6 Bottles You Must Try If You Want To Learn About Scotch Whisky
With the incredible range of Scotch whiskies available to try today, it's become trickier than ever to figure out where to start. Diving in also means learning a new kind of whisky vocabulary - sherry bombs, peat, ex-bourbon, Islay, single malts, grain whisky - it can all feel a little overwhelming.
But it doesn't have to be intimidating. While there's always new Scotch whiskies being released all the time, I've curated here what I'll call an ideal 'starter pack'. Each of these six whiskies is a great introduction to the different kinds of aroma and flavor profiles you can find in Scotch. While some of these are well-known, these aren't 'beginner whiskies'. The way they are made and matured also serves as an excellent way to start learning about production, maturation and even the history of Scotch whisky.
So in no particular order, we've got:
This iconic whisky is considered to be one of the industry's gold standard products.
The Basics: Johnnie Walker Black Label is one of the most widely recognized Scotch whiskies in the world and features possibly whisky's most recognisable mascot, the 'Striding man'. It is also widely considered by the global whisky industry to be a masterpiece in terms of the quality and consistency that has been maintained over decades at a mass scale of production. First released in its current form in 1909, it's produced by Diageo and blends around 40 different malt and grain whiskies, with a minimum age of 12 years.
Why is it important: Black Label is a perfect example of the blender's art: consistency, complexity, and a seamless integration of styles is achieved while mixing together 40 different malt and grain whiskies drawn from all over Scotland. Matured in a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, it also features just a light whisper of barely perceptible peaty smoke. It's also an incredibly flexible whisky. Whether enjoyed neat, with ice or in a cocktail it'll always be satisfying to drink.
Tasting notes:
Table Whisky from the Leith Export Co.
The Basics: Grain whisky is an underrated Scotch whisky category. When it comes to Scotch whisky terminology, 'grain' refers to anything that isn't made with 100% malted barley, and usually is distilled with a piece of equipment called column or continuous stills as opposed to the more traditional pot stills. Chapeau to the good people behind the Port of Leith Distillery in Edinburgh for releasing this affordable grain, which they've actually sourced from another Edinburgh distillery, the mysterious North British grain whisky distillery in Gorgie.
Why is it important: Grain whisky often gets overshadowed by single malts, but this bottle shows just how elegant and approachable grain can be. Grain whisky features less of the variety found in malts - great grain whiskies tend to be sweet, floral and creamy. Table Whisky is the current and hip go-to for an easy to find, high quality and budget-friendly example of the category.
Tasting Notes:
The Deanston 12 Year Old label.
The Basics: A Highland distillery housed in a former cotton mill, its 12 Year Old was reintroduced in 2012 with a bump in ABV and a promise that no chill-filtration nor caramel coloring added into the whisky. The distillery itself also generates its own power through an onsite hydro-energy facility.
Why is it important: This whisky is entirely aged in ex-Bourbon casks, which comprise the vast majority of casks used to age whisky around the world, including in Scotland. Deanston 12 is an ideal example to illustrate the kinds of aromas and flavors that can be typically found in great ex-Bourbon casks - which tend towards lighter profiles.
Tasting Notes:
The Tamdhu 12 Year Old is entirely matured in sherry casks.
The Basics: Located in the Scottish whisky capital of Speyside, Tamdhu exclusively matures its whiskies in sherry casks. The 12 Year Old expression debuted in 2018 as part of a revamped core range.
Why is it important: This bottle demonstrates the power of sherry cask maturation without going too dry or deep. Using only Oloroso-seasoned European and American oak, Tamdhu 12 is rich and full-bodied. It's a great ambassador for sherried Scotch, showing how cask seasoning plays a major role in shaping flavor.
Tasting Notes:
Springbank Distillery's stills.
The Basics: Campbeltown's Springbank is revered by most whisky connoisseurs and is one of the most old-school, largely making whisky exactly using the same methods as 50-60 years ago. Everything is done on-site, from malting to bottling. Its flagship 10 Year Old, is matured in a mix of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks.
Why is it important: This is a perfect representation of what Campbeltown whiskies are about. While classifying whisky profiles by 'region' tends to be counterproductive, Campbeltown only has three of them (two of them owned by Springbank's owners), and they definitely share some key characteristics. Springbank 10 is coastal, oily, and ever so slightly peated,.
Tasting Notes:
Laphroaig Quarter Cask
The Basics: Laphroaig is often the first distillery people think of when the word 'peat' is mentioned. One of Islay's poster children, Laphroaig's whisky is both loved and hated because of it's bold, medicinal and smoky profile. Therefore it serves as a perfect, if polarizing, example showcasing the aromas and flavors of heavy peat.
Why is it important: When the Quarter Cask was first launched in 2004, it represented a bold move in maturation - using smaller casks (quarter casks, hence the name) to create an intense full profile across a shorter space of time. The whisky is first aged in standard ex-bourbon barrels and then transferred to smaller American oak quarter casks, increasing the contact between whisky and wood. Personally I prefer the result here over the distillery's iconic 10 year old.
Tasting Notes:
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