Whisky on the cheap! (Part 1)

With whisky, as with most things in life, you get what you pay for. But that is not to say that there are not some fine bottles to be had for less than you might think. The typical bottle of single malt Scotch from a reputable distillery with a minium age of 12 years will run over the $60 mark here in North Carolina. I'm sure we've all be in the local ABC store browsing for our next bottle and seen a few bottles in the $20-40 price range and wondered, "I wonder if that is any good?" Well I'm here to tell you that some them actually are! While they all suffer from less maturation time and some of them have other minor faults, most of the ones available in North Carolina are drinkable and quite pleasant. I plan to review every bottle I can find at our local ABC outlets and give honest feedback on each, with the end goal to help save some of you a buck or two down the line...either by buying a cheaper bottle or by avoiding one.

We'll start with Auchentoshan Classic. This bottle jumps right out at you on the shelves of most NC ABC stores, with it's sleek box and of course the Auchentoshan name. What is missing from the packaging is the minimum age of the liquid inside...as no age statement bottlings become more prevalent in the whisky world, expect this to lead to more and more tough choices at the shelf. At a price point below $40, this bottle really wants to be taken home by folks looking to save a dollar or two and still get something they've at least heard of. It is quite drinkable, although it clearly has some fairly young whisky in it. Auchentoshan Classic replaced their "Select" bottle in 2008 and while that older Select series had many favorable reviews out there, the story with Classic is hit or miss. Some people love it, some people hate it. I for one rather enjoyed it, although it is very consistent with the Lowland style which is not my preferred dram. The color is a very light amber and one can see quite well through the bottle to the other side...this is the first indication that it spent less than 10 years in an oak barrel. The nose is sweet, with hints of vanilla and a fruity aroma which dominates it. The palate is easy on the tongue, with fruits (most notably peach) and almonds, hints of oak and a touch of smoke. The finish is quite short, but very clean with apple notes and a bit of classic fruit punch. Bottled at 40% ABV, it's got a decent kick and adding a bit of water really opens it up on the palate, though it shortens the already short finish.