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The best blended Scotch whisky is not always the most familiar name on the shelf. For those looking beyond the usual luxury labels, here are 5 underrated blended Scotch whiskies under Rs 100000 that bring together rare stocks, long ageing and distinctive blending techniques. We feature whiskies, including Chivas Regal Ultis XX, Royal Salute 30 Year Old 'Key to the Kingdom', John Walker & Sons King George V, Ballantine's 30 Year Old, and Dewar's Double Double 32 Year Old whisky. These Scotch whiskies are priced in India from around Rs 68000 to Rs 95000 in India. Here is a closer look at their key features and what makes each whisky stand out.
The Chivas Regal Ultis XX whisky represents the top of the Chivas blending house, built as a tribute to five generations of master blenders who shaped the brand's Speyside style, including Strathisla and Tormore. Five rare single malts are married with Chivas's own Strathclyde grain whisky and rested for a minimum of 20 years, producing an exceptionally smooth, dessert-like Scotch with honeyed red apples, poached pears, dark chocolate ganache and a warm cinnamon finish.
Chivas Regal Ultis XX Whisky Price: Rs 72000 - Rs 90000 (approx.).
Royal Salute whisky's fame rests almost entirely on its 21 Year Old, which means this one stays a well-kept secret even among people who own the brand's more famous bottle. Named for Edinburgh's Ceremony of the Keys, the Royal Salute 30 Year Old 'Key to the Kingdom' whisky blends whiskies aged a minimum of 30 years from across Scotland into something dense and decadent, candied walnuts, peaches in syrup, warm ginger spice and a lingering trail of sweet smoke, presented in a hand-finished porcelain flagon.
Royal Salute 30 Year Old 'Key to the Kingdom' Whisky Price: Rs 75000 - Rs 95000 (approx.).
Everyone knows Johnnie Walker Blue Label. Far fewer know that the House of Walker makes something even better. Created to mark the brand's 1934 Royal Warrant, John Walker & Sons King George V whisky draws on extremely rare stock, including single malts from Port Ellen, the legendary Islay distillery that sat silent for over 40 years before its 2024 revival. The result is rich and oaky, layered with sweet fruit, dark chocolate and a whisper of peat smoke that never overpowers the blend.
John Walker & Sons King George V Whisky Price: Rs 68000 - Rs 85000 (approx.).
Single malt purists tend to look down on blended Scotch whiskies on principle, which is exactly why Ballantine's 30 Year Old whisky flies under the radar. Master blenders, on the other hand, rate it among the great achievements in modern whisky-making. Built on a foundation of aged Glenburgie and Miltonduff single malts, it delivers ripe pears, juicy peaches, rich vanilla and a soft oak spice that many single malts of the same age can't match.
Ballantine's 30 Year Old Whisky Price: Rs 70000 - Rs 85000 (appox.).
This is the blend that beat out single malt whiskies from Scotland, Ireland, Japan and the US to win Whisky of the Year at the 2020 International Whisky Competition, and it has picked up Best Blended Scotch honours nearly every year since. The secret to Dewar's Double Double 32 Year Old whisky is Dewar's own four-stage 'Double Double' ageing process, which re-casks the whisky repeatedly before a final finish in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks, resulting in a rich, chewy dram loaded with ripe fig, dark molasses and crushed hazelnut. Despite the trophy case, it remains largely overlooked by buyers who default to the usual luxury names.
Dewar's Double Double 32 Year Old Whisky Price: Rs 70000 - Rs 88000 (approx.).
Note: These Scotch whiskies' prices in India are approximate and vary by state tax, duty-free availability and retailer; always check current listings before buying.
