sipping cheap...

I am not a hardcore whisky collector (not yet) but I own some rare bottles that I am pretty excited and proud about and I want to keep them for good moments and want to make sure that will last for the longest time possible. The last thing you want is to come home late at night after a long and tired day and realize that the cheapest bottle on your shelf you can pour is over $100... Therefore to have some everyday whiskies at home is a must. 

There are some great whiskies in the market with low price tags that can save your budget. I came up here with four whiskies; a blended scotch, a single malt scotch, a bourbon and a corn whiskey all under $25. They all are totally amazing drams with best price/value ratios...

Black Bottle (40.0%): If I would prepare a list like this every year this whisky would be my number one choice every time. For my taste it is the best whisky $17 can buy. It is a blend consists of all Islay single malts except KilchomanNose comes with Islay sea breeze, seaweed, brine and hints of peat. Every promise fulfilled... Palate is smoky and malty. Thick grain whisky with crisp honey notes. Sweet... Finish is unexpectedly long and peaty. Overall this bottle is an amazing bargain. I wish it's abv was just a little bit higher though.

Bowmore Legend (40.0%): My single malt pick comes from Islay, too. Bowmore Legend doesn't have age statement. Color is clear light gold. Nose is peaty, malty and very young. Somehow unripened, not in a bad way though. Beautiful famous Bowmore sea air is there. Love it... Palate is very light, earthy and smoky. Obviously there are very young components in the vat. Finish is long and satisfying. Damp turf and sea salt lingers nicely. Overall I can say Legend is one of the few single malts under $25 mark and definitely not a bad one. I wish they could find a way to make the texture thicker. It is a little watery at 40% abv.

Elijah Craig 12 yr old (47.0%): And my choice of bourbon for the list... It comes with a very inviting reddish copper color. Nose is absolutely beautiful. Vanilla, oak, caramel, basketful of sweet dried fruits. Palate is thick and creamy. Rye content shows up with nice spiciness. Clover honey, toffee and nice charred oak. Finish is long, smoky and spicy. Rye carries over very nicely. Overall I believe this whiskey belongs to an upper league. It has the quality to compete with high priced bourbons, definitely one of the best price/value ratios in the market. Perfect for sipping anytime of the day.

Mellow Corn (50.0%): Here is the odd one. It is distilled from 80% corn mash and aged for two years. It's color is clear light gold. I love the bottle. I think it looks hilarious... Something about it is funny and cartoony. Nose is simply cheap corn syrup and fresh oak stakes with tung oil and butcher's wax. Palate is oily, hot and kind of rough. It is 100 proof and gets much better with a tiny splash of water or a single cube of ice. Wax is still there. Finish is spicy and woody but gets sweet towards the end. Young spirit shows itself. It needs to air a little. Overall it is nothing like I tasted before. I want to pour it on my pancakes at brunch after blending with maple syrup. It is awkward to recommend but it costs only $13 and extremely fun to experiment...

Comments

Jason Debly said…
Black Bottle is definitely one of the all time great best buys. I agree totally. Same with Bowmore.

I also agree that one has to keep some reasonably priced blends in the cabinet at all times. If you're a scotch nut (I am) it is easy to find oneself sipping high priced stuff when all you need is Jim Beam Black (another incredible value buy). High end stuff sipped on low end occasions (ie. watching tv) is a mistake.

Cheers!
Thanks Jason... You are right about good old Jim Beam Black. Definitely another great value buy.