The 50 Best Single Malt Scotch Whiskies of the 21st Century

Jura is a small island off the west coast of Scotland, located between the much better known Islay and the mainland. The eponymous distillery there has a range of single malts, including this whisky, which was aged for 14 years in a combination of bourbon and rye barrels. That latter type of cask is relatively uncommon in Scotch whisky, but it gives this dram a subtle hint of spice underneath its toffee, vanilla, citrus, and dark chocolate core.

Beverage conglomerate Diageo owns many different distilleries across Scotland, including Royal Lachnagar, which is not as well known as others in its portfolio. This whisky was offered as part of Diageo’s Special Releases collection in 2021, a 16-year-old single malt aged in European and American oak refill casks that have given it a light, fresh, citrusy character. It’s bottled at a strong 57.5 percent, so go ahead and add a bit of water if you’d like to open up the palate.

This whisky was released in 2021 to commemorate master distiller Robert Fleming’s 30th year with Tomintoul, a distillery located in the Highlands region of Scotland. The whisky was aged for 20 years in a bourbon barrel before being transferred to an Oloroso sherry cask for another decade, giving it notes of chocolate, apple, raisin, and spice. There have been several other editions of this whisky in the years since, so you can compare them to this first release to see how they differ.

Diageo’s Prima & Ultima collection is an annual release which includes some truly excellent whiskies that you have likely never seen (or tasted) before. This is a great example—a single malt distilled at the Linkwood distillery in 1981, well before it was reopened in 2008, that was aged for 12 years in refill casks and then put into Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso sherry-seasoned oak for more than 25 years. That double maturation has resulted in a truly special whisky that is warm with spice, dark chocolate, and dried fruit notes on the palate.

Glenglassaugh is a small coastal distillery that was mothballed for numerous years and off the radar of many whisky drinkers for nearly just as long. It reopened in 2008 and was acquired by Brown-Forman in 2016, and more recently relaunched its core lineup. Portsoy is the standout expression of the bunch, a non-age-statement single malt aged in bourbon, sherry, and port casks, combining the best influences of those three very different types of wood.

Royal Brackla is one of Bacardi’s key whisky distilleries, but it doesn’t get as much attention as others like Aberfeldy and Craigellachie. That should change with the release of this 21-year-old expression, part of the revamped lineup of core whiskies. It was finished in three different types of sherry casks—Oloroso, Palo Cortado, and Pedro Ximenez—providing a range of flavor notes that make this royal dram stand out from other similarly aged whiskies.

The Glenlivet is one of the most popular whiskies in the world, but the distillery is generally not known for making smoky single malts. This expression of Nadurra is the exception to that rule, however, a cask-strength (61.5 percent ABV) malt that was finished in barrels previously used to age heavily peated whisky. The result combines the Glenlivet’s house style of citrus, vanilla, and spice notes with a gentle but noticeable smokiness.

This is another expression in Diageo’s Distillers Edition series. It’s a 2009 vintage from Islay distillery Caol Ila that was finished in Moscatel barrels, a type of sweet wine that is similar to sherry. The smoke from the peated barley used to make the whisky is still present, but it intermingles with a range of dried fruit, cherry, and spice notes, bringing a unique twist to the house style from this beloved distillery.

Oban is a small distillery that is one of Diageo’s core operations, with a portfolio anchored by a 14-year-old expression. This release is a year older than that one, but really stands out—it was matured in European oak butts and American oak hogsheads, and then finished for more than four years in Oloroso and Palo Cortado sherry casks and bottled at cask strength of 55.3 percent ABV. There’s a wisp of smoke on the palate, along with big notes of sweet fruit, caramelized brown sugar, black pepper, rum raisin, and cinnamon, and a nice amount of heat on the finish.

This 25-year-old whisky is the oldest expression in the Isle of Arran lineup, a lesser known distillery that deserves your attention. This is a rare single malt with just 3,000 bottles released globally. The whisky was distilled in 1995, the same year the distillery began production, and aged in sherry and bourbon barrels for a quarter century. Look for notes of citrus, honey, and dried fruit on the palate, with oak and chocolate on the finish.

This half-century-old expression from Glenfarclas, a historic family-run distillery, came out in 2022 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of chairman John Grant’s entry into the whisky business. Glenfarclas 50 is a pricy single malt bottled at 50 percent ABV, with notes of toffee, dark chocolate, and citrus on the palate. Less than a thousand bottles were released—if you find one and can afford the splurge, you won’t be disappointed.

This whisky is part of Old Pulteney’s Coastal Series, a collection that is meant to highlight the distillery’s close physical and ethereal connection to the sea (its nickname is the Maritime Malt, after all). After initial maturation, the whisky is finished in casks previously used to age Pineau des Charentes, a kind of sweet fortified French wine. There’s a bit of salinity and spice on the palate, along with a pleasant fruity sweetness that brings together notes of citrus, apple, and grape.

The Glenallachie distillery expanded its core lineup with this 15-year-old whisky in 2019. It was a welcome addition, and one that master distiller Billy Walker says truly encapsulates the distillery’s DNA. The whisky was aged in two different types of sherry casks—Pedro Ximenez and Oloroso—which gives it a substantial mouthfeel and notes of raisin, fig, caramel, and molasses on the palate. This whisky is a nice middle point in the portfolio between the 10- and 25-year-old expressions that anchor either end.

This single malt had the honor of winning the Whisky Exchange’s “Whisky of the Year” award in 2023. It was aged for 16 years in ex-bourbon barrels and then finished for a full two years in sherry casks, before being bottled at 46.3 percent ABV with natural color and no chill filtration. Ledaig 18 is a peated expression, so expect strong campfire smoke notes on the palate along with a bit of salinity, pepper spice, dried fruit, and espresso notes from that lengthy sherry cask aging.

Islay distillery Bruichladdich is known for making some of the most heavily peated whiskies you can find as part of its annual Octomore series. But the core expression, the Classic Laddie, is actually an unpeated whisky that is a “classic” for a reason. This non-age statement expression is a blend of whiskies aged in variety of cask types, and the end result is a single malt that you can sip on its own or mix into a highball, with notes of vanilla, oak, citrus, honey, and caramel on the palate.

This 18-year-old expression from Highland distillery Loch Lomond has been around for a while, but just recently was reintroduced to the U.S. market. That’s a good thing, because it’s a fantastic well-aged whisky produced using both straight and swan neck stills, and aged in three types of barrels—first-fill, refill, and re-charred. There’s a soft touch of smoke on the palate, rounded out by notes of orchard fruit, vanilla, and leather.

Rosebank is a distillery in Scotland’s Lowlands region that closed its doors in the early ’90s, but Ian Macleod Distillers rebuilt it and started production again recently. This 31-year-old expression comes from casks that were filled in the before times, obviously, but there’s a freshness and vibrancy to the liquid that belies its age. There are notes of citrus, vanilla, spice, and milk chocolate on the palate, and at 48.1 percent ABV just a bit of heat to lengthen the finish a bit.

Bunnahabhain is another Islay distillery, but perhaps one that is not as familiar to whisky drinkers as the big players like Laphroaig and Lagavulin. The whisky that comes out of this distillery is fantastic, however, and includes this award-winning 18-year-old expression. Don’t expect any smoke, because this is an unpeated whisky that is finished in sherry casks, adding notes of toffee, roasted nuts, and spice to the oaky, warming palate.

Glengoyne replaced its 17-year-old single malt with this version which was aged for an extra year in 2012. This is an excellent example of a sherry cask-matured scotch whisky from a lesser known distillery, entirely matured in first-fill sherry butts. Look for notes of marzipan, baking spice, fresh fruits, and dried fruits on the palate, and see how this differs from similarly aged whiskies from the Macallan or the GlenDronach.

Torabhaig opened in 2017, making it the first whisky distillery to operate on the Isle of Skye in 200 years that isn’t named Talisker. It has been releasing young whiskies over the past few years that show the progression towards a 10-year-old expression, and one of those is called Cnoc Na Mòine. This peated single malt was partially aged in sherry casks, a first for the distillery, and is bottled at 46 percent ABV with no color added or chill filtration. Expect notes of pepper, gentle spice, cedar, and leather, according to the official tasting notes.

Springbank is located in Campbeltown, which is the smallest scotch whisky region in the country. This 15-year-old expression is entirely matured in sherry casks, but there’s a bit of peat in the mix as well to counterbalance the sweet and spicy dried fruit notes on the palate. Think tobacco, prunes, raisins, and burnt orange all mixed together, in the best way possible, and that should give you an idea of what you can expect from a sip of this worthy whisky.

Islay distillery Bruichladdich is known for its heavily peated Port Charlotte lineup, and its even more intense annual Octomore release which includes some of the smokiest whisky you can find. But the core expression, the Classic Laddie, is unpeated—as is Bruichladdich Eighteen, part of the new Luxury Redefined series. There’s also a 30-year-old expression, but quite honestly this younger whisky is the better of the two. It was aged mostly in ex-bourbon barrels along with some sauternes and port casks, and the palate is full of notes of honey, oak, caramel, spice, and a bit of leather.

This 15-year-old expression joined the Tamdhu lineup about five years ago. The Speyside distillery ages the whisky in American and European oak Oloroso sherry casks, and bottles it with natural color and no chill filtration at 46 percent ABV. The liquid is a dark orange-copper color, and the palate screams sherry cask with notes of baked apple, cinnamon, black pepper, and dried fruit for days. This is another single malt that sits in that sweet spot of maturation and is arguably better than anything twice its age.

Aberfeldy has long been the home of Dewar’s, one of the most popular blended scotch whiskies in the world. But the distillery’s single malts are fantastic on their own, including the newest member of the family: this 25-year-old release. It was aged for the majority of those years in refill hogsheads and butts, and then finished for more than a year in Oloroso sherry casks. That gives it a strong sherry character, but it’s far from a sherry bomb and still retains that signature honey note that defines the distillery.

Fettercairn released this nearly half-century-old single malt a few years ago in 2020. The whisky was aged in bourbon barrels for 42 years and then put into tawny port pipes for its final four years of maturation. This ultra-aged whisky followed 16 and 22-year-old expressions from the distillery, doubling the amount of maturation time of the latter. There is a strong tropical fruit character on the palate, along with balanced notes of spice and sweetness. If you are going to spend money on just one exceptionally rare single malt, consider this one.

This quarter-century-old single malt joined the Glen Scotia lineup in 2017. The Campbeltown distillery first matured the whisky in American oak casks, and then married and aged it in first-fill bourbon barrels for an additional year. It’s non-chill filtered, allowing a complex palate to shine through with notes of fruit, spice, citrus, vanilla, and some of the maritime influence the distillery touts—all of which arguably justify its high price tag.

The Last Drop’s mission is right there in the name—this company is focused on finding and bottling the literal last drops of various spirits, from Cognac to rum to single malt scotch whisky. Case in point is this 1967 vintage from Glen Garioch which was aged in a “bourbon-style remade hogshead cask,” according to the brand. The resulting whisky has notes of honey, apple, spice, and just a hint of smoke on the palate.

The Dalmore has been releasing its 30-year-old expression for a few years now, and the 2024 release is worth seeking out. This is a very limited release, with less than 1,000 bottles available globally. Initially aged in American ex-bourbon barrels, the whisky was then finished in a combination of Colheita and tawny port casks from Graham’s Port.

The Glenrothes had a 25-year-old single malt in its lineup previously, but it was completely redesigned and re-released a few years ago. According to the brand, the key to the new whisky’s character is that it is matured in a high proportion of first-fill sherry-seasoned casks along with a combination of American and European oak. The resulting whisky is luxurious, with notes of milk and dark chocolate, baking spice, toffee, tropical fruit, and a flash of citrus on the palate.

Pernod Ricard relaunched the Longmorn single malt lineup with new 18 and 22-year-old expressions. The younger is the superior whisky (although both are excellent), aged for nearly 20 years in American oak ex-bourbon barrels and hogsheads and bottled at a strong 57.6 percent ABV. There are notes of toffee, hot honey, mulled cider, salted caramel, butterscotch, and pear on the palate. If you’re new to Longmorn, or just haven’t thought about it in a while, give this whisky a try and you’ll be happy you got reacquainted.

This is another new ultra-aged single malt that deserves a mention for its high quality, which is not always the case with whisky aged for more than a few decades. This is a very expensive release that arrived in limited numbers, but if you get a chance to try it you won’t be disappointed. The whisky comes from a single cask and has layers of complexity that seem to have been augmented by a half century in oak. Look for notes of tropical fruit, leather, tobacco, cocoa, fruit leather, and a touch of licorice on the palate.

This whisky, part of Glenfiddich’s Grand series, is a 31-year-old single malt that spent 22 years in American oak and its final nine years in French Bordeaux wine casks. The use of those barrels is a first for this popular Speyside distillery, and the results prove that it was worth it. This is a heavily tannic whisky but not drying, with rich notes of berries, roasted nuts, cocoa, espresso, and vanilla syrup on the palate. Compare this against others in the series to see how each cask finish alters the core Glenfiddich character.

For many years, Craigellachie’s main function was to produce whisky that went into the Dewar’s blend, but it has come into its own in the single-malt category. This release, a cask-finished version of its core 13-year-old whisky, gives the liquid an additional year of maturation in French Bas-Armagnac barrels. The result is a fascinating blend of citrus, vanilla, and spice flavors on the palate that have been given a boost of tropical-fruit, almond, and toasted-coconut notes.

BenRiach is another distillery that has been given renewed life and attention since its acquisition by Brown-Forman in 2016, not that it wasn’t producing good whisky before then. This release, part of the newly revamped portfolio from a few years back, is a combination of peated and unpeated whisky that has been aged in four different types of barrels: bourbon, sherry, virgin oak, and Bordeaux red wine casks. Twenty-one years seems to have been the right amount of time to coax maximum flavor from the liquid, with notes of smoke, honey, molasses, and spice on the palate.

Independent bottler Gordon & Macphail released this 74-year-old whisky produced at the Glenlivet distillery a few years ago. There are less than 200 bottles available of this extremely old and rare expression, and the palate is remarkable for its elevated age, with notes of tobacco, leather, tropical fruit, and a whiff of smoke picked up from nearly three-quarters of a century inside a sherry cask.

Islay distillery Bowmore released two whiskies as part of its Timeless Series. The 29-year-old expression (SRP $1,800) was distilled in 1991 and 1992 and matured in both American ex-bourbon barrels and European sherry-seasoned oak casks. Tasting notes for this whisky describe a “warming peat character with notable hints of fruitcake and cocoa with a hint of sea salt” on the palate. There is also a 33-year-old available in global travel retail, but the 29 is available here in the U.S. at specialty retailers.

Glenmorangie Signet stands out from the rest of the distillery’s portfolio due to the fact that it was made from a mashbill consisting of two different types of malted barley—and one of them is a chocolate malted barley. That’s not referring to actual chocolate, of course, but the way that the barley was roasted. That method brings deep flavors of roasted coffee beans and dark and milk chocolate to the palate, and the whisky was aged in virgin oak instead of used barrels which further contributes to its bold and assertive flavor.

Deanston is an under-recognized Highlands distillery making some seriously good whisky. This 15-year-old single malt is a limited-edition expression that was initially aged in hogsheads for 13 years before being finished in barrels used to age reposado and añejo tequila for a final two years, resulting in a subtle but effective agave influence on the whisky. There are notes of tropical fruit and vanilla on the nose followed by brown sugar, roasted nuts, orange and lemon citrus, espresso bean, and a touch of caramelized agave on the palate.

Bruichladdich’s Port Charlotte series of whiskies is known for being very heavily peated but still quite complex. The collection got its oldest age statement to date recently when this 18-year-old expression was added to the lineup. At 40 PPM, it packs a very smoky punch, but nearly two decades of aging in sherry casks and French oak wine barrels has given it layers of fruit, spice, and oak notes as well.

Mortlach is known as the “beast of Dufftown” among some whisky fans. The distillery has a unique distillation process in which the whisky is distilled 2.81 times, which requires a bit of math and mental gymnastics to understand. This 30-year-old expression came out a few years back with an interesting combination of cask finishes: Bordeaux wine, Calvados, and Guatemalan rum. The whisky is fruity with rich tropical fruit and chocolate notes, and can certainly be enjoyed at other times besides midnight.

Daftmill 2010 Cask Strength is a 12-year-old expression from a small family-run distillery that was aged in 15 first-fill ex-bourbon barrels, which ultimately yielded 2,400 cask-strength bottles clocking in at 58.7 percent ABV. Honey is one of the first notes that leaps out at you on the nose, along with vanilla and apricot. Vanilla continues onto the palate but morphs into custard form, complemented by notes of fennel pollen, a hint of banana, a healthy dose of spice, and a bit of leather and oak.

Talisker 30 was first released in 2006 as part of Diageo’s Special Releases collection. It was relaunched in 2021 and is now a permanent annual release. The whisky was aged in American oak and bottled at cask strength of 49.5 percent ABV. Official tasting notes describe apple, stone fruit, and spice on the nose, followed by notes of smoke, green chili pepper, sweet pecan, bonfire embers, and a soft salinity on the palate. Happy hunting, because there were less than 3,000 bottles released this year.

This 1993 vintage Lagavulin was released in 2022 as part of Diageo’s Prima & Ultima collection. It is a 28-year-old whisky bottled at 50.1 percent ABV that was matured in two casks, one PX/Oloroso sherry seasoned butt and one refill American oak hogshead, with a yield of just 642 bottles. This was the standout of that year’s collection, bringing Lagavulin’s familiar peaty notes to another level with flavors like blueberry, molasses, caramel on the palate and fig, raisin and cherry on the nose.

Laphroaig is famous for its heavily peated whiskies, which often are described as having notes of iodine and seaweed. This whisky, distilled in 1987, is still quite smoky, but that’s not the only note here. The nose has minimal peat, with notes of vanilla, citrus and spiced pear leading the way. The palate opens up with papaya, clementine, vanilla custard, burnt toffee, and a touch of iodine and menthol, all backed by a softened but still predominant layer of smoke. At just under 50 percent ABV, there’s a little bit of heat here, and the whisky is non-chill filtered to retain maximum flavor.

Even if you’re not an avid whisky drinker, you’re likely familiar with the Macallan, a distillery that matures nearly every drop of whisky in sherry casks. In 2016, it launched the Double Cask lineup which is aged in both American and European oak, and four years later it added this 18-year-old expression. The American oak is said to add notes of vanilla, while the European oak is supposed to contribute some spice. Together, along with the sherry influence, this results in a superb whisky with pleasant notes of oak and ripe fruit after nearly 20 years in casks.

The Glendronach is a Highland distillery that makes sherry cask-matured whisky that rivals the likes of the Macallan—and in some cases, might even be better. The 18-year-old expression is the peak age statement of the lineup, a rich and complex single malt aged entirely in Oloroso sherry casks sourced from Andalucía, Spain. That has imbued it with notes of molasses, dried fruit, spice, and vanilla, with a nice balance of sweet and dry.

Aberlour is a Speyside distillery that is known for its double-cask maturation process—essentially maturing whisky in two different types of casks and then marrying the liquid together, as opposed to a cask finish. In the case of the 16-year-old expression, the best in the core portfolio, that means the whisky is aged separately in both bourbon barrels and sherry butts, each type of wood imparting its own unique flavors. The result is a solid single malt that has a nice balance of vanilla sweetness and sherry spice, as well as just a touch of heat due to it being bottled at 43 percent ABV.

The Balvenie was one of the first distilleries to start finishing its whisky in secondary barrels, specifically with the introduction of DoubleWood 12 that spends some time in sherry casks. Not so for this 25-year-old expression, an immaculate whisky that is a combination (or marriage) of whisky aged for a quarter century in both American and European oak. There is a rich oakiness to the plate, but it remains bright and fresh with notes of pear, apple, citrus, butterscotch, and gentle baking spices.

Remember, just because a whisky is old doesn’t mean it’s good—but sometimes it means it’s very good, as in the case of Ardbeg 25. The quarter-century-old expression from this Islay distillery is one of the best peated whiskies you will ever taste. All that time in oak barrels has slightly toned down the assertive smokiness that defines Ardbeg’s whiskies, but there is still enough to place it front and center. There is ample spice on the palate, along with vanilla, citrus, fruit, and of course the peat you’d expect.

Highland Park, located in the far-flung Orkney Islands of northern Scotland, is making some of the best single malt whisky you can find. It’s peated but not intensely smoky, and aged in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks to balance the flavor. The 18-year-old expression originally came out in the ’90s, but it was rebranded with the Viking Pride name in 2017 to highlight the roots of people from the region. This whisky is superb—not too old but far from young, with natural color that comes from maturation in first-fill sherry-seasoned American and European oak casks. There are notes of spice, dried fruit, blackberry, vanilla, and smoke on the palate, making this the No. 1 whisky on this list.