Food - Drink
12 Bottles Of Scotch For Beginners
By BRIAN ROONEY
Johnnie Walker BL
Getting into scotch can be overwhelming, and those looking to try it can start with bottles like Johnnie Walker Black Label. Perhaps the most base-level scotch on the market, this 12-year blend is made of both single-grain and single-malt whiskies, and remains a very affordable option at an average of $39.
SIA Scotch Whisky
Made just for newcomers, SIA Scotch Whisky is a blend of scotches from the Highland, Lowland, Islay, and Speyside regions of Scotland, giving it a harmonious balance. It’s aged in two different oak barrels — one a refill ex-bourbon cask, the other a first-fill American oak cask — costs an average of $40.
Monkey Shoulder
This scotch is made specifically for mixing, and carries a variety of aromas and flavor notes found in different types of scotch from all over Scotland. Whether you use it as a mixer or not, its bright and citrusy flavors with warming notes of honey will please your palette, and will only cost you an average of $33.
Glenmorangie 10-Year
This is a single-malt Highland scotch whisky, only made from one type of malted barley, distilled in copper stills, and produced at one single distillery. It’s ripe with notes of honey, citrus, and vanilla from the bourbon cask maturation, making it a well-rounded and affordable scotch at an average of $41 per bottle.
Aberfeldy 12-Year
This is another scotch whisky with many different flavor notes like honey, citrus, and well-rounded malt. It's made at Aberfeldy’s distillery, which has access to its own water source and ferments its mash longer than other distillers, which gives it an intensified flavor, all for an average of $44 per bottle.