Kristiane Sherry
Mar 18, 2025
New to whisky? These are the bottles for you
Just realised that you love whisky? Welcome to the club! Whisky is a vibrant universe of flavour, and there’s a whole load to explore. Not sure where to start or what to taste next? Here’s our list of top bottles if you’re just getting the hang of whisky.
Do you remember your first whisky? I certainly do. It was on a work trip. I didn’t think I liked the spirit at all. But after a couple of sips – when someone had explained to me to take it slowly and the importance of water! – I was enchanted.
I was lucky. I was sat next to whisky experts who guided me through the evening and set me on a course that meant I knew what to explore next. And in some ways it doesn’t matter. All you want to do when you love whisky is to taste as widely as you can!
That said, there are some whiskies that are just great when you’re starting out. And not because they’re ‘easy’ or ‘gentle’. (In the same way that there’s a whisky for everyone, there’s a flavour intensity for everyone, too! Plenty of new whisky drinkers LOVE bold, peated whiskies, for example, even if they’re not seen as ‘approachable’...) What I’ve picked out here are whiskies that are distinct. They’re great examples of their style. And they’ll help build up a flavour map in your mind for these different sub-types.
With that in mind grab a tasting glass, read on, and enjoy!
Lead image credit: Our Whisky Foundation/Pixabay
OUR TOP BOTTLES FOR MOTHER'S DAY 2025
The classic for a reason: Singleton Of Dufftown 12 Year Old
The Singleton is one of the biggest single malt brands in the world. It’s a slightly confusing one (while ‘The Singleton’ is the brand, it bottles whiskies from three different distilleries: Dufftown, Glen Ord and Glendullan. They’re never blended though – the ‘single’ in single malt refers to one distillery), its releases are known for being fresh, fruity and honeyed. This 12-year-old was made at the Dufftown distillery in Speyside, and it tastes like the most delicious granola bar. It’s also versatile too – great if you want just one bottle for sipping neat and for mixing lots of recipes.
Buy NowThe wine cask hero: Dewar's 8 Year Old Caribbean Smooth
You’ll probably have heard a lot about how casks influence flavour. It’s magical – put whisky in a cask and it’ll take on the flavour of whatever was in there previously. What a way to hack flavour! There’s science to it, obviously. Casks are watertight (we hope!) but not airtight. This means that they can ‘breathe’, drawing the contents into the wood. Lots of chemical reactions then take place between the two. A great example of this in real life is this Dewar’s 8 Year Old release, which has been finished in casks that previously held Caribbean rum. It’s as sweetly delicious as you’d expect!
Buy NowThe American icon: Four Roses Original
The sheer spectrum of flavour across global whisky is a joy to discover. In part, they are so different because each style is made according to its own rules. Bourbon, for example, is made in the US using at least 51% corn and aged in new oak barrels. There are other requirements too, but those three alone explain why it tends to taste like wood, vanilla ice cream, coconut and orange peel. Four Roses Original is a fantastic example. And a quick note on whisky versus whiskey: only use the ‘e’ if it’s made in Ireland or America.
Buy NowThe peated beauty: Bowmore 12 Year Old
Some people LOVE peated whisky. I am one of them. That smoky, earthy flavour comes from literal peat, which is used in the malting process to dry out the barley just the right amount. Peated whiskies can be made anywhere, but they are perhaps most strongly associated with the Scottish island of Islay. That’s where the Bowmore distillery is. This 12-year-old release has been matured in both ex-bourbon and ex-oloroso sherry casks, so there’s a whole load of sweetness in with the gentle smoke.
Buy NowThe blended Japanese jewel: Nikka Days
Japanese whisky has been making headlines in recent years for being incredibly desirable – and super expensive. It doesn’t have to be though, as Nikka Days shows. It’s made to be a whisky for everyday sipping, and, with its creamy texture and soft berry notes, it’s definitely hit that brief. It’s made with both malt and grain whiskies so it’s a blend, and there’s a tiny touch of peat smoke in there too for complexity. Nikka Days is the perfect introduction to Japanese whisky.
Buy NowThe cocktail essential: Monkey Shoulder
Monkey Shoulder is a bartender favourite, and for good reason. It’s a blended malt – so it’s made from single malts made at two or more different distilleries – and it tastes like chocolatey toffee with apples and ginger biscuits, too. It works really well in mixed drinks because it’s got the intensity of malts but it’s really well balanced. If you want one bottle for Old Fashioneds, Highballs, Whisky Sours, Juleps and more, look no further.
Buy Now
