Ten of the best new whiskies under £50
If you want to spend four figures on a bottle of whisky, we won’t stop you. However, for those on a budget, these whiskies prove you don't have to break the bank to get the best.
We’ve rounded up 10 of the best wallet-friendly whiskies to have launched in the last year – sourced from around the world – that all fall under the £50 (US$60.40) bracket, but, importantly, don’t skimp on quality. Some have won awards at our recent blind tastings, and some will even give you some leftover change. With the holiday season around the corner, these whiskies also provide the perfect value-for-money gift. Feeling flush and don’t mind spending the extra? Here’s 10 award-winning luxury spirits worth flexing the plastic for.Ad Gefrin Tácnbora
This blend of Scotch and Irish whiskies – the first expression from Ad Gefrin, England’s northernmost distillery — smells of honey, vanilla, candied citrus peel and spices, and tastes of sultanas, cream soda and nutmeg. The blend is said to have set the foundations for the distillery’s Ad Gefrin Single Malt (the ‘first’ Northumbrian English single malt whisky), which is pencilled for a 2026 release.
As far as debuts go, it's made quite the first impression.
RRP £42.50 (US$52.65)
Powers Irish Rye
When it comes to Irish whiskey, Powers is always a dependable go-to, and following the brand’s launch of the first 100% Irish rye this year, the sentiment isn’t changing any time soon.
Using rye grown from a farm near the ancestral home of the Powers family, this Irish take brings a softer, sweeter profile to the table, compared to its American contemporaries, with hints of maraschino cherry, orange peel and toffee banana, while keeping the peppery, earthy characteristics that rye is known for.
It’s bottled at 43.2% ABV and its effectiveness in a Manhattan makes it a stellar addition to any home bar.
RRP £34.75 (US$43)
Twisted Vine
Considering its availability in supermarkets across the UK, Glen Moray’s Twisted Vine is a handy option to have when you’ve left the dinner party to the last minute, want to look slightly classy, but also don't want to break the bank.
Matured in ex-Cognac casks made from oak grown near Cognac’s vineyards in France, and featuring notes of freshly brewed coffee, prunes in syrup, raisins and nuts with tannin undertones, it also delivers in taste — which is, of course, a big factor in the appeal too.
RRP £28 (US$35)
Wolfie's Whisky
Suitably described by its rockstar founder Sir Rod Stewart as a ‘'rascal of a thing'’, new on the block Wolfie's Whisky is a versatile spirit that fancies itself for multiple situations – whether that be if you’re going out partying with friends, or you’re in the your dressing gown, slumped with your feet up on the couch.
Bottled at 40% ABV, it can form the base of any classic whisky cocktail, but its tasting notes of cinnamon, vanilla and baked apple, with peat, pears in syrup, candied citrus peels and gentle oak spice work equally well when nursed neat over ice.
RRP £35 (US$43)
Yellowstone Single Malt
Full-bodied and made from 100% barley malt mash bill, this American single malt from Luxco - released under the Yellowstone brand – left a strong impression at the American Whisky Masters 2023, where the panel of judges gave it the Gold medal seal of approval for its ‘'beautiful notes of orchard fruits and cereal’’.
Bottled at 54% ABV, you can also expect to encounter notes of honey, pear, stone fruit and dates. And as it's been sitting in new charred oak barrels for four years, you can expect a cinnamon, oak and walnut finish.
Nothing overwhelming, just a thoroughly enjoyable (and affordable) experience.
RRP £46.95 (US$58.18)
Noble Rebel
You’ll be hard pressed to find anything quite like Noble Rebel. Loch Lomond's new brand, released in February, is doing things differently to the average whisky.
Designed to deviate from the norm and what you’d expect from a typical single malt, the distillery’s range of three expressions – Orchard Outburst, Smoke Symphony and Hazelnut Harmony – were created through a combination of traditional swan-neck stills and its signature high and low-cut straight-neck pot stills.
With notes ranging from lemon and lime to peat and smoke, through to honeycomb and warm oak, each flavour has its own unique profile worth dabbling in – and it's a good job they’re not on the expensive side either, so there’s no hard feelings when purchasing all three.
RRP £40 per 700ml bottle (US$48)
Elements of Islay Cask Edit
The first bottling of Elements of Islay's core range of blended malt whiskies, Cask Edit’s flavour repertoire consists of fruit and nuts, roasted milk and smoky malt, which comes courtesy of how it has been matured – dipping between former Bourbon and Sherry casks.
Resting at 46% ABV and designed to 'capture the essence’ of the Scottish island as a peaty Islay whiskey, it wasn’t a huge surprise to see the no-age statement blend win Gold at the 2023 Scotch Whisky Masters.
More so was its nicely accessible price point.
RRP £45.25 (US$55.75)
Dram in a Can
Park drinks have levelled up thanks to Two Stacks' ready-to-drink (RTD) single malt whiskey.
The process from cask-to-can includes a vatting of double and triple-distilled peated malt, and whiskey aged in ex-Bourbon and oloroso Sherry casks. All of this lending to a malty biscuit taste with an undertone of spiced vanilla honey.
Shane McCarthy, co-founder of Two Stacks, said it is ''meant to be enjoyed at a dinner party, on a camping trip, after a hike, golfing or skiing'' – which makes for a highly convenient, practical sip that you can take with you anywhere.
And a relatively inexpensive one at that.
RRP £22.95 (US$27) per pack of four cans, or £5.75 (US$7) per individual can.
Mr Black Double Cacao
Chocolate, coffee and whisky are three of life’s great pleasures and thus Australian spirits producers Mr Black and Starward have teamed up to incorporate that holy trinity into a limited edition whisky and coffee-based liqueur.
Named Mr Black Double Cacao, it sees Tanzanian cacao nibs infused into Mr Black coffee liqueur, and then blended with Starward’s Peated Finish whisky – which won Gold at The World Whisky Masters 2023.
Bottled at 23% ABV and purveying hints of red fruit, dark chocolate and toasted oak that contribute to a rich and velvety mocha flavour, Starward's brand ambassador Matty Follent advised its “delicious on the rocks or as a twist in a classic cocktail''.
It's probably safe to suggest that the ideal way is to try both.
RRP £34.95 (US$43.25)
Morris Signature Australian Single Malt
No stranger to a Gold medal having nabbed back-to-back top honours in both 2022 and 2023 World Whisky Masters, Morris Australian Single Malt Signature Whisky was finally no longer a stranger to UK customers too, when it landed in the UK earlier this year.
Made solely with Australian ingredients, the blend is a favourite of wine fans as Morris has a history of winemaking – the brand has been producing wine for 155 years and this whisky has been finished in its former fortified wine barrels.
The sweet and fruity flavour is full of dark berry flavours, balanced with hints of marmalade and cacao. Pre-dinner? Dinner? Dessert? Post dessert? It ticks all those boxes. And it wont cost more than £50 too.
RRP £49.95 (US$61.91)
