The 10 Best Scotch Whisky Presents Under $50

As Christmas approaches, you are probably being bombarded by constant reminders around you about the presents you are going to need to buy soon.

I’m willing to bet that there’s someone on that Christmas presents list that would appreciate a good bottle of whisky. Perhaps it’s your father in law, your boss, or a whisky-loving buddy. Perhaps it’s your significant other, and by buying them a bottle it means that you can get a cheeky swig on a regular basis.

In any case, there’s loads of great whisky that is easy to find and you can buy for less than $50. It doesn’t matter if they are a whisky novice or top level expert, I can guarantee everyone who might like whisky will be quite happy to get one of these bottles listed below.

I’ve listed the whisky here alphabetically, with prices quoted from The Whisky Exchange. However, if you look online or call your local whisky store you might be able to get it cheaper than what I’ve quoted below.

Here we go:

This is one of the first whiskies to move the contents of a cask into a different one.

1. Balvenie 12 Doublewood – £37.95  ($48)

This classic smooth and fruity whisky celebrated its 25^th anniversary recently, so it’s a good occasion to make this a present. The Doublewood is a classic, it was one of the first ever to move the contents of a whisky cask into another one to provide new flavors. In this case, whisky from bourbon casks was moved into Spanish sherry casks to provide new deeper fruity elements.

This is a lovely soft blend of Scotch whisky and Japanese oak.

2. Chivas Regal Mizunara Cask – £45.75  ($58)

A new release from blended whisky brand Chivas Regal, malt and grain whiskies are mixed together and then aged in Japanese Mizunara oak. The result is something soft and lovely that emphasises vanilla and coconut aromas. While the UK price listed here does put it over the $50 limit, I include it as I’ve found it listed under $50 in a lot of U.S. whisky shops.

Variety is the spice of life. Why get one bottle when you can get 3?

3. Classic Malts Coastal Collection – £41.45  ($50)

Collections are a great way to introduce someone to whisky. The coastal collection from Diageo features 3 stellar whiskies, each of them very different from each other. Bear in mind that both the Caol Ila (an underrated gem) and the Talisker have a bit of peat in them, making them a mildly yet delightfully smoky proposition.

One of Compass Box’s entry level whiskies, this is a great place to start exploring their range.

4. Compass Box Great King Street Artists Blend – £36.75  ($47)

Based in London, run by an American, Compass Box are one of the most important pioneers in Scotch whisky right now, creating truly unique blends and undertaking some great innovations with wood. Their Artist Blend is a great and smooth introduction to what this excellent blender can do.

This is one of the most budget friendly cask strength whiskies out there.

5. Elements of Islay Peat Full Proof – £35.95  ($46)

A smoke bomb at full blast cask strength for less than $50. Amazing. Be careful though, as a smoky whisky that’s 59.3% alcohol by volume is not for everyone. Be sure that whoever is receiving this budget-friendly monster will be able to handle it.

This is a great introduction to sherry-matured whisky.

6. Glendronach 12 – £39.45  ($50)

One of the cheapest sherry-matured single malts out there, the GlenDronach 12 is also lovely and definitely worth the price. Soft yet rich, with plenty of dark fruit and caramel flavors, this is a perfect introduction to sherry whisky to a whisky beginner. An important addition to any budding whisky collection too.

One of the best light whiskies out there. It also helps that it’s quite affordable.

7. Glen Grant 10 – £30.95  ($40)

One of the classic light and floral whiskies. Glen Grant is known for being consistently excellent. It’s a great present as this is the kind of whisky you’d serve to someone who says that they don’t know much or even don’t like whisky. It’s such an easy drink that it might just change their mind.

Another superb entry-level sherry-matured whisky.

8. Glenrothes 10 – £36.45  ($47)

Glenrothes recently re-released their whiskies, and this 10 year old is a welcome addition. It’s wonderfully thick and syrupy, a lovely combination of chocolate and caramel. It’s the closest thing I’ve ever tried to tasting a tootsie roll candy in a whisky. It will be competing with its sherry-matured rival GlenDronach for your attention.

Receiving this bottle marked the first time I’ve been expressly told by a Scotch whisky company to put my bottle in the freezer.

9. Johnnie Walker White Walker Game of Thrones Whisky – £33.95  ($43.65)

Whisky is coming. This is probably my least favorite of the bunch but there’s no denying it makes a good present, especially for anyone who is a fan of the books and the TV show. When you put it in the freezer the entire bottle changes to make the Johnnie Walker mascot look like one of the arctic zombie bad guys (no I haven’t watched the show) and reveal the text ‘Winter is here’ on the side. It’s definitely one of the most innovative whisky bottles I’ve ever seen.

This is a Laphroaig that’s aged in smaller casks to generate more intense flavors.

10. Laphroaig Quarter Cask – £36.95  ($47.50)

Another heavily smoked affair. Laphroaig Quarter Cask is a stronger, spicier version of its 10 year old cousin. The Quarter Cask stands out for its maturation in smaller casks, allowing the liquid to have more contact with the wood which then imparts more flavors into the spirit.  This is another one that you should be careful about giving as a gift, make sure it goes to someone who would appreciate strong smoky whisky!