So you've decided to try whisky, but you don't know where to start. It can be a little daunting at first, as there are so many different varieties from all over the world with considerable variations in price. Our advice is this: don't worry. There's so much variation that you are guaranteed to find something you love and within your price range.
Due to the vast differences in flavour between whiskies, it can be an expensive endeavour to go out there and buy different bottles just to try them. Your best bet is to first find a decent whisky bar in your area and try a few to see what you like beforehand. It's best to go on a quiet day where you can keep the bartender's attention. If he's a fan of whisky, expect him to want to talk about it, it is his job after all. That being said, we have aimed to make sure every bottle of whisky we recommend can be found (at least by us) for less than £30.
Photo courtesy of Flaviar
If you don't have any local bars nearby, then consider signing up for an online subscription to whisky tastings. Two good options are Flaviar, for tasting boxes and access to their amazing range of different spirits, and (if you are in the UK) Whisky-Me, who will send you a (large) dram once a month straight to your front door. These are also an excellent and affordable way to learn more about whisky if you are already a fan. You can also order tasters from www.mastersofmalt.com if you want to try our recommendations, but don't want to break the bank and buy all of them.
Nowadays, you can find great local whisky no matter where you are in the world with considerable variations in ingredients and flavour, from Taiwan to Finland. The most prominent and most successful producers are Scotland, Ireland, Japan, the USA and Canada. Here are our entry-level favourites from each region.
Monkey Shoulder (Blended Scotch, UK)
Balvenie Double Wood 12 Year Old (Single Malt Scotch, UK)
Laphroaig 10 Year Old (Single Malt Scotch, UK)
Bushmills 10 Year Old (Single Malt, Ireland)
Buffalo Trace (Bourbon, USA)
Bulleit Bourbon (Bourbon, USA)
Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye (Rye, Canada)
Nikka from the Barrel (Blended Whisky, Japan)
Scotch
Most scotch is either a single malt or a blend from different distilleries. The rules around scotch are quite strict. It has to be made in Scotland, in fact, it is illegal to make any whisky in Scotland that isn't a scotch. Scotch also has to be aged for a minimum of 3 years; when you see an age statement on a bottle of whisky, this is the age of the youngest whisky. The bottle might contain older whiskies, but they are not included in the age statement. A blend of a 100-year-old whisky with a drop of a 3-year-old whisky is still officially a 3-year-old whisky.
Around 90% of whisky produced in Scotland ends up in a blended bottle, though, single malts are often more highly revered by the purists. While people tend to dismiss blends as a lesser form of craftsmanship, this is definitely not the case. In reality, both can be amazing. Single Malts shows off the capabilities of a master distiller, providing a personality for the distillery. Meanwhile, blends aim to produce a whisky where the ingredients complement each other and strive to create unique flavours. In fact, most single malts are still blended, they are just a blend of whiskies from within the same distillery. This guarantees a consistent flavour from year to year and bottle to bottle. This flavour profile acts as a calling card for the distillery.
Scotland is split into six producing regions, each with their own profile. It's not necessary to try all six unless you are trying to become a scotch aficionado. We recommend the following three to start:
Monkey Shoulder is a blended Scotch, made from whisky from three different Speyside distilleries. It's won multiple awards in recent years and has overtaken Johnny Walker by being named the best-selling scotch, by bartenders no less. Monkey Shoulder takes its name from the condition the maltmen would get when turning the barley. The maltmen would do long shifts turning the barley by hand during the malting process, this process allows the barley to break down starch into sugar. Due to how labour intensive the process was, it was common for a maltman to have one arm droop down like a monkey's: hence the term monkey shoulder. Thankfully today this process can now be automated.
Monkey Shoulder is quite light and inviting, with flavours of orange, honey and oak. This makes it a great introduction to scotch before you take on some of the more powerful and adventurous drams.
Balvenie Doublewood 12, is our top single malt recommendation. You can pick up a 20cl bottle for around £15 and a full bottle for £38. Single Malts can carry a heavier price tag but for price vs quality, Balvenie stands alone. Balvenie is one of the few distilleries to still make everything in house, including malting their own barley and having their own cooperage (where you make barrels). The Doublewood 12 is aged for at least 12 years in ex-bourbon casks before being finished in sherry casks for around 9 months. You can expect this award-winning whisky to be smooth and sweet with chocolate, cherry and raspberry flavours.
Laphroaig 10 comes from Islay, a small island to the west of Scotland. If there's one thing Islay whiskies are known for, it's producing peaty, smokey whiskies that really pack a punch. This whisky can be like marmite, you either love it or hate it. Many people who claim to hate whisky fall in love with the intense peaty flavours Islay has to offer. Other's have the complete opposite experience, loving whisky and hating Islays. Laphroaig 10 is one of the most renowned whiskies from Islay and definitely brings the peat.
Irish
Ireland has a strong history with whiskey. It is credited with being one of the first countries to start distilling spirits in the 1100s. The Coffey Still was also invented in Ireland, revolutionising the way whiskey is made. Without Irish whiskey, the industry wouldn't be what it is today. When it comes to making whiskey, Ireland follows the similar rules to Scotland: all whiskey must be aged for at least 3 years and made in Ireland or Northern Ireland.
All Irish whiskey is typically triple-distilled creating a much smoother whisky than it's scotch counterparts. This helps distillers bring out the softer lighter fruitier flavours.
At one point in time, Irish was the most popular whiskey in the world. Though it sadly went through a steep decline in the early 1900s. Thankfully it has seen a resurgence with a large number of new distilleries and blenders producing exciting and innovative products in recent years.
Bushmills 10 year old is a great Irish whiskey to start with. The 10 year old won Best Irish Single Malt at the world whisky fair in 2007 and has been highly praised by critics for years. Bushmills is an excellent example of a distillery that has a lot of history and tradition; it's not only the oldest distillery in Ireland but the oldest distillery in the world! Bushmills first received a license to distil in 1608.
Much like the Balvenie, Bushmills 10 is aged in Sherry and Bourbon barrels, giving it a boost of sweetness and vanilla from the bourbon. Bushmills is also known for being very smooth and fruity with light and delicate flavours, including banana and apple.
Bourbon
Photo courtesy of Buffalo Trace Distillery
When it comes to bourbon, you can expect a much more sweet whiskey with strong caramel and vanilla flavours. This makes bourbon a favourite for people who might not be a fan of single malts. Bourbon has to be made in the United States (most are made in Kentucky) and consists of at least 51% corn before being aged in new charred white oak barrels.
There is no age restriction on bourbon, so you can literally pour it into a barrel, pour it out, and it becomes bourbon. Most places obviously don't do this (their bourbon would be terrible), but age statements are almost always a lot lower for bourbon than for scotch. As whiskey ages, some is lost in evaporation and into the wood of the barrel. This is known as the "Angels Share". Whiskey produced in more temperate climates can be aged for longer without losing as much in the ageing process; however, places like Kentucky can get to over 40C (104F). Most bourbon distilleries, therefore, age their bourbon for much shorter periods to guarantee they still have some whiskey left to sell. You will find a lot of "straight bourbon whiskey". These are bourbons that have been aged for a minimum of 2 years.
While the difference in flavours between different bourbons isn't as vast as with other types of whiskey, we still recommend you try a couple to understand its range. Another great selling point for bourbon is that they are much better value for money, there are a range of fantastic bourbons for £30 - £50.
Buffalo Trace is a fantastic all-arounder that shows off the traditional light caramel and vanilla flavours of bourbon. When I think of what bourbon should taste like, I think of Buffalo Trace. Buffalo Trace is America's oldest continuously operating distillery. They have been around for 200 years and produce a wide range of different expressions, including the coveted Pappy Van Winkle. It's also won more awards than any other distillery in the world. If you don't like this bourbon, then maybe bourbon isn't for you!
Bulleit Bourbon is another excellent bourbon. All bourbon is at least 51% corn, the other 49% can be any combination of Corn, Wheat, Rye or Barley. Bulleit breaks the mould by going for a high Rye content at around 28%. This makes Bulleit much spicier, helping it stand out. Bulleit is also a litmus test before trying rye whiskies, which can be much more potent but also delicious.
Canadian Rye
Canadian Ryes aim to be quite smooth, with a little bit of spice added from the Rye. Unlike other whiskies, Canadian whiskies are made by blending combinations of different base spirits, each distilled from a single grain. They blend the base spirits before ageing them, for a minimum of 3 years. While this technically makes Canadian Rye a blend, all the spirits are usually distilled on the same site, making them single distillery blends.
Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye caused quite a stir when it was declared best whisky in the world in 2016. Despite the controversy, and regardless of what you think, you can get a bottle (35cl) of the only Canadian whisky with this honour for £30. This might as well be your first foray into seeing what Canada has to offer. When you try this whisky, expect lots of caramel and spicy flavours, as well as green apple, with a smooth finish.
Japanese
Japan has no formal rules when it comes to whisky. That being said, every distillery follows the scotch rules and typically produces single malts, as there are Japan's favourites. Japanese whiskies are a lot lighter and more delicate than scotch because they aim to capitalise on more subtle flavours. This means if you like bold and in your face flavours, Japanese whisky might not be for you. If you want something you can slowly enjoy and appreciate, Japanese whiskies are perfect.
A lot of Japanese whiskies no longer have age statements. This is because in recent years they became so popular they couldn't compete with demand. You will find older Japanese whiskies have become more of a collector's item, and there are a lot more offerings of younger whiskies and blends. These are still excellent and definitely not to be overlooked.
Nikka from the Barrel is probably the most expensive whisky we recommend. It's (currently) £38 in the UK but only sold in 50cl bottles, meaning it's upwards of £50 for a traditionally sized bottle. Due to the surge in the price of Japanese whisky bottling smaller amounts lets the whisky stay affordable.
Nikka from the Barrel is a blended whisky that once blended is aged again before bottling. This whisky is strong with fruity and vanilla flavours making it incredibly easy to drink the entire bottle in one sitting.
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