Whiskey is one of the most popular drinks in the world. The most famous country it’s produced is Scotland, where the spirit has been made for the past 500 years.
In Scotland, there are over 140 distilleries, all making a global product – whiskey. Whisky is one of the top 5 consumed drinks in the world and is served neat on the rocks. Sometimes choosing the right type of glass is key to superior taste, and helps with the ease of drinking it.
Of course, some whiskeys are better than others, and in this blog post, we cover the 5 best whisky brands available. Let’s get started!
Guide: is it whiskey or whisky?
Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker is one of the most famous whiskey brands in the world and offers a whole host of varieties. The quality of the whiskey is set in colors, with Red being the most basic and Blue the most premium scotch. Nevertheless, there are plenty of colors to choose from, including black, double black, green, gold, and platinum. All have different blends and are priced accordingly.
Interestingly, Johnnie Walker is not as famous in the UK as in the USA. Whiskey is synonymous with cowboys and the Wild West, a common theme for many things in the UK, from bars to online slots.
Sidenote: People from the UK enjoy top slot titles like Wild Wild West by NetEnt, because of the cowboy themes, one of which is whiskey. UK players can play this slot amongst thousands of others at comparison sites. This site helps you by providing detailed info on the best UK online casinos.
Glenfiddich
Glenfiddich is a premium Scotch Whiskey brand that means “valley of the deer ” in Scottish Gaelic. The brand starts at 12 years old, hence why it’s expensive, but it’s widely enjoyed across the world.
With the prohibition in the United States in the 1920s, the company was one of few distilleries to actually increase production. The factory is still in Scotland today and saw a massive upsurge in demand when alcohol became illegal in the US. Nonetheless, when prohibition was repealed, it meant Glenfiddich was in a great position, as the alcohol business boomed in the 1930s.
Glenfiddich is a single malt whiskey and is matured in three different casks. These include; rum casks from the Caribbean, Bourbon barrels from the US, and Sherry butts from Spain.
Laphroaig
Laphroaig has a distinctive taste, which is peaty – when you’re drinking one, you’ll know right away! The distillery is located on the Isle of Islay in Western Scotland.
The whiskeys start at 10 years old, with the most expensive bottle being 40 years old. It has a famous fan in King Charles III, who gave it a Royal Warrant in 1994 when he was Duke of Rothesay. Even today it continues to be his favorite Scotch.
Laphroaig describes itself as “the most richly flavored of all Scotch whiskies”, which is somewhat true.
Chivas Regal
Chivas Regal is easily one of the most recognized whiskey brands on the planet. It sponsors the top English Premier League club, Manchester United, and is a premium whiskey.
Even though the name doesn’t sound Scottish, it was founded by Scottish brothers James and John Chivas and is distilled in Speyside. The brand only offers ten products, which gives it an aura of exclusivity. The cheapest whiskey is the 10 years, whilst the most expensive is Chivas Regal 25, which is ultra-rare, and of course 25 years old.
Glenlivet
An exceptionally smooth whiskey, Glenlivet is one of the finest Scotch brands available to buy at the bar. The distillery is located in Moray, Scotland, and remained open during prohibition, but closed during World War II.
It’s the best-selling whiskey brand in the United States, and the second best-selling globally. It is widely known as top quality, and its lower-end whiskeys start at 12 years old. On the other end of the scale, the most expensive bottle is The Glenlivet Cellar Collection American Oak Finish 30-Year-Old.