Notwithstanding the tremendous growth in demand for single malt Scotch whisky, two-thirds of Scotch whisky sales are still in the form of blends. To be sure, in the last several decades this segment has seen dramatic changes and a significant premiumization of the category. Those changes have included the proliferation of age statements on blends as well as the release of ultra-premium blends both with and without age statements.
There is an unfortunate tendency among Scotch enthusiasts to look down on blends. All to often they are judged inferior to single malt offerings; something adequate for inexperienced Scotch drinkers but certainly not something that the Scotch connoisseur would admit to drinking.
That’s unfortunate. Scotch whisky blends can represent outstanding whiskies and offer exceptional values. Below is a selection of outstanding blended Scotch whiskies. They range from entry level brands to premium selections. Many are multiple award winners. They all offer an excellent whisky that is available at a compelling price in relation to its peers.
- Grand Old Parr, 12 YO, 43% ABV, 750 ml, $30
An amazing blend. A smooth, sherried Scotch whisky owned by Diageo. Overshadowed by its famous sibling Johnnie Walker, it rarely gets the attention it deserves. It is based primarily on Cragganmore and Glendullan malts. Unavailable in Great Britain, it’s the Scotch whisky Brits bring home from overseas trips.
- Dimple Pinch, 15 YO, 40% ABV, 750 ml, $28
Rich, smooth and complex. Another, often forgotten blended whisky that offers exceptional value for the price. Based on Glenkinchie and Linkwood malts with additions from other northern highland distilleries.
- Monkey Shoulder, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Batch 27, NAS, 43% ABV, 750 ml, $25
This is a blend of 3 Speyside malt whiskies all owned by William Grant & Sons: Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kininvie. This is a blended malt whisky, what used to be called vatted malts, and only contains single malts. The name Monkey Shoulder is a reference to a repetitive shoulder injury caused by shoveling malted barley by hand. Batch 27 refers to the practice of blending 27 barrels at a time for each bottling.
- Chivas Regal, 12 YO, 40% ABV, 750 ml, $30
Another consistent multiple award winner, Chivas 12 YO is a very refined, blended whisky replete with notes of honey, fruit and dried herbs. Exceptionally rich and creamy it offers a complex and nuanced array of aromas and flavors. An exceptional value for the price.
Looking to move up market, then consider the Chivas Regal Ultis, NAS, 40% ABV, 750 ml, $140
This is a blended malt whisky drawn from what the distillery calls the top 1% of its casks. It is a blend of 5 single malts: Tormore, Longmorn, Allt A’Bhainne, Braevel and Strathisla. These are the same malts used in the Chivas range of blended whiskies. A blend that offers a refined, intense expression of the Chivas signature style.
If your wallet can afford it, they go for the Chivas Regal, 25 YO, 40% ABV, 750 ml, $280. Jim Murrray’s Best Blended Scotch Whisky of the Year for 2009. A superby well crafted blended whisky.
- Dewar’s, 18 YO Scotch Whisky, 40% ABV, 750 ml, $50
An excellent, slightly peated Scotch redolent with aromas of cooked cereals and fresh herbal and floral aromas of newly cut hay and ripe fruit. First aged in ex-bourbon casks and then married in a vat for a second extended aging.
Consider also the Dewar’s Signature, NAS, 40% ABV, 750 ml, $160. An exceptionally smooth whisky in the Dewar’s style. Jim Murray gave it a 95-point score, among the highest he has ever given to a blended Scotch whisky. An outstanding value, even at an average price of $160.
- The Famous Grouse Mellow Gold, NAS, 40% ABV, 700 ml, $28
Mellow Gold was added to the Famous Grouse core range in 2015. It is a more sherried version of the regular Famous Grouse bottling. Like its siblings it is based on Macallan, Glenturret and Highland Park malts and uses a higher proportion of first fill sherry casks than the regular Famous Grouse. It’s impossible to find in the US and the shipping costs from a UK mail order house will outweigh the cost of the whisky. Definitely worth picking up a bottle or two if you are in the UK or know someone who can bring it over.
The Famous Grouse 18 YO, 43% ABV, 750 ml, is much easier to find in the US. At an average price of $80 it’s also a terrific value. An incredibly outstanding value is The Famous Grouse, 30 YO, 43% ABV, 700 ml. Unfortunately, this is another impossible to find whisky in the US. You can sometimes find it overseas for around $200. Vinopolis in Gibraltar has it for $150, but you will have to pick it up yourself.
See also UK based mail order vendors like The Whiskey Exchange or Master of Malt
- Johnnie Walker Gold Label Centenary Blend, 18 YO, 40% ABV, 750 ml, $90
Gold Label is an 18 YO blend that 1s absolutely outstanding, but which has now been sadly discontinued by Diageo. It is a blend of 15 whiskies, each at least 18 years old built around the unmistakeable honeyed notes of Clynelish single malt.
It was replaced by Johnnie Walker Gold Label Reserve, a NAS whisky that unfortunately offers a completely different aroma and taste profile than its illustrious predecessor. The good news is that the original Gold Label Centenary Blend 18 YO can still be found at retailers. If you find it snap it up, or two or three. It’s a great value and once it’s gone will never be repeated. See wine-searcher.com for retailers still carrying it. Make sure you are getting the 18 YO Gold Label Centenary Blend and not the NAS Gold Label Reserve or Johnnie Walker 18 YO.
- Johnnie Walker Blue Label, King George V, NAS, 43% ABV, 750 ml, $310
A blended whisky made to celebrate the award of a Royal Warrant to Johnnie Walker by George V. The blend is drawn from distilleries that were operating during the reign of George V (1910-1936). Some of these distilleries, liked the famed Port Ellen distillery, are no longer in operation. Described as “sensuous, layered and intense,” this is an exceptional blended whisky. The recommended list price is around $450, but is available from retailers for as little as $310 per bottle.
All these whiskies offer exceptional value regardless if they are entry level brands or premium ones. There’s something here to suit every taste and every wallet!
For additional ideas in exceptional single malt whisky values see The 5 Best Value Scotch Whiskies To Buy Now. For other spirit ideas see Finding The Perfect Father’s Day Gift.
