Best Scotch Under $50

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 Single Malt Scotch Whisky 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.

All hail to the Monarch. It all started in 1846 when John Dewar Sr. laid the foundations for this famous brand. While he was known as a pretty good Whisky blender, the actual breakthrough happened after the company passed on to his sons. Not to exaggerate, but they truly turned out to be a duo of impressively fruitful apples that took the legacy of their father’s company to the very top of the ladder. How? With propelling the brand into the global market, a brilliant marketing strategy, a meticulous attention to detail, and by just casually pioneering the concept of “marrying” — assembling a blend and then returning it to the cask to homogenize together. Today the brand lies in the hands of Bacardi, but their logo still remains a Celtic truth knot, made out of three D’s that symbolize the legacy of John Dewar and his two sons — John Alexander Dewar and Tommy Dewar. Their 15-Year-Old blended Scotch is the first one that was created by the Master Blender Stephanie Macleod. It’s a wonderfully balanced expression that’s matured in Sherry and Bourbon casks before getting blended together— and you how it goes... first comes the blend, then comes marriage in selected oak casks, then comes an exceptionally smooth Whisky. And, fitting to its regal name, this Monarch surrounded itself with some of that bling-bling as well, winning a gold medal for two consecutive years at the International Spirits Challenge for the best Blended Scotch between 12 and 20 years old.

A ticket into the wonderful world of Aberfeldy. Aberfeldy Distillery was founded by John Dewar & Sons, Ltd. in 1896, they opened their doors in 1898. It sits on the eastern outskirts of Aberfeldy, on the southern bank of the upper Tay. Aberfeldy sources its water from the Pitilie Burn, which runs alongside the distillery and is rich in alluvial gold. You won't find any nuggets in the bottle, but it is at least known to be exceptionally pure. Needless to say, these laddies make a pretty damn decent drink. Oh, and they are partnered with local beekeepers as well, raising awareness one hot toddy at a time. The Aberfeldy 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky comes from the Last Great Malts series and is a great showcase as well as the perfect entry point into the lineup. It's a Highland Single Malt made from 100% malted barley that has spent its dozen years in American oak ― some ex-Bourbon, some ex-Sherry. Fruity & creamy, full-bodied, and well balanced, it's a treat for the senses that is bound to make you want to delve deeper into Aberfeldy. 

OK… I’ll say it… Monkey Shoulder doesn’t monkey around, so if you like Highland malts, this Speyside Trifecta is for you.   Monkey Shoulder has nothing to do with actual monkeys… which might be a little disappointing, right? I mean, how cool would a Scotch-drinking monkey be? "Angus!  Your monkey got in me liquor cabinet again, the cheeky bastard!" Anyway, the term "Monkey Shoulder" refers to the stooped shoulders of the men who used to turn the malt by hand with large shovels. The Whiskey name tips a hat to those old, hearty blokes.      Monkey Shoulder is owned by William Grant and Sons… and it seems that they own a little piece of everything in the Highlands. Monkey Shoulder is a stand-alone product, which brings us to the special magic of the Whiskey itself.      It’s no secret that large Spirit companies segment their products. They run their individual distilleries and package the premium Single Malts as independent brands. All of the "non-premium" product is shuffled off to blending houses for entry-level use. Hey, it’s all good, we get it.  But what happens when you have some of your best, most highly-prized Single Malts producing a lot of the really good stuff… stuff too good for the bottom shelf and discount bins?      Monkey Shoulder is officially a "Triple Malt."  This means that it is NOT a random amalgamation of whatever is on hand. This is a special blend of the premium Whiskies from ONLY Glenfiddich, Balvenie, and the Kininvie distilleries. It other words, it is a blend of three winners… a Speyside Trifecta of consistent Highland awesomeness. WAY too good to think of as a anything less than the premium quality product that it most certainly is.   

Ahoy there! The Bunna’ Boat has arrived! Starting a distillery back in the nineteenth century came with its fair share of difficulties but none more so than for Bunnahabhain. After starting his career as a Whisky blender, William Robertson founded the distillery in 1881 in the most Northern part of Islay. Due to the virtually unlimited water access of the nearby Loch Staoinsha and great access to the sea for transportation, this really was a great location for making and distributing Scotch Whisky. It was, however, one of the most remote parts of a remote Scottish island. Boilers were blown off the beach during construction, a special road had to be built to access the distillery and even new houses 3-Year-Old nearby for the workforce. Despite the challenges, Bunnahabhain’s unique lightly Peated Islay Malt and strong connections to the sea, have seen the distillery survive and prosper until today. Bunnahabhain has released this no-age Statement Scotch called Stiùireadair, which was an instant success. The word stands for Helmsman and the Whisky intends to pay homage to the sailors who have helped Bunnahabhain transport their Scotch to the mainland. Their distillery manager Andrew Brown describes it as a tribute to the sea that also stays true to the artisanal character of Bunnahabhain Scotch. The final spirit has all been matured at the distillery in a mixture of first-fill and second-fill Sherry casks before being bottled at 46.3%. Given the effort that has gone into keeping this distillery going, the least you could do is give this one a try.