A Few Bargain Whiskies

During a recent whisky hunting expedition in central NJ, I picked up these 3 bottles for between $25 and $30 each. The Deanston Virgin Oak is a personal favorite in the bargain whisky category, rich in vanilla toffee flavor, very smooth and easy to drink without thinking very much. A great whisky to serve after more complex and more expensive whiskies have been tasted and the senses perhaps are not as sharp as at the outset of the evening.

The Tomatin 12 is a nice example of a traditional highland dual casked whisky at a very affordable price. This is a good whisky to use to introduce someone to Scotch whisky. The whisky is nicely matured at 12 years and is pretty smooth, with just enough sweetness and spice to exhibit the characteristics of the 2 types of barrels in which it was matured. 

The Sexton is an Irish single malt I was encouraged to try for $25. I found it to be a very simple whiskey,  and the flavor is heavy on malt. This whiskey is nothing fancy or special despite the really interesting hexagonal bottle, but if you have few expectations or prefer a very basic and simple whiskey, you may find it a decent enough, drinkable dram for the price. 

Slainte!