Senior Digital Writer - Entertainment and Food & Drinks
Although the finest whiskies of the world cost the earth, you only need INR 4500 to feed your blended scotch appetite. Here’s a look at a few quality bottles by popular brands that fit the bill.
Scotch conversations are often dominated by single malts — in part, due to the fact that they represent the unique characteristics of a distillery and are crafted with great care. However, it’s blended numbers that dominate sales — courtesy of their essentiality to co*cktail-making, consistent character, and low price tags. About 90 percent of bottles from Scotland fall within this category — featuring a fusion of malt and grain expressions from various sources.
The payoff varies from fruity and sweet to spicy and smokey — bottled by some of the biggest brands in the business. Best part? You can still partake in an on-the-rocks ritual if you’re down to your last couple of thousands for the month. However, the sheer sea of options on offer makes narrowing down on the perfect pick for your bar can be an exercise in exhaustion. We’re saving you time and effort with this guide to top blended scotch whiskies under INR 4500.
Best bottles of blended scotch whisky under INR 4500 for your bar
Johnnie Walker Double Black Blended Scotch Whisky
Starting out strong is a delicious number from one of the most popular scotch names in the whisky game. Carefully crafted by fusing whiskies matured in oak casks with select whiskies from the West Coast of Scotland — it has a distinctly smokey flavour that’s very characteristic of its Black Label and Double Black cousins. Every sip sings with notes of orange peel, spiced cloves, and vanilla.
Price: INR 4,500 approx.
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Ballantine’s 12 Years
Featuring a range of complex whiskies from four renowned scotch regions — Highlands, Islay, Speyside, and Lowlands — Ballantine’s 12-year-old pours golden honey and is quite refreshing. Right at the outset are whiffs of honey, oak, and vanilla. Every sip, meanwhile, sings with floral notes. The finish, meanwhile, is sweet.
Price: INR 4,000 approx.
Chivas Regal 12 Years
Home to luxurious, iconic expressions — Chivas Regal promises the smoothest sips. The 12-year-old rendition — featuring a fusion of Strathclyde single grain and Strathisla single malt — is no exception. Every sip has remarkable character and depth — singing with notes of vanilla, hazelnut, pears, and butterscotch. Whiffs of heather, honey, wild herbs, and orchard fruits come through as well. The finish, meanwhile, is rich.
Price: INR 4,000 approx.
Dewar’s 12 Years Special Reserve
Another quality name in the scotch game — Dewar’s has a long list of awards to its name. The 12-year-old rendition — which bagged a Double Gold at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition — lives up to this stellar reputation. It features a delicious fusion of malt and grain scotch numbers — ‘double-aged’ for six months in oak casks after the initial maturation and blending. The payoff is a smooth sup that sings with notes of dried fruits, honey, citrus, and vanilla. The finish is rounded.
Price: INR 4,000 approx.
Black & White Blended Scotch
Perhaps one of the most popular budget scotches across the world — this bottle has had several pop culture moments, from movie appearances to being a celebrity favourite. Full-bodied, creamy, and aged for three years — it pours a pale gold and sings with notes of peat, vanilla, honey, and oak. Notes of fruit and nuts come through as well. The finish, meanwhile, is sweet.
Price: INR 3,000 approx.
Dining Best bottles of fruity whisky under INR 7000 for a sweet scotch collection Dining Best single malts under INR 5000 for a connoisseur-grade budget scotch stash
100 Pipers Blended Malt 8 Years
Rounding out this list is a wildly popular sip that’s a first of its kind in India at its price point. Every sip offers whiffs of smoke — complemented by notes of raisins, pepper, and fruit on the palate. The finish, meanwhile, is warm.
Price: INR 2,000 approx.
Cheers!
(Hero and featured images: Courtesy Shutterstock/El Nariz)
Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
If the color has faded significantly, this is a sign that your bourbon is no longer at its peak, usually due to light exposure. Second, check the smell. Bourbon that has spoiled might smell moldy or sour. Finally, evaluate the taste.
By law under the Regulations, all Scotch whisky (whatever its category) must be a minimum of 40% ABV, matured in Scotland for a period of at least three years in a cask no bigger than 700 litres.
While whiskey doesn't necessarily expire, it does start to lose flavor and elements after it is opened. An unopened bottle of whiskey will last indefinitely if stored in proper condition. After opening a bottle of whiskey, you have as long as two years or as few as six months or less to drink it before it goes bad.
You can serve scotch on its own over ice for a sophisticated beverage that allows you to appreciate whisky's complexity. You can also combine it with soda, fruit juice or tea for a delicious highball that makes the whisky accessible without any compromise on flavour.
They are ideal for co*cktails because the grain whisky stretches and mellows out the intense flavors in the single malt, producing a more balanced whisky. Blended scotches are much more affordable because single grains are cheaper and more efficient to produce.
Post bottling, whisky does continue to change and evolve on it's own over time, especially if it's opened and exposed to oxygen, or different storage conditions such as temperature, but is generally safe for consumption, even after 100years!
Spirits or liquors like vodka, tequila, rum, gin, brandy, and whiskey can be left out at room temperature, or chilled depending on personal preference, according to beverage expert Anthony Caporale. White wine, champagne, beer, and cider should all be chilled in the refrigerator prior to consumption, per Caporale.
Whisky lasts indefinitely. So even if you have an unopened bottle from the '70s, it can still be opened and consumed a decade from now. It may slightly change its taste over time, but it won't spoil. Some whisky houses put a “best by” on the bottle, but that's usually just for formality.
Scots ask for their blended whisky by name and are served it neat (because ice makes it difficult to see if they are getting a full pour!)along with a small pitcher of water they use to cut to taste.
Jack Daniel's Triple Mash is a blend of three straight bottled in bond whiskeys: 60% Jack Daniel's Tennessee Rye, 20% Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey, and 20% Jack Daniel's American Malt.
Single malt Scotch whisky is distilled from a fermented mash made entirely of malted barley from a single distillery. Blended whisky is made from a blend of single malt and grain whiskies from multiple distilleries. Blended scotch makes up the majority of Scotch whisky production.
Whether a three-year-old expression spends a year or 30 years on a shelf without being opened, it is still a three-year-old whisky. This is because the taste profile of a whisky shouldn't change if it remains unopened. A whisky draws its flavour from the wood that it matures in.
Stored correctly, a bottle of whisky can pretty much last forever. However, there are several factors that come into play when it comes to perfectly preserving a dram. The lighting, temperature, humidity conditions, and whether you have opened the bottle will have an impact on the taste of the liquid inside.
Discover the bold and vibrant flavors of Johnnie Walker Red Label, the world's best-selling Blended Scotch Whiskey. Made for mixing, this premium whiskey adds a fiery kick to any co*cktail or social occasion.
Single malt Scotch whisky is distilled from a fermented mash made entirely of malted barley from a single distillery. Blended whisky is made from a blend of single malt and grain whiskies from multiple distilleries. Blended scotch makes up the majority of Scotch whisky production.
The number two Scotch whisky in Asia, 100 Pipers is a blended Scotch made from some of the best malts in the Speyside region. A mixture of 25–30 carefully selected malt whiskies, 100 Pipers is a smooth, subtly smoky whisky. The brand has been part of the Pernod Ricard group since 2001.
Introduction: My name is Lakeisha Bayer VM, I am a brainy, kind, enchanting, healthy, lovely, clean, witty person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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