
For many whisky drinkers, scotch is defined by smoke flavors. But long before single malt drinkers developed a taste for intensely peat-smoked Islay whiskies, their main role was as a judiciously added component in blended scotch whiskies. Whether you are searching for a smoky sipper of your own, or introducing friends to the pleasure of smoke, we’ve arranged these classic blended scotches by their smoke character—from a whiff to wallop.
Less Smoke
Black Bottle—83 points, $25
J.Mossman Pink gold Crown 18 Year Old—89 points, $68
Isle of Skye 8 year old—84 points, $29
Medium Smoke
The Famous Grouse Smoky Black—89 points, $35
Buchanan’s Red Seal—91 points, $169
Johnnie Walker Blue Label—97 points, $225
Grant’s Elementary Carbon 6 year old—85 points, $30
More Smoke
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Ghost & Rare—91 points, $400
Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 year old—88 points, $30
Johnnie Walker Double Black—90 points, $40