Top Peated Single Malt Scotch Whiskies Under $100

Oban 14 Year is quite the crowd-pleaser and is found everywhere from your local pubs to serious whisky bars. Its fans might be surprised to hear it hails from one of the smaller distilleries in Scotland. Also small are the size of their pear-shaped stills. Oban, a seaside town built around the distillery, is actually named after the distillery and not the other way around. The surrounding environment clearly has influenced its namesake whisky as the sea is the signature footprint of Oban whiskies.

Fans of sherried scotch and you wine lovers out there, step right up! Bowmore 15 Year is a whisky aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and sherry casks, but it's the portion of the whisky that gets aged the final 3 years in 1st fill sherry casks that really give this whisky that deep rich color and fruity taste. Note: Formerly called Bowmore Darkest 15 Year.

Caol Ila, pronounced as “Cull Ee-la” is a small Islay distillery founded in 1846 nestled in a hidden cove near Port Askaig overlooking the strait between Islay and Jura. The history of Caol Ila is a little rough going as it changed hands multiple times over the years, shuttered during WWII due to barley restrictions and finally seeing the entire distilling facility demolished in 1972. Shortly thereafter in 1974, production resumed before finally becoming a part of Diageo and taking the place as the largest distillery in Islay both in size and production. Caol Ila is readily known as one of the lighter, more nuanced and delicate of the Islay single malts with the 12 year as their entry level offering originally debuting in the summer of 2002. It is bottled at a modest 86 proof.

Port Charlotte 10 Year is a permanent addition to Bruichladdich's portfolio and replaces the multi-vintage Scottish Barley bottling. Made using 100% Scottish barley from the Inverness Shire region. This 10 year old bottling matures in a variety of casks: 65% in 1st fill American whiskey, 10% in 2nd fill American whiskey, and 25% in 2nd fill French wine casks. Port Charlotte bottlings are the heavily peated single malt line distilled at Bruichladdich with the barley peated to 40ppm. Bottled at 50% ABV, it is non-chillfiltered and has no color added. Available beginning May 2018.

A semi-annual release from the Springbank Distillery, one of the last family-owned distilleries in Scotland. Beginning in 2010, Springbank began releasing two vattings per year of a twelve-year-old cask strength malt, aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks at around a 60:40 or 70:30 ratio (depends on the vatting). The distillery releases one in Winter/Spring and one in Summer/Fall. Whisky nerds and Springbank-lovers keep track of the different batches by the ABV, which varies slightly with each new iteration. As with all Springbank products, this malt is non-chill filtered, and it contains no added coloring.

The Ardbeg 10 Year is something of a benchmark for the Ardbeg distillery. The peat level is on the higher end of the scale at 55 parts per million or ppm. It is bold, it is masculine, and it is not hiding its true character in heavily sherried casks. Just saying "Arrrrddd-beggg", sounds as if you are headed into battle; giddy up, partner!

In 2017, Highland Park created new packaging and added names to their standard age statement products. Their 12 Year gets the added moniker of Viking Honour. The new labels and bottles will be rolled out over the remainder of 2017. While the bottles and packaging are getting a makeovers, the whiskies will retain their current flavor profiles. Highland Park is renowned for the peat they use and for their exclusive use of ex-sherry casks. The climate on the Orkney Islands is quite windy and sea swept creating a dismal environment for trees. As such, the Orcadian peat bogs have more heather, grass, and plants than those on Islay. Highland Park 12, first released in 1979, uses about 20% 1st-fill sherry casks.

In 2002, The Balvenie began to set aside one week each year to distill heavily-peated whisky. This peated single malt release is a limited, vintage bottling, but it is expected to become an annual release. Matured entirely in American oak. Expected September 2017 release date.

Released in August 2016, Kilkerran 12 Year is the highly anticipated flagship whisky from Mitchell's Glengyle Distillery in Campbeltown. Since Hedley Wright, great-great nephew of Mitchell himself re-opened the distillery in 2004, they've been releasing experimental "Work in Progress" whiskies while waiting for this one to mature. Lightly peated and double-distilled, 70% of the single malt aged in first-fill ex-bourbon casks and the remaining 30% matured in sherry. Non-chill-filtered without added coloring, it is bottled at 46% ABV.

Though not officially (read, legally) established until 1816, there are records that date distillation here going back to 1742. Malted barley produced just a hop, skip, and a jump away at neighboring Port Ellen is utilized. Everything is long at this distillery: fermentation, distillation, and maturation. Good things do indeed come to those that wait. Bottled at 43% ABV after 16 years in oak barrels.

Far from a shrinking violet, Laphroaig 10 Year is loud and proud, get used to it. They have managed to produce a whisky showcasing the sights and aromas of the island. The peat, burned to dry the malt, is abundantly clear as is the seaweed found lapping the shores just steps from the distillery. That sweet salty sea air found on Islay is woven throughout their whiskies. NOTE: This is sold at 40% abv or 43% abv depending on your market.

There was a time when up to seven registered (and several illicit) distilleries existed on the Isle of Skye -- now only Talisker remains. The peat level is a moderate 16-22 ppm (Phenol Parts per Million) and their 10 year old is aged primarily in ex-bourbon casks which they constructed to a larger hogshead size. Talisker 10 Year is bottled at a very appreciated 45.8% ABV.