Scotch whisky makes the perfect Christmas gift for any whisky loving family member, work colleague or friend. But choosing one can be a bit of a minefield. It is a common misconception that you need to know a lot about whisky to buy the right gift. Not at all – the key thing to find out is which style the person you are buying for may prefer.
We have devised five categories, which most whiskies will fit in to. Here are some excellent choices for you to consider, all of which come in under the £50 mark.
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The Light, Delicate One | Lochlea Our Barley
The Lochlea distillery is one of only two true field-to-bottle single malt distilleries in Scotland. All barley needed for their annual whisky production, which is around 600 tonnes, is grown on Lochlea Farm in rural Ayrshire where the distillery is also located. This is then malted locally and then returned to the distillery. Founded in 2015, Lochlea is one of the leading Scottish craft distilleries.
Our Barley is Lochlea’s first permanent core product. It joins several award-winning limited editions in a wide range. Maturation is in ex-bourbon, ex-sherry and STR (shaved, toasted and re-charred) casks. This whisky is soft and fruity with plenty of green apple and pear, plus golden syrup and brown sugar with an underlying hint of cocoa powder and gingerbread. A superb whisky that points to a bright future for the brand.
The Soft, Fruity One | Tomatin 12 Years Old
A short drive south of Inverness and into the foothills of the Cairngorm mountains takes you to the lovely distillery of Tomatin. Founded in 1897, Tomatin makes a wonderfully soft and fruity style of single malt and boasts an innovative ownership that is not afraid to experiment with unorthodox cask types. They also produce the peated Cù Bòcan whisky at the distillery for part of each year
This delicious 12 years old offers superb value for money. Especially when considering that most 12-year-old Scotch single malts are now around or above the £50 mark. A combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks gives notes of vanilla, toffee, and dark dried fruits. These marry well with further notes of stewed green apple, crumbly brown sugar, and a hint of candied orange peel.
The Rich, Sweet One | Glenallachie 12 Years Old
The Glenallachie distillery has undergone somewhat of a renaissance over the last decade. The former unglamorous workhorse distillery, built in the 1960s, has been transformed under new ownership. Their strategy of releasing premium single malts, rather than fulfilling large blending contracts is paying dividends. Glenallachie translates as ‘valley of the rocks’ from Gaelic.
Glenallachie use a high proportion of ex-sherry casks for maturation, and this has been noted by whisky fans. Their whiskies offer a great and credible alternative to more expensive sherried Speyside whiskies such as Macallan. Expect notes of raisin, Cognac-soaked prune and milk chocolate married with toasted almond, hazelnut praline and cinnamon spice. This is ex-sherry cask whisky at its best.
The Lightly Smoky One | Campbeltown Loch
This superb and underrated Scotch blended malt features single malts from each of the three Campbeltown distilleries currently in operation – Glengyle, Glen Scotia and Springbank. Campbeltown Loch is the small sea loch upon which the town is located. This sits at the western end of the Firth of Clyde on the Kintyre Peninsula, and the town looks back east towards the island of Arran and Glasgow.
The three single malts are matured in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks before being expertly blended. Expect a viscous and almost oily consistency with a lovely honeycomb and vanilla fudge sweetness combined with a gentle sooty and ashy peat smoke, plus a hint of brine. The combination is reminiscent of salted caramel. A definite ‘bang for your buck’ whisky and a perfect introduction to the Campbeltown style.
The Very Smoky One | Ardbeg Wee Beastie
The Ardbeg distillery has risen from troubled times in the 1980s and 90s to be one of the dominant forces of Islay whisky. The island is the spiritual home of the peaty and smoky style. Creative marketing and branding combined with innovative whisky releases have captured the imagination and elevated the brand to cult status. The result has seen the distillery double its production capacity in recent years.
Wee Beastie was launched into the core range in 2020 and is bottled at five years of age. It offers everything that you expect from a youthful smoky whisky – feistiness, vibrancy, aggression, and boldness. Certainly not one for the faint hearted. Notes of peppery peat smoke, fresh kippers and coal tar soap lead the way and are supported by vanilla, toffee apple and honey, plus a hint of liquorice.
