Are you looking to expand your whisky horizons? You’re in the right place.
It’s very easy to get stuck in a whisky rut, just buying the same bottle over and over again. It’s especially easy when getting a gift just to buy their favourite, whether that’s Johnnie Walker Black Label or Maker’s Mark. Nothing wrong with that, of course. Classics are classics for a reason.
But trying new things can be rewarding too. So we’ve come up with whiskies from across the world that are worth exploring if you want to get something a little different.
Expand your whisky horizons
If you like Lagavulin 16 Year Old…
… then you’ll love Seaweed & Aeons & Digging & Fire 10 Year Old
If you love the smoky and saline meets sherry character of Lagavulin 16 year old but want to try something a little different, and at about half the price, then you could do a lot worse than this oddly-named but utterly delicious whisky. 25% of it has been finished in first-fill Oloroso sherry octaves which gives it a lovely sweetness.
If you like Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 year old…
… then you’ll love Paul John Bold
Johnnie Walker is the biggest whisky brand in the world and Black Label is its flagship. But it’s not the only high-quality smoke-tinged treat out there. Bold is a fully peated Indian single malt from Paul Distilleries that will satisfy even the most discerning of whisky lovers.
If you like Maker’s Mark…
… then you’ll love Brother’s Bond Regenerative Grain Straight Bourbon
The bourbon category is dominated by big brands but there’s lots of excitement if you look beyond the familiar names. Like this one from Brother’s Bond. It’s greener than a sweetcorn-lovin’ giant but has more than enough liquid credential to impress even the most ardent bourbon snob.
If you like The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask…
… then you’ll love Dunville’s Very Rare 10 Year Old Irish Whiskey
Lovers of sherry cask Speyside single malts have long beaten a path to Macallan’s door. But there are alternatives. We’re Dunville’s here at Master of Malt, especially this 10yo finished in Pedro Ximénez casks. It’s fruitcake city.
If you like Glenmorangie 10 Year Old – The Original…
… then you’ll love Masthouse Single Malt
Here’s a great suggestion for open-minded whisky drinkers: try swapping a classic Scottish single malt for a whisky from Kent. Yes, the Masthouse is much younger, but don’t let that put you off. It’s a fruit bomb. If you like that elegant style, you can beyond Scotland for it.
If you like Nikka Whisky From The Barrel
… then you’ll love Starward Left-Field
Nikka from the Barrel is a cult bottling that for many is their go-to dram. If you’re looking for big bold spicy flavours, may we recommend looking outside Japan to Australia? Melbourne’s Starward distillery is making some cracking whiskies at the moment like this red wine cask Left-Field expression. And just like Nikka from the Barrel, it’s a cocktail whisky par excellence. Now with a three-dram set!
If you like Balvenie 14 Year Old Caribbean Cask..
… then you’ll love Arlett Single Malt – Barbados Rum Cask Finish
Rum casks go so well with whisky adding a layer of delicious molasses sweetness. We recommend heading over to France for Arlett’s Barbados Rum Cask Finish. It was aged in a combo of American oak and first-fill bourbon barrels, followed by six months in casks that previously held rum from Barbados. Very reasonable price too.
