The Most Approachable Scotch For Beginners, According To Experts

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Scotch carries an air of mystique few other spirits can match. Spend time in a whisky bar, and you'll overhear conversations about "grail" bottles and people swapping tasting notes like "malty-sweet" and "oak spice." It sounds pretty cool and exclusive from the outside, doesn't it? The good news is that you don't need a trust fund to dip your toes into the world of scotches. Tasting Table asked two experts on the best beginner-friendly Scotches, and they have a few recommendations.

Sarah Becan — author of the cocktail comic book "Let's Make Cocktails!" —  said, "If I have to pick just one bottle to recommend for beginners, I would probably choose Monkey Shoulder." While it doesn't sound very Scottish, and she admitted that it's "a relatively newer Scotch that came on the market a little over 20 years ago," Monkey Shoulder has one thing going for it: it's a Speyside blended whisky (plus it's only $40 to $50 a bottle). 

Speyside is one of the main whisky-producing regions in Scotland, and the whiskies there are considered the more approachable of scotches. Light, sweet, and fairly clean, Speyside whiskies don't have as many peaty-smoky notes as, say, Islay scotches that might scare you off with their "powerful, complex notes of peat smoke, seaweed, brine, and iodine," per Becan. In Monkey Shoulder, you'll find vanilla and spice in the sip without any harsh edges — a perfect introduction to the genre.

Besides Monkey Shoulder, Becan also recommended Glenmorangie 10 (Highland-style, so it's a bit peaty — great if you'd like a challenge) and Glenlivet 12 (another Speyside production). Both can be had for cheap, and are solid classics that you won't have any trouble finding at most liquor stores.

The best way to learn which style or bottle of scotch you vibe with best is by sitting down at a whisky bar and asking the bartender for some samples. When asked about the most approachable option, Robyn Smith, owner of the whisky-centric "This Blog's Neat," said, "There's no single right answer. It really depends on what flavors someone already enjoys and what they're used to drinking." So take your time narrowing down on the one that sounds best (and fits your budget, of course).

No matter what you're drinking, Scotch purists and casual drinkers tend to agree on one thing: approach it neat, perhaps with just a touch of water. The burn might be jarring at first, but it's the distillery's signature coming through. Start by pouring a small amount into one of the best glasses for sipping bourbon, then bring it to your nose and breathe in gently before you sip. It's okay if it just tastes like strong alcohol at first, but try to discern the fruity and honey-sweet scents at first sniff. 

Take small sips as you go and let the whisky sit on your tongue for a moment — you can water it down a bit or add an ice cube if the burn's too intense. It's fine to take breaks between sips. Like coffee or beer, Scotch is an acquired taste, so give yourself a few tastings before deciding if a particular bottle (or Scotches in general) works for you.