In this article, we are going to discuss the 20 most popular Scotch whisky brands in USA. You can skip our detailed analysis of the recent success of Scotch, Scotch whisky as an investment, and the Scotch industry going green, and go directly to 5 Most Popular Scotch Whisky Brands in USA.
Scotch whisky is a special spirit that’s relished by drinkers globally for its heritage, distinctness, sophistication, and for its all-out Scottishness. The story of Scotch whisky dates back centuries, rooted in the mists of time. It is said that the ancient Celts were the first to distill a form of whisky. Their knowledge of distillation techniques and their resourcefulness in utilizing local grains laid the foundation for what would become the iconic drink we know today.
The Success of Scotch:
The year 2022 was great for Scotch whisky and exports of Scotland’s native spirit hit $7.5 billion last year, the highest figures ever. Exports by volume also rose substantially, with the number of 700 ml bottles shipped overseas up by 21%, to 1.67 billion.
The United States is the largest importer of Scotch whisky in the world, with total imports of $1.28 billion in 2022 – an increase of 33% from the previous year. Sales of Scotch have been impacted by various tariffs in recent years, but those were, fortunately, lifted in October 2021.
Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) - owned Johnnie Walker played a key role in the category’s growth last year. Meanwhile, The Glenlivet, by Pernod Ricard SA (OTC:PRNDY), was the best-selling single malt Scotch whisky in 2022. Single malt Scotch whiskies are the most expensive whisky brands, with a single bottle of 60-year-old Macallan 1926 even selling for $1.512 million in 2019.
Whisky can be a lucrative investment, with some rare bottles even selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The market for rare and collectable whisky is growing, with many investors seeing it as a promising alternative to traditional assets like stocks and real estate. While a bottle of Johnnie Walker Masters of Flavour was on sale for $24,000 in early 2023, other bottles have sold at auction for prices upward of $6 million.
There has also been a lot of interest in buying whisky casks recently – barrels of different sizes, which typically start at between $3,000 and $6,000. The simple idea is that the cask is held in storage for what can be decades, by which time it has matured into something that will have much greater value when it is ready to be bottled. Last year, a forgotten cask of 1988 Macallan was sold for $1.2 million at auction, having originally been bought for just $6,000.
Cask whisky investment is low cost, hassle free, and very secure. Bound by a rigid set of HMRC rules, casks of single malt whisky have to remain within the boundaries of Scotland and in an HMRC bonded facility. There are literally hundreds of bonded warehouses in Scotland, providing vital income to many rural areas of the country.
Another advantage of investing in whisky casks is that it allows investors to potentially earn a larger profit as it is not subject to capital gains tax. Moreover, Pernod Ricard SA (OTC:PRNDY) and Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) have both recently announced plans to increase their whisky cask prices to counteract the rising costs in materials, energy, and transportation because of inflation. This rise in price and limited stock will only make whisky more desirable, creating a more valuable asset class.
Scotch Goes Green:
As one of the most environmentally friendly countries in the world, Scotland is committed to reaching Net Zero – balancing the amount of greenhouse gases emitted into the atmosphere with those taken out – by 2045. Piggybacking on the country’s green transition, the Scotch whisky industry also launched its Sustainability Strategy in 2021, which commits the sector to reaching net-zero emissions in its operations by 2040, five years in advance of the national goal. The Scotch sector here has already reduced its carbon emissions by more than half since 2009, as it has gone from consuming just 2% renewable energy to 39% renewable in 2022.
With no fewer than 28 malt distilleries to its name, Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) has also taken a keen interest in its environmental impact. The spirits giant announced a 10-year sustainability action plan in November 2020 – titled Society 2030: Spirit of Progress – which aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions across direct operations and a 20% reduction in water used to produce every drink, while also working with suppliers in order to reduce indirect carbon emissions by 50%.
If it stays on this path of sustainability, Scotch can be at the heart of the blueprint to protect Scotland’s unique environment, while also continuing to be a modern, competitive, and successful industry that produces the world’s best whisky.
With that said, here are America’s Most Popular Scotch Whiskies.
20 Most Popular Scotch Whisky Brands in USA
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Methodology
To collect data for this article, we have referred to a number of sources, such as VinePair, U.S. Whiskey Report, Wine Searcher etc., looking for the Most Popular Scotch Brands in the U.S. We picked brands that appeared at least twice in these sources, assigned them a score based on their number of appearances, and ranked them accordingly.
William Peel is born of the encounter of the finest malt and grain whiskies matured in oak casks, carefully selected and precisely blended together to reveal its unique character. The brand’s owner, Paris-based Marie Brizard Wine & Spirits, posted 7.8% revenue growth in 2022, with sales reaching $193.7 million.
19. White Horse
Insider Monkey Score: 2
Taking its name from a famous Edinburgh inn, White Horse is a historic brand with Lagavulin one of its key components. Owned by Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO), the popular Scotch brand is available in over 100 markets worldwide.
18. Label 5
Insider Monkey Score: 2
Owned by the French company La Martiniquaise, this blended whisky is made with a selection of malt and grain whiskies, one of them being Glen Moray. Label 5 is more on the affordable side, so it is found in supermarkets and convenience stores around the world.
The company is now expanding its presence in the U.S. with its new gold heritage bottling and is likely to continue with two more expressions that carry age statements.
17. Glenmorangie
Insider Monkey Score: 2
One of the most popular single malt Scotch brands in Scotland, Glenmorangie has been crafting Highland single malt whisky since 1843. As a company within Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton (LVMH), The Glenmorangie Company benefits from the resources and 'savoir faire' of the world leader in luxury goods, whilst being entirely independent.
16. William Lawson
Insider Monkey Score: 2
William Lawson's is a big, bold, and fruity blended whisky from the highlands of Scotland. Known for its high malt content, the brand is owned by Bacardi Limited. Bacardi entered the Scotch business with its 1993 acquisition of Martini & Rossi, which already owned William Lawson's.
15. Grant’s
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Complex, clean, and fruity, Grant’s Family Reserve is one of the world’s finest Scotch whiskies, enjoyed in over 180 countries. William Grant & Sons is the oldest family business in the whisky industry, and boasts distilling and bottling operations in Scotland, Ireland, Iceland, India, the US, and Mexico, with a team of over 2,600 employees at 48 global locations.
14. J&B
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Based in London since 1749, Justerini & Brooks became part of International Distillers and Vintners in 1962, and ultimately joined the Diageo plc (NYSE:DEO) family in 1997.
Best served neat or poured over ice, the rich flavor of Laphroaig makes it a staple choice, ideal for novices and connoisseurs alike. The Laphroaig distillery and brand are owned and operated by Beam Suntory, the American subsidiary of Japan's Suntory Holdings.
12. Monkey Shoulder
Insider Monkey Score: 3
Produced by William Grant & Sons, Monkey Shoulder is a blend of three main single malt whiskies – Glenfiddich, Balvenie, and Kininvie - all from Speyside, the spiritual home of whisky. Back in 2018, the brand enlisted a truck topped with a giant shaker, called the ‘Monkey Mixer’, to drive around the 50 states with a mission to redefine Scotch’s role in the cocktail industry.
11. Bell’s
Insider Monkey Score: 4
Known as the most popular Scotch whisky in the United Kingdom, Bell’s Original is an enormously popular blend that has come on in leaps and bounds over the last ten years. Bell’s was acquired by Guinness back in 1985 for $518 million, and was subsequently absorbed into Diageo.
This famous Scotch brand boasts a multi award winning range of blended whiskies, consisting of the best selling Finest, plus 12, 17, 21, and 30 years old versions. Ballantine’s became a part of the Pernod Ricard SA (OTC:PRNDY) family after it acquired Allied Domecq in 2005, in a deal worth $14.2 billion.
Ballantine’s sits among the Top 10 Most Popular Whisky Brands.
9. Cluny
Insider Monkey Score: 5
Although lesser known in the U.K., Cluny has made its mark across the pond in the U.S., where it has been bottled since 1988. Comprising more than 30 malt whiskies from all regions of Scotland and the finest aged grain whiskies, Cluny Scotch Whisky is one of America's top-selling domestically bottled blended Scotches.
8. Glenfiddich
Insider Monkey Score: 5
In 1963, Glenfiddich became the first to globally market a “straight malt” or single malt, the marketing worked and today Glenfiddich is reportedly the world's second-best selling single malt. Owned by William Grant & Sons, Glenfiddich sold 203,000 9-liter cases in the U.S. in 2021.
7. Clan MacGregor
Insider Monkey Score: 5
Clan MacGregor Blended Scotch Whisky is made using fifteen of the finest malt and grain whiskies from the heart of Scotland. One of the world's fastest growing major Scotch whisky brands, Clan MacGregor is enjoyed in over 60 countries around the world, from the U.S. to Venezuela and the Middle East to Thailand.
6. Dewar’s
Insider Monkey Score: 5
One of the world's most awarded blended Scotch whisky brands, Dewar’s released Dewar's 19 Year Old - The Champions Edition this summer. The limited-edition whisky was released in partnership with the 123rd U.S. Open Championship, of which Dewar’s was the official Scotch whisky partner for the third year running.
Dewar’s ranks 6th in our list of Most Popular Scotch Whiskies in America.
