Taster's Club's Top Scotch Rankings From Our Scotch Curator
With so many Scotches to choose from, it can be pretty tough to decide on your next bottle. That’s where Taster’s Club can help. We’ve chosen select bottles and provided some Scotch rankings based on a variety of flavors, characteristics, regions, processes, and barrel ages and finishes.
However you drink your Scotch, we like to find the most unique and versatile Scotches out there and we’ve got a wide variety in both our Scotch and Scotch Pro Clubs. Let’s take a look at our Curator’s top Scotch rankings for some of our most recent features.
Scotch #5 – Alexander Murray Deanston 17 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Deanston Distillery is located in Doune, just above the Highland region’s border. An independent bottling company that hand-picks some of the best Scotch whiskies, Alexander Murray & Co takes pride in imports from unique and often lesser-known distilleries and choose spectacular bottles, including this one.
We chose the Deanston 17-year-old single malt because of its specific flavor profile resulting from its production process. An open-top mash tun is used, and a waxy build-up in the ‘feints’ receiver creates a honey-like character. This pick is also part of the Vintage Malt Collection, featuring top single malts matured in multiple casks and vatted to produce layers of complexity. This gives an amazing sipping experience. Medium gold in color, you’ll get notes of biscuity malt and honeycomb on the nose and an initially sweet, then dry, sweet malt. It finishes off lusciously fruity.
Scotch #4 – The ImpEx Collection Cameronbridge 28 Year Old Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Located in Scotland’s eastern Highlands, Cameronbridge is one of the largest and oldest grain distillery in the UK and quite possibly the oldest in the world. What makes this distillery so unique is the fact that Diageo (who it’s now merged with) made Cameronbridge the world’s first distillery to combine biomass combustion, anaerobic digestion, and water recovery. The bio-energy facility is expected to generate up to 30MW of energy, which would meet 95% of the site's energy needs. To compare, new water recovery technology can recover up to 30% of distilling process water used. The new facility will save enough carbon to heat 10,000 homes and drastically improve the quality of the water it puts out.
This single grain Scotch is golden amber in color and aged for 28 years in Oloroso sherry casks before being bottled at natural strength 51.8% ABV. No filtration or color is added. We chose this bottle for softer-body whiskey lovers. It gives wood and sherry aromas and deep, rich, dark flavors and is balanced with a pleasant, dry finish.
Scotch #3 – The GlenAllachie 2009 12 yr PX Puncheon Single Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky
GlenAllachie Distillery, located near Aberlour in the Speyside Scotch whiskey region, is known for a rich, bold spirit with a soft and smooth, malty backbone. The distillery is proud to have won six awards at the 2019 Scottish Whisky Awards, including being named Scottish Whisky Distillery of the Year 2019 and five medals in the blind tasting competition.
We chose this single malt for its smooth spice on the palate and rich, sweet flavors after the initial sip. Matured in Pedro Ximénez, Oloroso, and virgin oak casks, this whiskey is the perfect pre-dinner drink. It has a:
- Gentle, elegant body,
- Light character,
- Flavor profile of fruit, oak, and vanilla, and
- A warm, medium, slightly chocolatey finish.
Scotch #2 – Murray & McDavid Fettercairn 19 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The Murray & McDavid Fettercairn 19-Year-Old Single Malt is from the traditional, picturesque Fettercairn distillery in the Cairngorm Mountains foothills of the eastern Highlands. What makes this pick so unique is not only its limited release of just 296 bottles, but also the Fettercairn character and cask quality from Murray & McDavid's traditional Victorian dunnage warehouse at Speyside’s Coleburn Distillery.
We love this single malt Scotch for its sweet vanilla and spicy notes coming from the highly active American oak. Try it and notice the candy, toffee apple, floral, and pear aromas along with tasting notes of tangerine, mandarin green tea, and roasted chestnuts.
Scotch #1 – Gordon & MacPhail Cao Ila 17 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Founded in 1846, Caol Ila (“Cull Eela”) is located on the Isle of Islay in Scotland. The distillery is known for its distinct peaty, smoky whiskies found in the Islay region. Tall copper pot stills create a light single malt Scotch that matures well in both bespoke bourbon and sherry casks.
A very light golden color and medium in body, this spirit delivers aromas of sweet toasted cereal, rich caramelized banana, lemon peel, green apple, vanilla, and a bit of smoke. On the palate, you’ll get melon, banana, and apple, evolving into black pepper, juicy pear, charred oak, peat smoke, and a hint of sea salt. The smoky single malt finishes long with citrus and sea salt combined with a good dose of peat smoke.
Now that you’ve taken a look through our top Scotch rankings, it’s a great time to check out our Scotch Club, which is also an excellent gift choice. Or, peruse our bottle shop for other unique Scotch whiskys.
