I'm very happy to finally publish this list. Since creating the original recommendations post I've been puzzling over the tier above 'starter whiskey' and, surprising no one, it took me considerable time. Like before it was a real challenge to choose price ranges and then cover the different profiles that represent and exemplify the various whiskey sources. I'm guessing this'll again end up being just a first iteration, and perhaps something that's done annually. Not only will I continue to try expressions to increase the pool of candidates but inevitably some bottles will drop off due to either rising prices or declining quality, perceived or otherwise. I must note that this can never be truly comprehensive. The market, particularly in the range here selected, is so large and dynamic that it's simply not possible for me to try or know it all. Regardless, this should be a useful list and comprise what I like right now. This is where I primarily want to be buying whiskey btw, as there's a ton of much more interesting stuff (better age, higher proof, single barrels, finishes etc.) for not that much more money.
The 'rules' are similar. Intended for someone who doesn't know where to start, I aim to capture excellent examples for the predominant styles in American (Bourbon/Rye), Scotch and Irish whiskey. This is done without re-using any single distillery. I'd love to have each bottle come from a unique company as well but that didn't happen today. The prices listed below (for 750ml bottles) are reasonable expectations, though you may have to shop around. I checked each selection against four sellers that show their prices online. If you care, those were Total Wine (shopping nearby in MN), Ace Spirits (Minnetonka, MN), Montgomery County Liquor and Wine (MD), and Petite Cellars (Ellicott City, MD). Prices were usually lower in Minnesota than Maryland, fwiw, and I slightly favored my current home to my previous one. Perhaps most importantly I really want to emphasize whiskey that can actually be found, but I also won't stick to that exclusively and here included one special prize.
When I initially started on this there were a handful of expressions that I wanted to include. Unfortunately a few already can't be on this list regardless of how good they are. Blanton's Single Barrel has to be out for ridiculous availability and cost concerns, plus I prefer a different bottle from Buffalo Trace. Even more disappointing is Springbank 10y's skyrocketing price tag since I wrote it up, now like $90 everywhere. Those are just two cases of the tough and ever-changing whiskey market that continues to boom.
Let's get to the ones that made the cut. I further pared down the number this time to try and keep it manageable. Here are 6 Bourbons, 4 Ryes, 6 Scotches and 1 Irish. With a few alternates that made 20 in total.
Bourbon ($40-65)
For a quick refresher, to be classified as Bourbon it needs to be made in America and the distillate needs to be at least 51% corn. All of these comes out of Kentucky, though they don't need to, and are 'straight whiskey.' The first one below you probably won't find but the rest you can, and are great values.
Favorite/Hunt Target
1. Colonel E.H. Taylor Small Batch -> my review
- <$65
- 100 proof
- Buffalo Trace distillery, Kentucky (Sazerac)
- Classic Buffalo Trace flavors and bottled-in-bond. The one I'm out there hunting myself.
Findable Go-To, option one
2. Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve (usually 9y) -> my review
- <$50
- 120 proof
- Jim Beam distillery, Kentucky
- Proofed up, consistent quality and available. Always want this (or the Rye version) on hand. Pay up for store picks!
Findable Go-To, option two
3. Russell's Reserve Single Barrel
- $50-55
- 110 proof
- Wild Turkey distillery, Kentucky
- High class version of delectable Wild Turkey. Any 'Private Barrel Selection' is a must-grab.
Low Proof Sipper
4. Old Forester 1910 'Old Fine Whiskey'
- $50-55
- 93 proof
- Old Forester distillery, Kentucky (Brown-Forman)
- Super smooth, tons of flavor. Entire 'Whiskey Row' line is fantastic and this may be its best.
Wheated Bourbon
5. Maker's Mark Cask Strength
- ~$45
- 108-114 proof, varies on barrel
- Maker's Mark distillery, Kentucky (Jim Beam)
- With sweet 'wheaters' Pappy/Weller so popular, grab this instead to try something similar (if inferior). The 101 also works.
Wine Finished
6. Angel's Envy -> my review
- $45-50
- 86.6 proof
- Angel's Envy distillery, Kentucky
- Interesting Bourbon that finishes with red wine flavors (Port) and is easy to sip on.
Rye ($40-65)
Ryes come from a mash that's at least 51% rye grain, making it spicier and often fruitier than Bourbon. The original American whiskey, it's rapidly growing in popularity once again and there's probably more out there than you realize. A style I'm loving at the moment.
Old Style
1. Pikesville Straight Rye (6y)
- ~$45
- 110 proof
- Heaven Hill distillery, Kentucky
- Fruit and rye mimicking the old Pennsylvania style, similar to Rittenhouse but bolder.
Modern and Versatile
2. WhistlePig Piggyback 6y
- $40-45
- 96.56 proof
- Whistlepig distillery, Vermont
- Best priced bottle from the popular VT (founded 2007) distillery. Good neat or in cocktails.
Easy Going
3. Michter's US*1 Single Barrel Straight Rye -> my review
- $40-45
- 84.8 proof
- Michter's distillery, Kentucky
- Finely tuned, lower proof whiskey with a mash barely tilted toward rye. Excellent sipper.
Rye Forward
4. High West Rendezvous Rye -> my review
- ~$60
- 92 proof
- High West distillery, Utah
- Very refined spirit where the rye flavors shine. Another masterful blend from High West.
Scotch ($50-75)
Scotch whisky must be produced in Scotland and is primarily made from malted barley. 'Blended whisky' typically combines spirits from different distilleries and often uses both malt and 'grain whisky.' I haven't found many blends worth paying north of $50 so only one was listed. 'Single malts' come from a single distillery and use 100% malt in the mash. This is what Scotch does best and there's a lot to explore in this range, including maturation in different cask types, various degrees of peat and more. The upper range here is more like $75, pricier than American whiskey but these ones are worth it.
Blend
1. Johnnie Walker Green Label
- $55-60
- 86 proof
- produced by Diageo
- Combination of Speyside and the Islands, made entirely from single malts and 15 years old.
Multi-cask Single Malt
2. Mortlach 12y 'the Wee Witchie' -> my review
- ~$55
- 86.8 proof
- Mortlach distillery, Speyside (Diageo)
- Aged in Bourbon/Sherry casks and IMO a tier above its comps. 'Beast of Dufftown' indeed.
Or try... Balvenie 12y 'Doublewood' (~$55) -> my first whiskey love
Sherry Bomb Single Malt
3. Glendronach 12y
- ~$60
- 80 proof
- Glendronach distillery, Highlands (Brown-Forman)
- Aging exclusively in Sherry wood alters a profile. A rich dessert, with dried fruits and nuts. Comparable to Macallan, I've typically preferred this.
Unusual Maturation Single Malt
4. Glenmorangie Nectar D'or
- $70-75
- 92 proof
- Glenmorangie distillery, Highlands (LVMH)
- Ultra light spirit with some time in Sauternes (sweet white wine) casks. Cream and pastry.
Coastal Funk Single Malt
5. Oban 14y
- $70-75
- 86 proof
- Oban distillery, Highlands (Diageo)
- An irreplaceable, complex whisky. Oaky, malty flavors with sea salt and a whiff of smoke.
Smoky Single Malt
6. Port Charlotte 10y
- ~$65
- 100 proof
- Bruichladdich distillery, Islay (Rémy Cointreau)
- Highly peated but also exceptionally balanced and delicate, from my favorite distillery.
Or try... Ardbeg Corryvreckan (~$75) -> a heavier, cask strength peat explosion
Irish ($40-65)
There are a ton more Irish distilleries than there were 10 years ago, but I haven't been too impressed yet when I delve in and try something new. For now there are two primary expressions to try. Both are in the distinct Irish style, single pot still, and triple distilled for that extremely smooth finish.
Single Pot Still
1. Redbreast 12y -> (my review, of the cask strength version)
- ~$60
- 80 proof
- New Midleton distillery, County Cork (Irish Distillers/Jameson)
- Best selling single pot still worldwide and the top Irish to try. Intriguing variations too.
You could also go for... Green Spot (~$55)
This was fun, though I'm glad the puzzle is solved for this run-through. Part of me wants to include more Scotch, especially bottles closer to $50 than $75, but it's more important to keep the list as short as possible. As always let me know what you think of this list. Or if you want an opinion on any other whiskey, I likely have one.
Happy hunting!
Comments