Here is my recommendations!!
This is a guide to entry levels whiskies!!
The fact that a whisky gets labeled "Don't bother", doesn't mean a distillery doesn't bottle or make good whisky. They just haven't given me anything that lifted my eyebrows (yet!). Quite often they will have a marketing strategy aiming their malt for different people than me. That is they chillfilter their whisky, then add too much water and caramel E150.
Sometimes a distillery is very good but doesn't get any attention from their parent company as single malt. It will be hard to get anything on this list then-
Allmost all malts will be available from Independent Bottlers (IB). I only point to an Independent Bottler if they have been able to and are still bottling consecutively good bottlings from the distillery. Otherwise this is about OB's and bottlings general availble. So no single cask OB's as well, unless they have been rolling them out on general basis-
Most distilleries do exclusive limited bottlings, but this list is mainly a guide cheaper level whiskies, so no Penderyn Port Wood single casks or Diageo Manager's Choice here.
Remember, this is my personal list, your list will differ (I haven't tasted everything out there - but almost), so don't kill me if I didn't list your favourite. Here we go :
Aberfeldy
Don't bother
Aberlour
A'bunadh
12yo
Abhainn Dearg
Don't bother
Allt-a-Bhainne
Don't bother
Ardbeg
Everything but the Blasda :
10yo
Uigedail
Corryvreckan
Supernova, Rollercoaster, Alligator etc.
Nam Beist
PING 1
Ardmore
Don't bother
(I really like this distillery from IB's)
Arran
I don't like their finishes or earlier bottlings
Some great single casks and the icons series, especially Peacock and Golden Eagle
Arran 14yo
Arran Peacock and Arran Rowan Tree
Auchentoshan
Three Wood
Auchroisk
Don't bother
Aultmore
Don't bother
Balblair
89
97
Balmenach
Deerstalker 18yo (IB)
Balvenie
15yo single casks
Tun 1401
Ben Nevis
Don't bother - I didn't like most of what I tasted from them
BenRiach
I like almost all of their stuff. Beware of weird finishes thou. A constant flow of good single casks bottlings so far
12yo
Authenticus
20yo
25yo
Plowed BenRiach
Benrinnes
Stronachie (IB)
Benromach
Organic
Bladnoch
8yo 55%
Blair Athol
Don't Bother
Bowmore
Tempest
Braeval
Don't bother
Bruichladdich
3D
10yo
Bunnahabhain
Many great IB's around, especially older stuff
12yo
Caol Ila
Quoting Mark Watt : "I never had a bad Caol Ila"
I agree
Caperdonich
Look out for old stuff, especially Duncan Taylor's
Caperdonich by Limburg
Cardhu
Don't bother
Clynelish
14yo
Cragganmore
12yo
Craigellachie
Don't bother
Dailuaine
FF 16yo
Dalmore
Don't bother
Dalmore is a great place for kids.
Dalwhinnie
Don't bother
Deanston
12yo (new version @46.3%)
Dufftown
Don't bother
Edradour
Don't bother
That was a colourful tasting
Fettercairn
The 10yo is horrible, really horrible
anything else I tried was really good thou
Glenallachie
Cask Strength Edition
Glenburgie
Cask Strength Edition
10yo by Gordon and macPhail
Glencadam
14yo
15yo
Glendronach
15yo
Glendullan
Don't bother
Glen Elgin
Don't bother
Glenfarclas
15yo
Glenfiddich
Rich Oak
15yo
Glenglassaugh
Revival, it'a young but not a waste of time
They just reopened after being mothballed for 23 years
Good stuff, but rare
Glenglassaugh old floor maltings
Glen Garioch
1990 Vintage
Glengoyne
I need to catch up on this one, but I liked the
12yo cask strength
Glen Grant
The Major's Reserve
25yo by Gordon and MacPhail
Glengyle (Kilkerran)
Don't bother (yet)
Glen Keith
Getting rare. I had a great deal of older IB's I really enjoyed
Glenkinchie
Don't bother - new 12yo better than the old 10yo thou
Glenlivet
Nadurra
Glenlossie
Don't bother
Glenmorangie
Anything that comes from ex-bourbon casks exclusively!
Glen Moray
Mountain Oak
Glen Ord
Don't bother
Glenrothes
1985
1991
Glen Scotia
Don't bother - be suspicious
Glen Spey
Don't Bother
Glentaucher's
Don't bother
Glenturret
Don't bother
Highland Park
18yo
Imperial
I tried quite a few excellent bottlings from Duncan Taylor labels aged 8-13
Inchgower
Don't bother
Jura
I don't like the 10yo
Superstition
Kilchoman
Don't bother (yet)
Knockando
Don't bother
Knockdhu (AnCnoc)
A new approx 13yo Vintage released every year
Lagavulin
12yo Cask Strength
16yo
Lagavulin 2001
Laphroaig
10yo Cask Strength
Linkwood
Don't bother
Loch Lomond
Don't bother - run away
(that goes for any of their malts)
Longmorn
Cask Strength Edition
Macallan
10yo cask strength
Mannochmore
Don't bother
Macduff
Don't bother
Miltonduff
Cask Strength Edition
Mortlach
15yo bottled by Gordon and Macphail
Oban
Don't bother
Pulteney
Great OB rabge in general
12yo
WK499
Bottle your own 15yo'ish cask strength at Old Pulteney
Royal Brackla
Don't bother
Royal Lochnagar
Don't bother
Scapa
Don't bother
Speyburn
10yo
Speyside
Don't bother
Springbank
100 proof
10yo
15yo
Longrow 10yo
Hazelburn 12yo
Strathisla
Cask Strength Edition
Strathisla
Strathmill
Don't bother
Talisker
10yo
Tamdhu
Don't bother
Tamnavulin
Don't bother
Teaninich
Don't bother
Tobermory
Don't bother
Tomatin
15yo
18yo
Tomintoul
Somehow I forgot all other Tomintoul's than this one :
Tormore
Don't bother
Tullibardine
John Black selection
I omitted many long time closed distilleries. Brora, St. Magdelene, Port Ellen, Lochside, Banff, Coleburn, Convalmore, Dallas Dhu, Glen Esk, Glen Mhor, Glen Albyn, Glenury Royal, Lochside, Millburn, North Port and Ladyburn have all given me some good drams : Happy hunting for those
A new distillery like Daftmill isn't mentioned, cause the bloody owner sits on his casks and won't release anything :-)
Ah well, he is a very nice fellow, his whisky is marvelous and I guess we just have to wait or visit the distillery
Daftmill
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