Silky Scotches: Selecting the Smoothest Scotch Whiskies (2023)

FAQs

What is the smoothest Scotch to drink straight? ›

The Macallan Fine and Rare 1926 – $1.9m

It's considered the founding father of The Macallan Fine and Rare series – a collection of 57 vintage single-malt whiskies produced by the distillery over eight decades – which remains the most coveted whisky collection to this day.

There are five Scotch Whisky regions - Campbeltown, Highland, Islay, Lowland and Speyside. Each offers a different perspective on Scotch Whisky. Tagged with: Discover.

Ardbeg 10 Years

Regularly voted "World Whisky of the Year" Ardbeg's distillery has remained on the small remote island of Islay for more than 200 years.

Leading brands of Scotch whisky in the U.S. based on volume sales 2021. In 2021, Johnnie Walker Black was the leading Scotch whisky brand in the United States with about 1.14 million 9-liter cases sold. The third most popular Scotch whisky brand was Johnnie Walker Red, also supplied by Diageo.

There are five different types of Scotch whisky, which are: single malt, blended malt, single grain, blended grain, and blended.

But the biggest difference between Scotch whisky and Irish whiskey is the distillation process. While both spirits are distilled liquors, Scotch is distilled twice to Irish whiskey's thrice. This extra distillation gives Irish whiskey a smoother finish and some say make it the best in the world.

The wood from the barrels a Scotch (or any whisky) is aged in tends to break down the rougher flavors in the alcohol, leaving you with a smoother taste. The longer the alcohol is in there, the smoother it gets. And yes, that is lovely.

What are the 6 types of Scotch whisky? ›

Scotch Whisky is produced all over Scotland and can be broken down into six regions, Highlands, Speyside, Lowlands, Campbeltown, Islay and Islands.

Glenfiddich Whisky: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - 12 to 50 Year Old.

These are the go-tos: (1) The Famous Grouse, aka The Low Flying Bird It's the top selling blend in Scotland. (2) Dewar's, aka The Drinking Man's Scotch Best seller in the U.S., top five in the world. (3) Bell's, aka Afore Ye Go Top mover in the U.K. overall.

For many years, The Famous Grouse has held the top spot as the biggest selling whisky in Scotland, making it the nation's top tipple in the category.

Whiskey is the spelling in the United States and Ireland. Whisky is the spelling in Canada, Japan, and Scotland. What sets Scotch whisky apart from other whiskies is that Scotch whisky is entirely produced and bottled in Scotland. In this article, we will refer to Scotch whisky as simply Scotch.

Johnnie Walker

The world's best-selling blended Scotch whisky.

Jackton Distillery won the coveted Gold Award for the best blended Scotch whisky at the awards in Edinburgh for its RAER Oloroso Expression Blended Whisky, officially making it the best in the world.

When someone says they prefer single malt, it simply means they like whisky made from a single distillery. Alternatively, blended whisky is made by skilfully combining different single malts and grain whiskies to make something rich and complex.

Michter's US*1 Small Batch Bourbon

On the palate, it's similarly scotch-y, with a good dose of sweetness thrown in for good measure. Think oak, smoke and a whole sweet shop of toffee notes.

What are the top 5 whiskeys in America? ›

The Scotch Whisky Association, a trade group, says it works vigorously to “stop any misrepresentation that states or suggests a whisky is Scotch Whisky, or comes from Scotland, when that isn't the case.”

The Macallan distillery is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Craigellachie, Moray, Scotland. The Macallan Distillers Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Edrington, which purchased the brand from Highland Distillers in 1999.

It's a blended malt Scotch whisky, and that means that no grain whisky was used: It's a blend of malts from single-malt distilleries.

All the whisky produced at The Glenlivet is, of course, pure single malt Scotch. “Out of all the 110-120 countries making whisky, Scotch is only made in Scotland. This makes it the most aspirational drink in the world. The only other drinks that have as much cachet are perhaps Champagne or Cognac.”

Bourbon tends to have sweeter, more mellow characteristics, with vanilla, oak, caramel, grain, nutmeg, and cinnamon notes. Scotch has a sharp, distinct flavor that's more of an acquired taste than bourbon. You'll find that blended Scotch is smoother and maltier with a spicy finish.

While the Scots were succumbing to the dubious charms of vodka, Italy became the third-biggest importer of Scotch in the mid-1970s, and number one for malts. Quite how this wine-drinking culture became so hooked on whisky after the Second World War is a fascinating and – outside Italy, at least – untold story.

Glycerin is a “natural” byproduct of soap making, and although it is colorless and flavorless, it adds “body” to drinks and softens rough flavors, which tricks tastebuds into thinking the spirit is “smooth”.

Is Crown Royal top shelf? Crown Royal is a top shelf whisky; their finer varieties are as fine as any other whiskys in the world.

The Glenfiddich is a bit more fruity, while the Glenlivet is higher in vanilla so it comes down to a matter of personal preference of which flavor you prefer.

Is Crown Royal scotch? ›

Crown Royal doesn't fulfill the requirements to be a Scotch Whisky or a Whiskey. It is a blended Canadian whisky made from a mixture of corn, barley and rye distillates that are distilled and matured separately.

But there is still an incredible variety to choose from. In fact, prices for Scotch whisky range from $18 a bottle to well over $300 and more. That means that there is a scotch for every price range!

Costco is also one of the world's largest retailers of alcoholic beverages. It's also the single largest retailer of Scotch whisky in North America. Its Kirkland Signature brand of Blended Scotch Whisky and Single Malt Scotch Whisky ranks in the top 10 Scotch whisky brands, by volume, in the US.

The most common blended whisky is blended Scotch, which combines malt whisky and grain whisky. There are also blended Canadian whiskies, Irish whiskies, and bourbons. Blended whiskies are usually less expensive than single malt whiskies (more on this later, we promise), and they often have a smoother flavor.

Drinking a whisky that was opened years ago will not make you unwell. It is down to what your taste preference is more than anything else. If a whisky noticeably no longer tastes as good as it once did, then it's probably time to dispose of the bottle.

Scotch is bottled at a variety of ages, from 3 years to 50 years. Grain whisky is most often used between 3 and 5 years old in blended whisky brands. It is also in demand at various other ages in blends: 5, 8, 12 years and older.

The Blue Label is the most prestigious of the Johnnie Walker blends and as such comes with a much higher price tag than the other bottles in the range. The Blue Label was first introduced in 1994 and is now one of the most famous blended whiskies.

1. Loch Dhu. Something of a cult whisky, Loch Dhu is known for its peculiarly dark colour and bold flavour profile. Loved by some and hated by others, Loch Dhu is one of the most distinctive whiskies to come out of Scotland.

Some people think that single malt is superior to a double malt because they believe that each batch of single malt has been distilled separately. Others prefer double malts because they think that blending creates a better whiskey. There is no right answer; it all comes down to personal preference.

Do you drink or sip Scotch? ›

Sip the scotch slowly, take your time. Scotch is a sipping drink; it is best enjoyed when you're not in a rush. The first sip may taste quite strong, but that's normal as your taste buds acclimatize to the unique flavor. As mentioned, you can add a little water, say a thimbleful, or you can sip water in between drinks.

One reason why Glenfiddich is so smooth is that it's made from high-quality barley. The barley is malted, which means that the starch in the barley has been converted into sugar. This sugar is then used to make the whisky. The water that is used to make Glenfiddich also contributes to the smoothness.

Glenfiddich 12 is a smooth, mellow whisky with a hint of fruitiness and a long, lingering finish.

It also has a more complex flavor due to the different flavors of the malt and grain whiskies that are used in the blend. While there are many excellent blended Scotches on the market, single malt whisky is generally considered to be the superior product.

But again, the most common Scotch whisky on the market is your basic blended, which is whisky made from single malt and grain whisky sourced from different distilleries. Single malt, meanwhile, is often more prized, but not necessarily of higher quality.

Flavor: Scotch tastes smoother than whiskey. This is a result of the way the distillery malts the grains. Grains: Whiskey is a distilled alcoholic beverage derived from barley, wheat, grain, or corn.

The wood from the barrels a Scotch (or any whisky) is aged in tends to break down the rougher flavors in the alcohol, leaving you with a smoother taste. The longer the alcohol is in there, the smoother it gets. And yes, that is lovely.

These are the go-tos: (1) The Famous Grouse, aka The Low Flying Bird It's the top selling blend in Scotland. (2) Dewar's, aka The Drinking Man's Scotch Best seller in the U.S., top five in the world. (3) Bell's, aka Afore Ye Go Top mover in the U.K. overall.

At Chivas Regal, we use a blend of single malt and grain whiskies from Scotland's very best distilleries. These include the hugely respected Strathclyde and Longmorn distilleries, and of course, the legendary Strathisla distillery, which produces the single malt at the heart of our blends.

Traditional single malts do typically have a flavour advantage over grain whiskies though. This is why most scotch whisky connoisseurs quickly migrate to single malts, for the wide diversity of flavour they can provide.

Is Glenfiddich single malt or blended? ›

Glenfiddich Whisky: Single Malt Scotch Whisky - 12 to 50 Year Old.

Whiskey is the spelling in the United States and Ireland. Whisky is the spelling in Canada, Japan, and Scotland. What sets Scotch whisky apart from other whiskies is that Scotch whisky is entirely produced and bottled in Scotland. In this article, we will refer to Scotch whisky as simply Scotch.

The Macallan distillery is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Craigellachie, Moray, Scotland. The Macallan Distillers Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Edrington, which purchased the brand from Highland Distillers in 1999.

Bourbon is considered easier to drink vs Scotch, which has a very distinct flavor. The breakdown in flavors is: Bourbon whiskey has a sweeter, more mellow flavor than Scotch, with notes of vanilla, oak and caramel.

Scotch whisky has a bolder and more distinguished flavor when compared to other whiskeys. Blended scotch whisky often has a spicy but smooth finish with malty and buttery flavors. Single malt scotch, on the other hand, has a more oaky and woody flavor and is typically peaty or smoky.

Bourbon and Scotch are identical in terms of nutrition. However, they're made from different grains, which afford them slightly different taste profiles.