Looking back on a challenge I set myself in 2023, I asked what seemed like a simple question: could I pick just one bottle to represent each region of Scotch whisky? It turned out to be far more of a thinker than I anticipated.
Before we even get to the drams, there is the small matter of how many regions there actually are. Five? Six if you count the Islands, which I always do. In this modern age of blurred styles, you could even argue that all Scotch is just Scotch. But while the regions remain a thing, let us crack on.
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The regional divisions date back to the Wash Act of 1784, later refined by master blenders wanting a rough overview of a region’s flavour profile. Are they still relevant? I am honestly in two minds.
You can find unpeated, soft, floral drams from Islay and heavily peated, dirty malts from Speyside, so the rules are broken constantly. Yet as a starting point for newcomers, and as a marketing feature that still sells bottles, the regions serve a purpose. Plus, they let me make tasty clickbait challenges like this one.
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For the sprawling Highlands, I went with Glenmorangie Signet. It has fancy pants around it with the design and marketing, but crucially the liquid backs it up, delighting both casual drinkers and hardcore bottle nerds like me.
In Speyside, I sidestepped the obvious Glenfiddich and Glenlivet in favour of the bad boy of the region, Craigellachie 13. It has the classic fruit but flings dirt and oil into the mix, and people love it for a reason.
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READ THE STORYThe often-overlooked Lowlands went to Glasgow Distillery’s 1770 Peated Cask Strength, which breaks every gentle Lowland stereotype with sheer flavour.
The Islands, which absolutely deserve their own category, went to the phenomenal Ledaig 18. Though I am proudly a budget bottle buyer, this one was worth splashing out on.
For Campbeltown, if you know my channel, you knew what was coming: Kilkerran 12, all that Campbeltown funk bolstered with fruit and meaty richness.
And for Islay, I resisted the price-inflated Lagavulin and chose the Laphroaig 10 Sherry Oak Finish, where peat smoke, iodine and salt meet a stunning sherry sweetness for a proper umami experience.
Those are my picks, unapologetically weighted towards rule-breakers over textbook representatives. So I put it to you: which bottles would you crown for each region, and which exceptions to the rules deserve a mention?
To see me wax lyrical about all of my picks, and give some honourable mentions, check out my YouTube video.
