For me it has to be Irish Whiskey. All other whiskies taste too funky or give me bad headache. I spent 3 days touring distilleries in Scotland, and I wish I could have more enjoyed them more.

Red Breast
Black Bush
Tullamore

I sip of the Knob Creek, because I am yet a whiskey beginner and I need something straightforward. I like the mild vanilla, less oak, not sweet, easy warming flavor that it has. Don't mix many drinks with it, usually just on the rocks with a twist or as the extra heat in a whiskey toddy in the winter - though the other day I mixed something that landed somewhere between a sidecar and a manhattan that was not too shabby. I want to be the kind of girl who knows her whiskeys, but this has been as far as I've been able to go without just wishing I'd stuck to gin.

Jameson. Preferably straight.

Jameson for whiskey, and the new Maker's Mark 46 for bourbon. They're both reasonably priced enough to keep in the liquor cabinet and offer to guests, and good enough to drink regularly.

Bunnahabhain 12 year for scotch and Basil Hayden's for bourbon.

I tend to go for Stranahan's when it's whiskey time and Bulleit when it's bourbon time (which is around 5pm every day in our household).

Now for us is grouse hunting time!

Famous Grouse is the family's whisky of choice!

I love Makers and Knob Creek, usually neat. I like to taste some wood in there.

I was all about Knob Creek until some southern friends brought me a bottle of Buffalo Trace as a party gift. Wow. The Know and Makers just sat there as everyone finished the bottle of Buffalo Trace.

Single Malt: Glenlevit 18
Blend: JW Black Label
Irish: Jameson
Rye: (ri)1
Bourbon: Buffolo Trace, Makers, Knob Creek and Wilmington
Canadian: I won't touch that junk with a ten foot pole
Japanese: Suntory 12year

Old Overholt - Suprisingly cheap and simple. I use it for mixing non fancy, straight to the point old fashioneds - Sugar/simple syrup, 2 dashes of angostura bitters, peel of orange, lightly muddle the peel with the sugar, ice, 2.5 oz of Old overholt, stir and enjoy.

Old overholt is actually good enought to sip neat as well.

As for a really decent sipping whisky, I go for Talisker 10 or Balvenie 12

Sometimes, if I can find it, Sazerac Rye

I'm a bourbon girl: Old Whiskey River or Basil Hayden, please!

the SO is a huge huge huge fan of rye whiskies. right now he's got a bottle of Wild Turkey rye that he's been savoring. he also likes Pikesville rye, but few people seem to know of it.

me, on the other hand? Jack Daniels Single Barrel or Gentleman's Jack over ice for sippin,' Maker's Mark for Manhattans.

Value Pick - Powers. No better flavor for the price.

What I'd serve to friends - Glenlivet

What I'd save for myself - Middleton Rare - an absolutely perfect whiskey.

Is that whiskey or whisky? ;-)

Springbank 21, Lagavulin 16, or Bowmore 17 for whisky. Buffalo Trace or Knob Creek for whiskey.

I like several, I'm a whiskey gal but my top three are :

Crown - because it's nice and smooth
Jameson is always great
Templeton Rye when I can find it

Flying into Louisville, KY, walking through the airport, there were so many ads, so much way-larger-than-life dripping red wax, I HAD to have a bourbon, specifically a Maker's, at the first opportunity. Nothing subliminal about it at all.

Just got back from Ireland and have become a hardcore Jameson addict. It's so smooth and rich.

I find Scotch waay to peat-y and Jack an olfactive delight but way to lightweight in the mouth..maybe it's the triple distillation that gives Jameson that rich taste..either way I love it. Straight up no rocks.

saer
http://www.cravenmaven.com

Bulleit for manhattans...Makers...

Jameson - if it was good enough for James Joyce, it's good enough for me!

Jamesons, because I am a whiskey wimp who likes her liquor smooth.... and Irish.

The SO loves Makers mark.

Irish whiskey in general - non Irish whiskeys just feel like burning instead of tasting like anything to me. Powers, in particular. Love powers, especially with ginger ale.

Maker's Mark, Old Overholt, Laphroaig 10 Year and Talisker 10 Year.

Makers Mark

Makers Mark makes an old-fashioned anything but. It's also mellow enough to drink neat (or as I prefer with 1 ice cube).

I feel like the whiskey/whisky distinction is just a way for know-it-alls to argue about nothing.

So there. (Woah, two cents rant).

Scotch: Laphroaig
Bourbon: Blanton's

Laphroaig is strong. And it needs a bit of water, it's too peat-y for me without it. But it's delicious, and goes well with... successful things. Celebrating things. Good memory things.

Blanton's is stupid expensive, but warm, well rounded, and delicious. Best with capon and potatoes, sitting next to a roaring fire.

I'm with alysaaria.

Bourbon: Blanton's (from the Buffalo Trace distillery) though I rotate through cheaper stuff most of the time (Maker's Mark, Woodford Reserve, Buffalo Trace, Bulleit, Knob Creek, etc.)

Scotch: Laphroaig (super peat-y finish; definitely a 1 or 2 glass)

Irish: Tullamore Dew (though I do like Jameson)

I haven't tasted enough Rye or Tennessee whisky to have a preference yet.

bourbon, particularly buffalo trace. sounds like i should try blanton's, too!

Oban. Oban, Oban, Oban.

or Laphroaig.

Penderyn.

Jack Daniels Black Label, I am a Tennessean! If no one is looking, Famous Grouse. Many others are good. Will not drink anything with a dog on the label - long story....

Maker's Mark is a staple in our home. We just love a good, solid bourbon. Although, I recently finally tried Buffalo Trace and am in love with it!

Power's Irish whiskey, cut with a very small amount of water. More depth than Jameson's or (gold label) Bushmill's IMO

bourbon - basil hayden's. makes a sublime mint julep and it's great on the rocks as well.

scotch - auchentoshan 12 yo.

I love George Dickel. It's sweet and caramelly and doesn't have much heat.

Four Roses Small-Batch Bourbon and Rip Van Winkle Bourbon as all-around yum.

Rittenhouse Bonded for mixing.

Laphroaig Quarter-Cask for sipping.

And George T Stagg - thank you, Kentucky!

Scotch: the Macallan or Tomatin
Bourbon: Makers for Manhattans, Knob straight, or Beam for ginger ale
Irish: Feckin (when I can get it) and Powers

I'm a bourbon gal.

When I'm broke: Rebel Yell from Trader Joe's
When I'm less broke: Bulleit
When I'm splurging: Anything Van Winkle! The 12 year is the BEST - sweet and smooth like vanilla!

Irish: Midleton, perhaps mankinds greatest creation. Seriously, the perfect beverage. Try it. I'm a big fan of Tullamore Dew as an affordable Irish.

Bourbon: Woodford Reserve. Smooth, flavorful, and affordable.

Rye: I'm enjoying the bottle of Russell's Reserve I got, and also Redemption Rye. On my to-try list are Sazerac and Old Potrero.

Jameson on the rocks is my go to for a good after dinner sipper.

Black Maple Hill bourbon if I'm feeling like something a little more special

Pappy Van Winkle makes great bourbon too!

Bulleit bourbon, or on budget-tightening weeks, Old Overholt

Laphroaig (I had some Laphroaig cask strength this week, and oh lord, that is swoonworthy)

Definitely Bulleit Bourbon neat, or with Gosling Ginger Beer!

Jack & Makers!

Also, I am really just a fan of SOCO!!!

One of my best friends has been a bourbon snob for several years, and he's influenced my whiskey taste buds. I've tried about everything in his collection, and I've finally started to develop a palette for whiskey.

My personal favorite is the Sazerac 18 year rye (so it's not actually a bourbon.) At 90 proof, it isn't too hot, and it's packed with flavor.

The best of the bunch, though, has to be the Pappy Van Winkle 12 year "Lot B." It's only about $55 a bottle, but consistently whomps everything else in it's price range. It's the kind of thing you can drink every evening.

Of course, I enjoy a good scotch occasionally, too. The Glenlivet just can't be beat. The 12 year is delicious and inexpensive, but give the French Oak a try. I think it's currently available in an 18 year package.

Forty Creek -- it's from a small distillery in Ontario, and it's great. And Crown.

Van Winkle's Family Reserve Rye, smooth, soft and loaded w flavor. Unfortunately I have not found it for about a yr. Sazerac Rye is #2-very nice. Just recently had some Buffalo Trace bourbon pretty nice too !

My husband and I sealed our wedding vows with a sip of Oban. You can faintly taste the scent of peat that comes from the western Islay.

But I also love Lagavulin for a bit more peat.

for stateside whiskey: I'm fond of Pappy Van Winkle or Hirsch for bourbon. Neat.

Bulleit makes a solid manhattan but lately I've been making them with Rittenhouse Rye.

And it's gotta be Carpano Antica for the sweet vermouth part of manhattans. Gorgeous.

But for the most part - I prefer my whisky neat

I love bourbon, Wild Turkey Rye is my go to. For Irish I'm a big fan of Bushmills

My husband and his friend are obsessed with Pappy Van Winkle...they also love Makers.

Lagavulin 16YO, Laphroaig 10YO, I wouldnt touch a blended scotch with a two mile pole.
The peatier the better I say!

Bulleit is our staple, but sometimes we get Four Roses.

Whiskey - generally Jameson. A friend gave us a bottle of Knappogue Castle 1995. I really enjoyed it while it lasted.

Bourbon - Maker's and Basil Hayden

Scotch:
Cheap: White Horse
Less Cheap: The Old Famous Grouse
A Wee Bit Spendy: Right now, it's Compass Box's Peat Monster

Irish:
Cheap: Paddy's
Less Cheap: Black Bush
A Wee Bit Spendy: Red Breast
Only If Someone Else is Buying: Bushmill's 16 Year.

Bourbon:
Cheap: Ezra Brooks
Less Cheap: Old Weller Antique 107
A Wee Bit Spendy: Booker's

Loving bourbon right now: Bulleit, Woodford Reserve, Knob Creek's okay too....YUM. In whiskey: Gentleman Jack is good, Jameson has a history with me. Scotch Whisky, anything not too sweet or too smokey.