There are tens of thousands of different whiskeys available, so it can be hard to know which hundred or so to try first. I looked at about 3000 of the most common whiskeys in order to make a list of the more popular ones by country, region and type.
The lists include approximate prices and you can buy any of the following whiskeys at drizly.com here.
List of Popular American Whiskeys
The most common types of American whiskey are bourbon whiskey, Tennessee whiskey, malt whiskey, corn whiskey, rye whiskey, wheat whiskey and blended whiskey.
Bourbon and Tennessee whiskey are made from at least 51% corn, malt whiskey is made from at least 51% malted barley, corn whiskey is made from at least 80% corn, rye whiskey is made from at least 51% rye, wheat whiskey is made from at least 51% wheat and blended whiskey does not need a dominant grain and may contain any of the above whiskeys.
American whiskeys must be aged and in new, charred, oak barrels but there’s no legal minimum aging period. If they’re aged for longer than two years, they’re designated as straight whiskey of whatever grain type is used. Corn whiskey does not have to be aged, though if it is it must be in uncharred or used barrels.
Bourbon
- Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($38.99)
- Benchmark Old No. 8 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($10.99)
- Eagle Rare 10 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($43.99)
- Angel’s Envy Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($54.99)
- Wild Turkey 101 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($25.99)
- Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($36.10)
- Old Forester Statesman Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($52.99)
- Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($32.99)
- Four Roses Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($23.99)
- Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky ($30.79)
- Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($17.59)
- Basil Hayden’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($44.99)
- Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($23.99)
- Bulleit Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey ($32.99)
- Maker’s Mark 46 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Cask Strength ($66.49)
Tennessee Whiskey
- Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Tennessee Whiskey ($25.99)
- Jack Daniel’s Gentleman Jack Tennessee Whiskey ($33.99)
Malt Whiskey
- Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey ($38.99)
- Westland Garryana American Single Malt Whiskey ($159.99)
- St. George Baller Single Malt Whiskey ($72.99)
- Westward American Single Malt Whiskey ($75.59)
- St. George Single Malt Whiskey ($114.99)
- Westland Sherry Wood Single Malt Whiskey ($79.99)
- Balcones Texas “1” Single Malt ($69.99)
- Copperworks American Single Malt Whiskey ($59.99)
- Cedar Ridge Single Malt Whiskey ($49.99)
- Westland American Oak Single Malt Whiskey ($69.99)
Corn Whiskey
- Mellow Corn Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey ($16.99)
- MB Roland Straight Corn Whiskey ($41.99)
- Balcones True Blue 100 Proof Straight Corn Whiskey ($54.99)
- Bowen’s Whiskey ($43.49)
- Platte Valley Corn Whiskey ($21.78)
- Mellow Corn Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey ($16.19)
Rye Whiskey
- Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whisky ($27.99)
- Sazerac Rye Straight Rye Whiskey ($33.99)
- Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey ($39.99)
- Michter’s US-1 Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey ($47.99)
- Bulleit Rye Whiskey ($32.99)
- Knob Creek Rye Whiskey ($35.99)
- WhistlePig 10 Year Old Rye Whiskey ($84.99)
- Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Rye Whiskey ($26.39)
- Ezra Brooks Straight Rye Whiskey ($16.99)
- Sagamore Spirit Signature Rye Whiskey ($39.99)
- Ragtime Rye Straight Whiskey ($43.99)
- Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey ($25.60)
Wheat Whiskey
- Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey ($39.99)
- MB Roland Kentucky Straight Wheat Whiskey ($47.36)
- Reservoir Wheat Whiskey ($82.99)
- Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey ($31.99)
- Parker’s Heritage Collection 8th Edition: Original Batch Wheat Whiskey ($251.50)
- Roughstock Montana Spring Wheat Whiskey ($45.99)
Blended Whiskey
- High West Campfire Whiskey ($69.99)
- Smooth Ambler Old Scout American Whiskey ($37.99)
- Heaven’s Door Double Barrel Whiskey ($49.99)
- St. George Breaking & Entering American Whiskey ($39.99)
- Yellow Rose Premium American Whiskey ($33.67)
- Griffo Stony Point Whiskey ($64.49)
- Kessler American Blended Whiskey ($12.99)
List of Popular Scotch Whiskies
Scotch whiskies must be aged for at least three years in used oak barrels.
Single malt Scotch whiskies must be made from malted barley and distilled at a single distillery using a pot still. Single grain Scotch whiskies are made from other malted or unmalted grains but must also be distilled at a single distillery.
Blended malt whiskies are a blend of two or more single malt Scotch whiskies from different distilleries. Blended Scotch whiskies are a blend of one or more single malt Scotch whiskies with one or more single grain Scotch whiskies.
There are five or six Scotch whisky regions: Highland, Lowland, Campbeltown, Speyside, Islay and Island (some consider Island to be part of Highland). This is because the distilleries of each region incorporate the character of their location in the style of their whiskies. Either that or it’s a marketing ploy to sell more whisky that I fully intend to fall for.
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Glenmorangie 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($129.99)
- Glenmorangie Signet Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($233.69)
- Oban 14 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($91.29)
- anCnoc 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($139.99)
- Dalwhinnie 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($74.99)
- anCnoc 24 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($219.99)
- The GlenDronach 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($67.99)
- The Dalmore 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($128.79)
- Aberfeldy 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($43.99)
- Clynelish 14 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($71.49)
- Tomatin 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($37.99)
- The Dalmore 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($67.99)
- Glen Garioch 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($65.99)
- The GlenDronach 21 Year Old – Parliament Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($265.96)
- Glengoyne 21 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($199.99)
Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Glenkinchie 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($70.20)
- Auchentoshan Three Wood Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($79.99)
- Auchentoshan 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($50)
- Auchentoshan American Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($46.99)
- Auchentoshan 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($144.99)
- Rosebank 21 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($544.99)
Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Glen Scotia 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($74.99)
- Glen Scotia 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($119.99)
- Glen Scotia 25 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($546.55)
- Longrow 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($228.99)
- Longrow Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($74.82)
- Kilkerran 16 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($154)
- Springbank 21 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($459.99)
- Springbank Hazelburn 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($79.99)
- Springbank 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($231.46)
- Springbank 12 Year Single Malt Scotch Whisky Cask Strength ($109.99)
- Kilkerran 8 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Cask Strength ($86.99)
- Glen Scotia Double Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($55.99)
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Singleton of Dufftown 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($45.35)
- Glenfarclas 25 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($179.99)
- The Macallan 12 Year Old Sherry Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($81.99)
- Tamdhu 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($69.46)
- Glenfarclas 21 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($152.22)
- Glenfarclas 105 Single Malt Scotch Whisky Cask Strength ($99.99)
- The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($69.99)
- The Balvenie DoubleWood 17 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($161.83)
- The Macallan 18 Year Old Sherry Oak Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($349.99)
- The Glenlivet 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($137.49)
- The Macallan 12 Year Old Double Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($74.99)
- Tamdhu 15 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($115.78)
- Glenfiddich Experimental Series – Project XX Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($79.99)
- Glenfiddich 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($119.99)
- Aberlour 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($41.99)
Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Lagavulin 16 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($103.99)
- Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($61.99)
- Laphroaig 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($58.62)
- Caol Ila 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($73.99)
- Ardbeg Uigeadail Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($84.99)
- Ardbeg Wee Beastie 5 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($49.99)
- Ardbeg 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($54.99)
- Bruichladdich Scottish Barley – The Classic Laddie ($59.99)
- Laphroaig 25 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky Cask Strength ($599.99)
- Kilchoman Sanaig Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($70.92)
- Kilchoman Machir Bay Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($63.99)
- Laphroaig Quarter Cask Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($71.99)
- Bowmore 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($62.99)
- Ardbeg Corryvreckan Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($96.89)
- Laphroaig Lore Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($132.99)
Island Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Tobermory 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($83.99)
- Highland Park Valknut Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($79.99)
- Arran 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($54.99)
- Talisker 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($69.49)
- Highland Park 12 Year Old – Viking Honour ($58.99)
- Highland Park 18 Year Old – Viking Pride ($157.99)
- Isle of Jura 21 Year Old Tide Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($199.97)
- Ledaig 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($59.99)
- Arran Port Cask Finish Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($73.67)
- Ledaig 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($152.99)
- Isle of Jura 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($49.99)
- Talisker 25 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($599.99)
- Arran Machrie Moor Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($66.31)
- Scapa Skiren Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($84.99)
- Isle of Jura 10 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky ($49.79)
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
- The Naked Grouse Scotch Whisky ($33.47)
- Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch Whisky ($36.04)
- Johnnie Walker Green Label 15 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky ($65.99)
- Big Peat Blended Malt Scotch Whisky ($65.99)
- Scallywag Blended Malt Scotch Whisky ($69.99)
- Sheep Dip Blended Malt Scotch Whisky ($59.99)
- Poit Dhubh 21 Year Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky ($144.99)
- Timorous Beastie Blended Malt Scotch Whisky ($49.99)
- Compass Box Peat Monster Blended Malt Scotch Whisky ($66.99)
- Smokey Joe Islay Malt Scotch Whisky ($44.99)
- Mackinlay’s Shackleton Old Rare Blended Malt Scotch Whisky ($156.49)
- Copper Dog Blended Malt Scotch Whisky ($33.99)
Grain Scotch Whisky
- Haig Club Single Grain Scotch Whisky ($52.99)
- Compass Box Hedonism Blended Grain Scotch Whisky ($116.99)
- Loch Lomond Single Grain Scotch Whisky ($29.99)
- The Girvan Patent Still 30 Year Old Single Grain Scotch Whisky ($599.99)
- Port Dundas 12 Year Old Single Grain Scotch Whisky ($49.99)
Blended Scotch Whisky
- Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky ($235)
- J&B Rare Blended Scotch Whisky ($32.60)
- Johnnie Walker 18 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky ($91.99)
- Johnnie Walker Black Label 12 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky ($39.59)
- The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky ($22.99)
- Dewar’s White Label Blended Scotch Whisky ($33.99)
- Isle Of Skye 8 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky ($30.99)
- Teacher’s Highland Cream Blended Scotch Whisky ($24.19)
- Chivas Regal Mizunara Blended Scotch Whisky ($49.99)
- Dewar’s 12 Year Old – The Ancestor Blended Scotch Whisky ($31.31)
- Bell’s Blended Scotch Whisky ($20.99)
- Chivas Regal 18 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky ($82.99)
- Whyte and Mackay Blended Scotch Whisky ($24.63)
- Cutty Sark Blended Scotch Whisky ($25.99)
- Chivas Regal 25 Year Old Blended Scotch Whisky ($362.99)
List of Popular Irish Whiskeys
Irish whiskey regulations are almost identical to those of Scotch whisky, except of course that Irish whiskey can only be made in Ireland.
Their production processes are very similar too, with the only differences being that the pot stills used in Ireland are much larger than those used in Scotland, and that Irish malt whiskeys are often distilled three times whereas malt whiskies in Scotland are only distilled twice.
There’s also a type of whiskey that’s unique to Ireland called Pot Still Whiskey. This is whiskey which is made from malted and unmalted barley that’s distilled in a pot still. The inclusion of unmalted barley means it can’t be called malt whiskey and being the only non-malt whiskey that’s distilled in pot stills, it gets the name Pot Still Whiskey. If made in one distillery it’s called Single Pot Still Whiskey.
This means that unlike blended Scotch whisky, blended Irish whiskey can contain malt whiskey, grain whiskey and pot still whiskey.
Irish Single Malt Whiskey
- The Sexton Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($29.99)
- Bushmills 10 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($49.90)
- Bushmills 21 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($247.79)
- Bushmills 16 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($129.90)
- Teeling Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($59.99)
- The Quiet Man 8 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($45.99)
- The Irishman Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($50.99)
- Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($46.99)
- Tyrconnell Original Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($40.99)
- Teeling Blackpitts Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($77.49)
- Tullamore D.E.W. 14 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($74.99)
- The Irishman 12 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($76.99)
- Dingle Distillery Batch No.4 Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($99.99)
- Knappogue Castle 12 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($48.31)
- Tullamore D.E.W. 18 Year Old Single Malt Irish Whiskey ($125.99)
Irish Single Pot Still Whiskey
- Redbreast 12 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey ($68.83)
- Green Spot Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey ($57.99)
- Drumshanbo Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey ($64.36)
- Green Spot Château Léoville Barton Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey ($86.99)
- Teeling Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey ($69.99)
- Redbreast Lustau Edition Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey ($74.99)
- Redbreast 21 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey ($309.99)
- Redbreast 12 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey Cask Strength ($88.99)
- Yellow Spot 12 Year Old Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey ($69.99)
- Midleton ‘Dair Ghaelach’ Knockrath Forest Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey ($320.99)
Irish Grain Whiskey
- Teeling Single Grain Irish Whiskey ($52.99)
- Glendalough Double Barrel Irish Whiskey ($35)
- Egan’s Vintage Grain Irish Whiskey ($39.99)
- Hyde 8 Year Old Single Grain Irish Whiskey Cask Strength ($69.59)
- Kilbeggan Single Grain Irish Whiskey ($31.89)
- Greenore Single Grain Irish Whiskey ($52.99)
Blended Irish Whiskey
- Tullamore D.E.W. Irish Whiskey ($27.99)
- Roe & Co Blended Irish Whiskey ($35.99)
- Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey ($29.69)
- Bushmills Black Bush Irish Whiskey ($33.99)
- Feckin Irish Whiskey ($20.99)
- Jameson Irish Whiskey ($29.99)
- Writers Tears Copper Pot Irish Whiskey ($47.49)
- Slane Irish Whiskey ($28.99)
- Bushmills Irish Whiskey – The Original ($26.83)
- Paddy’s Irish Whiskey ($21.99)
- Bushmills Red Bush Irish Whiskey ($25.99)
- Tullamore D.E.W. XO Caribbean Rum Cask Finish ($29.99)
- The Legendary Dark Silkie Irish Whiskey ($41.99)
- Writers Tears Double Oak Irish Whiskey ($56.99)
- Powers Gold Label Irish Whiskey ($31.99)
List of Popular Japanese Whiskies
Japanese whisky is similar to Scotch whisky in most respects because their industry’s pioneers modelled their product on Scotch whisky and used similar methods of distillation.
This doesn’t make Japanese whisky Scotch because legally Scotch can only be made in Scotland, but in terms of production Japanese whisky is the closest you’ll get to making Scotch outside of Scotland.
Of course, Japanese whiskies are developing their own styles and tastes, some of which comes from their use of double malted or peated barley and far more still shapes and sizes than the one or two used in Scotland.
That being said, some Japanese blended malts contain malt whiskies that were distilled in Scotland!
Japanese Single Malt Whisky
- Nikka Yoichi Single Malt ($129.99)
- Nikka Single Malt Miyagikyo ($99.99)
- White Oak Akashi Single Malt Whisky ($109.99)
- The Matsui Sakura Cask Single Malt Japanese Whisky ($96.99)
- The Matsui Peated Single Malt Japanese Whisky ($93.99)
- The Yamazaki 12 Year Old Single Malt Japanese Whisky ($164.99)
- The Yamazaki 18 Year Old Single Malt Japanese Whisky ($799.99)
- The Hakushu 18 Year Old Single Malt Whisky ($599.99)
- Nikka Yoichi 15 Year old Single Malt ($129.99)
- White Oak Akashi Single Malt Whisky Sherry Cask ($249.99)
Japanese Blended Malt Whisky
- Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt Whisky ($80.77)
- Kura The Whisky Pure Malt – Rum Cask Finish ($69.99)
- The Kurayoshi 18 Year Old Malt Whisky ($219.99)
- Nikka Pure Malt Black ($84.59)
- The Kurayoshi Sherry Cask Pure Malt Whisky ($85.99)
- The Shinobu 10 Year Old Pure Malt Whisky ($129.99)
- Nikka Taketsuru 17 Year Old Pure Malt Whisky ($524.97)
- The Kurayoshi 8 Year Old Pure Malt Whisky ($89.99)
- Kaiyo Whisky Mizunara Oak ($65.99)
Japanese Blended Whisky
- Hibiki 12 Year Old Japanese Blended Whisky ($119.99)
- Tenjaku Whisky ($42.99)
- Suntory Toki Whisky ($39.99)
- White Oak Akashi Blended Whisky ($48.39)
- Nikka Days Blended Whisky ($45.78)
- Togouchi Japanese Blended Whisky ($52.99)
- Nikka Whisky From The Barrel ($90)
- The Kurayoshi Tottori Blended Japanese Whisky ($42.99)
- Hibiki Japanese Harmony Whisky ($91.98)
List of Popular Canadian Whiskies
Canadian whisky must be produced in Canada and aged for three years but there’s no restrictions on the type of barrel that can be used (new or used, charred or uncharred). There’s also no requirement for Canadian whiskies to be made from a specific grain, even though Canadians commonly refer to Canadian whisky as rye.
Canadian distilleries usually create two whiskies – a base whisky and a flavoring whisky, and then combine them. The base whisky is kept from getting too much flavor by being distilled to a higher level of alcohol content and aged in used barrels, but the flavoring whisky is distilled at a lower level of alcohol content and in new barrels so that it can get as much flavor as possible.
There aren’t many Canadian whisky distilleries, and the majority of their whiskies are blended, which is why I didn’t divide popular Canadian whiskies over several category types but instead created just one list:
- Canadian Club Whisky ($19.79)
- Crown Royal Fine Deluxe Blended Canadian Whisky ($39.99)
- Pike Creek 10 Year Old Whisky ($35.49)
- Black Velvet Blended Canadian Whisky ($10.94)
- Seagram’s V.O. Canadian Whisky ($18.69)
- Signal Hill Canadian Whisky ($37.88)
- Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whisky ($44.99)
- Canadian Club Classic 12 Year Old Blended Whisky ($22.99)
- Canadian Mist Blended Whisky ($14.99)
- Macnaughton Canadian Whisky ($11.95)
- J.P. Wiser’s 15 Year Old Canadian Whisky ($53.75)
- Windsor Canadian Blended Whisky ($10.99)