Chivas Regal, 12-Year-Old Scotch Whisky
You don’t have to be a connoisseur to enjoy a bottle of Chivas. One of the best-known blends on the market, Chivas Regal was Frank Sinatra’s drink of choice. That speaks for its image, but this 12-year-old blend is also remarkable for its taste. Though the length of aging is often a red herring (American bourbon, for instance, ages quicker because of Kentucky’s heat), the 12 years that go into Chivas Regal give it a long, lingering finish to go with its round, creamy taste.
Product #7617, 750 ml/$44.95, 40%
Te Bheag, Unchilfiltered Whisky
It may seem counterintuitive to suggest a bottle with a near unpronounceable name as an entry-level Scotch, but this Gaelic blend is an excellent gateway drink. Made up of whiskies from West Coast and Speyside distilleries, it is sweeter and smoother than many single malts but offers some of those distinctive elements: gentle notes of peat and smoke, medium body and hints of spice. And for the record, it’s pronounced “chey vek.”
Product #949172, 700 ml/$36.95, 40%
The Glenlivet 12-Year-Old, Single Malt
The bestselling single malt in the world, Glenlivet is well known to most drinkers, but that doesn’t mean it’s some watered-down bastard Scotch. In fact, it’s just as iconic in Scotland. Glenlivet is actually an area designation within the Speyside region, but “The” Glenlivet is the only one allowed to use its name. A surprisingly unsnobby single malt, it offers a complex character of floral flavours that nonetheless goes down smooth.
Product #21097, 750 ml/$43.75, 40%
Laphroaig Quarter Cask, Single Islay Malt Scotch Whisky
Inexperienced Scotch drinkers might wonder why peaty is a taste that people actually want in their whisky, but that distinctive smoky flavour is one of the characteristics of a good single malt and one that often ties it to its home region. Distilleries in the Islay region are specifically known for it. Laphroaig’s Quarter Cask uses peat smoke to dry its barley, giving it a big, fresh taste and flavours of wet wood to go with caramel and toffee notes. If you can see that as a positive, you’re well on your way.
Product #19158, 750 ml/$69.95, 48%
Auchentoshan, 12-Year-Old Single Malt Whisky
Irish whiskey drinkers often favour its smoother, lighter taste due to triple distillation, while Scotch is mostly distilled twice. Auchentoshan is an exception to that rule. The only triple-distilled Lowlands malt, the tongue-twistingly named whisky has medium body, a touch of peat, notes of honey and nut sweetness and an appropriate smoothness, especially for a single malt Scotch.
Product #107359, 750 ml/$52.25, 40%
Tobermory, 10-YearOld Isle Of Mull Single Malt
The Isle of Mull is considered part of the Highlands region, though hardcore devotees will call it “Islands,” which is a further subdivision. This new addition to the LCBO’s Whisky Shop has an appealing sweet and light flavour recently made stronger with higher alcohol-by-volume strength and overtones of nut, herbs, malt and soft oak, giving it a multi-faceted profile.
Product #306647, 750 ml/$63.85, 46.3%
Springbank 12-Year Strength, Campbeltown Single Malt
Springbank is a rare Scotch still hand-malted and bottled on site. The Campbeltown region distillery is all about small-batch craftsmanship, but it’s not for the uninitiated. While most bottled whisky is diluted with water to bring its strength down to a more palatable, less expensive level (usually about 40 per cent), “cask strength” means it’s the same strength as it is in the cask it matured in. At nearly 55 per cent alcohol by volume, this is a one-and-done whisky to be savoured in a wee dram.
Product #209429 (Vintages), 700 ml/$102.95, 54.6%a
