Well everyone is watching their pennies these days and Scotch buyers are no different from the rest in that respect.  In the last several years the price of a good single malt has marched skyward but there are still a few bargains out there to be had and I’m not talking about off brands or low quality drams.

Here’s a list of some of my faves that are still under $50 although some whisky retailers sell them at a higher price.

I’ll start off with one that is no longer being bottled but is still available, and one of the few Bruichladdich bottlings that are under the $50 mark, that is the Bruichladdich 3D The Peat Proposal, this includes a vatting of three peating levels of Bruichladdich and comes from the early days of Jim McEwan’s reign as Master Distiller when he was still trying to figure out what to do with the existing stock he had inherited and before he started experimenting with the super peated Octomores and Port Charlottes. This is mild in comparison to those drams just mentioned but quite nice.

And while we’re on Islay, let’s not forget one of the grand-daddys of the Islay peaty whiskies, Laphroaig 10. 

This is still a very distinctive and enjoyable peaty whisky and has spawned a lot of variations in the last few years, but it has a classic balance between sweetness and peatiness without being overwhelming (as long as you are used to peaty whiskies).

And finally another Islay distillery brought back to life, Ardbeg, specifically the Ardbeg 10.  Again this may pale in comparison to recent bottlings Super Nova and Roller Coaster, but it is much more balanced and is a dram one could drink regularly without a Peat-Hangover the next day or week. This one I have seen on sale for $40, but usually is a tad higher than $50.

Heading to the Highlands and Speyside there are several well-known drams that fall into our price window: Macallan 12, Balvenie 12 Doublewood, Aberlour 12 and the lesser known but non lesser quality, Glenfarclas 10. These are all fantastic drams with a heavy sherry influence.   Macallan 12 is the classic of this group but I also like the Balvenie 12 Doublewood quite a lot because it is not quite as heavy as say the Aberlour or the Macallan. Another Highland distillery, with a dram not so heavily influenced by sherry is Clynelish 14, which has a very malty dram that has a nice oily, slightly smoky palate.

Finally, for our Scottish drams,  off to the Orkney Islands for Highland Park 12.  Slightly smoky, slightly sweet but a very mouth-filing dram. The 12 is a classic in the Diageo line of whiskies, has won multiple awards and is rated 91 in Jim Murray’s 2010 Whisky Bible.

One last whiskey, an American Bourbon, available only at liquor store, Binny’s in Chicago, an exclusive single barrel bottling of  Elijah Craig 18 year old.  If this is the same bottling rated in the 2010 Whisky Bible, it is rated 93.5!

Most of the pricing info for this piece is quoted from the Binny’s webiste.  As they say, “Prices may vary.” 

Fortunately for us the quality does not.

Cheers to you and your quest for the best deals in Whisky.