When it comes to stocking up your home bar, whiskey is an essential addition. With its rich history and vast range of flavors, whiskey is a spirit that’s enjoyed worldwide. Whiskey comes in different varieties, including bourbon, scotch, rye, Irish, and Japanese, each with its own unique characteristics.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the top 12 imported whiskies you can add to your home bar, all priced under INR 15,000. These whiskies are carefully selected for their quality, flavor, and affordability.
- Aberfeldy 12 Year Old
Known for being the heart of Dewar’s blended whiskey, this single malt is polished and fruity, for those that want a value for money malt that’s distinctive and easy to drink. Distilled in the Highlands, this is the kind of pour that compliments sunny days and icy highballs.
INR 3,800
- Johnnie Walker Blue Label
This one is a rare treat–quite literally. Blue Label is the brand’s rarest whisky in general; only one in 10,000 casks actually makes the cut. Look to this for malt-grain scotch if you’re after a rich whisky with smoky chocolate nuances on the palate and a floral finish layered with highland-style smoke, dried fruit and honey.
INR 15,000 (approx)
- Ardbeg 10 Year Old
An assertive Islay single malt, this is a cult favourite of those that like strong, smokiness. Under distillery manager Micky Heads, Ardbeg’s innovative yearly releases are ones to look out for and beg travellers to carry down to India. But luckily, for whisky neophytes and peated malt lovers, the 10 year aged is available in the country and offers hints of vanilla, salt and caramel.
INR 6,410
- Bushmills 10 Year Old
Renowned for its smoothness and honey-like sweetness, this Irish whiskey is aged in two kinds of casks — bourbon and sherry. As a result, it’s creamy, light and crisp with milder hints of pepper and spice. This is one of those drams where a drop or two of water is recommended, with another popular combination being to serve it with ginger ale.
INR 7,600
- Benromach 10 Year Old
Founded in 1898 and reopened by Prince Charles in 2004, this distillery has a storied history. Its 10-year malt is balanced, thanks to being matured in bourbon and sherry casks before spending its final year in Oloroso sherry casks. When you sip it, you’ll taste charred oak, fruitiness and just the hint of nuttiness for a unique, well-balanced pour.
INR 12,400
- Chivas Regal 18
If you’re looking to class up your cocktails, splurge and treat yourself or just try an aged variation of one of the most well-known whiskies around, consider the Chivas Regal 18. The dark amber pour is velvety and warm on the first sip with a mellow fruit and smoke finish. And even though conventional wisdom advises for it to be sipped with a mixer, it’s great neat too.
INR 7,950
- Dalwhinnie 15 Year Old
The marketing may tell you that this single malt’s claim to fame is that it’s from the highest and coldest distillery in Scotland. It also happens to be a smooth, lasting sip, which transports you to the distillery with its crispness and hints of heather. Best had neat or on ice, this is an underrated gem.
INR 4,350 (approx)
- Jack Daniels Single Barrel Select
You won’t be asking for a Jack and coke, with this distinctive single barrel whiskey. Like all Tennessee whiskies, it’s heady and robust. Unlike the blended bottles that one finds as the base for many a cocktail, each barrel is individually selected by the master distiller to bottle, and features prominent notes of clove, cinnamon and spice.
INR 10,000
- Glenmorangie 10 YO
The flagship single malt from this beloved Highland distillery, you’ll love this Scotch if you’re partial to a sweet, creamy whisky. This 10-year-old expression opens with thick, fruity notes, with lemon and apples at the top. A creamy vanilla palate follows, bursting tones of tiramisu and toffee until it finishes gently; with fruit undertones and a touch of malt.
INR 4,610 (approx)
- The Bowmore 25 Year Old
Aged in American bourbon and Spanish sherry casks, this is a delicious coastal whisky that lives up to its age statement. Choose this if you want a single malt with a smoky start, rife with cocoa, cream and peat, and a touch of oak and mocha as it goes down.
INR 11,300 (approx)
- The Glenlivet 21-Year-Old
An award-winning whisky that makes it clear why it received its myriad accolades; from being a Gold Medal winner many years at the International Wine and Spirit Competition to getting Double Golds at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. A rich, full whisky that’s perfect for winter with its nuances of acacia honey, fruitcake and oak.
INR 12,700 (approx)
- Maker’s Mark
With its distinctive red wax topped bottle, this bourbon has long been a pop culture staple. What’s inside the bottle is also worthy of praise, as the woody, caramel notes give it heft. Ideal for cocktails you can whip anything from a Maker’s sour to a Sunday Bloody Mary.
INR 8,880 (approx)
Adding a good whiskey to your home bar is a must for any spirits enthusiast. With so many options to choose from, it can be overwhelming to pick the perfect bottle. However, the 12 imported whiskies listed in this article are all top-rated, high-quality, and affordable options that will take your home bar to the next level. From scotch to bourbon to Japanese whisky, there’s a whiskey for everyone on this list. So go ahead and explore the world of whiskey with these top-rated bottles under INR 15,000!
