Shopping for new single malts can be tough. Standbys like Glenlivet, Laphroaig, and Macallan are great, don’t get me wrong, but it pays to branch out every once in a while. Yet Scotch is expensive, so taking a leap of faith on a new brand can be unappealing.
If you’re looking to broaden your Scotch horizons, here are a few great underrated single malts that might just become your next favorite whisky.
Ledaig 18-Year-Old
The only distillery on the Isle of Mull, Ledaig 18-Year-Old combines classic Islands peatiness with a rich, fruity, almost leathery quality reminiscent of Lagavulin 18-Year-Old only with a bit more subtlety.
Clynelish 14-Year-Old
Retailing somewhere around $60, Clynelish 14-Year-Old is a bargain, especially in light of its totally unique flavor. Somehow simultaneously sweet/perfumed and salty/smoky, it has a delicate freshness that’s a lovely alternative to heavier styles.
Tomatin 12-Year-Old
Tomatin also sent most of its stock away for blends for much of its history. Its single malt releases, however, are delicious – refined and understated, with a classic Speyside fruitiness. Sherry cask finishing adds richness without weighing anything down, making Tomatin 12-Year-Old a perfect hanging-out-on-the-porch dram.
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Craigellachie 13-Year-Old
Recently released as part of John Dewar’s “The Last Great Malts of Scotland” series, Craigellachie has long been used for blends but, until now, hasn’t had its own single malt. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride. Nevertheless, the single malt release is distinctive in its own right. Craigellachie still uses a worm tub, resulting in a savory, almost meaty whisky.
GlenDronach Allardice
Named for its founder, the Glendronach Allardice single malt has an 18-year-old age statement. It’s also a bruiser of a sherry bomb, offering phenomenal richness and intensity like a fruitcake in a glass.
BenRomach 10-Year-Old
Benromach got a facelift recently, with a sharp new bottle design and an expanded lineup. One of the new entrants was this release, a 10-year-old single malt that hit the market in 2009 and won gold in the 12-and-under Speyside category at the World Whisky Awards in 2014. Smoky and funky with a hearty malt backbone, the urge to make comparisons between BenRomach and Springbank is almost impossible to resist.
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