Irish | Bourbon | Japanese | Tennessee | Cheap
Whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage. Various companies produce whiskey brands, and there is no “official” list of whiskeys. Most countries typically have one (or more) whiskey, while some may offer several. Whiskey brand names vary worldwide depending on local legislation regarding spirits; however, only a handful of old established international brands are available outside their country or state of origin.
Whiskey was originally made from fermented grain mash, corn, rye, wheat, barley, or malted barley. Whiskey can be made from other ingredients such as fruit and honey and is often combined with other flavors such as vanilla or chocolate.
There are numerous types of whiskeys available today. Many of the most popular whiskeys are produced by major distillers. Whether you prefer some scotch with your soda or some bourbon on the rocks, some famous brands will give you a good flavor. It can be difficult to find these brands in some countries, but many different whiskeys are available.
Quality whiskeys are more expensive because they contain ingredients that require more time to be made or are produced in small batches. The main difference in whiskeys is the type of grain they are distilled, with each country producing its distinctive variety.
Top Irish whiskey brands
1. Bushmills
The brand: Bushmills claims to be the oldest licensed distillery in the world. It is located in Bushmill, County Antrim, Nothern Ireland. It’s also one of Ireland’s best, offering a range of popular blends and acclaimed single malts. It was established in 1608, and the founder is Hugh Anderson. The 10-year Single Malt is fruity, full-bodied, and sweet, while the 21-Year Single Malt is liquid heaven. The brand’s flagship blend, meanwhile, is as affordable as it is dependable.
To know: Bushmill costs around $26.99 to $125. It is fruity and suitable for different whiskey lovers
>>MORE: Best Ice Cream Brands (Popular & Unknown Firms)
2. Redbreast
The brand: Redbreast is the flagship single pot still Irish whiskey. Redbreast is creamy is soft. It comprises a mix of malted and unmalted barley, as well as unmalted corn. This triple-distillation powerful spirit has received favorable reviews from critics and awards from enthusiasts. It has won numerous awards, including the world whisky trophy.
To know: Redbreast can boast of its distinct taste compared to other whiskey brands. It gives mature satisfaction and a unique blend of quality taste. Its price is around $33 to $85
>>MORE: Best Pasta Brands (Popular & Unknown)
3. Teeling
The brand: Teeling is an Irish brand that is serious about its good times. The company was established by the third generation of Teelings, who was instrumental in reviving and popularizing Irish whiskey during the 1990s. Teeling Small Batch is a blend of malt and grain whiskeys. The taste is deep, intense, and sweet.
To know: Its price is around $22 to $110. It has a peated and oaky-tasting blend with fruity and leathery notes and a hint of chocolate.
>>MORE: Best Prosecco Brands (Popular & Unknown)
4. Jameson
The brand: Jameson is a blended Irish whiskey is one of the most popular whiskeys in the world, accounting for around 35% of Ireland’s total whiskey exports.
To know: Its price is around $23 to $40. It stands apart from other Irish whiskeys with its smoothness and silky character. Jameson has a sweet, smooth taste that is slightly fruity and light-bodied. It also has a light peatiness from the malt from which it is made.
>>MORE: Best Skincare Brands (Popular & Unknown Firms)
5. WritersTears
The brand: Writers Tears is a finely made Irish whiskey brand. It was established in the latest of 199’s but had seen then been a favorite whiskey brand with its special taste and fashion. It is easy to come by and can be taken through the night. Writers Tears is a light, easy-drinking Irish whiskey and not as peaty and smoky as some other brands. It has a toffee-like sweetness and a fruity flavor that fades in to spice in the finish.
To Know: It was established by a couple, Rosemary and Bernard Loughlin, in the new of 2009. They produce an Irish whiskey blend of a very rare and special taste. Its price is around $28 to $78
>>MORE: Best Sneaker Brands (Popular & Unknown Firms)
Top bourbon whiskey brands
1. George T. Stagg
The brand: George T. Stagg is a premium bourbon whiskey brand owned by Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. It recently got its name from the person who created it in 1872. It’s considered as one of the finest bourbons in the United States, won multiple awards for its taste and body chemistry that keeps you wanting more
To know: Its price ranges from $54 to $107. It has a bold flavor with a wonderful aroma with hints of vanilla and mint. It also balances notes of sweet wood, green fruit, light caramel, and dark chocolate.
>>MORE: Best Swiss Watch Brands (Affordable & Expensive)
2. William Larue Weller
The brand: W.L. Weller is the main whiskey brand created by William Larue Weller, a distiller that worked for W.L. Weller & Sons, which later became the A. Smith Bowman Distillery 1893. It’s a special unique blend of flavors that include fruity, spicy, and vanilla notes. It has a smooth, spicy taste with rich character and notes of dried fruit such as raisin and fig.
To know: The pricing of this bourbon ranges from $50 to $80. It’s considered as one of the best-wheated bourbons and one of only two wheated bourbons among the top 10 ranked by Whiskey Advocate, which has won several awards.
>>MORE: Best Bra Brands (Popular & Unknown Firms)
3. Four Roses Single Barrel
The Brand: You can call Four Roses Single Barrel a supreme blend of sweetness whiskey. It has a special spice that has helped it win numerous awards to prove its uniqueness amongst other whiskey products. It is for the whiskey lover who loves a special fruity taste with hints of sweet spice flavor. The company has an extensive collection of Single Barrel and Small Batch Bourbons, as well as blended whiskeys..
To know: It has a blend of fruit in its composition to help get the best out of its flavor.
>>MORE: Best Running Shoe Brands (Popular & Unknown Firms)
4. Russell’s Reserve 10 Year
The brand: Russell’s Reserve 10 year bourbon is a subsidiary of Wild Turkey, the Russell’s Reserve brand has been known to produce very good whiskey over the years. It has a very delightful aroma with a hint of oak and almond. It also has a blend of chocolate, vanilla, mint, peppermint, and spices that make it unique from others.
To know: There are variations of this bottle because it’s 10 years old, but there are also other versions that are barrel-proof. It can be found below $50 and has a very smooth and mellow taste.
>>MORE: Best Chinese Car Brands (Cheap & Expensive)
5. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon
The brand: Woodford is a distillery in Woodford County, they’re known for creating very good whiskey, and this particular line is no exception. This bourbon is unique because it has been aged twice, first in the traditional way and then again after a second barrel. This bourbon has a unique blend of floral and vanilla notes.
To know: The Double Oaked bourbon has very nice vanilla notes with just the right amount of sweetness. This whiskey has a price range of around $43 to $55.
>>MORE: Best Mattress Brands (For Every Type of Sleeper)
Top Japanese Whiskey Brands
1. Hakushu
The brand: Hakushu is a Japanese whiskey distillery. It is a malt rather than a grain whiskey, giving it a hint of smoke and a more complex flavor. It is owned by Suntory, one of Japan’s largest beverage companies.
To know: It was launched in 1973. The Distiller’s Reserve is good for beginners because of its easy drinkability but complex enough to be interesting to the more experienced whiskey connoisseur. The 12-year-old can be enjoyed on its own or in an Old-Fashioned. It has a nice fruity aroma that finishes with floral notes and light hints of oak.
>>MORE: Best Essential Oil Brands (Popular & Unknown Firms)
2. Yoichi
The brand: Yoichi is one of the oldest distilleries in Japan, founded in 1934 by Masataka Taketsuru. It is located high up on Hokkaido Island, north of Sapporo. The nose has a touch of iodine and malt notes with some oak flavor to it. It tastes smoky and fruity simultaneously, with a sweetness that makes way for a peppermint aftertaste. The nose has a touch of iodine and malt notes with some oak flavor to it. It tastes smoky and fruity simultaneously, with a sweetness that makes way for a peppermint aftertaste.
To know: Yoichi 15 Year Old is complex, earthy with hints of dark chocolate and raisins. It’s one of those whiskies you could drink all night!
>>MORE: Best Japanese Car Brands (Popular & Unknown Firms)
3. Miyagikyo
The brand: Miyagikyo was established in 1969 as a sister distillery to Yoichi. All casks are matured on Islay for at least three years. Miyagikyo is also known for its use of Japanese Mizunara oak for maturation, which gives the whisky a distinctive aroma that has been compared to baked apples or forest floor. The Nose is full of fruit and barrel spice, along with some cereal notes. On the palate, there are flavors of malt sweetness, toffee, and spice.
To know: Miyagikyo, a 12-Year-Old, has a fruity note on the nose with hints of menthol and peat smoke. It tastes sweet, spicy, and slightly bitter, with an aftertaste of orange zest.
>>MORE: Top Most Famous Brands In The Wold
4. Chichibu
The brand: Chichibu distillery was founded when Hanyu’s malt production was moved from Scotland to Japan during the 1980s. In 2008, Chichibu released its first bottling, a three-year-old single malt matured exclusively in Spanish Oloroso sherry casks. Chichibu distillery is an interesting place that’s into experimentation and tries to break the regular mold. The New Make Spirit captured at its birth is a fresh, zesty deluge of sweet malt and fruity notes on the nose, with a refreshingly spicy palate.
To know: The nose is reminiscent of sweet spices and raisins, while the palate is rich with notes of milk chocolate. The finish is comforting and slightly smoky; a great whisky for a winter night!
>>MORE: Best Guitar Brands (Top Popular & Unknown Firms)
5. Akashi
The brand: Akashi is brought to you by the Kirin Brewery Company, Japan’s second-largest brewer. The distillery is situated in Honshu’s Hyogo prefecture and produces a range of below premium whiskies. This iconic Japanese blended whisky is light, with distinct notes of caramel and vanilla.
To know: Akashi Blended is aged for 8 years and made up of 50% malt whisky sourced from Scotland and 50% grain whisky produced in Japan. It’s a very smooth and gentle whisky with a hint of spiciness. It can be more complex than most single malts due to the special type of yeast used during distillation. It has a medium body with a malty sweetness.
>>MORE: Best Cruelty Free Makeup Brands (Popular & Unknown Firms)
Top Tennessee Whiskey Brands
1. Sweetens Cove
The brand: Sweetens Cove is one of Tennessee’s newest distilleries. It was opened in 2010 by Charlie Nelson, a third-generation native to the region. They are unique in their use of limestone-filtered water from Black Water Creek and locally sourced grains for their White Whiskey.
To know: Sweetens Cove American White whiskey comprises 70% corn, 20% wheat, and 10% malted barley. It has a light body with lemon peel notes. They also sell an aged version with 24-27% malt whiskey added post-distillation, which provides sweetness to balance out the spirit’s otherwise dry finish.
>>MORE: Best Purse Brands (Popular, Vegan, Fancy, Cute…)
2. Uncle Nearest 1856
The brand: The story behind Uncle Nearest 1856 whiskey is as unique as the local grains it’s distilled from. In 1892, Robert Samuels opened a store that sold “pure liquor” by the shot on a dirt road in Lawrence County, Tennessee, called Nearest Post Oak Place near Smithville. When prohibition hit, he moved to Mexico and ran bars there until 1934, when prohibition ended. He then brought his stash back home with him to continue selling, but only by the bottle at first. After his passing in 1940, his sons continued operating until 1948, when Ray Blanton took over and officially registered Uncle Nearest Whiskey.
To know: Uncle Nearest is a true American family story passed down from generation to generation. Uncle Nearest Whiskey uses a unique blend of grains sourced locally from small farms in Tennessee to create a true one-of-a-kind whiskey with a smooth taste that finishes clean.
>>MORE: Best Watch Brands (Luxury, Affordable, Swiss & More)
3. George Dickel Barrel Select
The brand: George Dickel comes from humble beginnings. It began in 1870 when German-born J.B. George grew tired of the hard life on the water and wanted to start a new life inland by opening his general store with partner John Smith. The two men ran their business successfully until it was destroyed during the Union Army’s bombardment of Gallatin, TN, in 1863. After this, they opened up a saloon where they sold whiskey produced by neighboring farmers, which they would purchase and redistill at their distillery before selling to customers.
To know: The distillery sources their grains from local farmers in the area and uses a fermenting agent to convert the grain starches into sugar before being pumped to one of two copper pot stills for double distillation. With every batch, only approximately ten percent comes out as alcohol for sale.
>>MORE: Best Motorcycle Brands (Italian, Japanese, USA & More)
4. Rollins
The brand: Rolling mill is a Tennessee whiskey and comes in two varieties: the original and ‘white’ version, which is 80 proof. The distillery sources their grains from local farmers in the area. It uses a fermenting agent to convert the grain starches into sugar before being pumped to two copper pot stills for double distillation. With every batch, only approximately ten percent comes out as alcohol for sale.
To know: They source their corn from mid-Tennessee family farms” that “deliver fresh grains ripe with flavor.” For them, their product must be made exclusively using local ingredients while maintaining traditional production methods.
>>MORE: Best Outdoor Clothing Brands (For Men & Women)
5. Prichard’s
The brand: Prichard’s is a Tennessee whiskey distillery located in Kelso, Tennessee. It produces whiskeys. They are the only distillery to ferment their grains with apple cider yeast instead of the traditional brewer’s yeast.
To know: Only two percent of all whiskey comes from this fermentation process; however, despite having half as much to work with, Prichard’s still manages to produce over 150 barrels per week for sale at various retail locations throughout the country.
>>MORE: Best Luxury Brands (Watches, Jewelry, Purses & More)
Top Cheap Whiskey Brands
1. Rye whiskey
The brand: Rye whiskey is not very uncommon, but it is specifically known for its cheap price and unique flavor profile. Rye is mineral-rich of all American whiskeys due to the strain of wild rye that grows throughout Pennsylvania and Maryland. Rye whiskey also has a unique taste due to the high concentration of oils in rye grain. Rye must contain at least 51% of rye malt and be distilled at no more than 80% ABV.
To know: This rye is smooth, sweet, and clean. It is often described as spicy with a dry finish, which distinguishes it from other whiskeys that are known for their sweetness.
>>MORE: Best Bike Brands (Mountain, Road, Dirt Bikes & More)
2. Four Roses Bourbon
The brand: Four Roses is an American bourbon whiskey distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. It is one of the few distilleries in the world to use a five-step process in order to produce its products. Each bottle of Four Roses starts with a mixture of several different batches before being completed by adding pure, limestone-filtered water. It has a very balanced taste and is best served neat or with a bit of ice.
To know: Four Rose’s special yeast was only known by one man, Seagram’s master blender, Joe Beam. This whiskey costs $16
>>MORE: Best Sustainable Clothing Brands (Ethical, Trendy & More)
3. Rebel Yell Bourbon Whiskey
The brand: Rebel Yell Bourbon whiskey is also known for its unique taste, which comes from its “secret process.” This bourbon is not aged as long as other brands, but it still has an interesting taste that makes it well worth the price. The whiskey is so smooth it can be mixed with anything from cola to juices.
To know: This whiskey comprises two-thirds corn mixed with one-third each of rye and barley malt. You can lay your hands on it for just $10.
>>MORE: Best Coffee Brands (Italian, Low Acid, Chicory & More)
4. Old Forester 86 Proof Bourbon
The brand: Old Forester 86 Proof Bourbon is one of America’s first bourbons, and after it was released, it became very popular among cowboys. This whiskey comprises two-thirds corn mixed with one-third each of rye and barley malt. Like most of the whiskeys mentioned here, this one also has an interesting story behind it.
To know: It is now the only bourbon that was created before, during, and after prohibition. Old Forester will cost you around $15
>>MORE: Best Christian Clothing Brands (For Men & Women)
5. Gingers Blended Irish Whiskey
The brand: Gingers Blended Irish Whiskey is produced by William Grant & Sons in Cork, Ireland. Gingers Blended Irish Whiskey is one of the top-selling brands of American whiskey in the world, and it holds a very deep history. This whiskey has a spice to it that takes you by surprise.
To know: This whiskey was first launched in the early 1980s in honor of Willie’s grandfather, who was a well-known distiller back when he lived in Ohio. This whiskey doesn’t cost more than $15
>>MORE: Best Designer Brands (Purses, Shoes, Jewelry & More)