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Whisky and bubbles go together.

I’m not talking about a Scotch and Champagne cocktail (if such an abomination exists), nor a large Bourbon-on-the-rocks followed by a Cava chaser.

Rather – bubbles of the economic variety. 

Every few decades, there’s a huge surge in demand for whisky. 

In recent years that’s been fuelled, in part, by a growing secondary market where buying premium bottles is seen as an inflation-busting investment.

The boom has led to the ‘premiumisation’ of whisky, where companies have been able to dramatically push prices up, particularly of older, rarer bottles.

Unfortunately, whisky has a long history of bubbles… and a long history of them popping. 

Over the past year, sales have started to slide. In part due to inflation, international tariffs and the cost of living, in part because the market has been flooded by average quality whisky at extortionate prices.

So now it’s harder to find real gems from within a ridiculously deep mine of choice. 

Thankfully our crack team of whisky tasters has thoroughly tested dozens of bottles to come up with this guide featuring some of the best whiskies this year.

As always, the focus is on taste and whether the price is justified …  rather than whether it makes a good investment opportunity.

1. White Heather 15 year-old,  £59, The Whisky Exchange 

Another quick whisky history lesson. Blends used to be seen as the apex of the drinking experience. Immense value was placed on the skill of blenders to bring together whiskies from different distilleries into a rounded, balanced bottle. Nowadays most connoisseurs prefer single malts (or even single casks), but this impressive blend is a stand-out. Brilliantly balanced with a rich, moreish sweetness tempered by a very, very slightly smokey (almost unnoticeable) and savoury backbone. Complex enough to please whisky nerds but easy-going enough to drink any time. Superb for the price in the current market.

2. Michter’s Shenk’s Homestead Sour Mash – 2024 release, £120, The Whisky World

You can always bank on Michters. From their entry-level American whiskies, to their pricey well-aged bottles, the quality is reliably excellent. This is the latest version of their annual tribute to the distillery’s original founder and it’s one of their best ever releases.  Not quite a bourbon, not quite a rye, it boasts luscious creamy vanilla notes with an almost chewy, woody texture. A big hit of toffee apples, caramel and spice. Absolute perfection from a distillery at the top of their game.

3. Agitator Single Malt Whisky, £49, Amazon

If you wanna survive in this whisky market, you gotta stand out. Once upon a time, being Swedish would have been enough. But nowadays Nordic whisky is two-a-penny:  

Sweden alone has more than 20 distilleries. What really makes Agitator stand out is that it’s one of only a handful of whiskies in the world that’s vacuum distilled. It’s more environmentally friendly, but perhaps more importantly draws out different notes compared to traditional stills. It’s incredibly fruity (apples) with an in-your-face initial smokiness. Partially aged in chestnut casks, this is an innovative, fun and fresh whisky at under £50.

4. Kanosuke Hioki Pot Still, £95, The Whisky Exchange

Japan meets Ireland! Whiskies from the Land of the Rising Sun tend to be light, delicate, smooth and extremely expensive for anything interesting. For some Western drinkers, the ‘affordable’ ones are … how should we say it… perhaps a little unstimulating. Not this bottle. Kagoshima’s Kanosuke is relatively new to the Japanese whisky scene – it was originally a shochu distillery – but they are already creating noticeably flavourful spirit. Distilled at its sister distillery – Hioki – in the style of an Irish whiskey, this combines bold, bright orange and creamy toffee notes (almost like a bourbon) with that signature smoothness that Japan is renowned for. A unique and outstanding Japanese whisky. 

5. Forest Whisky, £59, The Forest Distillery

They say it’s what’s on the inside that counts. Certainly that’s the case with whisky, but every so often, what’s on the outside counts just a little bit too. The liquid here is good – a sweet blend which includes whisky distilled by the Forest Distillery (set within the Cat and Fiddle pub in the Peak District) – but what’s really striking is the bottle. Handmade black English porcelain is adorned with a beautiful stylised golden papercut design. I’ve never seen a whisky bottle like it. The blend itself has also been aged in new English oak casks, which adds a woody complexity. Beguiling inside… and even more so out.  

6. Craigellachie 19 year-old,  £162, Dewar’s

Craigellachie is celebrated for its high-quality whisky, but also criticised for its sky-high prices. For my money (literally), the distillery produces some of the best and most complex whisky in Scotland. The 19 year-old is a particularly rare bottle and it is superlative. Tropical fruits (pineapple!) and cereals sing above a savoury-sweet-meaty-herbal-dried fruit base note. There’s a certain funkiness to it, with a luscious texture. Definitely not a ‘beginner’ whisky, rather one for enthusiasts – who like big punchy flavours – to cherish.

7. Ardnamurchan AD08:18 Oloroso Sherry Cask, £80, The Whisky Exchange

Set up by the previously independent whisky bottlers Adelphi, the Ardnamurchan distillery opened a decade ago and its whiskies are now reaching an age where the youthfulness has been tempered and the various notes have started to mellow and meld. Most of the distillery’s output is peated, but this single-cask (exclusive to the Whisky Exchange) hasn’t got the slightest whiff of smoke. Instead it is filled with decadent flavours of dried fruit and nuts, thanks to time spent in an Oloroso sherry cask, which has also given the whisky an outrageously dark – but natural – colour. Full-bodied with an interesting slightly peppery, lemony finish, it’s bottled at an impressive 59% – so needs a good whack of water. Accomplished, delicious and hopefully a sign that Ardnamurchan has a bright (and long) future ahead. 

8. Ardbeg Spectacular, £100, Master of Malt

Beloved by peatheads, Ardbeg produces unashamedly smoky whisky. We’re talking the earthy, ashy, medicinal kind. Their core range is regularly ranked as some of the best priced whiskies on the market but they also release a lot of limited edition bottles… really, a lot. Sometimes sold through ballots, sometimes only available to members of their club and sometimes they’re sold like normal bottles of whisky through standard retailers. What a revelation! Thankfully ‘Spectacular’ is one of those available to all and sundry (at least those who aren’t put off by a near £100 price tag) and is the first time ever that Ardbeg has aged whisky in port casks. The result is an intense and idiosyncratic bottle, with a fascinating eucalyptus/menthol note that keeps you coming back for more. Considering how syrupy port is, the sweetness here is really restrained – ending up as something reminiscent of mint chocolate. 

9. Waterford Cuvee Koffi, £68, The Whisky Exchange

Waterford have a novel approach, treating Irish whiskey like wine, with an obsessive focus on terroir – down to which farm the barley was grown on. Each bottle comes with a code that gives access to detailed notes about that specific whiskey, including the date that the barley was sown, the type of soil and the name of the specific people in charge of distilling. Like French wine producers, they also release ‘cuvée’ bottles, which are carefully selected blends of their single-farm whiskies. The cuvée Koffi features 24 of the farms and has been aged for 6 years. Flavour-wise there’s a lot going on, think orchard fruits, lemon, bread, a bit of spice, some herbs, but it remains incredibly drinkable with a nice drying finish that keeps you dipping back for more. It really comes together once it’s been open for a day or two. Another top whiskey from one of the world’s most exciting distilleries. It’s sold out on many websites and is well worth trying to get a bottle of. 

10. Limited: Ben Nevis 1999, £229, Drink Limited

It looks like the kind of bottle that would be promoted by a footballer. To be honest, the name sounds like it was thought up by a footballer. And it’s priced as if a footballer was the customer. There were some alarm bells ringing before the team tried this whisky. But after the first sip, those bells were thoroughly silenced. Limited – as the name suggests – release limited bottles of special casks of whisky they’ve sourced from various distilleries. Standalone Ben Nevis whiskies are seldom seen (they often end up in blends), let alone ones that have been aged for 23 years. It has an incredible depth – with nuts, spice, leather, citrus peel, fudge, raisins – essentially lots of delicious things bouncing around together and off each other,  zinging across the tongue, while backed up by a complexity that only long ageing brings. Throw in a ridiculously thick texture and this is the kind of whisky where you could sit all evening nursing a single dram. Absolutely one for the connoisseurs. 

Honourable Mentions:

Tomatin Cask Strength, £42 – Brilliant bang-for-your-buck complex cask strength whisky from a distillery that doesn’t get much attention

That Boutique-y Whisky Company – 18 Year-Old Highland Malt, £85  – Formerly focused on limited edition bottlings, TBWC have now released a core range featuring this impressive sweet and smokey 18 year-old Highland whisky.

Cardrona Full Flight Solera, £122 – Whisky from New Zealand! Bursting with powerful fruity notes. Exciting stuff coming from the other side of the world.