Our Top 5 Whisky Recommendations for Non-Smoky Flavors

Whisky and smoke are a match made in heaven, but not everyone is looking for a peated or smoky whisky. That's why we've lined up the best whiskies of the moment that aren't smoky.

The first whisky we can recommend to you hails from the Scottish Highlands. The Dalmore 12 Year Old is a whisky that continuously wins awards. For instance, during the most recent edition of the World Whiskies Awards, the whisky bagged a gold medal in the Best Scotch Highlands Single Malt category.

The single malt whisky combines a robust character with a sweet, rich and full flavor that will appeal to both novice whisky drinkers and seasoned veterans. Think of orange, grapefruit and marmalade with raisins, plums and cherries. This is balanced by spicy notes of nutmeg and cinnamon in a creamy blend.

In short: this is a bottle that should not be missing in your whisky cabinet.

From the Scottish Speyside, Billy Walker, in collaboration with his team, created an incredible single malt. The GlenAllachie 12 Year Old was named Best Scotch Speyside Whisky 2025 and the Best Scotch Single Malt 2025 by the World Whiskies Awards.

That the distillery may put this title to its name is not for the first time. In 2021, the distillery already garnered accolades for its 10-year-old cask strength whisky.

The tasting notes of the whisky encompass dried apple and chutney on the nose and vibrant notes of orange peel, nutmeg, and cinnamon on the palate. The influence of the sherry casks is unmistakably evident in the finish.

The next whisky hails from Taiwan. Kavalan has bottled a whisky that has seriously impressed at the International Whisky Competition. The Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry Cask Strength whisky was named the best of 2025. This adds another award to the already brimming trophy cabinet of the distillery.

The Taiwanese whisky has tasting notes including sherry tones, creamy toffee, chocolate, and fruit with fudge and woody aromas on the palate.

Another whisky that scored highly in San Francisco is the 25-year-old Aultmore Oloroso sherry cask for Travel Retail. This whisky was rewarded by the jury with a whopping 95.10 points.

The single malt whisky has already been highly rewarded during the competition this year, but scored even higher last year. When the whisky received 98 points. The whisky is thus approaching perfection according to the jury's taste.

The single malt whisky is exclusively released for airports and has taste notes of fudge, buttered bread, plums, and hints of pineapple. Towards the end, a hint of leather comes through.

Lastly, we give you a tasty blend to look forward to. The Sakhrani Kuri Edition is not just any whisky from Japan. This is a blend of different Scottish whiskies that have been finished in the well-known chestnut wood casks.

The result is a whisky that starts with soft tones of wood, followed by incense, vanilla, and caramel in a flavourful ensemble. In our review, we said the following about the whisky:

The ensemble reminds one of a stroll in a forest on a crisp autumn morning when the golden leaves, the wood, and the moss on the ground are still damp from the dew, but the sun is already cautiously peeping through the trees. It's sweet, spicy and a bit warming all at the same time.

The quality of the whisky is so high that at the USA Spirits Rating in 2025, it was named the best blended Scotch of the year.