Favorite Whiskey?

Wow! Huge, interesting thread concerning whiskey in a Tacoma forum, very cool. Normally a beer/wine less-than-connoisseur but interested lately in whiskey. What's a good "starter" whiskey? I've tried Jack Daniels and a few of the other mass-market regulars but never became a fan. I tried some stuff over in Japan that I enjoyed but can't remember what they were. Is there something reasonable in price and availability I could whet my whistle with here in the states? Something to sip on while perusing this forum or my favorite wrist watch forums?
Thanks in advance.

 

"Whiskey" can get deep.

A good starter Bourbon is Wild Turkey 101.
A good starter Scotch is Monkey Shoulder.
A good starter Irish whiskey is Jameson Black Barrel.
There are no good starter Japanese whiskies.
A good starter Canadian whiskey is Crown Royal XO.

 

Oddly enough, I had my hands around a bottle of the Jameson Black Barrel the other day at Bevmo but didn't pull the trigger. I think it was $38. I think I'll go grab that tomorrow. I figured it's Irish, I'm 80-something percent Irish according to 23andme, why not give it a go?
Thanks for the suggestions

 

I was a craft beer guy turned whiskey guy, rarely drink beer anymore. I’d start lower proof with minimal bite and expand from there. For me, that minimal bite is a wheated and they are still a favorite, though I do enjoy the nuances of a rye-heavy and some high proof stuff quite a bit too.

Depending on your local selection, a good Larceny Small Batch is very inexpensive and good. A 1792 Sweet Wheat between $50-$80 is phenomenal.

Everyone has different tastes so enjoy discovering your favorites, and ones you don’t like along the way. Can’t tell you how many really good whiskeys I’ve discovered just watching this thread. I’ve also discovered that Scotch is not for me…BUT, I never have truly given up on it. Someone on here speaks highly of a Scotch, I’ll note it and look for a pour at a bar. I’m convinced that someday I’ll find a Scotch that doesn’t taste like toilet bowl cleaner. Welcome to the party.

 

A local store has it for 40, looks like I’m making a stop on the way home tomorrow

 

Angels Envy should be at the top of your list.

 

Tasty. Lower proof, still a little heat for me. First taste was very wood chip-ish….but finished well. Overall I enjoyed it. Future pours will determine final decision.

 

As @SwampYota said, start lower proof and then work up from there. I really like Michter’s Small Batch as an easy sipper you can get on the shelf any day. Their Single Barrel Rye is also excellent, without the spicy rye notes that can be off-putting for a newbie.

 

Agreed!

 

I feel like I had pours of this and was never impressed. Maybe I'll revisit.

Craft beer guy turned whiskey guy checking in. I still try different beers but only beers of a certain flavor profile at this point. I know what I like and won't branch much from there.

 

I can certainly understand if it isn’t a pallet to your liking. I feel the same way about knob Creek, and yet there are plenty that love it……

 

I had a similar experience. After the first couple of pours I felt that the heat did subside, which allowed the spice of the rye to come through. My palate isn’t as refined as others and I’ve noticed that I can easily mistake rye’s spiciness for the “heat”. I also recall the finish of the bottle was much better than the start of it. Having said all of that, I don’t know if I would buy this again considering I’ve liked other whiskies more that are similarly priced or less.


3.5 potatoes out of 5
Will drink if placed in front of me

 

This is an interesting conversation... Is there a trick to finding a store that isn't marking things up or hiding product under the counter?

Or stated another way for you guys with experience... How do I tell the store is one I'd want to return to for subsequent whiskey purchases? Are there some rules of thumb?

I just realized, this is sort of like finding a good dealer for the truck.

 

That’s the million dollar question. If you’re in a controlled state like NC, there won’t be a markup but you’ll have less availability. Ideally, they put everything out on the shelf and it’s first come, first serve. Not all stores will receive the same allocation. Find out what day is delivery day, cross your fingers and head to the store. I’ve been told it gets on these ABC clerks nerves when you walk in and ask for allocated whiskey, makes sense if they gotta answer that question constantly throughout the day from people hunting for the rare stuff.

Non-controlled states I couldn’t tell you. I travel with work and I’ve seen stores, mostly in California, that have every rare bourbon you could imagine but the prices are on par with the secondary market. Pick and choose at those stores I guess. The Pappy 23 ain’t never gonna be MSRP because everybody and their brother wants it but you could find a less sought after bottle at a good price. For example, I was in Sacramento and went around to multiple stores. Alot had the usual rare suspects from Buffalo Trace and they were all priced like secondary. I was looking for 1792 Sweet Wheat and found it at multiple stores ranging in price from $50-$120. If I was local, the store selling for $50 would be my go-to store for that bourbon.

 

Will be looking to trade this, I’ve had it a while and not cracked it. Would like to get into bottles I know I’ll enjoy. Anyone know a good trade value? Secondary on these purple tops is all over the board…

 

Purple tops under 9 years old are controversial as purple tops go.

Just something to look at as your valuate.

 

Only other purple top 5 year I could find in misc secondary groups sold for $450 shipped.
It was a 2022 BevMo pick. Barrel yielded 194 bottles. 109.2 proof.

 

It’s hard because there are so many different purple top ages.

Online I found a couple 5 years both for $1200.

 

Listed for $1,200 or sold for $1,200?

 

Like, online distributors, not auction sites or private secondary sellers. So, the price is the price. I’m sure they’ve sold for less at auction or privately.