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Best Single Malt Scotch under $200?

r.j.s

r.j.s

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Mar 7, 2007
15,026
52
Texas
I'm looking for a great bottle of single malt scotch that's under $200.

This is what I've had (in order of preference):

  1. Macallan 18
  2. Highland Park 18
  3. Balvenie 15
  4. Glenlivet 15

I prefer Speyside or Highland, and don't like the more peaty flavors of Islay.

Suggestions?
 
bartelby said:
The person who made that list seems to like Islays. Which tells me to not take any notice of it if you're not an Islay fan.
Click to expand...

I noticed that too. That, and there is little chance most of those can still be found - they look to reference specific vintages ... the Macallan 18 listed is a 1982 vintage.
 
r.j.s said:
I noticed that too. That, and there is little chance most of those can still be found - they look to reference specific vintages ... the Macallan 18 listed is a 1982 vintage.
Click to expand...

I didn't notice the vintage thing, just looked at the distilleries.
Looks more like a bragging list now...
:)
 
Well, a springbank should be on the list, ranging from 9 till 50 yrs old.

And if you liked the balvenie, you should try the balvenie double wood sometime.

GB
 
Too bad you're not a fan of the Islay stuff... I love the Bruichladdich 15 year old... Good stuff. It's supposed to be very light on the peat.
 
I tried scotch one time, I will have to find out what it was (it was my boss's). Probably the strongest thing I have ever drank. But I will have to look at the scotch selection at the local liquor store next time I am stocking up on beverages.
 
gobo said:
Well, a springbank should be on the list, ranging from 9 till 50 yrs old.

And if you liked the balvenie, you should try the balvenie double wood sometime.

GB
Click to expand...

Double Wood is good. Portwood is fantastic.

I still have some Signature left.
 
r.j.s said:
That was a quick trip to the liquor store. ;)
Click to expand...

Haha, yes I just looked it up. I didn't purchase it, it is what my boss happened to have. I guess the cigars we smoked were probably more expensive than the scotch (the big boss was here, him and another guy get cigars rolled from a guy in Florida, they buy them in bulk, like 300 cigars at a time in order to get the cost down to $10 a cigar).
 
Ardbeg. This is by far my favorite single malt. Very smokey and just plain delicious. You can get a .750ml bottle for around $120.00. If you ever go to a bar that has this get it on the rocks with a tiny splash of water. You will not be disappointed.

https://www.ardbeg.com/home.asp
 
You see people in movies drinking Scotch all the time. I've tried it and it tastes just plain disgusting as the alcohol taste is too over powering.

How do you acquire a taste for it?

Being from Scotland myself, I guessing this would be much cheaper for me to buy than it is for people living in the US?
 
ShaunPriest said:
You see people in movies drinking Scotch all the time. I've tried it and it tastes just plain disgusting as the alcohol taste is too over powering.

How do you acquire a taste for it?

Being from Scotland myself, I guessing this would be much cheaper for me to buy than it is for people living in the US?
Click to expand...

You've been drinking the wrong stuff then. It should be no harsher than any other spirit.

Never drink a blended whisky, they're all ***** IMHO. I don't care how much they cost.
Even mixing the greatest single malts together would end up rubbish.
Johnny Walker, even the expensive stuff, is rubbish. Yet it's component parts on their own are bloody good.

Highland and Speyside whiskies are generally the mildest.
Islays are the vile smokey, peaty seaweedy ones. Bleugh!!!
Juras are kind of inbetween those.
 
ShaunPriest said:
You see people in movies drinking Scotch all the time. I've tried it and it tastes just plain disgusting as the alcohol taste is too over powering.

How do you acquire a taste for it?

Being from Scotland myself, I guessing this would be much cheaper for me to buy than it is for people living in the US?
Click to expand...

I acquired my taste for it by spending a couple months on an icebreaker with a bunch of retired Coast Guard and Mounties. Haven't met a Scotch I didn't like, though some go down better than others. I prefer the Islays, so won't recommend to the OP - perhaps they should get themselves to a Scotch tasting? It really should be a personal choice.

ShaunPriest could likely make a bunch of new friends if he got into the business of shipping bottles from his home country to his new friends here. As gifts. Duty Free. Though of course I would send a money order as a gift, coincidentally for the same value as the bottle. :D
 
bartelby said:
The person who made that list seems to like Islays. Which tells me to not take any notice of it if you're not an Islay fan.
Click to expand...

I caught on that he's always raving about Islays also. I'm not that big of a fan of them.

I don't think you need to spend anywhere close to $200 to get a good scotch. If you're going to spend that much money on a malt, make sure you can tell the difference in quality. I've had expensive malts that to me aren't as good as the one I picked up for $50. To the OP, the ones you've picked out shouldn't cost anywhere near $200... And tastes differ, but I wouldn't go for Highland Park.

Macallan distills some choice drams, as does Balvenie. I prefer Balvenie personally since they handle more of the process themselves.
 
Just to put my tuppence worth in, I find that Glenmorangie is very smooth to my taste. I cannot remember how mother's milk tasted but it must have been similar.

KGB
 
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