Next Level Malts 

Alright Scotchit, we’ve compiled a great list of beginner bottles, but how about your second, third or fourth bottle? You may find your taste buds steering you in a certain direction, but you haven’t quite nailed down your palate yet. This is the place for you. The following list consists of a number of readily available malts that will have a bit more of a unique or full flavor profile. The aim here is to keep all of these bottles less than $200 and have at least a couple from each subset easily found at your average vendor. Feel like I forgot something? Speak up and let me know!

        Slàinte,

-Cpelletier89 *Caterpillar  

Warning: The flavors below represent the major distinct flavor of the dram. Every dram on this list will have varying levels of several of the options. The first pick will be the most prominent.

Ardbeg Uigeadail

• ABV: 54.2% Cask Strength

• Review Average: 93.25
• Cost: $60-80
• Quick overview: Smoke, peat, sherry, sweet, fresh, iodine, long, brine, oak, pepper, rice, & toffee

Lagavulin 16

• ABV: 43%
• Review Average: 90.33
• Cost: $80
• Quick Overview: Smoke, peat, malt, sweet, ash, caramel, coffee, dry, oak, pepper, & vanilla

Laphroaig Quarter Cask

• ABV: 48%
• Review Average: 92.29
• Cost: $45-65
• Quick Overview: Smoke, peat, vanilla, sweet, oak, campfire, caramel, fresh, iodine, sweetness, & tobacco

Caol Ila 12 

• ABV: 43%

• Review Average: 88.58
• Cost: $50-60

• Quick Overview: Peat, smoke, sweet, fruit, honey, sea, dry, smooth, salt, vanilla, & citrus

Ardbeg Corryvreckan 

• ABV: 57.1% Cask Strength
• Review Average: 92.17
• Cost: $80-90
• Quick Overview: Peat, smoke, thick, citrus, pepper, sweet, bonfire, butter, charred, fruit, iodine, & salty

Highland Park 15 

• ABV: 43%
• Review Average: 90.5
• Cost: $60-85
• Quick Overview: Smoky, peat, sherry, fruity, honey, vanilla, oak, brine, floral, malt, pepper, & caramel.

Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength 

• ABV: 56.3% Cask Strength
• Review Average: 93
• Cost: $55-60
• Quick Overview: Peat, smoke, iodine, medicinal, campfire, oak, leather, toffee, brine, spice, sweet, & pepper.

Bruichladdich Octomore 

• ABV: 62.5%
• Review Average: 91.9
• Cost: $120-150
• Quick Overview: Peat, smoke, long, sweet, wood, dry, lemon, oak, pork, charred, earth, & fennel

Highland Park 18 

• ABV: 43%
• Review Average: 87.63
• Cost: $130
• Quick Overview: Peat, oak, smoke, sherry, malt, honey, salt, caramel, chocolate, vanilla, spices, & sweet

Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or

• ABV: 46%
• Review Average: 84.13
• Cost: $50-70
• Quick Overview: Sweet, vanilla, lemon, light, wine, dry, fruit, honey, oak, smooth, apricot, fruity, & nutmeg

Oban 14 

• ABV: 43%
• Review Average: 84.82
• Cost: $60-75
• Quick Overview: Malty, orange, floral, sea, earthy, pear, salt, sherry, sweet, caramel, chocolate, & fruity

Glenlivet 16 Nadurra

• ABV: 54.5% Cask Strength
• Review Average: 89
• Cost: $60-65
• Quick Overview: Sweet, apple, fresh, honey, cinnamon oak, dry, floral, fruits, spice, vanilla, & malt

Bunnahabhain 18 

• ABV: 46.3%

• Review Average: 91.33
• Cost: $110-120
• Quick Overview: Sweet, toffee, vanilla, oak, spiced, spiced, nutty, honey, sherry, peat, & pepper.

Glenkinchie 12

• ABV: 43%
• Review Average: 87.33
• Cost: $40-50
• Quick Overview: Sweet, lemon, light, cake, cream, dry, oak, citrus, floral, almonds, & apple

Glenfiddich 18 

• ABV: 43%
• Review Average: 84
• Cost: $65-80
• Quick Overview: Oak, honey, sweet, apple, vanilla, sherry, sweetness, candy,  cinnamon, smooth, & flowers

Auchentoshan Three Wood 

• ABV: 43%
• Review Average: 80.17
• Cost:   $80
• Quick Overview: Oak, sweet, sherry, warm, fruit, leather, light, orange, salted, strawberry, & apricot

Balvenie 14 Caribbean Cask 

• ABV: 43%
• Review Average: 86.33
• Cost: $50-65
• Quick Overview: Rum, spice, vanilla, oak, sugar, sweet, honey, cinnamon, spicy, crisp, & dry

Glenlivet 18 

• ABV: 43%
• Review Average: 84
• Cost: $90
• Quick Overview: Oak, fruity, ginger, light, spicy, citrus, floral, rich, strong, toffee, & vanilla

Springbank 10

• ABV: 46%
• Review Average: 85
• Cost: $55-65
• Quick Overview: Caramel, peat, sweet, fruity, honey, vanilla, apples, bitter, briny, cereal, & citrus

Springbank 12

• ABV: 54.6% Cask Strength
• Review Average: 88.33
• Cost: $60-70
• Quick Overview: Caramel, malt, fruity, honey, peat, oak, sherry, briny, salt, & apples

AnCnoc 12 

• ABV: 43%
• Review Average: 84
• Cost: $40
• Quick Overview: Honey, sweet, floral, citrus, lemon, butter, dry, oak, spice, subtle, & warm

Clynelish 14 

• ABV: 46%
• Review Average: 83
• Cost: $45-55
• Quick Overview: Malt, peat, sweet, honey, sherry, vanilla, chocolate, delicate, light, oak, & pepper

Aberlour A’bunadh 

• ABV: 59.5% Cask Strength
• Review Average: 89.19
• Cost: $55-75
• Quick Overview: Sherry, oak, fruit, vanilla, sweet, dark, raisins, caramel, honey, malt, & cherry

Aberlour 12 Non Chill Filtered 

• ABV: 48%
• Review Average: 94.14
• Cost: $50-65
• Quick Overview: Sweet, sherry, raisins, pepper, cinnamon, fruits, vanilla, warm, caramel, citrus, & honey

Glenfarclas 105 

• ABV: 60% Cask Strength
• Review Average: 81.5
• Cost: $70
• Quick Overview: Sweet, vanilla, smoky, fruit, sherry, banana, oak, rich, smoke, toffee, & butterscotch

Aberlour 16 

• ABV: 43%
• Review Average: 87.5
• Cost: $75
• Quick Overview: Sherry, oak, fruity, vanilla, chocolate, caramel, toffee, cream, spiced, bourbon, honey, & dry.

Glenfarclas 17 

• ABV: 43%
• Review Average: 89.75
• Cost: $80
• Quick Overview: Sherry, fruity, oak, dry, creamy, honey, cake, oily, vanilla, spiced, citrus, & pepper.

What are you doing all the way down here? All the whisky is up there! Scroll up!