Beyond Jack Daniel’s and Johnnie Walker – 10 best whisky brands for bourbon and Scotch that will make you look like a boss
Bored of high street bourbon and supermarket Scotch? Look sharp and drink smart with STYLE’s picks of left-field and lesser-known whisky brands from across the US, Japan, Ireland and, of course, Scotland
Many people still associate whisky (or whiskey for Americans) with men in old films, who usually drink the liquor straight up. Today's top whisky experts, however, are a far cry from that stereotype, and are working to make whisky drinking less intimidating and more accessible for beginners.
“I would love to tell you there are hard, fast rules, but there aren't any more. There's no 'all Scotch tastes like this' any more,” says whiskey expert Heather Greene. “If I had to make one big generalisation – and it's risky to say this – as to what differentiates American whiskey, it's that since American whiskey must be aged in new oak wood casks, it has a bigger, vibrant and robust wood flavour that's slightly maple and sweet.”
In contrast, Scotch, Irish and Japanese whiskies are typically aged in old oak casks (often those first used by American whiskey makers), which Greene said can make them “more seasoned, subtle, and mellowed out. Think of it as the second or third dunk of a tea bag, whereas American whiskey is like the first dunk.”
In American whiskey, bourbon (made from mash that is at least 51 per cent corn) tends to be sweeter with hints of caramel, rye (made from mash that is at least 51 per cent rye) is more spicy and herbal, and whiskies with a higher wheat or barley content are more earthy and nutty.
Beyond that, there numerous ways to make and mature whiskey, and even more freedom in how to enjoy them.
Greene has been in the whiskey industry for nearly 20 years and is the author of Whiskey Distilled: A Populist Guide to the Water of Life. She first worked in Scotland as an ambassador for the iconic Glenfiddich Distillery and later studied regional whiskey making in Japan. After moving to New York, Greene lent her expertise to many whiskey-centric bars and was the sommelier at The Flatiron Room in New York. She is currently the CEO of Milam & Greene, a whiskey distillery in Blanco, Texas.
Susan Reigler is a world-renowned bourbon expert, lifelong Kentuckian, and former president of the Bourbon Women Association. She worked as a restaurant critic and had a weekly spirits column in the Louisville Courier Journal through the bourbon renaissance of the 1990s – “before bourbon became really cool again,” she said. Reigler has written multiple books on bourbon essentials and the history of whiskey in the US, and continues to give talks and hold private tastings. Her upcoming release, co-authored with fellow connoisseur Peggy Noe Stevens and called Which Fork do I Use with My Bourbon? is all about food pairings and bourbon-centric parties.
In no particular order, these are their top 10 picks.
1. Old Forester Rye
Kentucky distillery Old Forester makes both rye and bourbon whiskey. The original Old Forester is one of Reigler's favourites for making cocktails. “They started making this in 1870, and it's very characteristic,” said Reigler. “It has caramel notes, and fruity hints of banana and citrus.”