We've Tasted Hundreds of Scotch Whiskies. These 16 Bottles Are the Best of 2024

Scotch gets complicated quickly. Its home, Scotland, comprises over 140 whisky distilleries, all of which use just three ingredients—malted barley, water, and yeast—to make thousands of versions of one product that can cost anywhere from $20 to $2.7 million for a single bottle. Even more bewildering, those distilleries release hundreds of new bottlings every year. Some remain part of a brand’s core lineup, while others disappear, never to be seen again.

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Becoming a true whisky expert means sipping through bottle after bottle of every type of Scotch from all corners of William Wallace’s homeland. To spare your liver while taking your Scotch chops to the next level, we gathered the best Scotch whiskies out there and did the heavy sipping for you. 

Whether you’re looking to savor something smoky or just make a way better Rob Roy than the dive bar down the block, these 15 standout bottles have you covered. Our top pick, Glenfarclas 25 Years Old, is a whisky lover’s whisky that comes at a price point simply unmatched when looking for Scotch aged more than 20 years.

I also spoke with experts to make this list: Michele Mariotti, Head of The Beverage Programme at The Gleneagles Hotel, home to The Century Bar, which features over 300 whiskies, including very rare pours like The Dalmore Constellation 1969 and Glenfarclas 1953 Coronation; and Martin Siska, the director of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts’ European bars, who helps oversee Scarfes Bar, which was named one of the best bars in the world.

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Related: 50 Best Whiskeys in the World 2023

Best Scotch Whisky at a Glance

• Best Overall Scotch: Glenfarclas 25-Year-Old
• Best Scotch for Cocktails: Compass Box The Peat Monster
• Best Blended Scotch: Johnnie Walker Blue Label
• Best Crowd-Pleasing Scotch: The Macallan Double Cask 18 Years Old
• Best Scotch Under $50: Johnnie Walker Black Label
• Best New Scotch: Aberfeldy 21 Years Old
• Best Scotch Whisky You Haven’t Heard of, Until Now: Longmorn 18
• Best Speyside Scotch: Mortlach 20
• Best Highland Scotch: Oban Distillers Edition
• Best Islay Scotch: Lagavulin 16
• Best Campbeltown Scotch: Springbank 10
• Best Scotch Under $100: GlenGrant 15 Years Old
• Best Cask-Strength Scotch: Octomore 14.3
• Best Peaty Scotch: Ardbeg Uigeadail
• Best Port-Cask Finished Scotch: The Dalmore Port Wood
• Best Sherry Bomb Scotch: The GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 12

Best Scotch Whisky of 2024

Best Overall Scotch: Glenfarclas 25-Year-Old

Glenfarclas has been family-owned since John Grant purchased it on June 8, 1865. Now under the helm of the sixth generation, the distillery continues to produce some of the world’s most prized whiskies. Of all its delicious offerings, the 25-Year-Old continues to impress the most.

Aged exclusively in Oloroso sherry casks, this Scotch delivers a nose of marmalade, honey, coffee, sherry, and nuts. The full and rich palate brings more sherry along with oak, leading to a long and dry finish with notes of malt, smoke, and dark chocolate.

While trekking through the picturesque coastal town of Oban some years ago, I was treated to a round of Glenfarclas 25 by a local Scotsman as part of a back-and-forth, Scotch-for-Scotch exchange that lasted a few whiskies longer than it should have. The rounds came part way through a hiking trip around Scotland, the night before a four-hour rocky boat to Islay. To this day, the whisky holds strong in my memory.

Best Scotch for Cocktails: Compass Box The Peat Monster

A blended whisky made from a combination of two of Islay’s most famous whiskies, Laphroaig and Caol Ila, as well as a Highland malt blend, The Peat Monster combines smoky coastal notes—think driftwood—with those medicinal peat aromas and flavors that the Queen of the Hebrides is best known for.

“Islay Single Malt whisky is great in an old fashioned, due to its smoky notes, and brings a different twist to a classic whisky cocktail,” says Siska. “I would never suggest an overly expensive whisky in a cocktail, as it will just get lost.” The Peat Monster checks all those boxes.

Take into account that the guy who invented the penicillin cocktail used The Peat Monster as a topper for the now famed drink, and it’s easy to see why this bottle belongs in everyone’s liquor cabinet. Try it in a smoky Scotch old fashioned, a simple highball, or the previously mentioned penicillin if you’re looking to impress guests.

Best Blended Scotch: Johnnie Walker Blue Label

Back when blended malts were all the rage, people trusted the individuals at the helm to be putting together something perfect for all of our taste buds. While today’s single malt-leaning whisky aficionados seem more determined than ever to seek their favorite pour from the natural bounty of the land where a spirit exclusively comes from, blended whiskies needn’t be overlooked. Indeed, some of the world’s best whiskies are blends.

When it comes to classics, you can’t go wrong with Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Once the definitive whisky of the boardroom, only one out of every 10,000 casks in their stocks makes the cut for this blend, according to JW. Many of those come from shuttered distilleries.

This full, well-balanced whisky is a treat whenever you get to try it. If you’re a fan and looking to try a slightly different version of this beauty, Johnnie Walker just rolled out an Umami-inspired bottling.

Related: I’ve Tasted Hundreds of Whiskies. This Classic Luxury Scotch Is the Best You Can Buy

Best Crowd-Pleasing Scotch: The Macallan Double Cask 18 Years Old

If you’re looking for an “all-rounder,” look no further than The Macallan, says Mariotti. “It’s recognized to be one of the best malts out there, be that for your first steps in the whisky world or for full connoisseurs.” 

Yes, Double Cask 18 Years Old is pricey. When Siska calls it one of Scarfes Bar’s favorite single malts—frequently used in the bar’s cocktails—you know it’s worth the price. 

The name comes from the two distinct oaks, American and European, used to create this single malt, both seasoned with dry Oloroso sherry. Bottled at 43% ABV, the whisky delivers aromas of dried fruit, toffee, and vanilla alongside notes of oak, baked apple, honey, and cacao. The palate offers notes of sweet raisin and sultana from the sherry, which builds with hints of vanilla, wood spice, and citrus. Warm crystalized ginger, caramel, and citrus linger throughout the finish as well as its creamy mouthfeel.

Best Scotch Under $50: Johnnie Walker Black Label

The beauty of this bottle is in its versatility. You can use it in highballs, in the complex whisky cocktail of the moment, or even mix it with Coke without feeling guilty. And while it may lack the Elliott Smith referenceability, it’s smoother and cleaner than its younger sibling.

This is the original Walker family blend, handcrafted from a blend of up to 40 Scotch whiskies aged a minimum of 12 years. It’s rich, smooth, and balanced while delivering those quintessential Scotch flavors without breaking the bank or sacrificing your tastebuds.

When it comes to Scotch, Men’s Journal Senior Editor Chris Hatler doesn’t usually break the bank. When choosing what to pour at home, Johnnie Walker Black meets his ideal ratio of price to quality.

Mariotti agrees: “Johnnie Walker Black offers great value for money. It’s one that I like to keep in my freezer at home for ad-hoc whisky highballs.”

Related: I Used to Be a Single Malt Snob. This Affordable Blended Scotch Is My New Go-to Whisky

Best New Scotch: Aberfeldy 21 Years Old

Out of all the new bottlings this year, the Aberfeldy 21 Years Old Finished in Argentinian Malbec Wine Casks truly impresses, due to its taste and the creativity behind the release. To make the Scotch, Stephanie Macleod, master blender at Dewar’s (which makes Aberfeldy), partnered with Finca Ambrosia winemaker Matias Macias. The whisky aged for over two decades in a combination ​of refill barrels and hogsheads, before spending an additional nine months in Malbec French oak wine casks from Finca Ambrosia Single ​Estate winery in Argentina.

Bottled at 46 percent ABV, Aberfeldy 21 Years Old features extra depth, spice, and complexity due to the additional time spent in those wine barrels. Aromas of sage, violet, and rosemary are joined by honey, strawberries, blackcurrant, and cinnamon. The palate features flavors of fruit and creamy vanilla, leading to a lingering, smooth finish.

Best Scotch Whisky You Haven’t Heard Of, Until Now: Longmorn 18

Longmorn isn’t a new whiskey brand by any means. It just hasn’t been widely sold in the United States. So unless you’ve been drinking your way around the UK for the last few decades, you probably haven’t heard of, much less tried a dram from the 130-year-old distillery.

But good times are ahead. Back in February, Longmorn launched two whiskeys in the U.S., bringing the storied, Pernod Ricard-owned brand to a wider American audience for the first time. One of them, the 48 percent ABV Longmorn 18 Year, delivers the best of both Speyside and Longmorn, balancing the region’s famed orchard fruit notes with the rich toffee flavors the brand is known for abroad. There’s also some milk chocolate tones for those who like a bit of cocoa in their whisky choice.

Best Speyside Scotch: Mortlach 20

Home to many of the world’s most iconic single malt whisky distilleries, Speyside is synonymous with whisky. While there are good things to be said about giants like Glenfiddich and Glenlivet from this storied region in northeastern Scotland, the bold flavors delivered by the Beast of Dufftown display just how powerful a Scotch can be.

Matured in a combination of refill casks and ex-Sherry casks, the Mortlach 20 Years Old is the finest of the brand’s core collection. The nose is dense and elegant, offering dried fruit, cedar wood, leather and tobacco. The robust and oily palate offers notes of citrus and wood spice, along with flavors of barbecue, berries, and chocolate. The finish is round and complex with gingerbread, raisin, and a hint of licorice.

Best Highland Scotch: Oban Distillers Edition

The largest Scotch region in size as well as flavor diversity, the Highlands include some of Scotland’s most-storied whisky brands. Oban, which has been making whisky since 1794, is a great example of that diversity.

Located on the west coast, just 208 steps from the sea, the distillery delivers whiskies with beautiful oceanic flavors, citrus, and light smoke. Our favorite of all is the Oban Distillers Edition, which features a second maturation in Montilla Fino sherry casks.

Bottled at 43% ABV, the nose features crushed grapes, orange zest, salt, and smoke. The full, rich palate delivers briny waves, delicate fruits, and malt. The finish features coffee and oak notes.

Best Islay Scotch: Lagavulin 16

Over the past couple of decades, Islay has grown into Scotland’s most iconic region. Known for its smoky and medicinal peat flavors, the region speaks of the sea, offering rugged and beautiful bottlings that showcase the island’s turquoise waters, grassy hills, and rocky cliffs. Islay delivers terroir in spades.

Lagavulin is one of the first whisky brands that should come to mind when you think of Islay. The distiller’s flagship, Lagavulin 16, offers what Scotch connoisseurs consider to be the real flavors of the island.

Famously the favorite of actor Nick Offerman, this Scotch with its hefty 43 percent ABV is more than just smoky. Sherry and sea salt accompany the whisky’s peaty characteristics, making it one of the most elegant, easy-to-find single malts out there.

Best Campbeltown Scotch: Springbank 10

Over the last few years, Campbeltown—previously Scotland’s largest single malt producing region—has re-entered the spotlight. Of the three brands currently produced in this storied region, Springbank is commonly tapped as the best.

“Springbank is hard to get your hands on, due to its approachable price and popularity,” says Siska. “Although it’s not new, it’s something general consumers are not as aware of—unless you’re an experienced Scotch drinker.”

Springbank 10 is the perfect introduction to the brand. Bottled at 46 percent ABV and matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks, it offers aromas of mango, vanilla, grapes, and honey on the nose. The palate offers more fruit, alongside notes of oatmeal, malted barley, honey, toffee, and nutmeg. The finish delivers the brand’s famed touch of sea salt.

Best Scotch Under $100: GlenGrant 15 Years Old

When GlenGrant added the 15 Years Old to its core lineup back in 2021, they said it was an “intensified expression” of its signature style. As it turns out, that’s something we wanted all along. Created by Master Distiller Dennis Malcolm, the longest-serving distiller in Scotland, the whisky picked up a Double Gold medal at the 2021 ​​San Francisco World Spirits Competition, plus a slew of other awards.

Aged for 15 years in bourbon barrels, the whisky offers a mix of floral and fruit aromas. The palate delivers flavors of baked cake, spices, and vanilla along with more flowers and citrus. The finish is long and creamy with notes of honey, apple, and soft spice.

Best Cask-Strength Scotch: Octomore 14.3

Bruichladdich’s Octomore series delivers some of the world’s peatiest Scotch whisky, usually at cask strength, and matured for around five years. The 14th edition of the storied series does it again, featuring four highly sought-after bottles that any fan of peated beasts would like to have on their shelf.

The standout from this year’s range is the Octomore 14.3. Made from barley grown just two miles from the distillery on Octomore farm, this cereal-forward single malt celebrates Islay’s terroir. The whiskey is matured in a combination of first-fill ex-American whiskey casks and second-fill wine casks.

Bottled at a cask strength just over 61 percent ABV, it offers aromas of sweet biscuits and peat, along with creamy porridge, butterscotch, and a hint of vanilla. The rich and peaty palate features oak, honeysuckle, and more cereal notes, as well as flavors of toffee and vanilla. The finish delivers more smoke and barley, followed by sweet caramel.

Best Peaty Scotch: Ardbeg Uigeadail

Few brands have pushed boundaries in recent years quite like Ardbeg. The LVMH-owned distillery has done everything imaginable when it comes to innovation, from barbecuing its own casks to distilling without a purifier, the apparatus responsible for balancing the brand’s blend of extreme peat and floral fruitiness. And that’s just in 2023.

When it comes to the brand’s core range, Ardbeg doesn’t hold back either. Uigeadail (pronounced ‘Oog-a-dal’—Gaelic for “a dark, mysterious place”) offers a deep smoky flavor worth adding to your shelf. Named after the distillery’s water source, Loch Uigeadail, this whisky provides the kind of high drama perfect for a stormy coastal night.

Peat-laden water provides a deep smokiness, while maturation in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks adds rich, warm flavors along with sweet and spicy notes.

Best Port-Cask Finished Scotch: The Dalmore Port Wood

While The Dalmore Port Wood isn’t peaty, it’s certainly one of the best, easy-to-find, port-finished bottles. Matured in American white oak bourbon casks, it’s then finished in port pipes, making for smooth and indulgent Highland Single Malt.

Bottled at just under 47 percent ABV, it offers aromas of sweet red berries, Seville oranges, plummy fruits, and sticky toffee pudding. The palate delivers notes of nectarine, caramel, roasted chestnuts, and coffee, while the finish tastes of plums, sultanas, blood oranges, and cherries.

“Generally speaking, my favorite expressions tend to be finished in a port cask,” says Mariotti. “I love the sweet undertones port casks give, especially in combination with peated whiskies.”

Best Sherry Bomb Scotch: The GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 12

A sherry bomb is a whisky aged exclusively in a sherry cask. These types of whiskies can be aged in any type of sherry barrel, but are matured most often in Oloroso or Pedro Ximenez (“PX”) barrels.

A lot of brands offer their own sherry cask-matured whisky. Some, like The Macallan and GlenDronach, even specialize in it. If you’re looking for the best bang for your buck, you can’t go wrong with The GlenDronach Cask Strength Batch 12, an annual release from the Brown-Forman-owned whisky makers.

Bottled at just over 58 percent ABV, the whisky delivers aromas of mocha and cappuccino, alongside notes of raisin-filled fruit cake, cherry liqueur, and sandalwood. The palate delivers spice, dark chocolate, and tiramisu, along with Seville orange peel, toasted almond, and ginger. The finish finds more mocha and cherry along with creamy crème brûlée.

What Is Scotch Whisky?

In order to be called Scotch whisky, the spirit must first and foremost be made in (you guessed it) Scotland. You can’t distill a spirit in Iowa and call it a Scotch whisky, just like you can’t craft a bourbon in Sweden.

Scotch whisky must be made with barley, water, and yeast. It must be aged for at least three years, bottled at a minimum of 80 proof, and have no added flavorings or coloring.

What Are the Main Scotch Whisky Regions?

There are five major Scotch whisky regions:

1. Campbeltown: Campbeltown was once Scotland’s largest producer of single-malt Scotch whisky, with more than 30 distillers. It now has just three makers: Springbank, Glen Scotia, and Kilkerran.
2. Islay: Best known for distilling peaty, smoky whiskies, Islay distilleries comprise Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila, Kilchoman, Lagavulin, and Laphroaig.
3. Highlands: North of Glasgow near Inverness, this area typically produces whiskies that are lighter in flavor with some floral, fruity notes. It’s got a bevy of famous distilleries such as Aberfeldy, Balblair, Ben Nevis, Dalmore, Dalwhinnie, Glen Ord, Glenmorangie, Oban, and Glendronach.
4. Lowlands: The Lowlands generate more floral expressions. Standout distilleries like Auchentoshan, Bladnoch, and Glenkinchie call it home.
5. Speyside: Here you’ll find big names like Aberlour, Balvenie, Cardhu, Glenfiddich, The Macallan, The Glenlivet, and The Glenrothes. It has a large concentration of malt whisky producers.

Some add the “islands” into the mix because there are numerous distilleries scattered throughout the Hebrides. Each has its own unique style and flavor.

Main Types of Scotch Whisky

There are actually five different types of Scotch whisky: single malt, single grain, blended malt, blended grain, and blended. Clearly, if you peruse the aisles of your local liquor store or check online retailers, you’ll see that a vast majority of the expressions are either single malt or blended. The others aren’t remotely as common.

1. Single Malt: The best-known Scotch variety must be distilled at a single distillery, with only malted barley as the grain.
2. Single Grain Whisky: Derived from one distillery like single malt, this Scotch variety is made with any cereal grain (as opposed to exclusively barley) including corn, rye, or wheat
3. Blended Malt Whisky: A blend of two or more single malt whiskies from different distilleries.
4. Blended Grain Whisky: A blend of two or more single grain whiskies from different distilleries.
5. Blended Whisky: A blend of both single malt and single grain whiskies from multiple distilleries.

What We Look for When Choosing the Best Scotch

We look for Scotch whiskies with intriguing flavor profiles that manage to deliver what they claim. From the smoky, medicinal notes of The Peat Monster to the sherry depths of the GlenDronach Cask Strength, all of the whiskies on this list achieve their lofty goals.

It’s also important for a bottle to express the types of characteristics expected from its region as well as the story it’s looking to tell consumers, notes Mariotti. “I don’t mean the romantic brand story, but the actual information that is useful to know why that bottling is as special as it is said to be,” he says. “What’s the story behind cask selection and yeast selection? Why have they fermented it as much as they did? To understand the correlation between the story behind the bottling and how it has actually impacted the flavor—that’s what makes a good whisky.”

Why You Should Trust Us

I’ve written about wine & spirits for over a decade. My work has appeared in Men’s Journal, Wine Enthusiast, InsideHook, Spirited, Liquor.com, and Travel & Leisure. I’ve hiked and camped across much of Scotland, from Edinburgh to Orkney and across to Islay. My liquor cabinet has grown so big, it has its own storage unit.

I spoke with Michele Mariotti, Head of The Beverage Programme at The Gleneagles Hotel, home to The Century Bar, which features over 300 whiskies, including very rare pours like The Dalmore Constellation 1969 and Glenfarclas 1953 Coronation. I also talked with Martin Siska, the director of Rosewood Hotels & Resorts’ European bars, who helps oversee Scarfes Bar, which was named one of the best bars in the world.

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