The best whisky taste tested: 39 to choose from

England may not be famous for its whisky but if do fancy trying one, it should be this Cotswolds Single Malt. It may be the first ever whisky to be distilled in the Cotswolds but it's already award-winning - having won a gold medal at the 2019 Wolrd Whiskies Awards. Flavour-wise, the whisky is sweet and fruity from being matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels and reconditioned in red wine casks. With notes of honey, orange marmalade and dark red fruits, it is very sippable. A great option if you're looking for a gentle introduction to the world of whisky.

Considered a classic around the world and favourite of Ron Swanson of Parks and Recreation, Lagavulin is not a whisky for the novice drinker.

It has an extremely smokey nose followed by an intensely rich and malty flavour with fruity sweetness. A long spicy finish rounds things off and makes Lagavulin a benchmark with which to compare all Islay whiskies.

It pairs particularly well with blue cheese.

English whisky is rare and English rye whisky is even more so, but East London Liquor has smashed it out the park with its 2020 London Rye release.

This uses 42% rye for plenty of spicy pepper flavour but it remains smooth and is by no means one dimensional. Aged in a combination of French oak, chestnut, STR (shaved, toasted and re-charred) sherry and bourbon casks there’s a lot going on including toffee apple, citrus peel and a hint of gooseberry.

If you want something from Ireland, this single pot still whiskey from Redbreast is debatably the best you can get and comes highly recommended from Jim Murray and other critics. It has also won plenty of awards.

Like many Irish whiskeys, it is triple distilled making it oh-so smooth, and Redbreast has a rich and spicy body followed by a creamy finish.

For something dark, rich and complex, the Glenfiddich 21 year old single malt is an excellent choice. The whisky is finished in Caribbean rum casks for an unusual character and a deep amber colour. There are layers upon layers of flavour and when you think it’s done, you’ll discover another. The rum cask gives notes of banana, vanilla, ginger, dried fruit and more. It’s also rich with oak and leather.

This is from the Isla region of Scotland so it’s one for the peat heads out there who like a smokey tipple. The malted barley is dried by burning peat only found on the island.

Like Glenmorangie, the 10 year old is the original Laphroaig, and that drying process gives it a huge hit of smoke (really, prepare yourself) followed by tastes of seaweed and a medicinal herbal sweetness.

You’ll either love it, or hate it.

Surprisingly affordable for a 12-year old scotch, Aberlour has aged this in both traditional oak and sherry casks.

It pours a deep amber and has a rich oaky flavour, but the sherry casks provide a fruity - we get a lot of plum notes - and a spicy element. It’s like Christmas cake distilled into a whisky.

What used to be a very limited release is now a core range whisky. This 8-year old single malt is aged in ex-bourbon barrels followed by sherry casks. These are smaller than normal, meaning more surface area to impart character to the whisky.

The nose is full of candied orange peel and spice leading to flavours of biscuit, fruit and nuts. Add touch of smoke on the finish and you have a very well-rounded and moreish scotch.

Don’t underestimate a blended whisky from Japan with an understated bottle. Nikka From The Barrel punches above its weight. At 51.4% you might think it is barrel-proof but it actually isn’t.

It packs in so much body and flavour for the price, this is one of the biggest bargains you’ll find in the whisky world. It’s finished in barrels after the blending process and there are layers upon layers here from butterscotch all the way to tobacco.

This is a musthave bourbon and a great place to start if your new to the American tipple. It’s a sour mash straight bourbon made on Kentucky's oldest distillery site.

Not only does it have an above average amount of rye in the mash at 18%, it’s unusually triple distilled so it’s smooth but has an intricate flavour of spices, coffee beans, vanilla and a slight burnt oak smokiness.

Put simply, this should be part of every home bar. Glenmorangie’s 10 year old, aka ‘The Original’, is a true classic single malt Scotch. It’s simple and soft to drink yet has a complex and slightly sweet flavour with a burst of zesty fruit and delicate floral tones.This is one to give friends as a gateway whisky.

Distilled in the State of Kentucky, Never Say Die is a rich, smooth bourbon created using 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% malted barley mash bill. Taking its name from the legend of a racehorse dating back to 1951, this flagship bourbon has the heart of an American but is matured right here in the UK. Serving up hints of spice, a citrus undercurrent and caramel flavours on the palette, it's well worth a place on our top-tasted whiskey list.

If you’re big on that smokey and peaty mood, look no further than Smokehead’s Unfiltered. The single malt whisky isn’t filtered and absolutely kicks with that smokey nose and palate, with chocolate and pepper touches to the taste. It won’t be for everyone, but those that like it, LOVE it. Slightly stronger than the filtered alternative, this one’s got a 46% ABV, it’s a lot of fun.

The Whisky Exchange's whisky of 2022 and for good reason. This is a stunning dram, rich in oak notes and tropical fruit. There's hardly any burn when it goes down with butter and vanilla notes adding a smoothness to the drink. Beautiful stuff.

If you are looking for a whisky under the £40 mark, then you won't do much better than this Aberfeldy 12 year old. There's a great hit of honey and fruit from this whisky, with smoke lingering at the end (but not too much). Packed with vanilla and pineapple, there is a freshness to the dram that we can't get enough of.

Don’t let the 4-year old vintage fool you — the New Riff Bottled In Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon (50% ABV) is full of character. A spicy nose with vanilla essence, this spicy bourbon has a peppery, cinnamon sprinkled palate that’s a delight to sit with. Light on the smoke and sweetness, it’s a creamy delight.

This is the standard Old Pulteney but don’t write it off based on that. This is a delicious 12-year-old single malt Scotch at a surprisingly affordable price. This multiple award winner offers an excellent balance of light delicate flavours like apple with a deeper, salty and spicy finish.

Produced in the coastal town of Wick, Caithness, Old Pulteney is one of the most northerly mainland distilleries.

The Bunnahabhain - 12 Year Old is a stunning, complex whisky which offers a rich taste filled with fruit and nut notes, as well as being floral on the nose. Taste wise, there's a full-bodied caramel flavour with a subtle hit of smoke. At its price, there really is no better out there right now.

We already have the 12-year-old on this list but we are also smitten with the 15 year old. This one was matured in both ex-bourbon and Spanish oak casks and offers toffee and chocolate sweetness. There's also a hint of honey here and this is mixed with a note of cream. We recently taste tested this one and are still thinking about it!

This is a fantastic effort from Glen Moray, an 18 year old that hits at that all-important £70 price point. There's a lot of spice in this whisky that's eased by some beautiful vanilla notes and a baked apple pie finish. This is a great, special speyside.

A stunning whiskey from one of the very best distillers in Ireland, Midleton Very Rare changes every year but you can usually expect a huge amount of fruit and creaminess with each sip. For the 2023 release, the whiskey bathes you in apple and melon notes, with a taste that lingers with pot still spices. Amazing stuff.

If you have been lucky enough to go to a whisky distillery then you may well have tried whisky straight from the cask. This Aberlour A'Bunadh Alba Single Malt Scotch Whisky is the closest we've got to that experience at home. It's a beautiful dram, rich with apple and pear notes. It's been matured in 1st fill American Oak barrels and that has added a sherbet sweetness to proceedings, too. This one is over 60% so you may want to mix with water - however you drink it, you will, like us, be savouring every last drop. Lovely stuff

Reviving the iconic Yellowstone brand, Limestone Branch Distillery has done a great job with the American single malt. Bottled at 54% ABV, expect honey notes throughout, both in nose and palate, with a spiced hint of apricots and pear. Oak-y on the finish, there’s a festive kick here with cinnamon and nutmeg rounding off the end.

The Tobermory distillery is situated on the Isle of Mull and it's here that gives its whiskies a lovely rich, peaty taste. The Ledaig - 18 is from this distillery and is a stunning whisky for under that all-important £100 price point. There's a smattering of fruit with the smoke, with peach notes and a wonderful colour from the sherry casks. This one is not to be missed.

An award winner for Buffalo Trace (Best in Class Gold at the 2024 Whiskies of the World competition / Gold at the Spirits Business American Whiskey Masters 2024), this blend was hand picked by country star Chris Stapleton and Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. It’s a good time tipple (45% ABV), with a caramel, vanilla and oak nose, and a mildly sweet palate that has a gingery, spiced-fruit taste. Quite smokey on the finish, easy-going and enjoyable overall.

Looking for a bottle to bring in the festive season? The Scotch Malt Whisky Society is having a lot of fun with its Spruce on the Loose blend (50% ABV). 17 years over bourbon casks and stout beer barrels, it’s a small-batch collaboration with a Perthshire-based brewer, so act fast if you want to get involved. Making use of seasonally-appropriate spruce tips, this one’s full of Christmas nostalgia — expect a honeyed pine forest nose, apple-and–nutmeg-and-orange palate. Ho-ho-ho indeed.

The Amrut Peated Single Malt Whisky feels like a bit of a misnomer — the palate here is full of fruit, with peat definitely taking a backseat to the malty presence. The peat emerges on the finish, but the vanilla and oak-y nose will draw you in first and keep you coming back for more. This latest release from the famous Indian whisky makers is a little stronger than previous runs, now at 46% ABV.

India’s Rampur have something really interesting with the Asava Single Malt (45% ABV). First aged in bourbon barrels, it’s finished off in Cabernet Sauvignon wine casks before reaching the bottle. As you’d expect, that lends it a rich red fruit flavour — plummy on the nose, berries and cinnamon on the palate, and a smokiness to the finish. Lots to unpick here and spend time with.

If you're after the richest of tastes, look no further than Scotch whisky veterans The Macallan. A distillery staple, this 12-year-old single malt rests in seasoned oak casks from Jerez, adding to each dram's rich and complex flavour profile.

Think dried fruit, rich woodiness and plenty of spice for good measure. It's natural gold colour (no colourings here) has become a signature of this range, with this full bodied offering perfect for any occasion. This distillery has come a long way since 1824.

For something special of the bourbon variety, you’re in good hands with this small batch Kentucky straight from Elijah Craig. It was bottled at a whopping 63.5% which is actually, somehow, one of the weaker editions.

There’s plenty of vanilla and maple flavour but a spicy heat from the booze, too. This won the whisky of the year 2017.

We're big fans of Ardbeg and the 10 year old is one of the peatiest whiskies released from the distillery. There is a wonderful warmth from the whisky, with the peaty smoke lingering long after your first sip. There's a dexterity to the taste, too, with it hitting you with a mellowness, then spiciness and ending on sweet toffee notes. If you want a way into Islay whiskies without breaking the bank then you can do no wrong with this one

It’s called ‘95’ because the mash is made up of that percentage of rye, the remainder barley. That’s a really high ratio, so while the original Buillet is a classic bourbon, we like the rye version for its spicy flavour.

Unlike scotch, bourbon is sweeter and here you get toffee and maple flavours. It’s still smooth enough to drink neat but try using it for cocktails like an old fashioned for that extra level of flavour.

Aged for 12 years in American Oak ex-bourbon casks, this Scotch has an amber honey colour and a delicately-balanced taste of tropical fruit, clove and ginger, before a finish of treacle toffee and sultanas. This ‘fruit cake’ finish is particularly distinctive of Highland Scotch, and the Fettercairn distillery can be found in the foothills of Cairngorms - where it has been since 1824.

This single malt was also awarded a silver medal in 2019’s International Spirit and Wine Competition, so you know it’s not just us who likes it.

Glengoyne has been doing well in recent months, with its bourbon-esque taste and morishly smooth hints of fresh green apples, toffee and popcorn. Matured in hand-selected sherry casks from European and American oak, it's a delight on the palate. Distilled slower than any other whisky in Scotland, whisky fans are rewarded with a sweet, fruity Single Malt. For the price, this really is a great dram.

This offering from The Dalmore is a stunner. Together with Tevasa, Vasyma and Paez, Master Distiller Richard Paterson created a bespoke sherry blend to season selected oak finishing casks for a specific flavour profile.

The result, aside from The Dalmore’s classic dark chocolate, is a rich blend of orange, ginger, caramel and spices including cinnamon. The sherry casks give it a vibrant sweet lemon cake finish.

If you've never had a rye whiskey then the first thing that will surprise you is just how smooth the taste is - and none more than Sazerac Rye. Made in New Orleans, and part of the Buffalo Trace Distillery, this is a rye to be savoured. It's smooth with no bite, with orange notes and peppery spice, and should be enjoyed on its own or with a little bit of ice. If you are to mix, then this is a fantastic basis for an old fashioned or the famous Sazerac cocktail which mixes in absinthe and bitters.

We've had this one for a while now and have been savouring every last drop. This 15 year old has it all: a Speyside that's silky going down with hints of chocolate and fruitcake, ending up with a lingering fruity aftertaste. There's a massive waft of smoke, too, that envelopes everything, and the sherry casks it's been maturing in adds to the complexity of the tast.

With master blender, Dr Rachel Barrie (aka the First Lady of Scotch) onboard, Benriach has relaunched its portfolio with new recipes and branding.

The Original Ten is the flagship and is an extremely approachable whisky with bags of vanilla sweetness and the fresh crispness of apples and pears. A touch of dried fruit rounds things off nicely and peat heads can opt for The Smokey Ten to get that smoky phenol fix.

As the name suggests, this whisky perfectly balances the profile of a sweeter Scotch with smokiness, making it perfect for those wanting to find a middle ground between mainland and Islay.

This is the first distillery to have precision methods so Ailsa Bay is made to an exact 022 peaty parts and 019 sweet parts per million. It is also the only whiskey to be ‘micro matured’ in small Hudson Baby Bourbon casks for six to nine months before moving to American Oak.