Many people may associate whiskey with men in old movies, who usually drink the liquor straight up. Today's top whiskey experts, however, are a far cry from that stereotype, and are working to make whiskey drinking less intimidating and more available for beginners.
"I would love to tell you there are hard fast rules, but there aren't anymore. There's no 'all Scotch tastes like this' anymore," whiskey expert Heather Greene told Business Insider. "If I had to make one big generalization — and it's risky to say this — as to what differentiates American whiskey, it's that since American whiskey must be aged in new oak wood casks, it has a bigger vibrant and robust wood flavor that's slightly maple and sweet."
In contrast, Scotch, Irish, and Japanese whiskies are typically aged in old oak casks (often those first used by American whiskey makers), which Greene said can make them "more seasoned, subtle, and mellowed out. Think of it as the second or third dunk of a tea bag, whereas American whiskey is like the first dunk."
In American whiskey, bourbon (made from mash that is at least 51% corn) tends to be more sweet with hints of caramel, rye (made from mash that is at least 51% rye) is more spicy and herbal, and whiskies with a higher wheat or barley content are more earthy and nutty.
Beyond that, there are an endless options for specific ways to make and mature whiskey, and even more freedom in how to enjoy them.
Greene has been in the whiskey industry for nearly 20 years and is the author of "Whiskey Distilled: A Populist Guide to the Water of Life." She first worked in Scotland as an ambassador for the iconic Glenfiddich Distillery, and later studied regional whiskey-making in Japan. After moving to New York, Greene lent her expertise to half a dozen whiskey-centric bars including Angel's Share, Milk & Honey, and Death & Co, and was the sommelier at the Flatiron Room in New York. She is currently the CEO of Milam & Greene, a whiskey distillery in Blanco, Texas.
Susan Reigler is a world-renowned bourbon expert, life-long Kentuckian, and former president of the Bourbon Women Association. She worked as a restaurant critic and had a weekly spirits column in the Louisville Courier Journal through the bourbon renaissance of the 1990s — "before bourbon became really cool again," she said. Reigler has written multiple books on bourbon essentials and the history of whiskey in the US, and continues to give talks and hold private tastings. Her upcoming release, coauthored with fellow connoisseur Peggy Noe Stevens and called "Which Fork do I Use with My Bourbon?" is all food pairings and bourbon-centric parties.
In no particular order, these are their top 13 picks.
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