Felipe Schrieberg Felipe is an award-winning London-based whisky writer, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He is also a musician and co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo that fuses live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events and multimedia. Follow Felipe on Twitter, Linkedin or his website.

Blended Scotch whisky tends to get a bad rap these days as single malt whisky becomes ever more popular. However, there are plenty of great blends out there that deserve a sip...or 10. For example, London-based blender Compass Box has created some truly hip and tasty blended whiskies that rank with the best single malts.

Then again, this post isn’t about the really nice high-end boutique blends looking to compete in the luxury market. That’s a story for another day.

This is about the cheap stuff. And I'm telling you that some of the cheap blended Scotch is surprisingly decent.

No, not all are good. Yes, most are probably best when drowned in Coca-Cola.

But I ask you to believe me when I say that the five whiskies I’ve selected here are worth trying, neat.

All can be found for under £25 pounds in the U.K. (and under $30 in the U.S.) - most, in fact, under £20 ($25).

Even though they won’t knock your socks off - let's be reasonable - they're definitely enjoyable and worth their prices.

I stand by these choices. For added pleasure, serve them to whisky-snob friends. Don’t tell them what they're drinking. Then sit back and enjoy their surprise at something they may have previously sneered at. 

This little piggy went to the market and bought himself a Scotch Photo: Ian Macleod Distillers

1. Pig’s Nose

I first encountered this little piggy a few years back when I worked at a whisky store in Edinburgh. A customer asked for our best cheap whisky. There was a tasting stock that had a stash of whiskies next to the cash register for customers to try (and for the staff to sip on the sly). So I pulled a little bottle of this out, poured us both a small measure, and shared a toast. "It’s as smooth as a pig’s nose," the bottle boasts, and I’m inclined to agree. This is a creation of Richard Paterson (his Twitter handle: @the_nose), Whyte and Mackay’s master distiller, a revered personality in the whisky world.

He might be an international sex symbol, but the whisky and coke is a turnoff for me Photo: Diageo

2. Haig Club Clubman

 Haig Club is unpleasant and overpriced. The Clubman, however, has received plaudits for being a great smooth whisky, and it’s half the price of the original Haig Club. I’ve sung its praises before and I’m happy to do so again. While currently only available in the U.K., it will be sold in other markets soon.

The origins of this blend come from a 21st birthday party in 1922, apparently Photo: MacDuff International

3. Islay Mist Deluxe

This is a bonafide award-winning whisky, taking silver at the 2014 International Wine and Spirits Competition - and it costs less than £20 ($25). It’s a good one, relatively full bodied with a sweet caramel tang coming through nicely.  It’s said to be made up mostly of Laphroaig, and certainly there's a whole lot of smoke on it that doesn’t invite disagreement.

You know this is a trendy drink when you see cocktails all over the promo materials. Photo: William Grant & Sons

4. Monkey Shoulder

Considered by whisky geeks to be one of the best cheaper blends, it's made by William Grant & Sons, owner of the Glenfiddich and Balvenie distilleries. Smooth, sweet, creamy, and malty, it's being marketed widely, and with good reason, as a perfect whisky for cocktails. It's high-quality enough to make a great cocktail, but not so good you wouldn't want to waste it in one. Very nice to drink neat as well, though. ‘Monkey Shoulder’ is the historical term for distillery workers who had to turn malt with a shovel to help dry it, and as a result developed a posture where an arm and shoulder that would hang lower than the other, giving a simian-like appearance. 

I've said it before and I say it again: Black bottles actually are a pain because you can't see how much whisky remains Photo: Youtube

5. Black Bottle

Someone bought me this at one of my favorite live music venues and I didn't recognize it on tasting. I asked him what he ordered. "House whisky from the bar," he answered. And so I discovered Black Bottle. I then had two whisky-loving friends try it and they were also impressed. It’s rich, fruity, surprisingly full-bodied, and has a hint of smoke.   

By Felipe Schrieberg

Felipe is a London-based whisky writer, musician, tastings host, drinks competitions judge, and author. He writes for internationally renowned publications such as Forbes, Whisky Magazine and The Whiskey Wash. He has been awarded the Icons of Whisky Communicator of the Year award at Whisky Magazine's 2022 World Whiskies Awards.

He is the co-founder of The Rhythm and Booze Project, a duo fusing live music and whisky through gigs, tasting events, and multimedia. His past projects encompass performances at the Edinburgh Fringe of the band's own show Two Guys, Three Drams which combined live blues with whisky tasting, and building the world's first bass drum made from an entire Scotch whisky cask with a barrel of Lagavulin.

He is also a judge for the World Whiskies Awards and The Independent Bottlers Challenge. Through his online tastings hosted at The Virtual Whisky Masterclass, he has welcomed over 3,000 guests across 250+ tasting events.

His first book, London Cocktails, is now available worldwide. Follow him on Twitter/Instagram @schriebergfr, or at www.felipeschrieberg.com