Shop carefully and you can get a single malt whisky for 20 bucks: Though I’ve rarely seen it in bars, Speyburn is a staple of grocery stores around these parts, where it’s cheaper even than Johnnie Walker Red Label.
Based in the Speyside region (of course — though the bottle claims a Highlands origin), this is a surprisingly good whisky for the price. Clean and nougaty, it offers mild sweetness set to a silky, rounded body. It’s not what you’d call a complex Scotch, almost Irish in its character with simple, caramel sweetness and just a few citrus touches. Unpeated and with little of the fruity character common to Speyside whiskys, this isn’t a dram you’ll want to savor on a special occasion, but rather a simple whisky suited for the kitchen, something to have at the ready after a long day at work. Give it a try.
86 proof.
A- / $20 / speyburn.com
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$15 at Trader Joe’s. How could I resist?
This was my fist taste of single malt, after years of drinking blends. For twenty dollars, how could you go wrong? I’m no connosseiur. However, in my undereducated and underinformed opinion, I find it to be a pleasurable experience (undiluted). I can smell the lemon and taste the honey, and it is as smooth as any blend you will get for $20, for sure. Worth the effort, at least once, if nothing else.
Speyburn is closer to $30 here in NC, I prefer Lismore which has a very similar profile and is a few bucks cheaper here.