Top Scottish Blended Malts Under $100
Sure you’ve heard of single malts, but how about blended malts? Here are some of our favorites that won’t break the bank!
Jun 05, 2018
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10Vanilla & FruityThe Timorous Beastie comes from the independent bottlers Douglas Laing & Co., founded in 1948 in Glasgow, Scotland by Frederick Douglas Laing. The company has remained in the hands of the family, with the sons Fred and Stewart managing (however Stewart has since moved to found his own business in 2013), and has brought such joys as the Big Peat and Provenance. The Timorous Beastie is non-chill filtered and is a blended malt comprised of whiskies from distilleries from the Highlands including Dalmore, Glengoyne and Glen Garioch. The name is a tribute to Robert Burns' famous poem ‘To a Mouse’.
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9OilyFrom the folks that bring us brands such as Smokehead, Isle of Skye, and Glengoyne comes this blended malt bottling. The Six Isles is a composite of single malt whiskies from the six isles of Scotland: Arran, Islay, Jura, Mull, Orkney, and Skye. It is all natural color and non chill filtered.
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8Full BodiedDouglas Laing & Co. is an independent bottler and blender of Scotch whiskies. They release single malts, blended malts, and blended whiskies. The Rock Oyster Blended Malt was released in early 2015 and it is blend of single malts from the Isles of Islay, Arran, Jura, and Orkney. There is no-age statement on the bottling which is released at 93.6 proof and without coloring or chill-filtration.
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7Smoky & RichThe Big Smoke is a blend of malts from the marine-influenced Islay region of Scotland, known for its smoky whisky made with peat-dried barley. This is a blend of young malts selected from a variety of Islay scotch distilleries, bottled at 120 proof.
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6Full Bodied & FruityCasks from Speyside's well known distilleries such as Mortlach, Macallan, and Glenrothes are married together to produce this small batch whisky from Douglas Laing & Co. Matured in sherry butts and bourbon hogsheads, Scallywag whisky is non-chill-filtered and bottled at 46% abv. The name and bottle packaging was inspired by and features Master Blender Fred Laing's beloved Fox Terrier.
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5Rich & PeatyCompass Box The Peat Monster is a blended malt whisky using various single malt whiskies from different areas of Scotland. A typical blend will include single malts aged in refill hogsheads as follows: 40% "malt whisky from Laphroaig", 20% "malt whisky from Ledaig", 13% "malt whisky from Caol Ila", and 26% "malt whisky from Ardmore." The final 1% is a blend of Highland malts from Clynelish, Dailuaine, and Teaninich which finished for two years in Compass Box's new French oak toasted hybrid barrels. Note: Beginning in 2019, all batches of Compass Box The Peat Monster will feature a new Painting Label as well as a new recipe. Older batches will be referred to as Compass Box The Peat Monster (Classic Brown Label).
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4Vanilla & FruityThe whiskies in Oak Cross are Highland malt whiskies which are initially aged in 1st fill American oak casks. For the 2nd maturation, part of the whisky is aged in barrels built specifically for Compass Box using American oak bodies and French Oak Heads. The whisky is then married, rested, and bottled.
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3Peaty & SmokyReleased in 2015, this blended malt whisky from Wemyss Malts is a follow up to its sister whisky Peat Chimney, but with double the number of Islay single malts whiskies added to the final product. It is non-chill filtered and is bottled at 46% ABV.
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2Sweet & RichA far from traditional bottling, Spice Tree has certainly caused folks to pay close attention (its former incarnation was deemed illegal by the SWA). Heavily toasted French oak heads are used along with American oak in the 2nd maturation. This rich, spicy whisky is a prime example of how Compass Box is changing the perception of blended Scotch.
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1Fruity & RichJohnnie Walker Green Label is the only blended malt whisky in the Johnnie Walker core portfolio unlike the others which are blended whiskies incorporating grain whiskies in those blends. Included in the Green Label blend are single malts from Skye (Talisker), Islay (Caol Ila), and Speyside (Cragganmore and Linkwood). Each of these single malt whiskies were aged a minimum of 15 years. While the Green Label was discontinued for a short time in 2012, it did return permanently to the portfolio in 2016 due to popular demand. (SRP $64.99 for 750ml)