While scotch is typically a drink consumed by men, there are a large portion of women who love a good scotch – so this guide for the best scotches for Christmas is perfect for buying a gift for that someone who is hard to buy for.
Scotch has a prestigious image and the branding from whisky companies is always catered to a high-end market. With that said, most of the scotches I have chosen for my list are all great value for money (under £40) and selected for their flavour profile.
Whether you are gifting to a whisky connoisseur or an amateur scotch enthusiast, these best scotches for Christmas will go down a treat.
Where to Buy the Best Scotches for Christmas?
All the scotches in this section are available in most large supermarkets. Some more common than others, for example, the Highland Park 12 is a highly popular whisky, and you are more likely to find the 10 year old on supermarket shelves.
Prices in supermarkets for these scotches vary, you may find them more expensive compared to the online links I have placed next to each scotch.
Highland Park 12
It is no secret; the Highland Park 12 is my favourite scotch. A perfect combination of rich fruity sweetness that is counterbalanced by a little smokiness. It is truly mouthwatering, making it impossible to take just a single sip.
Highland Park is the sister distillery to the world famous Macallan distillery. The quality of Highland park is as good, but without the hefty price tag that Macallan commands.
Discover Highland Park 12 on Amazon UK.
Laphroaig 10
Perhaps not for beginners, the Laphroaig 10 is the youngest whisky on my list. It is a heavily peated whisky with a trademarked distillation process to keep that aggressive smoke in the bottle.
Expect tasting notes of sea-salt, burnt rubber and a hint of citrus fruitiness.
Discover Laphroaig 10 on Amazon UK.
Glenfiddich 12
If smoke is not your thing, or you’re worried your friends or family will want something a little tamer, Glenfiddich 12 is everything you would expect a non-peated scotch to taste like. A little spiciness from the oak barrels and enough fruity depth to keep you coming back for more.
It is little wonder that Glenfiddich is one best-selling scotches globally. When it comes to the best scotches for Christmas, Glenfiddich 12 is sensational on a cold winter night by an open fire.
Discover Glenfiddich 12 on Amazon UK.
Bunnahabhain 12
Back into the territory of Islay scotches this time without the smoke, Bunnahabhain is a lesser known distillery compared to Laphroaig and Lagavulin, but they make an amazing dram. With such fierce competition, Bunnahabhain focus on producing high quality, affordable scotch.
You can a bit more complexity with sugary fruity notes that round out the sea-salt flavour profile owing to the use of sherry casks instead of oak. Basically, the salted caramel of scotch.
Discover Bunnahabhain 12 on Amazon UK.
Want to Splash the Cash on a Pricier Whisky?
If this is a festive present for that special someone in your life, you may want to really push the boat out and buy an extraordinary scotch. With whisky the longer it has been in the barrel, the higher the price in most cases.
Don’t be fooled into thinking older whisky is better whisky. In plenty of instances, this is not true. The quality of the whisky and flavours developed largely depend on the distillery, their expertise in crafting the whisky and the processes they use.
With that said, the two recommendations below are exquisite and well worth the money if you have the budget.
Highland Park 18 – Best Scotches for Christmas
The Highland Park 18 is a masterpiece, combining the hint of smoke with a beautiful wash of syrup, fruits, and marzipan. It also has a distinct hint of roasted hazelnuts which leads most whisky reviewers to give it a flavour profile of chocolate. It is more a floral Nutella than actual chocolate though.
For a scotch that has been in the barrel for almost 20 years, Highland Park 18 is exceptional value for money.
Discover Highland Park 18 on Amazon UK.
Macallan 18 – Best Scotches for Christmas
More expensive and of equal quality, Macallan 18 is sure to get people’s tongues wagging as they watch your giftee unwrap it. Everyone knows Macallan produces world-beating scotch, and everyone knows it is not a cheap scotch – far from it.
The Macallan 18 has a warm mix of festive fruits and spices due to the mix of barrels used during maturation. If there was such a thing as Christmas in a bottle, it would be the Macallan 18.
Discover Macallan 18 on Amazon UK.
Best Scotches for Christmas for Those With Deepest Pockets
Want to go crazy and give someone the Christmas gift of a lifetime. Well, there can only be one scotch can’t there? The Macallan 25.
Macallan 25 Year Old Sherry Oak
We are not going to put the price of this one, as you may faint. Rest assured, if you purchase this as a Christmas present, there is a high likelihood it will be stored rather than consumed.
That isn’t to say it should be stored, and consuming the Macallan 25 makes for an indulgently lavish Christmas treat. Heavier on the rich deep fruit notes than the Macallan 18 mentioned above and less spicy, the Macallan 25 is truly a god-tier whisky in terms of both price and quality.
Discover Macallan 25 on Amazon UK.