10 more underrated whisky blends
You guys enjoyed it when we suggested 10 underrated blended Scotch whiskies for you last year. So, in the spirit of ‘if ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, here are a further 10 suggestions. But this time we’ve widened the net, so it’s not just Scotch whisky in this lineup. Expressions from Japan, Ireland, and North America feature here.
Top 10 underrated whisky blends
Campbeltown Loch Blended Malt Whisky
From J & A Mitchell, the folks behind Springbank Distillery comes a quite brilliant whisky. Blended from a wealth of Campbeltown single malts from the region’s three distilleries and matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks, this is the region in a bottle. We almost don’t want to recommend it because part of us wants to keep this for ourselves, but that’s very much the opposite of our jobs. So enjoy.
Slipknot No.9 Whiskey
You don’t need to be a fan of the band Slipknot to appreciate this blend of bourbon and rye whiskey. Slipknot’s very own Shawn ‘Clown’ Crahan actually did the blending here and did a commendable job. Just check out those user reviews!
Chivas Regal Mizunara Whisky
Whisky matured in Mizunara oak casks will usually come with an eye-watering price tag, but this blend from the masters at Chivas Regal gives you a chance to see what all the fuss is about without breaking the bank. It’s also a good example of how to use an exotic cask profile and not let it overwhelm the whisky.
Signal Hill Whisky
Blended whisky from Canada here. We know you’ve heard of the likes of Canadian Club but there are lots of good values to be found in the Land of Maple, such as Pike Creek 10 Year Old and Signal Hill. The latter is made from Canadian corn and barley, and blended with waters from Newfoundland before being aged in new white oak casks, first-fill bourbon casks, and Canadian whisky casks. It’s also non-chill filtered and very tasty.
Label 5 Classic Black Whisky
Label 5 Classic Black isn’t underrated in France, where it’s very popular. But more people should know about this top blend of Scotch whiskies, which features a hearty helping of fruity Speyside malts at its core and costs whatever the opposite of a pretty penny is.
Paddy Irish Whiskey
Anyone in Ireland reading this list has either punched the air or rolled their eyes. Paddy’s is just one of those staples, a whiskey that’s part of the culture and was many a person’s first dram. But beyond Ireland’s fair lands, people might not be familiar with Paddy’s and that’s worth correcting. Since 1779 enough folks have considered this a whiskey worth drinking. We don’t think they’re wrong.
Highland Malt Pot Still (20cl) Whisky
Just because there’s a novelty element to the product, that doesn’t mean it’s not a good whisky. This bottle of blended Scotch whisky from the Highland Malt range is shaped like a little pot still. Which makes it a neat gift. But the whisky inside often gets overlooked and never tasted because of the vessel it’s in. But give it a try and we think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
Green Isle Whisky
Having a versatile, tasty, and smoky blended Scotch whisky on hand is a must, just ask any good bartender. Green Isle is a box ticker, a never-let-you-down-dram featuring a core of Islay malt, alongside Speyside malt and Lowland grain whiskies.
Hatozaki Blended Whisky
When somebody asks you for an approachable, affordable, and Highball-ready Japanese blended whisky the likes of Toki and Nikka Days are usually suggested. But Hatozaki, from the Kaikyo Distillery, is a beautiful and good value blend that often gets overlooked. A marriage of malt and grain whiskies, the liquid is aged in many different cask types, including sherry, bourbon, and Mizunara oak, giving it a complex flavour profile.
Tácnbora Batch 1 Whisky
The Ad Gefrin distillery in Northumberland introduced itself in a mighty impressive way back in late 2022 when it launched Tácnbora. A range of blended whiskies to keep us satiated until its English single malt whisky is ready, the Tácnbora series marries together Scottish and Irish whiskies. Batch 1 was aged in a combo of bourbon, virgin American oak, and oloroso casks. And it’s beautiful stuff.
The XXX Blend – Batch 1 Whisky
Hey, you know that crusade we’re on to convince people that blends can be spectacular and refined and that single malt isn’t automatically better? Yeah, well this is the kind of whisky that makes that particular job easy. The XXX Blend is a 30-year-old blended Scotch whisky (Roman numerals FTW) that doesn’t cost as much as some of the really big premium blends but still deserves to be savoured.
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