Our Recommended Whiskey for Beginners to Try

Four Roses Bourbon has a fruity scent with floral essences and notes of spice and honey. Undertones of fresh fruit like pears and apples sell the fruity aroma. With that delicious scent in mind, the taste is crisp, soft, and smooth, making it agreeable for new whiskey drinkers.

Four Roses Bourbon in Kentucky makes all of its own bourbon and provides tours of its facilities. 

This bourbon is bottled in a rustic vessel that hearkens back to a time buffalo freely roamed the country, much like its name implies. Crafted on a trail that buffalo once roamed, this bourbon is rich and complex. The tasting notes are vanilla, toffee, and candied fruits. With a smooth finish, this bourbon is a bit more sophisticated than Four Roses.

Suntory Toki (established 1923) is a fresh and unique whiskey from Japan for beginners and those more experienced tasters. The liquor is a crisp, clear gold with a refreshing scent of basil, green apple, and honey. Flavorful fruity notes of grapefruit, green grapes, peppermint, and thyme make this the brightest whiskey on the list.

If you're looking for a very intense whiskey experience, you can't go wrong with Tullamore DEW. This Irish whiskey hits all the right spots as it combines three different whiskeys. Grain, malt, and pot combine to give you the perfect blend of sweet, fruity, and spicey to tease your palate. 

Jack Daniel's is known worldwide for their Tennessee whiskey, and this honey-blend is just another success for them. The blend goes down perfectly smooth with a naturally sweet flavor from the addition of real honey. This is an excellent introductory bottle when trying whiskey because it mellows some of the burn you might feel from less forgiving varieties. 

Is Irish whiskey a good entry to the spirit and which one? The answer is naturally Jameson. Triple-distilled and aged for four years in oak casts, this spirit is sure to entice and enthrall your senses. A lovely balance of spicy, nutty, and vanilla, the hints of sherry, and a smooth finish bring this all together.

Significantly bolder than the others on this list, Bulleit Bourbon has an exceptionally high rye content. The finish is still smooth like the others, but the ending notes are pretty spicy with a light toffee flavor. It's also less fruity than the others, with the dominant flavors being maple, oak, and nutmeg.