Enter Balblair vintage 2005 – a whisky distilled in 2005 and bottled in 2015. Featuring a 46% ABV and an original MSRP of $79.99, it feels like a lot to spend for a ten year old product that is most likely aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks.

Part of Glenfiddich’s Grand Collection, this Gran Reserva expression has been aged for 21 years before being finished in Caribbean rum casks.

Talisker x Parley Wilder Seas has no age statement, a higher than typical ABV of 48.6%, is finished in French oak cognac casks, and was produced to help support Parley – a charitable organization dedicated to sustainability.

One of their core expressions is their Glasgow Blend, a relatively affordable blended whisky that highlights Compass Box’s deft use of peat. Retailing for around $40, and featuring natural color, non-chill filtration, and a 43% ABV, is Glasgow Blend worthy of the Compass Box name?

Old Pulteney’s 12 year expression remains one of their most affordable and accessible - proof that not all single malt scotch has to be expensive.

Compass Box Hedonism is a blended grain whisky made up of whiskies hailing from Port Dundas, Girvan, Cameronbridge, and North British distilleries. It’s bottled at 43% ABV with without chill-filtration.

Speyburn’s Braden Orach expression is an entry level single malt aged in ex-bourbon barrels, comes in at 40% ABV, and sports a name that means “Golden Salmon” in Gaelic.

This is one of the original “Scottish Barley Heavily Peated” expressions – before the Port Charlotte line exploded into numerous different variations and become one of Bruichladdich’s most recognizable labels.

Speyburn isn’t the first name that comes to mind when it comes to Speyside Scotch. But with a 10 year age statement, coming in at 43% ABV, and readily available for around $25, it’s hard to argue against the specs on their entry level offering.

Go back in time to one of the first “Islay Barley” expressions from Bruichladdich with this 200ml mini bottled back in 2017! This expression focuses on the effect of terroir on whisky in Islay - and has since become a core expression in their lineup.

Made by Knockdhu distillery, the AnCnoc name was chosen as to not confuse it with the nearby Knockando distillery. But pronunciation aside, the 12 year old constitutes the entry whisky in the core range of this distillery located on the outer edges of Speyside.

Welcome the mythical Macallan 25. Priced at around $2500 and aged exclusively in sherry for at least 25 years, this is not your everyday whisky experience. But let's see if Macallan still knows how to deliver the incredible experiences that made them the most famous Scotch whisky in the world.  

Aligned with House Lannister, this young Lagavulin is bottled at 46% ABV, aged exclusively in ex-bourbon barrels, and retailed for around $75. While some other GoT whiskies left me a bit disappointed, on specs alone, this has the credentials to be intriguing. Let’s dive in and find out.

Faultline Blended Scotch is a blended Scotch whisky designed by the team at K&L to be an affordable, powerful, smokey Scotch. The Faultline brand is reserved only for K&L’s house products where they will work with producers from around the world to create their own take on a specific type of spirit.