So you’ve got your home bar set up with all the basics. You’ve got all of the base spirits covered, including some whiskies for mixing. Maybe a bottle of Evan Williams or Jim Beam for bourbon cocktails. A decent inexpensive rye like Old Overholt. Maybe even Johnnie Walker Red Label or Dewar’s White Label to make up a Rob Roy in a pinch.
But now you’re looking to up your game. You have that friend or relative who’s a “serious” Scotch drinker. You want to add something nice that can be sipped neat. You want to add single malt Scotch to your home bar.
But where to begin? There are so many selections out there! Prices starting around $30, running up to hundreds. Thousands! Maybe you’ve tried a few. Maybe you’ve tried more than a few, and even have some favorites.
I thought about this, and decided to put togther a list, with a few basics requirements:
⦁ Provide a selection from each of the four most widely known Scotch regions (sorry, Cambeltown), each of which is representative of that region.
⦁ Keep prices reasonable, around $40 per bottle, so you can have a nice selection without spending the next mortgage payment.
⦁ By keeping prices reasonable, it also means you can introduce someone to Scotch without making them think “Gee, this is great. I wish I could afford to drink it at home.”
⦁ Be widely available. I don’t want to recommend something that you can’t find, nor do I want you to introduce your guests to something they can’t find.
For less than $200 (at least in my area), you can have a varied selection to please fans of everything from smoky Islay malts to sherried Speysides, as well as appeal to those new to the world of Scotch. For what it’s worth, here is my recommended “essential single malts”. While other expressions may come and go from my collection, these are the ones that will always sit on my bar, front and center.
Islay – Bowmore 12 Year Old – While this whisky offers the typical peat smoke flavor you would expect from an Islay, it is subdued, not overpowering, and balanced by a pleasant sweetness. It is not a “smoke bomb” like Laphroiag or Ardbeg. For someone looking to try Scotch and expecting it to be smoky, this is a great starting point. If you’re going to start with a single bottle, this is the one I would recommend.
Speyside – Glenlivet 12 Year Old (Glenfiddich 12 Year Old also works well) – These are probably the two most popular single malts worldwide. Both of these showcase the typical flavor profile of a whisky aged in sherry casks, and both should be available at almost any bar or liquor store. Both of these are a little over my $40 target price, but still under $50. Yes, there are Speysides under $40, but none do a better job of representing the region.
Highlands – Glenmorangie The Original (10 Year Old) – This was a tough one. There are so many options from this region, with such varied flavors. The “typical” Highland malt, however, is described as being light bodied and fruity. This core expression from Glenmorangie fits that description perfectly, with the distinctive citrus notes that run through all of their offerings.
Lowlands – Auchentoshan 12 Year Old – With most of the distilleries in the lowlands producing grain whisky, and much of that destined for blended Scotch, there aren’t too many choices for a Lowlands single malt. With Glenkinchie’s 12 Year Old coming in around $55-60, Auchentoshan is the winner by default to stay within my guidelines. The light body and earthy flavors are typical of the Lowlands.
You might be tempted to pick up the Auchentoshan American Wood for about $10 less. While it’s a good whisky for the price, it can be a little rough around the edges. In my opinion, it’s worth a few extra dollars to upgrade to the smoother, more approachable, 12 Year Old.
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