Cheap Scotch

[DanCole42]

So the only scotch I'll drink is Laphroaig. Only problem is, it's $50+ a bottle.

Can someone suggest a cheaper but similar alternative? The dry, salty, smoky, oceany smells/flavors are what really appeal to me, so something along those lines.

I'm very sensitive to sweetness, especially in drinks. So many scotches/whiskies taste like drinking a piece of candy to me. Laphroaig does not.

[jparrott]

Grouse.

[JPW]

Grouse.

That's "The Famous Grouse" to you.

[DanCole42]

Grouse.

Isn't that really sweet?

[DanielK]

The cheapest bottle of decent single-malt scotch is about $40 these days, so you're really not going to save yourself all that much by finding an alternative scotch.

Lagavulin, Ardbeg, and Caol Ila are other peaty Islay malts, but are likely no cheaper.

[jparrott]

Isn't that really sweet?

They're all sweet to some extent. But Grouse has some bite, and is my favorite Scotch for most of the classic Scotch cocktails.

[DanCole42]

The cheapest bottle of decent single-malt scotch is about $40 these days, so you're really not going to save yourself all that much by finding an alternative scotch.

Lagavulin, Ardbeg, and Caol Ila are other peaty Islay malts, but are likely no cheaper.

I'm opposed to Lagavulin on the grounds that, according to Laphroaig, they've been trying to steal Laphroaig's water.

Would there be any blended scotches/whiskys/whiskies that come close to the flavor profile I'm after?

[jparrott]

Yeah, Famous Grouse .

You might also try Black Bottle 8yo or McClelland's Islay.

[stickmoon]

I'm partial to Old Smuggler...but really just cause the name seems like a perfect fit for cheap scotch.

[Mark Slater]

Look for Bowmore Legend @ $30. Bowmore is one of my favorite Islay whiskeys.

[DPop]

The cheapest bottle of decent single-malt scotch is about $40 these days, so you're really not going to save yourself all that much by finding an alternative scotch.

Lagavulin, Ardbeg, and Caol Ila are other peaty Islay malts, but are likely no cheaper.

Daniel's right, you're not going to find anything that isn't a mixing scotch (and worth drinking) for under $40. You can find Highland Park 12 yo for around $40-50 or so depending on where you look, but the peatiness is faint and probably not enough for you.

[DanielK]

Look for Bowmore Legend @ $30. Bowmore is one of my favorite Islay whiskeys.

Bowmore makes pretty balanced malts, though - someone who is looking for a Laphroaig level of peatiness will be disappointed.

[jparrott]

[Every other producer] makes [drinkable whisky], though - someone who is looking for a Laphroaig level of peatiness will be disappointed.

Fixed your post. Except for some Ardbeg bottlings.

[agm]

The problem here is, you're looking for good stuff, with a specific flavor profile, cheap. I don't think it can be done, so you'll have to compromise somewhere.

If you want a single malt comparable to Laphroaig, Lagavullin is your best option (I prefer it). Not cheap, and you seem to have issues with them.

If you want something cheap, buy the blended stuff and ... no, on second thought, don't bother.

You might want to try Isle of Jura. It's not particularly peaty, and it's sweeter than you're looking for. But it has some of the salty, oily characteristics of the Islay malts, and you may like that. Nowhere near the class of Laphroaig - don't even bother comparing the taste. Compare the price, instead. It's one of the cheapest single malts out there.

If that doesn't work, then stick to pricy stuff. Drink well, just less often.

[Joe Riley]

McLelland's Islay malt whisky is around $21/bottle, and that's as good a bargain as you're going to find in an inexpensive Islay malt, as Jake mentioned.

I wouldn't recommend Lagavulin as any kind of substitute for Laphroaig - it's older and more expensive than Laphroaig.

If you'd like to play with the Gordon & Graham's "Black Bottle", it is a blend, sure, but it's 100% Islay, and around 5 years old. About $24.99/bottle.

There have been a lot of price increases in the past year in malt whiskies. Simply supply, demand, the weak dollar vs. the strong pound, etc...

By the way - if anyone really wants a perfectly decent 10-yr old single malt that won't kill your wallet, try the Tamdhu from Speyside. It's around $21/bottle.

[mr food]

Tomatin 12 at Calvert-Woodley for $24/750ml is my current value scotch

[zoramargolis]

A highly eccentric suggestion--get a cheaper, slightly smoky-peaty scotch from the above list, and soak some lapsang-souchang tea leaves in it.

[DanCole42]

A highly eccentric suggestion--get a cheaper, slightly smoky-peaty scotch from the above list, and soak some lapsang-souchang tea leaves in it.

So like a reverse cold toddie?

[JeffC]

My taste in scotch runs to the islands, so our tastes are probably similar. One of my favorites is Talisker, from the Isle of Skye....it has a peppery note that is unique. Another great island scotch is Highland Park, the everyman scotch--it has something for everyone and can please the Macallan lover, as well as an Islay peat-head. But my go-to scotches remain Lagavulin and Laphroaig. (I even own a square foot of Islay, thanks to Laphroaig!)