Top Summer Scotch Whisky Picks

Chivas Regal is a brand of blended Scotch whisky from the Chivas Brothers which launched a 25 year old blend as its first product back in 1909. Just after Prohibition in 1938, the brand launched its 12 Year blended Scotch whisky when it returned to the market. Today, Strathisla Distillery is at the heart of the Chivas Regal blend. Sandy Hyslop is the brand's master blender. Note: The brand updated its packaging in 2022 with an elongated bottle and contemporary design.

This updated version of Dewar's 12 Year was released in September 2022. Dewar's Master Blender Stephanie MacLeod crafted this whisky and like previous iterations, it was made from a blend of up to 40 single malt and grain whiskies. But this updated version is also double aged in first-fill American oak ex-bourbon barrels. To reflect the new version, Dewar's 12 Year is packaged with a updated label and a clear glass bottle. (SRP $29.99)

Previously only available in select global markets, the Gold Label Reserve was finally released to the US in the fall of 2013. As with all Johnnie Walker whiskies, there are a couple of dozen distilleries that constitute the blend with the Highland distillery, Clynelish, taking a prominent role. NOTE: When this was first released, the it was packaged as an all-gold bottle for a limited time. It now just has a gold label and standard glass. (SRP $69.99 for 750ml)

Glen Grant 12 debuted in a handful of U.S. markets in June 2016, with a nationwide release slated for 2017. The release was made partially in honor of the 55 years that master distiller Dennis Malcolm has spent in the industry. It's also said to show off the unique-to-Speyside Glen Grant process, with water-cooling purifiers used on both of the distillation runs, allowing only the lightest vapors through. An 18 year-old is being rolled out as well, along with revamped labeling and logos for the entire portfolio.

This 12 Year bottling is one of three new single malts for Glenglassaugh in the relaunch of its core portfolio. Aged for a minimum of 12 years, this coastal single malt was matured in three different casks: bourbon, sherry, and red wine casks. Like all single malts in its portfolio, the casks were matured in coastal warehouses overlooking Sandend Bay. With the new portfolio comes an updated bottle design. Bottled at 45% ABV, this launched in summer 2023 with the US getting its allotment in September 2023. (SRP $65)

This dram is a fine example of the different elements one can typically find in maritime whiskies. One of only a handful of distilleries that still do floor maltings of their barley, it is certainly worth paying them a visit to see how it's done.

Orchard House joins the brand's core lineup. It gets its name from the dominant part of its blend of single malts, which comes from stocks of liquid from various distilleries known for whiskies with fruit-forward flavor profiles. These whiskies were then aged in a variety of casks which include first fill ex-bourbon barrels, oloroso sherry-seasoned butts, and French oak custom barrels. It is bottled at 46% ABV and available as of October, 2021. Note: Compass Box updated its core portfolio in fall 2024 with Orchard House one of four of its permanent collection. Packaging updated.

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 which was first released in 1979 uses about 20% 1st-fill sherry casks. Note: Highland Park added the moniker of Viking Honour to its 12 year expression in 2017. As of 2024, the brand has dropped that name and updated its packaging with heather-flecked labels.

100% of the production at Springbank is handled on site including floor malting, aging, and bottling. Springbank also makes three different styles of single malt at their Campbeltown distillery with their flagship Springbank line being their lightly peated version. Unusually, it's distilled 2.5 times. In keeping this maverick theme, the brand has also never chill-filtered or added natural color to their whiskies. Springbank 10 is aged a minimum of 10 years in a combination of ex-bourbon (60%) and ex-sherry (40%) casks.

This bottling is aged traditionally in used American barrels for 14 years and then finished in rum casks, but these casks were seasoned by The Balvenie themselves. They selected different rums from the West Indies and poured them into new American oak to season the wood. They then take their aged whisky and finish aging in the seasoned rum casks. Incidentally, this method actually further ages the rum which they can then sell back. Classic!