Every man needs a drink off and on, right? Whether it’s from a hard day at work or a hard week, maybe a hard month. We all need to take some pressure off here and there. The best thing to turn to is a proper Whisky or Whiskey depending on where you’re from. The best whiskey brands will be capable of giving you the drink you really need.
In fact, you can add Whiskey to drinks of all types. The best way to drink them is chilled of course, which is why many use whiskey stones to keep their drink cold and tasting great.
The problem for some, however, is deciding what counts as a true whiskey.
These are the types of whiskey you should look for:
- Scotch
- Irish
- Single Malt
- Blend
- Bourbon
- Rye
- Single Pot Still Whiskey
- Tennessee Whiskey
- Corn Whiskey
Some of those are similar, but since they can differentiate between what we know them as, it is always good to separate them out. Whiskey comes in a bottle that you will pour into a glass, unlike beer that you’ll use a bottle opener to open and then drink it right out of the bottle itself.
Normal whiskey is given a lot of time to develop. Of course, letting whiskey settle for a while is one thing, but you’ll also want to consider what you’ll keep the whiskey in. Barrels are usually the choice, with other things used depending on the brand.
The best whiskey brands will know all about this, and that is why they’re so good. It was difficult for us at Men’s Gear to choose, but the staff had a good time picking through them. That said, pick up a whiskey glass and have a drink and check out our toast to these amazing whiskey brands.
While Jim Beam® is well known, people often forget that they have been around for over 200 years. They officially began in 1795, so America’s founding fathers very well could have been chugging back some of their whiskey. Known by many to have the best bourbon or one of the best bourbons on the planet, the Jim Beam® brand started out and has remained a family business. It has passed down seven generations, in fact. While they may be known for their bourbon more than anything else, they are also very big on cocktails and push their product for multiple drinks that they have developed themselves. Since Jim Beam® is pretty much a bourbon company, it makes sense to assume they’d also get into the cocktail business too. Whiskey is involved in dozens of drinks with certain types being better than others. Sure, drink it straight but why not involve it in other drinks too? It only makes sense. Let’s examine what you can do with Jim Beam®. The real test of a good whiskey, we feel, is being good to drink right out of the gate. However, we also want to drink one that can be used in several different drinks. One thing we absolutely love about Jim Beam® is that they have made dozens of drinks you can use and even offered the full ingredients on their website. This falls under cocktails, and they have several options for the average man. Seriously, any time you want to know a good drink recipe for Jim Beam®, it’s right at your fingertips. What can you make with them? Click here to see the entire listing of cocktails with ingredients. Jim Beam® does not just sell one type of bourbon and that’s it. They have countless of various different tastes, using multiple different formats to distill and prepare them. What can you buy from the brand? Let’s dive into them: Of course, Jim Beam® often makes limited brands of whiskey/bourbon for people to try out. If they end up working well, they usually add them to the main line. Not everything does, however. Yet each limited type of whiskey they make goes through the same loving process all the others go through. That is something we find to be commendable about the brand. Jim Beam® has made it a habit to create impressive whiskey for years now, focusing mainly on the bourbon side of things. It has truly paid off well for them as they have become one of the greatest at what they do on the planet. Likely the best thing about the brand is that, while one could consider them a luxury brand at times, they’re really not. Their products taste like you might get them at a fancy restaurant but you certainly are not going to pay an arm and a leg for their product. A single 750ML bottle of Bourbon from Jim Beam® costs around $15. However, a 1.75L version will cost around $25. You can check with certain ABC Stores in America or wherever find whiskey brands are sold to see if you can find a lower price for them. Best of all, the Jim Beam® brand is truly American. They are based out of Chicago, Illinois and make mostly everything right here in the United States. That can cause the cost to go up, yet we have not seen other brands go too much lower than what Beam asks. They could charge far more for their one of a kind drinks but don’t, just to satisfy customers. A toast to Jim Beam® from Men’s Gear for that! The Michter’s brand goes back hundreds of years. They were founded back in 1753, which makes them the oldest whiskey brand as well as the very first in American history. Think about this situation too. We did not have the Declaration of Independence signed by everyone and sent off until 1776. Michter’s was already making whiskey in the country for around 2 decades by that point. It is impressive to consider for sure. The hardest part is maintaining their success as the decades pass by. Not only have they remained a great feature in the whiskey community, but they now are known as the #1 Rye Whiskey brand in the United States. While Jim Beam might do well with bourbon, the Michter’s brand is the best in the Rye circle. However, you shouldn’t overlook the bourbon that this brand makes either. It is considered by some to be as good as Jim Beam’s bourbon with some preferring it more. Yet it seems impossible to rival this brand in the Rye side of town, at least for American brands. Let’s discuss the whiskey you can buy from them and why they’re worth trying out if you’ve never had any of their whiskey before. It is hard to hate whiskey brands like Michter’s. They love the art of it all and you can tell based on their model of business. This company does not release massive lines of booze per year. They call themselves a “Limited Production American Whiskey Company.” This means they won’t have as many lines of whiskey that others have. However, it does mean that those they do have are going to be worth your investment. They spend so much time investing everything into their products that they were just too good to leave off this list. Some of their whiskey 10 to 25 years old, so it has been sitting in waiting and is 100% perfect by the time it hits your mouth anywhere you’re drinking in the world. Others do not sit and develop as long as this, but that does not make them any less special. In fact, for it to taste as amazing as possible while only waiting for a year or two as opposed to ten to twenty is impressive. They give the name of “US1” to several of their products. The reason for this is the fact that they still make all of their whiskey in America and the fact that they are, of course, the first whiskey company in the nation’s history. Master Distiller Pam Heilmann and the Michter’s team check out each whiskey before it goes out. Unless Pam says it’s ready to go, it does not leave the property much less go up for sale. This quality they have been known for is clear when you hear stories like this. The main whiskeys you can buy from the brand are: Meanwhile, they currently have on a limited release: They also have a few specialty bourbons and ryes that were in wait for a long time. While limited, you can still buy: Keep in mind too that this is the kind of stuff you can drink and really get a buzz from. So the brand tells all customers to drink responsibly and know their limit. Some of this whiskey is nearly 50% alcohol with 90+ proof behind them. This might differ from other whiskey brands, even though whiskeys traditionally have more alcohol in them than other drink types. The tough part about trying to find the proper price range for the Michter’s brand is that they sell so many special editions or limited versions that others just don’t sell. This means they can charge more for them than regular drink rye or bourbon they’ll release. For the normal bourbon, they’ll typically charge about $40. Keep in mind that while one could call Michter a premium brand that releases things in limited formats, therefore the charge is going to be more, the $40 asking price isn’t bad. Keep in mind that they sell their bourbons and ryes in around 1L bottles. So you’re getting a lot out of that. Some are 750ML, however. The specialty types that are 10+ years are sold for a good bit more. You won’t be able to buy these for any less than $450 from what we can find. That said, the biggest thing that makes them worth the price is the premium quality along with the fact that they make small batches of the stuff. Something special should not be sold for the same price as something that you can find all over the place, all the time. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey company is one of the most legendary alcohol drink companies in the world. They have clearly stepped out in the whiskey brands territory, but this name and logo are among the most famous of any. It is arguable but possible to claim that people see it as nearly even with that of Pepsi and Coca-Cola. Jack Daniels is THAT big of a deal, so there was no way they weren’t going to make it on our list. Founded in 1875, they are not quite as old as some of the other brands on this list. However, being nearly 150 years is nothing to scoff at for sure. They have brilliantly marketed their drinks for years, so it is easy to see why so many know them. That said, let’s dive into their whiskey types. When you ask about Jack Daniel’s whiskey, it’s a loaded question. Some men will swear by one main type while others will talk about how they love everything the brand sells. Ultimately, this comes down to who you’re talking with. That said, what are the whiskeys that the brand sells? Check out these out: When you talk about the Single Barrell type, you’re not just dealing with one single barrel drink when Jack Daniel’s is involved. They have 3 different versions you can try. Those are: While Sinatra Select was Jack Daniel’s gift to Frank Sinatra, a man who certainly did not mind talking about his love for the Jack Daniel’s brand of whiskey. Ultimately, one could say that his love of the product helped it become more recognizable. Therefore, it made total sense for the brand to honor him with his own line. Of course, the overseer and measuring stick for the best at Jack Daniel’s starts and ends with the Old No. 7. It has been seen as the best drink the brand makes and is often used in the Jack & Coke drink several bars sell due to its brilliant blend with the soft drink. Gentleman Jack is also a top seller for the brand. It was inspired by the man himself and what was originally distilled by the brand a century ago. People love this whiskey due to how smooth it goes down. Many whiskeys just don’t do this, but that is not the case with the Gentleman Jack. It’s the type of whiskey you’ll have on a night out for drinks with that girl you like from work. Meanwhile, it’s also perfect for a night on the town with the guys. The Tennessee Honey is always well liked likely due to being a blend of the Old No. 7 as well as actual honey. It’s also a smooth drink that contains a bit of a sweet taste at times, allowing it to work with several different foods. In fact, some chefs love using this in food on their menu. The Tennessee Fire is basically that drink that you have if you’ve had a severely hard week. It is also the type of drink you give someone to wake the heck up when you’re out with the guys too. It’s pretty hot with an intense cinnamon flavor, but so freaking good! Finally, the Winter Jack is a great whiskey for the colder times of the year as the name suggests. However, you can drink it the entire year too. The reason it works so well for the colder time is due to its mix of apple and cider, with the latter traditionally being used in the colder times. Mixed with other holiday spices, it’s perfect. Jack Daniel’s only sells this for a limited time during the year, usually beginning in October an ending when Spring is about to start up. Jack Daniel’s may not consider themselves to be a luxury or premium whiskey brand, but they really are. They also sell their whiskey for higher than others at times, but this really depends on where you buy their products from. We’ve found that when it comes to Jack, where you buy at will wildly change the price. For example, if you buy at Target, CVS, and Wal-Mart, you’ll notice that each have a different price. Target sells for nearly $10 less on average than CVS while Wal-Mart sells for only a few dollars less than Target or the exact amount. That said, each type of Jack’s whiskey sells at different prices and how much you’re getting will also impact the price. That said, we say be prepared to spend anywhere between $15 and $60. This should cover you regardless of where you go, how big the bottle is, and what type of Jack you’re buying at the time. However, the Sinatra Select whiskey is the most expensive. It comes at an overpriced average of around $160 per liter. When you think about great Irish whiskey, only a few names pop up in America while others might pop up around the world. However, ALL are going to name Jameson as a top version. It is saying a lot to say that you can think up this brand nearly anywhere. What makes them so special? Likely how smooth just about every single drink they own comes out to. That is a very good thing because it helps at the end of the day. You can get a newer drinker or those with little history with whiskey to drink this. A lot of people are afraid of drinking whiskey right away so Jameson gives them that peace of mind to know they’ll get a great tasting version whiskey that won’t be hard to drink. Not all Irish Whiskey is like this, so it is great to see from a brand. On top of this, they just have really good tasting whiskeys. Of course, you don’t end up on a top whiskey brands list if you suck at the job of making the stuff. That said, let’s examine their whiskey types and what makes them so special. While the Jameson brand also makes craft beer, the real treasure of the company happens on the whiskey side where they have main lines of the stuff for you to enjoy. While we included some craft beer in here, the main portion of this is official whiskey. The Jameson Irish Whiskey is a triple distilled, blended, and remains in its oak cask for 4 years before it goes up for sale. To go through this much effort in a whiskey is not exactly rare, but it is important. Keep in mind that the cask here gives it the taste it needs to taste its best. The Jameson Caskmates IPA Edition is crafted using IPA barrels, ultimately helping to deliver a crisp taste for a bite you just can’t beat. The Caskmates Stout Edition comes from a partnership with a local craft brewery that was made in 2013. They decided this would be a great concept that they could do to switch up beer barrels and it worked out very well. The Jameson Black Barrel whiskey is a true one of a kind masterpiece that took the company a bit of time to perfect. However, since doing so, they have made an insanely popular whiskey that most Jameson fans love. It is triple distilled, flame-charred, and does all of this to result in a rich smooth taste worthy of anyone’s tastebuds. They accomplish this using what they claim to be the age-old method of charring, which is a method for invigorating barrels to intensify the taste. This bourbon experiences charring and manages to develop a different type of taste compared to others. They select out double charred barrels as well to produce a type of whiskey that makes an even more intense and rich flavor. They also decided to honor those who have made their whiskey so wonderful over the years by naming specific whiskeys honoring those jobs. The Head Distiller, Head Cooper, and Head Blender all matter to Jameson. This is what resulted in the three whiskeys known as Cooper’s Croze, Blender’s Dog, and Distiller’s Safe. The prices you’ll spend for Jameson whiskey are relatively normal compared to other whiskey brands. From what we can tell, they might have some of the fairest priced whiskeys comparatively speaking. You’ll usually spend anywhere between $10 to $40 on a bottle. Of course, this can get higher depending on where you go and how much you’re buying. Typically anything higher than 1L will go for somewhere near $50 in just about every major whiskey brand. 750ML or 1L is the way to go with Jameson. Plus, it’ll actually be worthy of your time. Besides, you don’t need to just drink through all of this at once. Jameson is made to drink as much as one can handle like others, but they recommend that everyone drink responsibly. Overdrinking is an issue that can cause a lot of problems. This is why Jameson has partnered with Responsibily.org to show they care about their customers’ safety. If you’d like to check out more about this partnership that other brands have also connected with them over, click here. If you’re looking for the brand that can do just about anything, it’s Johnnie Walker for sure. It seems that if you need a whiskey type, they know how to make it. We love, as well, that the Johnnie Walker brand also likes to do a lot of special edition whiskey too. Currently, for the return of Game of Thrones, they have a special edition whiskey known as the “White Walker.” They are some inventive guys over at the Johnnie Walker brand for sure, but these guys seem to love what they do. It comes out in every drink they make too. Johnnie Walker is often used in cocktails, which makes sense. They are famous for making something known as “Scotch Whiskey.” This is simply a brand within the whiskey spectrum like Bourbon, for example. Scotch is obviously different but not as much as you might think. The real differences simply come in what you put it in and some of the small ways they are prepared. It’s a fine line really. That said, let’s go over those great whiskeys that the Johnnie Walker Brand is beloved for. As mentioned, the Johnnie Walker brand is known mostly as a Scotch Whiskey company. However, they have made other types of whiskey in the past and still do currently. Since they love the blended Scotch type, they simply make more of it and therefore are known mostly as the Scotch company. The whiskeys under their banner are: They also make a brand known as Johnnie Walker & Sons. They only have about 4 whiskeys in this line, but they’re all well-liked. Those are: They also have SEVERAL limited edition whiskeys too. The White Walker we mentioned earlier falls under this, but there are many more. Of course, since they are limited, these won’t be there for long. Currently, under the Johnnie Walker banner are these whiskeys: They also have several different cocktails that you can make with their drinks. Not all whiskey brands make their own cocktails to sell or tell people about. So it’s really cool that Johnnie Walker does this for their customers. If you want to check out the cocktails, click here. Johnnie Walker whiskey is really priced well compared to other whiskey brands. What we like to do is look up all the prices and then compare one whiskey to another. It’s useful when you want to find a good deal for parties, get-togethers, or anything of that nature. Usually, Johnnie Walker comes out on top because the prices work so well. This is not always the case with great whiskey brands, especially Scotch. You can get a 1.75L for around $35, which is quite a lot. Due to this, you can get a normal 750ML or 1L for lesser, somewhere near $15 to $25. Of course, their specialty or limited edition drinks are going to cost more. This is obvious but needs to be mentioned. Those could go for $150 and up depending on where you buy them from. Crown Royal happens to be one of the most popular brands in the world currently. This is truly thanks to their marketing team, so we should give them praise for this. However, the people responsible for the whiskey at the brand are also impressive. The coolest thing about Crown is that you can use their whiskey in several drinks, so they truly make it easy to enjoy them. When you can drink their whiskey straight from the bottle and add it to just about anything, that is a whiskey worthy of your time! The brand is obviously pushed as a “top shelf” whiskey at bars, and rightfully so. They are truly a premium brand and deserve the top shelf. Yet the best thing about them is that, while they come off as regal and grand, they are not exactly overpriced. More on that later. Crown’s whiskey lines are truly something to behold. Let’s examine them! As mentioned before, the whiskey lines for Crown Royal are really interesting. While they do not have a ton of whiskeys, they do have many that can be used for several different drinks or drank straight. They wanted this to be a reality, so they made sure to make each line come off as regal and like a holy product. It makes them come off as special, so each bottle you grab will be capable of multiple drinks. That is the concept with Crown Royal whiskey, to be used often but in sparing portions to make them last. People will do this more when they consider a product to be special. It’s just like having the last bite of an amazing meal, you don’t want it to end but you know it has to. Had you saved part of it, you could have continued to eat the meal the following day. When it’s special, it’s used but not overly so. Check out these lines of special whiskey that will prove this point: Within these lines are at least 4 different whiskeys. Let’s go for the Signature Line first and break down their types, then move on until the end. Within this line, you’ll find: Within the Master Series, you’ll see: Within the Flavor series, you’ll find: Meanwhile, in the Retired Section you’ll see: The cool thing about the Crown Royal brand is that they are not trying to fool people with the name of their drinks. They know it is not worth your time to have to wonder what drink it is that you’re going to be tasting or adding to other drinks. This is why you’ll see easily named whiskeys like Maple, Peach, Apple, Vanilla, Honey, and so many others. Meanwhile, they’ll also go with an easy named type like Rye, Blender’s Mash, and many more. As mentioned beforehand, it’s really compelling to see Crown Royal sold on shelves all over the country and around the world. Eyes light up when they see the brand, then they are instantly surprised. What surprises them so much? The price is actually affordable and as easy to buy as the other whiskey brands. For most bottles of Crown Royal, you’ll spend the same as you will with other whiskey types. The average whiskey by Crown sells for about $25. However, they range from $15 to $50 depending on where you buy them from. Several places sell Crown Royal, but that does not mean they are sold at the same prices everywhere. It seems that CVS is the worst about overpricing. However, if you try Target, Wal-Mart, or Costco. You’ll save money more often than not. For example, one bottle at 1.75L sold at CVS is a little over $60. But at Costco, this same amount and whiskey type are sold for around $42. That is a major $20 difference! You can also save money by buying at ABC Stores at times too. To find out the best prices for Crown Royal or any other brand we’ve mentioned, click here.Jim Beam®
Drink Options with Jim Beam®
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Michter's
Michter’s Brand Whiskey
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Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel’s Whiskey
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Jameson
Jameson Whiskey
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Johnnie Walker
Johnnie Walker Scotch
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Crown Royal
Crown Royal Whiskey Lines
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Overview Of The Best Whiskey Brands
As you can tell from the whiskey brands above, the drink is not just about what gets you drunk. In fact, today’s whiskey is not really made for people to overdrink and pass out as a result. They are made for tons of different things. It could be for parties, a date, or just to take the pressure of the day off.
You can have one that goes well with a nice dinner as well as a drink that can simply be for enjoying the taste of a good whiskey. Ultimately, it doesn’t matter why you’re having a drink. Rather, it just matters that it’s good at the end of the day.
In fact, there is nothing worse than a bad whiskey. It can really bring down the day too. However, the whiskey brands above never let you down and will always give you a great tasting drink. It may very well be the best part of your day or week when you have one.
While the best brands above are fantastic, there are others that deserve merit too. Brands like Maker’s Mark, Wild Turkey, Jameson Irish, and Fireball are always seen as tremendous too. Several bartenders even add them to drinks of multiple types, which is why you’ve likely drunk one of these without even knowing it.
While we’d like to include a lot more in our best whiskey brand list, we’re obviously limited due to the best rising above the others. That does not mean the others we mentioned do not deserve love too.
In the end, the best is what you like drinking most. However, the ones picked above seem to be liked by most people around the world today. Never tried one of them? Why not start today?
Buyer's Guide To The Best Whiskey Glasses While a good whiskey may taste amazing, you really need the proper glass to drink it from at the end of the day. Not just any glass is worthy of the best whiskey around, especially that good one you’re saving for a rainy day. That said, check out our buyer’s guide to the best 16 whiskey glasses of today!
Top 16 Whiskey Glasses For Men
