Attributes

Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery Bottling 70cl / 46%

This 12-year-old was part of the first launch of the new core range from Billy Walkers GlenAllachie distillery. 

It is aged in Pedro Ximenez, Oloroso sherry casks and also virgin oak casks that were carefully selected by Billy Walker when he took over the distillery in 2017.

At the heart of the range, this needed to be a solid dram, and it is very good indeed.

Attributes

Tasting Notes

Official Tasting Notes

Colour: Polished Bronze.

Nose: Butterscotch and honey with raisins and mocha in the background.

Taste: Honey, marzipan and bananas, with lashings of butterscotch, raisins and a delicate hint of mocha.

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

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

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.