You all rather enjoyed last week when we recommended some good single malts for £40. Of course you did, what’s not to like?
Whisky that provides good value is rightly prized these days and, much like the predecessor article, everything here is £39.95 or less. At the time of writing. In the future this will become a depressing reminder of what we had.
Happy shopping! Right in time for World Whisky Day 2026 on 16 May too.
Whisky: what’s the best single malt for £40
Ardbeg 10 Year Old 70cl Whisky
Ardbeg single malt. Need I say more? Simply delivers peaty power and fruity finesse time and time again. Few better 10 year old whiskies out there than this.
Nose: A ridge of vanilla leads to a mountain of peat capped with citrus fruits and circled by clouds of sea spray.
Palate: Sweet vanilla counterbalanced with lemon and lime, followed by that surging Ardbeg smoke that we all know and love.
Finish: Long and glorious; sea salted caramel and beach bonfire smoke.
Tomintoul 10 Year Old 70cl Whisky
Speyside distillery Tomintoul may not get the plaudits it deserves, but we can at least do our bit by shouting out its very fine 10 year old single malt. Matured exclusively in American oak bourbon barrels, this is an elegant dram for elegant people. Such as yourself, no doubt.
Nose: Medium-body and well-balanced. There are notes of vanilla fudge and barley. Tones of malt extract and espresso, hints of mochaccino and oak.
Palate: Pleasingly viscous, with notes of barley sugar, toasty cereals, acacia honey and malt extract. Honeycomb, toffee and a touch of vanilla fudge.
Finish: Quite short, yet charming.
Glen Moray 12 Year Old – Elgin Heritage 70cl Whisky
The only surprise when shopping for single malts for £40 and seeing Glen Moray’s name is that, if anything, that sounds a bit pricey for its range. That’s because Glen Moray is one of the few distilleries left that has a genuine selection of good whisky available in the £20-£30 bracket, and we always appreciate that. With the more developed 12 year old option, you get lots of yummy Speyside sweetness, but also a herbaceous, richer quality developing too.
Nose: Crisp green apple skin, rhubarb boiled sweets, buttery shortbread, with subtly herbaceous oak developing.
Palate: Chewy barley with a drizzle of syrup, a touch of apricot and crushed honey-roasted nuts.
Finish: White chocolate and oak.
Glengoyne 10 Year Old 70cl Whisky
Sometimes you just want a solid dram that tastes like whisky and costs less than a train ticket to London. Glengoyne 10 Year Old ticks the boxes, offering green apple, soft malt, toffee, gentle oak spice, and just enough sherry cask influence to add texture without turning everything into Christmas cake.
Nose: Green apple skins, malted biscuits, and soft toffee sweetness lead the way, with a little honey, cut grass, and faint cinnamon sitting underneath. A touch delicate at first, but it opens nicely with time.
Palate: Creamy malt, digestive biscuits, and light caramel, balanced by grassy oak, baked apple, and a little liquorice root.
Finish: Medium length, sweet and cereal-forward, with gentle oak spice, lingering malt, and a touch of almond skin dryness.
Bowmore 12 Year Old 70cl Whisky
Another classic from Islay, Bowmore 12 Year Old never disappoints. I tried it again recently for the first time in a while and the inner peace I found in its waves of smoke, sea, dark fruit, and floral notes was enough to bring a tear to this romantic’s eye. Just lovely.
Nose: Coastal smoke and ash soon make way for bergamot, orange zest, lemon slices and some hay before becoming rather floral, heather smoke now competing with the ash.
Palate: Lovely and rounded, honeyed even, initially. Vanilla, perfumed smoke and coastal elements develop. Dark Peat. Blossom, oily sweetness.
Finish: Smoky and long. Sea spray, dry grass, a touch of ash and citrus.
