Best Scotch Under $50

A pleasant burn. The waters in these parts of Speyside are known not only for their purity but also for their healing powers according to druid priests that lived there in times of the Celts. Later, they used the same water to baptise them into Christianity. So it is no wonder they used nature's best and produced a fantastic product. What better thing to make from water than Whisky!? True to this legacy and heritage, young James Fleming, a farmer's son who supplied grain to local distilleries had a dream to build a perfect distillery in the 19th century. A daring modernist as he was, he did not let anything differ from his expectations. And his dream of the perfect dram lives to this day, in the Aberlour Distillery. Aberlour 12 Year Old Double Cask is matured in two kinds of casks, in ex-Sherry and ex-Bourbon for at least 12 years and then "married" together for a short period before bottling. A heavy, brooding malt that is warming with lashes of Sherry, dark fruits and wood smoke that is not to be trifled with. Definitely one of the best value Speyside malts around.

Classic Laphroaig. Laphroaig distillery was founded in 1815 by Donald and Alexander Johnston and is located in Port Ellen, Isle of Islay. Although Laphroaig isn't allowed to put the prefix ‘Royal’ in its name (yet), rumour has it his royal princeness Charles of Wales is a fan of the ‘L’ Whisky. The 15-year-old is reportedly the prince's favourite Scotch. For a long while there’s been frenzy for Laphroaig’s Scotch, especially those less-available expressions. Laphroaig 10 Year Old is the original Laphroaig, distilled the same way today as it was when Ian Hunter invented over 75 years ago. It’s the quintessential Islay Scotch, heavily peated and very medicinal. Indeed, many-a-Scotch lover has lost its flavour virginity to it. 

In what could be our favorite Single Malt limited release from The Glenlivet without the risk of jail-time. George Smith was running an illegal still on the estate of the Duke of Gordon in the wee early 1800’s — to whom he covertly supplied the occasional dram. The Duke sponsored legislation in 1823 that made whiskey distilling legal in the UK, it just so happens that George Smith was the first one granted a license. Total coincidence. Today The Glenlivet is one of the “Big Three” Single Malt producers. Their Whiskies are Speyside in both location and character and the water for the mash comes famously from “Josie’s Well” nearby. The Glenlivet produces a wide variety of Single Malt agings and cask combinations, with the remaining spirit serving as an indispensable component in some of the most famous blends. When Glenlivet decided to try to recapture the flavor and feel of George Smith’s original Single Malt — you know, the one that may or may not have been distilled in secret — they could have decided to name the limited edition “bootlegger,” scofflaw,” “tax dodger,” or “fugitive.” But they ultimately chose a different direction. The Glenlivet 12 Year Old is fundamentally the classic Single malt we all love. But it’s been aged a full twelve years and bottled at a stunning 48% ABV without chill-filtration so it tastes even more Glenlivet-y, more Speyside-ery and definitely more legal-ish.

Double Aged, doubly smooth. Dewar's dates back to 1846, when one John Dewar, Sr. started blending Whisky, one of the first Scots to do so. By 1896 his sons made the brand a global market leader. It's hit some ups and downs through the years, had its ownership changed a couple times, until finally settling in its new home in the hands of Bacardi in 1998. Their Scotch has been a hit on US soil for a while, holding the no. 1 spot in bottles sold. Dewar's 15 Year Old was crafted by Dewar's first female Master Blender Stephanie Macleod, who drew inspiration from Sir Edwin Landseer's painting "The Monarch of the Glen". It's a combination of a whopping 40 different liquids that have been aged in Sherry as well as Bourbon casks. The oldest among them is 27 years old! The blend is then finished in oak casks, giving all the delicious flavors a chance to come together. 

Winterfell Scotch, hot as deepest ice. Winter is coming once again and this time it's the final countdown to the war between Westeros and those pesky ice-zombies. To alleviate the period of waiting, HBO teamed up with DIAGEO, forged eight rare Scotches and paired them with the royal Houses of Westeros. Each bottle tells a wonderful story about one of the Seven Kingdoms and each has a character so unique, we're afraid the Writer might kill it off. It's time to bring some medieval intrigue to your home bar and hum the intro theme. Winter is coming in a bottle and one should treat this frosty Whisky that way. From Scotland's Highest and coldest distillery comes a wonderful Scotch Whisky distilled in harsh winter and it has a rugged character that represents House Stark. It's intended to be served from the freezer, bringing out rich and smooth taste of honey with a hint of peat. We imagine a cask of Dalwhinnie Winter's Frost sitting in cellar of Winterfell. It's sweet as Sansa and ferocious as Arya. It can't be tamed but its flavors will make you lose your head (geddit?).