Best Whiskey For Drinking Neat

There’s something to be said for drinking whiskey, and just whiskey. Without anything else getting in the way, you get the full flavor and texture of the whiskey. And if nothing else, it’s the least amount of preparation: just get a glass and pour the whiskey in, and done.

Our list of Top 10 Whiskies For Drinking Neat covers the ten whiskies that we recommend be drunk neat. We’ve got good picks for the whiskey newbie and the seasoned aficionado, all of whom can be well served by a good neat drink of smooth and flavorful whiskey. We’ve got rich single malts and mellow bourbons, all of which are worth tasting in their fullest and purest form. Let’s dive in and explore some of the best whiskeys you can sip straight.

What is drinking whiskey neat?

Drinking whiskey neat means that you’re drinking whiskey and whiskey alone, without anything added. This is contrasted to on the rocks, where you add ice; or as a mixed drink like a cocktail.

Enthusiasts who drink whiskey neat say that it lets the drinker get the full flavor of the whiskey, including all its aromas, textures, and the other subtle notes. You appreciate more of the whiskey, and take in everything about it: the craftsmanship that went into it, the ingredients, everything that went into distilling it.

Serving whiskey neat is best done with a tulip-shaped glass. This will concentrate the aromas to the nose and let you get a good sniff of the whiskey before you drink. We recommend pouring about 1.5 to 2 ounces of whiskey into that glass, just the right amount to appreciate all the flavors, textures, and other details that go into a whiskey.

Why Choose A Smooth Whiskey To Drink Neat?

In our opinion, smooth whiskies are best if you’re drinking neat. A strong alcohol taste can overshadow the complex flavors of whiskey, so the less the alcohol gets in the way, the better. This also means that you should avoid something with too high a proof, as there may be too much alcohol in the way to properly appreciate the whiskey.

Don’t forget flavor as well! You’ll also want to pick out a whiskey with rich, complex flavors. We recommend leaving whiskies with heavy smoke or peat flavors for last – these flavors tend to overwhelm other flavors and your taste buds as well, so leave those for after you’re already used to drinking whiskey neat. Go for the ones with sweet, spicy, or fruity flavors. These won’t have as dominant notes and tend to have layers, which means there’s more for you to appreciate.

How To Select A Whiskey For Drinking Neat

So you know that you want a smooth whiskey if you’re drinking neat, but what else do you need to think about? What else makes a whiskey a good choice to drink neat?

You should consider flavor profile, age, and the whiskey’s distillation process. All of these play a part in the smoothness and taste of a whiskey, and should be considered if you want to drink it neat.

Flavor Profile

Some whiskies are better neat than others, and that’s largely down to flavor profile. Look for whiskies with rich and complex flavors. Those layered flavors are an invitation to explore, so oblige the distiller. Go for whiskies with sweet, spicy, or fruity flavors, or any combination thereof. These come through best when neat. Leave the smoky, peaty whiskies for after you’re used to drinking neat.

Age

Aging an alcoholic drink has two purposes. One is that it reduces the harshness of the alcohol from the beverage. The other is to let it absorb flavors from the wood of the barrel. Generally speaking, the longer a whiskey is aged, the smoother it is. To that end, we recommend getting whiskies on the older side of things if you want to drink them neat.

Distillation Process

The distillation process also affects the smoothness of a whiskey. There are many possible distillation methods, and each process introduces its own subtleties into the whiskey. Pot stills tend to be spicy. Coffey or column stills bring out more flavor from their ingredients and have a particularly smooth texture. A good distiller will tell you what process they use.

Criteria for Selecting a Smooth Whiskey: Detailed Table

Criteria	Description	Impact	Examples
Flavor Profile	The balance of sweetness, spice, fruitiness, and woodiness.	A rich and complex flavor profile enhances the neat drinking experience by providing depth without overwhelming sharpness.	Fruity and floral notes in single malts; Vanilla and caramel in bourbons.
Age	The length of time whiskey has been aged.	Older whiskeys are generally smoother due to prolonged interaction with wood, which mellows the spirit and enriches its flavor.	18-year-old Glenlivet; 12-year-old Yamazaki.
Distillation Process	The method used to distill the whiskey.	Techniques like pot still distillation can yield a smoother spirit by removing impurities and concentrating flavor.	Traditional pot still for Irish whiskeys; Coffey still for certain Japanese whiskies.

1. Glenlivet 18 Year Old

The Glenlivet 18 Year Old is one of the smoothest single malt Scotches on the market. It’s rich and complex, thanks to the eighteen-year aging time. Its flavors are perfect for taking neat: delicate floral and fruity notes, with undertones of oak and spice. It’s aged in a combination of American oak casks and ex-sherry oak casks, giving it that classic Speyside fruitiness.

The distillation and aging process harmonize to create a whiskey of excellent smoothness, making it an excellent choice for anyone who wants to savor the nuances of a meticulously aged whiskey.

2. Yamazaki 12 Year Old

The Yamazaki 12 Year Old is from Japan, specifically from Japan’s first malt distillery. It spends that 12-year aging time in three types of casks: American bourbon, Spanish oloroso sherry, and ultra-rare Japanese mizunara oak. These casks infuse Yamazaki 12 with a magnificent fruity flavor profile of ripe fruit, clove, and orange peel, with a gentle oakiness underlying it all.

The resulting whiskey is luxuriously smooth sip that’s excellent when taken neat.

3. Buffalo Trace

Buffalo Trace is the standout smooth choice for the category of Kentucky Straight Bourbon. It’s aged for a minimum of eight years, and in its time in the oak cask gives it notes of vanilla and caramel, with undertones of dark fruit and a little spice. The Buffalo Trace Distillery lays claim to being the oldest continuously-operating distillery in the US, and you can taste all the experienced craftsmanship that goes into every sip.

Bourbon shines bright when it’s drank neat, and none more so than Buffalo Trace.

4. Redbreast 12 Year Old

Redbreast 12 Year Old is a Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey, and our recommended choice of that category to take neat. The Midleton Distillery ages it for 12 years in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks, giving it a delicious fruity flavour. That’s accompanied by toasted wood and the characteristic spice from the single pot still process. It’s got a rich, oily texture that’s best appreciated when drunk neat.

The smoothness makes it very easy to take in the spicy sweetness, so if you’re at all interested in trying Irish whiskey, give this a try.

5. Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year Old

Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year Old is another excellent single malt scotch from the Speyside region. The name comes from its aging process: it’s aged in American oak casks, then finished in sherry casks. This gives it a delicious flavor profile of sweet honey and vanilla in the lead, with layers of fruit and spice underneath. In that manner, it’s a classic Speyside single malt.

This layered profile is one that we recommend to be savored neat, the better to appreciate the craftsmanship that went into making the whiskey.

6. Nikka Coffey Grain

Nikka Coffey Grain is another excellent choice from Japan. As you can expect from the name, it’s distilled with a Coffey still, which gives the whiskey a distinctive creamy texture and carries through the flavors from the ingredients it’s made from. Give it a taste, and you’ll get tropical fruit and vanilla, with a subtle hint of spice.

Drinking this neat is the best way to respect the craftsmanship that goes into Nikka Coffey Grain Whiskey, and it’s an experience not to be missed.

7. Woodford Reserve

If there’s a whiskey that deserves to be drank neat, it’s Woodford Reserve. This small-batch bourbon is made in one of the oldest distilleries in Kentucky – in fact, the distillery is a National Historic Landmark specifically because it’s such a pillar of the bourbon industry. The classic process produces a spirit with notes of grain, wood, and spices all round. This is a classic bourbon, one that deserves your full attention.

The full-bodied texture and the sheer history behind Woodford Reserve come through clearly when it’s drank neat, hence why it’s on this list.

8. Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Solera

Solera is an aging process from Spain more typically found with Sherry or Madeira. Glenfiddich 15 Year Old Solera adapts the process for whiskey. It’s aged in sherry and new oak casks, before it’s put into a vat. The vat is always at least half full of whiskey, and has never been emptied since it was first filled in 1998. The youngest whiskey to go into the solera vat is 15 years old at minimum, and the result is a nicely smooth spirit with notes of honey, fruit, and oak.

The layers and depth of flavor are best savored neat, the better to appreciate the complex blend.

9. Jameson Black Barrel

Jameson Black Barrel is a blended Irish whiskey. It’s made by taking small batch grain and single pot still whiskies and aging them together in double-charred ex-bourbon barrels, hence the name. The barrels contribute notes of toasted wood and vanilla to the spicy and nutty flavors already present in the whiskies, and the resulting blend is utterly delicious.

Irish whiskies tend to be easy and smooth, and Jameson Black Barrel is no exception. The extra flavor in the Black Barrel variant over the regular one earns it our recommendation for drinking neat.

10. Angel’s Envy Bourbon

Angel’s Envy Bourbon is a variation on the standard Kentucky Straight Bourbon formula. It’s aged in oak barrels for six years, which is over the legal requirement to qualify as bourbon, and then it’s finished in ruby port wine casks for three to six months. This gives it smoothness and a rich blend of flavors. The classic bourbon notes of vanilla, oak, and caramel are all there, joined by rich fruit and a hint of sweetness from the port.

This is an interesting variation of the usual bourbon recipe, and when taken neat, the flavors come through magnificently.

How To Properly Taste Whiskey Neat

Neat means just whiskey with no additions, but even then, there’s a way to really bring out all the nose and palate. Even just the right glassware can make a lot of difference. Here’s how to make the most out of drinking whisky neat.

Use A Glencairn Glass

A Glencairn glass has a very specific shape: it’s wide at the bottom but curves inward above, kind of like the bottom half of an hourglass. The shape focuses the aromas of a whiskey, letting a drinker get the full bouquet. A lot of taste is in smell, so the more of that smell you get, the fuller the taste will be.

Swirl, Sniff, Sip, And Savor

You’ll want to take these four steps to get the most out of whiskey. Strictly, you can do this to any kind of serving, but it works best when neat.

• Swirl the whiskey to introduce air and bring out more scents.
• Sniff to get the full bouquet of aromas, especially when you’re using a Glencairn glass.
• Sip gently, letting the whiskey coat your palate.
• Savor the finish after you swallow, taking in the aftertaste.

This makes for a deliberate and thoughtful tasting, getting every portion of the aroma and flavors that whiskey offers. There’s a reason tasting notes always come in the trio of nose, palate, and finish. In this way, you can appreciate what comes before, during, and after you take a sip.

Take It Slow

Remember, whiskey isn’t something to slam back. It’s not a shot. Take your time with it. Take slow sips, the same way you’d carefully sip from a mug of hot coffee. It’s not about getting drunk, it’s about appreciating the whiskey and everything it has to offer.

Food And Whiskey Pairings

The right food pairing can increase your enjoyment of a whiskey beyond what you originally thought. The key here is to focus on flavor profile. Whiskies can be sweet, spicy, fruity, smoky, and so much more, and what you want to do is find a food that either complements or contrasts the whiskey’s flavor. Here are a few recommendations on how you can do that.

Whiskey Type	Food Pairing	Reason for Pairing	Flavor Interaction
Single Malt Scotch	Aged Cheddar	The complex flavors of the whiskey are complemented by the rich, nutty flavors of the cheese.	Aged cheddar’s nuttiness parallels the whiskey’s layered complexity, enhancing both the cheese and whiskey’s flavors.
Kentucky Straight Bourbon	Dark Chocolate	The sweetness of the bourbon contrasts with the bitterness of the chocolate, creating a balanced taste.	The bitterness of dark chocolate highlights the sweet, vanilla, and caramel notes of the bourbon, offering a luxurious tasting experience.
Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey	Smoked Meats	The smoky essence of the meat mirrors the spicy notes of the whiskey.	Smoked meats, with their bold smoky flavor, complement the whiskey’s spicy sweetness, enriching the taste of both.
Japanese Whiskey	Gouda Cheese	The smooth, sweet profile of Japanese whiskey is enhanced by the creamy, slightly sweet nature of gouda.	Gouda’s creamy texture and subtle sweetness accentuate the smoothness and intricate flavors of Japanese whiskey.
Rye Whiskey	Steak	The robust flavors of rye whiskey stand up to the rich, savory taste of a well-prepared steak.	A charred steak’s richness matches the bold, spicy character of rye whiskey, creating a satisfying and memorable pairing.
Blended Scotch	Milk Chocolate	The smooth, often fruity and floral notes of blended Scotch are complemented by the sweetness of milk chocolate.	Milk chocolate’s creaminess softens the whiskey’s edges, allowing its subtle flavors to shine through.
Irish Whiskey	Apple Pie	The light, fruity characteristics of Irish whiskey pair well with the sweetness and spiciness of apple pie.	The apple pie’s sweetness and cinnamon spice bring out the fruity and floral notes of the whiskey, enhancing its complexity.
Peated Scotch	Blue Cheese	The intense smoky flavors of peated Scotch are balanced by the strong, pungent flavors of blue cheese.	The boldness of blue cheese stands up to the smokiness of peated Scotch, creating a powerful flavor experience.