From Speyside to The Dalmore, the best whiskies in the world combine expert distillation and maturation into fascinating depths of flavour. But as collectibility and scarcity drive up the prices of high-end bottles, many single-malt fans are turning to supermarkets in search of their next dram.
A shift in the market has seen whisky lovers seek out affordability rather than prestige, whether it’s millennials mixing up an old fashioned or Gen Z discovering whisky sours.
Though not all whiskies from supermarkets hit the mark, many are exceptional – three of Aldi’s have been named among the best in the world, while Lidl has previously won gold at the World Whisky Awards. “You can find great whisky available at almost every price point,” says Billy Abbott, author of a Philosophy of Whisky. “While more affordable whiskies will often not have the bells and whistles of more expensive bottles, you can find great quality wherever you look.”
This democratisation of whisky is partly due to some interesting changes in perception. Historically, whisky was seen as the working-class drink of choice – but the popularity of Scottish distilleries among the wealthy in the late 1800s turned it into an upper-class staple. For more than a century, whisky was regarded not only as a luxury spirit but as a fairly stodgy “old man” drink of choice.
Yet it’s more popular than ever among younger generations, thanks to social media, cocktail culture and the increasing availability of high-quality whisky at affordable prices. If you want a great whisky at a fair price, you’ll find it here.
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There are, roughly speaking, five styles of whisky: Scottish scotch, Irish whisky, American whisky, Canadian whisky and Japanese whisky. Production styles also vary across regions; we’ve single malts and blends, as well as cask strength and peated whiskies. Blended and Irish whiskeys have a broad appeal thanks to their smoothness, but American Bourbon has seen a surge in popularity in recent years (its sweeter flavour profile makes it a great gateway spirit).
Meet the experts
Joanne Gould is a journalist with a decade of experience writing about food and drink. She’s written about every type of whisky there is for dozens of publications, from scotch and single malt to blended and bourbon.
Jonathan Hatchman is a whisky expert with years under his belt reviewing the best spirits, with tests of the best Japanese whiskies, bourbon, and rye.
Aidy Smith is an award-winning TV presenter, broadcaster and journalist. He is the presenter of Amazon Prime’s award-winning drinks-themed travel series The Three Drinkers and is frequently heard across TV and radio.
