Taste Fall 2024

Whiskies that Punch Above their Price Tag

BY REECE SIMS

Like a skilled boxer, the best value-for-price-point whiskies combine finesse and power, offering complex aromas, intricate flavours and memorable finishes without bruising your wallet. The best bottles under $60 span many flavour profiles and go toe to toe with the top shelf, proving you don’t need to break the bank to enjoy a championship-worthy dram.

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Pike Creek 10-Year-Old

Rum Barrel Finish Canadian Whisky Canada $39.99 545376

Finished in rum casks, this blended Canadian whisky is reminiscent of honey-drenched pineapple bread, molasses, dried orange and clove.

Think of a baked and fruity whisky like a double jab in boxing: a subtle yet impactful introduction that primes the palate for more powerful punches. For instance, Pike Creek 10-Year-Old Rum Barrel Finish Canadian Whisky spends a decade in oak casks and rum barrels in a non-climate-controlled warehouse near Windsor, Ontario. The fluctuations in temperature increase interaction with the wood, deepening the flavours more quickly. The result is a blended whisky delicious beyond its years—think lovely biscuit and golden fruit notes. If you’re interested in sparring with single malts, Tamnavulin Double Cask Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky is the perfect training partner to get you in the ring. Known for light and fruity distillates, Tamnavulin matures this expression in American oak barrels and then finishes it in sherry casks to develop the patisserie-laden profile. Despite having no minimum age statement, this Scotch is comparable to other Speyside malts matured for 12 years or more, but without the premium price tag.

Tamnavulin Double Cask Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky United Kingdom $63.99 109570 A hallmark Speyside single malt Scotch, this value-driven expression is fragrant with creamy vanilla shortbread topped with marzipan and grated nutmeg over peaches.

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