In the years since this article was first published, every single whisky/whiskey previously included within this round-up no longer retails for less than $100.
This is to be expected, of course. Aside from the lingering spectre of inflation that haunts our modern-day existence, the world has conservatively changed thrice over the past six years. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still enjoy a quality dram in exchange for a humble granny smith. It just means that, as always, we have to adapt.
Here are the best whiskies under $100 available in Australia right now.
RELATED: How To Make The Perfect Old Fashioned
Jump To:
- Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey
- Starward Nova Single Malt Australian Whisky
- Talisker Skye Scotch Whisky
- Woodford Reserve Double-Oaked Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Glenfiddich 12-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- The Glenlivet 12-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Morris Rutherglen Signature Single Malt Australian Whisky
- Eagle Rare 10-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Bladnoch Vinaya Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Jameson Blended Irish Whiskey
- Powers Three Swallows Whiskey
- Special Mentions
Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 47%
Price: $93.90
The first extra-aged Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey to join Elijah Craig’s award-winning family of Bourbons has just touched down in Australia… and it’s bloody good drinking for the price point.
Presenting a unique combination of spicy rye grains and sweet corn, coupled with a steadfast attention to detail, you’re essentially signing up for a wonderful balance of flavour and smoothness from the distillery founded by the “Godfather of Bourbon,” no less.
One can also expect aromas of dark chocolate and a hint of smoke to complement the taste of rich baking spices and honey back with a smooth oak barrel influence. A tasty drop on its own, and even tastier in a Manhattan. (Mash bill: 51% rye, 35% corn, 14% barley)
Starward Nova Single Malt Australian Whisky
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 41%
Price: $99.00
Uniquely Australian and crafted exclusively with local wine barrels for maturation as per the homegrown distiller’s signature, the award-winning Starward Nova presents well-balanced aromas of raisins, bananas, and a touch of balsamic that lead into clove, toffee, and nougat.
As for the famously red-berry-rich palate? You’re in for hints of cinnamon, as well as a variety of savoury and spice-driven tasting notes.
Editor’s Note: Starward’s Two-Fold Double Grain Australian Whisky (available for just $75) is also well worth checking out.
Talisker Skye Scotch Whisky
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 45.8%
Price: $84.00
Taste the tides with this mellow yet rich, sweet, and malty drop distilled by Scotland’s iconic Isle of Skye. The intense and powerful flavour is largely owed to the peat burned during the malting process; along with rich vanilla imbued by the aging process.
With a lasting (and smooth) aftertaste, you’re not just buying a whisky with the Talisker Skye. You’re buying a drop of full-bore Scots heritage.
Editor’s Note: Depending on where you look (and what sales are happening), you can also occasionally nab Talisker’s excellent 10-year-old Single Malt Scotch Whisky for less than $100.
Woodford Reserve Double-Oaked Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 43.2%
Price: $89.95
As the name suggests, Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Kentucky Straight Bourbon is the product of an innovative approach that involves twice-barreling bourbon.
The result? A rich and colourful flavour that’s apparently unlike any other Bourbon in the market. Smooth, full-bodied with a long, decadent finish.
Glenfiddich 12-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Price: $72.99
The most awarded single malt Scotch Whisky in the world — more accolades at the International Wine & Spirits Competition and International Spirits Challenge than any other single malt since 2000 — should cost more than this. And yet, miraculously, it doesn’t.
Don’t look the gift stag in the mouth. Just add to cart and enjoy.
The Glenlivet 12-Year-Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Price: $75.00
Another excellent 12-year-old whisky for your home bar — and renowned as the “single malt that started it all”, from the oldest legal distillery in Speyside — The Glenlivet promises full and rich aromas of baked pastries, orchard fruit, and subsequent toffee on the palate.
This is complemented by a hint of oak from its tenure in both American and European casks, which builds on the warming palate that finishes with lashings of licorice and dried citrus peel.
Morris Rutherglen Signature Single Malt Australian Whisky
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Price: $95.00
We’re not even going to bother describing this one. Rather, we’re just going to include the entire laundry list of accolades Morris won thanks to its best-selling Rutherglen Signature Single Malt below:
- DOUBLE GOLD — San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2024
- GOLD — World Whisky Masters 2023
- DOUBLE GOLD — San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2023
- GOLD — London Spirits Competition 2023
- GOLD — World Whisky Masters (Spirits Business Mag) 2022
- GOLD — San Francisco World Spirits Competition 2022
- GOLD — London Spirits Competition 2022
- GOLD — Bartenders Brand Awards 2022
- GOLD — World Whisky Masters (Spirits Business Mag) 2021
Eagle Rare 10-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 45%
Price: $99.99
Rated at an impressive 96/100 by BH’s resident plonk enthusiast, Randy Lai, and crowned our overall best Bourbon whiskey you can buy in Australia, this is “textbook” for the genre (in a positive way).
Although this bottle no longer represents the “frankly absurd value proposition that it did six to seven years ago,” there’s still enough quality and sheer drinking pleasure to shuttle this right to the top of our shopping lists.
With Eagle Rare 10, you get a rich classically styled sipping Bourbon, full of caramel flavours, brown sugar, and charred white oak, that also isn’t so complex that you can’t build it into a Perfect Manhattan. A must-have for your home bar (especially going into the colder months).
Bladnoch Vinaya Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 46.7%
Price: $97.99
Bladnoch’s Vinaya Single Malt Scotch Whisky is matured in a unique combination of 1st fill Bourbon and 1st fill Sherry casks for notes of fresh apple, sweet floral grass, and hints of chocolate.
Named after the Sanskrit word for “respect and gratitude,” it pays homage to the distillery’s original founders who “paved the way” for an “exciting new era of production and innovation.”
Jameson Blended Irish Whiskey
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Price: $65.00
Old reliable. Pairs wonderfully with a pint of the black stuff. And at just $65 for 700ml (a smidge more for an entire litre), it’s great recession-proof drinking. ‘Nuff said.
Powers Three Swallows Whiskey
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Price: $84.99
Premium, authentic, and a rich showcase of the sheer craftsmanship behind Irish whiskey, Three Swallows Whiskey has been described as a “true testament to traditional distillation methods and exceptional quality.”
Crafted with a blend of malted and unmalted barley, Powers Three Swallow Irish Whiskey offers a smooth and complex flavour profile featuring notes of honey, vanilla, and orchard fruits.
Perfect neat or on the rocks.
Special Mentions
Nishijin Ori Red Belt Whisky
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Price: $100.99
Yes, it’s just a tad more than the $100 benchmark (although it’d almost certainly make the cut whenever Uncle Dan or First Choice puts on a “sale”).
But it’s simultaneously too good and too close to the line for us to ignore. Plus the cloth label bottle is practically decor-worthy.
Sazerac Rye 6-Year-Old Straight Whiskey
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 45%
Price: $100.99
Same deal as the Nishijin Ori Red Belt. If you know, you know.
Laphroaig Select Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Volume: 700ml
ABV: 40%
Price: $106.00
Once upon a time, this was yet another cracking sub-$100 buy. And on the odd occasion (such as the sale happening at First Choice as we speak), we get to relive the glory days. Still, Laphroaig Select Cask is an excellent single malt for $106.
Now that you’ve read our picks for the best whiskies under $100, check out the following related articles:
