You do not have to spend more than sixty dollars to drink award-winning whisky. In blind tasting competitions, well-priced blended Scotch regularly takes home serious medals, beating bottles two or three times the price. If you are looking for quality without overspending, these five blends are smart buys that have been recently judged among the best in their class.
Awards matter because they are blind tasted by panels of experts who judge flavour, balance and quality without being influenced by branding or marketing. Prices below are real-world averages based on major US and UK retailers at the time of writing and may vary slightly depending on local taxes or promotions.
The 5 Picks At A Glance
Johnnie Walker Double Black – 40% ABV – Typical $40–45
Award: Double Gold, San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023
Style: Smoky and rich, a peated step up from Black Label
Chivas Regal Extra 13 Oloroso Sherry Cask – 40% ABV – Typical ~$40
Award: Gold, World Whiskies Awards 2023
Style: Sherried, silky and crowd pleasing
Dewar’s 15 Year Old “The Monarch” – 40% ABV – Typical $40–50
Awards: Gold, SFWSC 2023; Gold, International Spirits Challenge 2024
Style: Mature, honeyed and beautifully balanced
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Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition – 50% ABV – Typical ~$30
Award: Double Gold, SFWSC 2024
Style: Bold, high proof value with creamy sweetness
Black & White Blended Scotch – 40% ABV – Typical $15–20
Award: Double Gold, SFWSC 2024
Style: Simple, clean and unbeatable for the price
How We Chose
This list is built on simple, transparent criteria. First, every whisky here is a Blended Scotch. Not a single malt, not a blended malt and not a travel retail oddity you will never actually find on a shelf. Second, every bottle has won a Gold or Double Gold medal within the last two years at one of the major global competitions:
- San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC)
- International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC)
- World Whiskies Awards (WWA)
- International Spirits Challenge (ISC)
- The Scotch Whisky Masters (The Spirits Business)
All prices were checked against major online retailers and brick-and-mortar chains in both the US and UK. To qualify, bottles had to be under $60 (or £50) and consistently available.
A quick note on terminology: Gold means the judges rated it an excellent whisky. Double Gold means every judge on the panel scored it Gold — a strong mark of consensus quality. Where relevant, we also highlight Category Winners or high score bands. Award sources are linked under each pick for clarity.
Johnnie Walker Double Black – Smoky, reliable, and award-winning
Price: ~$40–45
ABV: 40%
Key award: Double Gold – San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023
Johnnie Walker Double Black is one of the most dependable introductions to smoky whisky you can buy. It takes the familiar Black Label foundation and turns up the peat, layering in more coastal smoke and charred oak without losing the smooth, easy-drinking style that made the brand famous.
On the nose and palate, it opens with toasted smoke, grilled citrus and black pepper, followed by vanilla, caramel and a little malty sweetness. It is not an Islay heavyweight. The smoke is measured rather than aggressive, making this a very approachable step into peated whisky.
The Double Gold medal in 2023 matters because it was judged blind. The panel were not swayed by branding or market dominance. They simply tasted the whisky and agreed unanimously that it was Gold standard. That is a strong vote of confidence for a bottle in this price range.
This is the smart choice for anyone who wants flavour depth without spending single malt money. If you enjoy Ardbeg Wee Beastie or Smokehead but want something more rounded for everyday pours, Double Black hits the mark.
Chivas Regal Extra 13 Oloroso Sherry Cask – Rich, silky, and genuinely satisfying
Price: ~$35–45
ABV: 40%
Key award: Gold – World Whiskies Awards 2023
This is where blended Scotch shows just how luxurious it can feel for sensible money. Chivas Extra 13 Oloroso spends part of its life in sherry casks, which brings a deeper, richer flavour than you might expect at this price.
The World Whiskies Awards judges described notes of leather, dark berries, milk chocolate and baking spice, with a silky texture that makes it easy to drink neat. That is a fair summary. It is warming, slightly indulgent and ideal for slow evening pours.
Importantly, it is not overly sweet. There is enough oak and grain structure to keep the finish clean. That balance is what separates it from cheap, sugary blends.
The Extra range from Chivas has been quietly collecting medals for years and the 13 year Oloroso edition continues that run. For anyone who enjoys GlenDronach 12 or Aberlour 12 but wants a more affordable daily option with similar sherried character, this is a smart buy.
If you want a blended Scotch that feels like a treat without stepping into luxury pricing, start here.
Dewar’s 15 Year Old “The Monarch” – Classic refinement without the premium markup
Price: ~$40–50
ABV: 40%
Key awards: Gold – SFWSC 2023, Gold – International Spirits Challenge 2024
Dewar’s 15 is a reminder that age still counts in Scotch. It has a maturity and polish that you simply do not find in most blends under fifty dollars.
The flavour is elegant and understated. Soft orchard fruits, honey and vanilla lead the way, supported by balanced oak and a clean, lightly spiced finish. It is not trying to be flashy. It is trying to be consistent, and it succeeds.
Two recent Gold medals back that up. Both the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the International Spirits Challenge recognised it for quality, which is impressive for a whisky at this price.
Dewar’s uses a double aging process, which helps knit the flavours together. That is why it feels so smooth and integrated in the glass.
If you like blends that taste grown up rather than gimmicky, this is your bottle. Traditionalists will love it. Anyone stepping up from entry-level blends will notice the difference immediately.
Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition – Big flavour, small price
Price: ~$25–35
ABV: 50%
Key award: Double Gold – SFWSC 2024
Cutty Sark Prohibition is one of those bottles people recommend with a grin. It is cheaper than it should be, stronger than most blends and far better than the label suggests. At 50 percent ABV, it has real presence in the glass.
The flavour is creamy and bold. Think buttercream, toffee, vanilla wafers and a little citrus peel, lifted by warm baking spice. It is punchy but not harsh, and it takes a splash of water beautifully.
For years, this was a bit of a cult pick. Then it landed a Double Gold at San Francisco in 2024 and the secret was out. Blind judging gave it the credibility boost it deserved.
It also happens to be one of the best budget whiskies for cocktails. It stands up in a whisky sour, powers through in an Old Fashioned and makes a brilliant highball.
If you want maximum flavour per pound or dollar, buy this. It is outrageous value.
Black & White Blended Scotch – Proof that price is not the same as quality
Price: ~$15–20
ABV: 40%
Key award: Double Gold – SFWSC 2024
Yes, it is cheap. No, it should not be dismissed. Black & White has been around for generations and has quietly become one of the best value blends in the world.
The flavour is simple but honest. Clean grain sweetness, soft vanilla and light malt. No smoke, no sherry, no gimmicks. Just a straightforward, well-balanced blend that does exactly what it should.
The Double Gold medal in 2024 surprised a lot of people. Not because Black & White is bad – it is not – but because blind judging stripped away all assumptions about price. The panel tasted it next to far more expensive blends, judged it purely on balance and drinkability, and rated it gold across the board.
This is not trying to be a slow-sipping fireside whisky. It is built for highballs, mixers, casual pours and shared bottles. It belongs in the freezer next to the tonic and soda water.
If you want something dependable for everyday drinking or you are building a bar on a budget, this is the best fifteen to twenty dollars you can spend.
| Bottle | Price Band | Signature Profile | Standout Award | Best For |
| Johnnie Walker Double Black | $40–45 | Smoky, toasty, peppery | Double Gold – SFWSC 2023 | Peat curious drinkers |
| Chivas Regal Extra 13 Oloroso | $35–45 | Rich sherry, chocolate, spice | Gold – WWA 2023 | Fans of sherried malts |
| Dewar’s 15 “The Monarch” | $40–50 | Honeyed, balanced, refined | Gold – SFWSC 2023 | Classic, mature blends |
| Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition | $25–35 | Bold vanilla, toffee, spice | Double Gold – SFWSC 2024 | Cocktails and highballs |
| Black & White | $15–20 | Clean, grain-led, smooth | Double Gold – SFWSC 2024 | Everyday value |
Buying notes and FAQs
Do medals really matter, or is it marketing?
They matter when they are blind judged. Competitions like SFWSC and IWSC do not see the brand before scoring. That keeps things honest. Are medals everything? No. But they are a useful signal of quality.
Blended Scotch vs blended malt
A blended Scotch mixes malt whisky and grain whisky from multiple distilleries. A blended malt uses only malt whiskies. Both can be excellent. Most everyday Scotch is blended, not single malt.
Why prices move
Whisky prices vary by state taxes, retailer markups and promotions. Duty free often looks cheap but is not always the best value. Always compare before you buy.
40 percent vs 50 percent ABV – what is the difference?
Higher ABV gives more weight, flavour density and structure. At 50 percent, you may want to add a little water. It opens the whisky and softens the heat.
Where is the best place to buy these?
Prices jump around, so it pays to compare before you click buy. The easiest way is to use The Whiskey Wash price comparison tool, which checks real-time prices across major retailers in one search. It stops you from overpaying and often reveals quieter deals that do not show up on Google Shopping.
Which one should I buy based on taste?
Smoke: Johnnie Walker Double Black
Rich and sherried: Chivas Extra 13
Classic and refined: Dewar’s 15
Big flavour: Cutty Sark Prohibition
Easy and affordable: Black & White
Verdict
Award-winning whisky does not have to be expensive, and this list proves it. These five blends offer character, credibility and real drinking pleasure without straying over sixty dollars. Whether you want peat, sherry richness, classic balance or big-flavour value, there is a bottle here that delivers more than it costs.
If you only buy one, make it Dewar’s 15. It is the most complete whisky on this list – mature, refined and consistently decorated in competition. If you want something bolder and more expressive for the money, go for Cutty Sark Prohibition. It offers serious flavour at a price that still feels like a mistake.
