By Steve Thompson
There are no two ways about it, whisky can be an intimidating thing.
There are so many different types, brands and even spellings of the word, that things can get very confusing very quickly.
So, to make things a little bit easier here is a quick list of the top ten whiskies that you can buy while on your weekly panic buying induced pilgrimage to your supermarket of choice.
We snobs sit around and talk about the how the whisky (or whiskey if it’s Irish) tastes and what happens in our mouths when we swallow it.
We refer to these as the nose, palate and finish. We’ve included a brief description of these in here so the next time you talk to one of your friends you can wow them with your new found knowledge.
1. Ardbeg 10 Year – 46%
Islay, Scotland
From the Scottish island of Islay (pronounced ‘eye-la’) which is synonymous with the smokey scotch you’ve heard so much about, Ardbeg 10 year is arguably the best entry level peated Scotch out there.
Nose: Lots of that wonderful peat with deep dried fruits.
Palate: Vanilla with citrus, nuts and a lovely oily mouthfeel. Ardbeg has a signature oily peat smell and feel which runs throughout this whisky.
Finish: A long finish with the feeling campfire in your mouth.
Tesco: £47
Asda: X
Sainsburys: £47
Morrisons: £47
2. Talisker 10 Year – 45.8%
Isle Of Skye, Scotland
With the distillery located on the isolated, Isle Of Skye in the far north of Scotland they bring a unique saltiness from the fresh sea air that enters their grounds, a great organisation all round.
If you’re tempted by peat but think Islay scotch may be a bit too much for you then Talisker 10 is a great place to start.
Nose: Light peat with the signature sea salt and a dash of citrus.
Palate: Rich dried fruits, a lot of malt and some spicy pepper at the back of the mouth.
Finish: The peat dies down giving a sweet and pleasant finish.
Tesco: £44
Asda: £44
Sainsburys: £44
Morrisons: X
3. The Balvenie 12 Year Doublewood – 40%
Speyside, Scotland
Into less smokey scotch territories here. Speyside based whiskies will generally have no peat in them but are still scotch.
The double oak gets its name from the fact that it is aged in two types of barrel, refill American oak casks and then Oloroso sherry.
If you fancy a bit more adventurous dram then The Balvenie 14 Year Caribbean Cask, which is aged in rum casks is available at Tesco for £42
Nose: Light and fresh with honey glazed fruits and soft spices.
Palate: Sweet, light spices with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon.
Finish: Spicy, dry and sweet.
Tesco: £39
Asda: £41
Sainsburys: £39
Morrisons: £41
4. Bunnahabhain Stiùireadair – 46.3%
Islay, Scotland
Unlike many of the other scotch you will find from Islay, the majority of Bunnahabhain’s produce is unpeated, the Stiùireadair (stew-rahdur) is no different.
You can’t go wrong with anything from Bunnahabhain really and even though the 12 year is equally as available at most supermarkets for a similar price, this is bit more of an interesting pour.
Nose: Lots of brine from the sea air, honey and toasted sugar.
Palate: Spicy, cloves with a big hit of brine.
Finish: Tastebuds feel like popping candy with the spice and a dark chocolate outro.
Tesco: £31
Asda: X
Sainsburys: £32
Morrisons: £32
5. Glenmorangie 10 Year – 40%
Highlands, Scotland
No matter what bottle you reach from, if its from Glenmorangie its going to have a floral presence. If you drink gin and avoid the floral ones then this may not be for you.
Nose: Vanilla, sweet honey and floral notes.
Palate: Honey and malty sweet spices.
Finish: As the honey fades it leaves a clean finish.
Tesco: £36
Asda: £37
Sainsburys: X
Morrisons: £36
6. Wild Turkey 101 – 50.5%
Kentucky, USA
This bourbon is barrel proof which essentially means in the distillation process they don’t dilute the liquid or do so to a lesser extent than usual.
This will give you a higher proof or higher-level percentage of alcohol.
Nose: Despite the high ABV it’s surprisingly soft with lots of toffee.
Palate: Sweet caramel with notes of pepper and honey and a feeling of butter in your mouth.
Finish: Lots of spice going on, and on, and on.
Tesco: £31
Asda: X
Sainsburys: X
Morrisons: X
7. Buffalo Trace – 40%
Kentucky USA
From the iconic Buffalo Trace Distillery this is a versatile bourbon. Have it neat, on the rocks or with a mixer and you won’t be disappointed.
It also makes a superb Old Fashioned at a budget price.
Nose: Sweet caramel, cream with a hint of spice.
Palate: Brown sugar and caramel with hints of oak.
Finish: Not too long but sweet spices follow throughout.
Tesco: £23
Asda: X
Sainsburys: £23
Morrisons: £23
8. Jameson Caskmates – 40%
Cork, Ireland
A twist on the classic blackout inducer.
Aged in stout casks from the local Cork brewery, Franciscan Well, hence the name ‘caskmates’.
Nose: Crisp fresh fruits, light and inviting.
Palate: Cocoa beans and coffee with charred oak.
Finish: Long, sweet and a load of butterscotch.
Tesco: X
Asda: £27
Sainsburys: £27
Morrisons: £26.50
9. Bushmills Original Irish Whiskey – 40%
County Antrim, Northern Ireland
Formed in 1784 making The Old Bushmills Distillery the oldest in the world and the oldest continuous distillery having been in production since 1885.
A quintessentially Irish whiskey and perfect to test the waters in what the original nation of whiskey distilling has to offer.
Nose: Fresh grass and sweet aromatics.
Palate: Fruity, butter, sweet vanilla and cream.
Finish: Very malty with a slight pinch of ginger.
Tesco: £20
Asda: X
Sainsburys: £20
Morrisons: £21
10. Suntory Toki – 43%
Osaka, Japan
From the legendary Suntory distillery in Osaka Japan, Toki is neither the best nor the worst Japanese whiskey out there.
It is however a great and affordable way to get a taste of what the country is all about.
Nose: Grainy, with overwhelming vanilla and a backdrop of fresh green apples.
Palate: Vanilla, honey and toasted almonds.
Finish: Spicy finish with some short legs.
Tesco: X
Asda: £35
Sainsburys: £35
Morrisons: X
So, there you have it.
These are obviously just ten of the hundreds of different bottles stocked on supermarket shelves across the country.
Hopefully that’s a little taster to what is available out there in the wide and versatile world of whiskey.
One hot tip would be to try a few different ones from different parts of the world/country.
When you find out what and often more importantly, where you like, have a little browse at other distilleries in that region and start exploring.
Be warned though, once you get into whisky, you’re here for life.