Smoke and cherry, peat and fruit, smooth and complex—there is hardly anything you can’t find in a good Scotch and besides, the bottles look really cool too. I’m not one to become a fanboy of either single-malt or blended Scotch but I do heartily recommend the five on this list, which include both single-malt and blended.
Best Overall: The Macallan 15-Year Triple Cask.
Runner Up: Lagavulin 16-Year
Best on a Budget: The Glenlivet 12-Year
Best Blended: Johnnie Walker Green Label 15-Year
For the Hell of it: Bowmore 12-Year
In case you have to run, are in a hurry, or just want to jump on Drizly and give one of these fine selections a go, the above list is just for you. For the rest of you, allow me to elaborate just a little bit more.
1. The Macallan 15-Year Triple Cask (Best Overall)
Photo by Daniel Horvath on Unsplash
I could have gone with the Macallan 25-year as it’s a truly exceptional, single-malt whisky. But, since most of us can’t sell a kidney on the black market to afford a bottle, I decided on the 15-year triple cask variety. Trust me, if you get your hands on this well-balanced whisky, you won’t miss the 25-year option.
Macallan is known for producing “sherry bombs” and the Macallan 15-year is no exception, however, this one manages to add a little spice, with hints of oak, grains, fresh bread, and a tiny bit of sweet orange to keep it all neatly held together. If you are a fan of apples, the finish can only be compared to that of baked apples.
This particular bottle is a triple cask because it spends its 15 years, evenly spread, aging in sherry-seasoned American oak, sherry-seasoned European oak, and oak barrels that once carried bourbon, which any whisky connoisseur knows can only come from Kentucky.
It’s difficult to go wrong with Macallan, regardless of age. They are one of the most popular distillers in Scotland and they have a dedicated fan base. It helps that Macallan has been around since the early half of the 19th century. Age doesn’t always mean everything, but with a triple cask bottle of 15-year, single-malt Scotch, it does.
2. Lagavulin 16-Year (Runner Up)
Photo by Nathaniel Worrell on Unsplash
This 16-year single-malt has been around since the 90s, which says something about its staying power that three decades has not diminished its popularity. However, this is an altogether different kind of Scotch from the Macallan above. If you love the taste and smell of peat, you’re going to be very pleased with what Lagavulin has to offer. There is plenty of smoke as well, especially in the nose, with subtler hints of sweet spice, sherry, and a splash of vanilla.
While there are those out there who prefer to make mixed drinks with Scotch (you know, those fruity bastards who mix Redbull with vodka and extend their pinky fingers when they take a sip), the best way to drink a single-malt of this caliber is straight, in a tumbler, with just a sprinkle of water to force those flavors to the top.
The Lagavulin 16-year has a strong, spicy finish, and here is where you will find the subtle notes of vanilla. The peat and the smoke follow you throughout the entire experience, however, so everything else is essentially an add-on.
3. The Glenlivet 12-Year (Best on a Budget)
Photo by At $41.99 a bottle, the Glenlivet 12-year is an absolute steal, especially if you appreciate a truly smooth experience. A glass of this is nothing if not sweet, buttery cream. It’s a very balanced single-malt and although the cream is the predominant feature, it also covers your palate with toffee, candied nuts, and a hint of cookies—of the Christmas season variety.
If you prefer “smooth,” this is as close as it gets, unless you opt for a bottle of Glenlivet 14-year, which has its own delightful flavor for not much more in the way of cost. If you are a fan of smoke and peat, you won’t satisfy your taste buds here. The neat thing about Scotch is that each distillery is a product of its own region. These distilleries are not in favor of extending their reach very far from home.
That’s why you can get a single-malt, vanilla, and cream flavor like this, and a spicy, peat, and smoke flavor with another brand of Scotch. The sheer variety makes you want to try them all, which is perhaps the point. Glenlivet, like Macallan, has been around since 1824 and has had the better part of 2 centuries to perfect its formula. Despite its low price, the Glenlivet 12-year is the perfect representative of the Speyside region style.
It’s also the perfect introduction if this is your first time making a foray into Scotch. If the Glenlivet 12-year is merely the beginning, imagine what else they have to offer.
4. Johnnie Walker Green Label 15-Year (Best Scotch Blend)
Image by There are those who will endlessly argue the virtues of single-malt over blends, however, no matter what side of the aisle you fall on, Johnnie Walker Green Label needs to be on your list. Johnnie Walker is a well-known name in Scotland and for good reason. They take the best of the best single malts and create a stylized and impressive blend. Then they label these blends in colors, such as Green Label and Blue Label.
Johnnie Walker Green label sits right below the $248 Johnnie Walker Blue Label without reflecting a price even approaching that. Green Label is composed of 27 single-malts, all aged 15 years and the result is a very satisfying experience. The flavor is honey syrup with a slight burn and a decidedly nutty, barrel-char finish.
On the nose, you’ll catch a bit of everything—peach, honey, grains, cinnamon, floral notes, and light fruit. If you want to add a bit of Granny Smith Apple and bananas, drink it straight with just a splash of water to draw everything out. Scotch is nothing if not surprisingly subtle until you add that tiny splash of water.
The best part of Johnnie Walker Green is that it resides neatly in the “Goldilocks zone.” Everything above Green Label, in terms of premium blended Scotch, is far too pricey, while everything below it has inconsistencies. It’s the perfect blended Scotch and at the perfect price as well.
5. Bowmore 12-Year (For the hell of it)
Photo by Anthony Torres on Unsplash
Might as well round out my top 5 with an excellent, 12-year Bowmore, just for the hell of it. Speaking of 12 years, these Scotch whiskies really seem to pull it off with terrific consistency. Despite being overlooked all of the time, Bowmore was the first legal distillery on the island, existing there since 1779. That’s a hell of a long time for Scotch whisky to be so eclipsed by the other Islay of Eight.
Of the other Scotch whiskies on this list, the Bowmore 12-year is probably the darkest and the first notes are a reflection of that. On the nose, you will capture smoky bergamot with an undertone of hay and the smoke definitely follows the nose to the palate. Vanilla, orange, honey, and smoke dominate the flavoring but never so much that it’s too intense.
Like the Glenlivet 12-year, the Bowmore 12-year is the perfect introductory Scotch, and judging by the quality, you’re in for a treat for the rest of the journey.
Final Thoughts
Bourbon whisky and rye whisky have their fine points but there is nothing quite as unique as a good Scotch. If you’ve never ventured into the realm of single-malt and blended Scotch whiskies before, you’ll be delighted by what you find and, if you choose some from this list, you won’t be disappointed.
My favorite is Chivas Regal 21 years, followed by Chivas Regal 18 years. And Johnnie Walker Black Label is my only brand, for regular use.
Have you tried Johnny Walker Green label? I love the stuff. I also have a Glenlivet 12 year and it’s the smoothest scotch I’ve ever had. The Chivas is definitely a good one though.
Glad to see all the support for my first article on Hive! Guess that means I’m going to have to make my way through all of the major liquors!
Hello @tdgodwin3780! This is @traciyork from the @ocd (Original Content Decentralized) curation team - long time, no see. 😂
We noticed you shared your first post here on Hive - congratulations and welcome! It would also be awesome if you could do an introduction post, so our community can get to know you better. For information on how to write an intro post, please check out the SELF INTRODUCTION section of the post 3 things Newbies should do in their first week on Hive.
Speaking of community, we have many different ones here on the blockchain, devoted to all kinds of interests. Here's a link so you can check them all out - Hive Communities. I see you've already discovered @raymondspeaks Man Cave (and as I said on Twitter, I'm biting my tongue... lmao), and I think you'll enjoy checking these out as well -
Scholar and Scribe
Freewriters Community
And of course @steevc's Whisky/Whiskey community. 😊
Also, as Hive can sometimes be quite confusing, the newly launched Newbies Guide should be helpful to you, as it is a growing repository of useful and easy to understand posts about how the Hive ecosystem works.
Please be aware that Hive is a bit different from other social media platforms since you are monetizing your blog, so it is important not to include content that you don't own without sources (and it shouldn't exceed 50% of the post). For more information, check this post - Why and How People Abuse and Plagiarise by hivewatchers.
For now, @lovesniper will follow your account and we are looking forward to seeing your intro post. Also, please tag @traciyork & @lovesniper in your intro post in order for us to be notified, so we can consider your post for OCD curation. Lastly, feel free to hop into the OCD Discord server if you have any questions!
Does it matter where the intro post goes or should I pick a specific community?
If you want to introduce yourself to a community at the same time (like a writing community) you could post it in that one. But for intro posts, sharing it in the OCD community works.
Also, just noticed that you didn't add a source to your Unsplash photos - when you have a moment, could you edit your post to add them? As I said about Hive being different, if you share content that isn't yours (even if it's Free To Use like your pictures), it's a good idea to make that clear. Thanks!
Will do. Getting hammered with clients at the moment but I will jump on there asap and get the introductory post up and source the photos. I appreciate it!
The rewards earned on this comment will go directly to the people( @baboz ) sharing the post on Twitter as long as they are registered with @poshtoken. Sign up at https://hiveposh.com.
Hello.
The account was verified:
https://hivewatchers.com/verifications?utf8=%E2%9C%93&verification%5Busername_search%5D=tdgodwin3780
Thank you
Oh, and complete forgot to mention in my Love Sniper comment - since you're on Discord, you might want to hop into The Man Cave discord. Funnily enough, the guys were talking about whiskey earlier today. 😄
Very nice review! I am glad to see that this was cross posted into our Whisky community. I had some Scotch this past weekend myself. I usually stick with bourbon or american whiskey, but I do have a bottle of Glenmorgaine Nectar D'or on my shelf and I had a couple of drams Friday night. I need to expand my collection a bit. I just haven't been able to bring myself to spend $70 on the Macallen 12 yet.
Hives got me in post prison right now but I’ll drop my new bourbon article in whisky asap. https://ecency.com/hive-174122/@tdgodwin3780/bourbon-whiskey-5-of-2022
Good deal. Glad you enjoyed the article! I’m actually working on a bourbon one now. The Macallan is excellent but if you enjoy something more smooth, it’s hard to beat the Glenlivet 12 and 18. It’s all flavor with those two. I pour a shot and a half (maybe two lol) in a whiskey tumbler and just a splash of water to bring out the flavors. Pure enjoyment.
I will have to check those out for sure! Thanks! I will keep an eye out for your bourbon one!
It’s up. https://ecency.com/hive-174122/@tdgodwin3780/bourbon-whiskey-5-of-2022
tell me more, great stuff
I’m thinking bourbon should be next. It’s got the history to match Scotch and they even have an interesting connection.
Take your time, make one at a time, add #ocd in the first 5 tags next time as well. You could also add this post to your main blog page.
I should buy one of the Green Label, sounds just awesome.
Price is rather cheap tho.
Actually no, don't add the OCD tag to your post as it has no purpose - we (the OCD curators) don't curate based on the tag, so it doesn't do anything other than take up space that could be better used for an appropriate tag.
Hello @traciyork, I don't think curation was on anybody's mind right now.
Then what was the purpose of suggesting the ocd tag?
Well it seems, he's a professional Men's Lifestyle & Hobbies Author creating high-quality content in that area. What are you suggesting?
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