The 10 best whiskeys (not only Scottish) under 100 €
Excellent whiskeys under € 100
Aberlour Founding
Aberlour A'Bunadh is a delicious whiskey. The single malt is aged in oloroso sherry casks and bottled at full strength, for one of the boldest and richest sherry whiskeys you can sip.
Tons of notes of red berries, plum and candied fruit will hit you with this whiskey, but don't worry: they are followed by more intense notes of clove and caramel, with a dry and long finish.
Ardbeg Corryvreckan
Bottled at a pounding 57,1%, this thick scotch carries many multi-layered facets and like most whiskey bottled above 45% benefits from some water to help unlock the true potential it holds.
Even a slight splash will spin this malt, starting a chain reaction that opens the whiskey and allows notes that were previously hidden deep to float to the surface. A really nice smoky shot.
Talisker 8 Anni
It is a Diageo special release and like all Diageo special editions it is bottled at full alcohol content (in this case 57,9%), it does not undergo cold filtration or addition of dyes.
Moreover, its particularity lies in the finish in rum barrels, something new for the single malts of the Diageo house.
The nose is characterized by smoked peat and a penetrating scent of roast meat although the whole is surrounded by an aura of sweetness thanks to the finish in rum barrels.
The peat grows on the palate, smoky but always soft, with a peppery texture that is less charged than one might expect.
The shades remain in the sweet and salty area, perhaps with a slight predominance of the latter, but it is really a trifle: the balance between the sweet and salty components is masterful and fun, it fills the mouth and presents with each sip with different variations while remaining in the same score.
Macallan 12 Triple Cask
The 12-year-old Triple Cask Macallan smells of cooked spice and vanilla, with hints of white chocolate emerging.
On the palate, it has unmistakable notes of fresh ginger alongside dark berries, caramel, black pepper and rich cocoa, all combined for a mature and sophisticated drink. Honey delicately envelops the whiskey in a very persistent finish.
Glenfarclas 21 years old
A delicious Scotch whiskey by all accounts - and an intensity of flavor rarely found in a 43% alcohol whiskey. A fair amount of complexity, well balanced between sweet, spicy and woody elements, a creamy mouthfeel.
So far, this is our favorite version of Glenfarclas. Even at 43%, it handles some water well - with fruit notes rising, but without losing its spiciness.
Excellent value for money, not many other whiskeys aged 21 years at this price, much less of this quality.
Jura 18 Years
The nose is quite light and herbaceous, with notes of white grapes. There is no shortage of sweet fragrances of milk chocolate and roasted coffee. With a splash of water, there are some slightly peaty aromas and a touch of cherry.
On the palate it shows a more sherry side. This is a Scot that starts with a sweet taste to slowly fade into bitter and more spicy notes. Notes of chocolate and charcoal blend with a touch of raisins and dried fruit.
Some soft notes of candied lemon.
Mortlach 16 years
Tons of dense aromas of sherry, deep dried berries and roasted nuts balance perfectly with the bold and savory character of the malt that Mortlach is known for.
We have long wanted affordable bottling in old age from this exemplary Speyside distillery, and now it finally exists.
Lagavulin Distillers Edition
Like all Diageo distillers editions, Lagavulin DE also has a double maturation which combines, in addition to the classic one in ex-bourbon barrels, one in ex-sherry Pedro Ximenez barrels, thus enriching the aromatic bouquet of the famous Lagavulin 16, the starting point of this whiskey.
Distilled in 2005 and bottled in 2020, this full-bodied scotch is sweet and luscious with a robust smoke along with a very salty hint of coffee, vanilla and a hint of fruit. It has an incredibly long and engaging finish of fruit, peat and oak.
This Lagavulin special needs to be served in a traditional whiskey glass, straight or with a little water.
Teeling Brabazon
After a wide range of Scots, we arrive in Ireland, a land that is competing for the birthright of this distillate together with Scotland.
Teeling is one of the best Irish distilleries, the one selected is a whiskey aged first in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished in port barrels.
On the nose it is succulent and fruity with white peach, tons of apricot, real stickiness, honey tones and a creamy malt in the back.
The taste has a nice explosion of fruit, peach returns which is complemented by orange marmalade, fresh strawberry jam, with a hint of honey and malty on the nose.
King Car Kavalan
This is something extremely interesting, it is a single malt coming from one of the most awarded distilleries in the world, located in Taiwan, a country where the hot climate quickly accelerates the maturation of whiskey which has a angel’s share 10-12% per annum.
On the nose sweetness through honey and vanilla immediately in advance. Coconut and banana enhance the tropical aroma often associated with King Car Distillery and their warm and rapid ripening.
A certain degree of cinnamon, musk and frankincense which becomes more pronounced with the addition of water.
On the palate there is a slightly spicy attack that contains tropical fruits (coconut and banana) along with a smattering of greener fruit (apples and pears).
The vinous notes emerge with some lively wood spices, in the form of cinnamon and pepper. Vanilla is always present from what is clearly a heavy oak dosage.
