20 Best Whiskey For Mixed Drinks (2023 Updated)

First I will note here that I’m not sure if all reviewers realize but the vast majority of the NA spirits really need to be in cocktails and not to be served just neat or on the rocks (or in some cases not even in drinks that would normally just showcase the spirit, like an Old Fashioned).

That being said, to me this definitely smells like a bourbon, although with a bit of an ammonia/turpentine smell which, to be perfectly honest, is not uncommon for me to smell in a lot of (especially cheaper) whiskey.

But outside of any alcohol burn this certainly smells to me what you would expect from a bourbon, although as another reviewer notes some of it can be a bit overbearing. I did make a few bourbon cocktails with this and will likely make more but it’s a bit much for my taste in a few things.

it’s reminiscent of bourbon, certainly, in cocktails so it seems to me it can do what it’s intended to do but I think I will be trying other alternatives (I’ve heard good things about the latest iteration of Free Spirits’ Spirit of Bourbon, for example, that I look forward to trying) more often over this one, or possibly blending this one with some of those alternatives to smooth out the profile to something I may prefer more.

Overall I think this one is going to be very much up to personal taste as to where it fits on the range of likes or dislikes for any individual person looking for a whiskey alternative (much like folks will greatly like or dislike any particular variety of whiskey).

I’m not much of a connoisseur here to offer the best tasting notes to help folks decide where on the spectrum this one falls, unfortunately, but overall this one falls into the “meh” category for me.

Of note I’ve heard this may make a good bourbon and coke for those who like that but it is not a style I’ve tried with it yet. I will note in terms of expense I see noted in some reviews. this is an add one for me in the sense that, particularly for Spiritless Kentucky 74 you have an actual bourbon that has gone through the same process and expense of making an actual bourbon and then added an additional process to remove the alcohol.

There’s a reason why you can’t quite get those flavors without either using alcohol normally (and later removing it) or finding some other (often far more complex) method of achieving something similar without at least as much, if not more, expense than making the “real thing”.

Maybe processes will be found where it could be done cheaper, but for those thinking that somehow alcohol is some kind of “value add” here then you’re really thinking about why these products exist in the wrong way.

Alcohol isn’t the added value, here, it’s the thing that can have an exceptional use for extracting flavors but then becomes and unwanted byproduct for those looking for those flavors but wanting to then avoid the alcohol (for many numerous reasons, many having nothing to do with alcoholism, I might add).

I’ve purchased a large variety of non-alcoholic spirits in the last four years since I got clean. I buy a lot of herbal elixirs and tonics that are unique unto themselves, but I’d pretty much given up on spirits that claim to be a solid substitute for an existing liquor.

Similar to “soy chicken,” or “tofurkey,” I was always left wondering why the fake booze was bothering to compare itself in the first place. The flavors were fine, but the marketing left me wanting something that wasn’t being offered.

Then I was introduced to Kentucky 74. I was never a huge bourbon fan when I drank, but I did enjoy a whiskey cocktail when I went out with friends, so that is where my opinion holds value: Enjoyed straight, this stuff has a great, slightly sweet, smoky complexity that lets you know what it is shooting for.

It’s not whiskey, but it’s damn good for sipping. As far as whiskey cocktails go though, that is where Kentucky 74 really shines. I make K74 old fashioned cocktails for my wife and I all the time. She doesn’t have to worry about getting tipsy, and I don’t have to worry about a relapse.

There is a tiny amount of alcohol in this, so if you are trying to be squeaky clean, then stay away. However, I have never felt the slightest twinge of a buzz after a drink or two, and it has never made me want to drink more (you don’t need to know my whole story, but let’s just say that’s impressive).

It’s great for when we have get-togethers and my friends feel awkward drinking around me. All in all, this is the first “fake booze” that I have ever been a repeat customer of. Sure, it’s not an identical substitute, but it is closer than anything I’ve found, and in a cocktail it’s negligible abv goes almost unnoticed.

Love this stuff and so glad it’s out there!.

I really wanted this to be a reasonable facsimile of Bourbon, I REALLY did! For the past five months, I have willingly stayed away from all alcoholic beverages, and was excited to see several companies marketing items that they purport to be “alcohol-free Bourbon-like” products.

Kentucky 74 got good reviews so I purchased a bottle. As for me, I LOVE Bourbon! My preference is for cask strength, or minimum 100 proof, in a Glencairn, one small cube (if over 100 proof), and nothing else.

No mixers with Bourbon…ever. I have enjoyed many Pappy’s, Stagg’s, Weller’s, Booker’s, and a lot of other critically acclaimed juices. I have also tried some unknown Bourbons, inexpensive Bourbons, and flat-out cheap Bourbons, with mixed results.

Not a snob, just blessed! Did I mention that I love Bourbon? The first thing I noticed about Kentucky 74 when I poured it in a glass, was its lack of viscosity. In my opinion, it is watery, with no real “legs”.

No alcohol=no legs, got it. The color was not too bad, and had the appearance of real Bourbon. The nose was not like any commercially produced Bourbon that I have ever smelled. No oak, vanilla, fruit, etc.

, that my nose could detect. To me, Kentucky 74 has an overwhelming smell of cinnamon, and little else. I would equate it to being somewhat similar to the smell of cinnamon schnapps. It is not unpleasant, it just does not smell like Bourbon.

After pouring it in a glass neat, and letting it breath, it still smelled mostly like cinnamon. The tasting was very much like I though it would be. Kentucky 74 is very watery, and one dimensional (cinnamon).

The mouth feel is very thin, and Kentucky 74 is not oily and/or rich like a decent Bourbon. The taste to me is medicinal, or metallic. My tastebuds only detected cinnamon, and it had an aftertaste that reminded me of some type of liquid cold medicine I have taken in the past.

Note: the aftertaste lasts a long time. I appreciate the effort, which is why I gave it two stars, but I think the creators of Kentucky 74 do not (yet) have a Bourbon-like product. If you are not a Bourbon drinker, and you mix Kentucky 74 as a Manhattan, you may enjoy this.

For anyone that drinks their Bourbons neat, or only with a couple of drops of water, or with a small ice cube, I unfortunately cannot see these types of people enjoying Kentucky 74.

So, I consider myself a bit of a whiskey snob. I like my single malts, bourbons, and Irish whiskey, but I find myself turning back to my good ol’ 7 and 7 when I’m serving myself and friends. This whisky is Americana culture, class, and history.

It’s great for cocktails, and it ain’t bad by itself either. It’s inexpensive, but it isn’t cheap. I’m serious, if you want quality, bang for your buck, and taste, go for a 7 and 7 over Jack and Coke.

De Niro orders one in Goodfellas, so you know it’s cool. Enjoy.

As iconic a part of American drinking history as Jack Daniel’s or Old Forester. It’s simple, refreshing, and unpretentious … unless you’re a whiskey snob who’s obsessed with tasting every nuance and identifying the ages of the trees that comprise the barrels where the spirits you drink are aged.

Your parents and grandparents have better taste than you think. Sometimes, no-frills is the way to go.

Seagrams has always been my go to whiskey. I like it with a slash of lemon lime soda. It’s not rough or harsh tasting. I believe it’s a great value that doesn’t need improvement. It’s affordable, not expensive.

I would definitely recommend will but again.

I have been a fan of this whiskey for over 10 years. This whiskey has been around since the 1800’s. It is considered the #1 or 2 in the world of Blended American Whiskey. I recently purchased 12 bottles from total wine, since they continue to offer this at $9.

99 per 1. 75l.

Obligatory I am not reviewing Skrewball but a similar product Influenster doesn’t have. But to be fair, Skrewball is pretty good. It’s not got a sweet taste of peanut butter, more of the bitter taste of a raw peanut.

I like it. But I’m reviewing a beverage from Bogue Sound Distillery, which is located on the middle east coast of North Carolina. Their peanut butter whiskey is so tasty! It even comes with a bottle of “Jelli” drops to enhance your PBJ liquid dream.

(I can’t really taste it tbh) Comparing to Skrewball, Bogue’s is a bit smoother, with a sweet PB aftertaste. I like this on its own, or as part of a mixed drink (peanut butter Russians! 🤤). This is not so sweet or creamy that it gets tiresome.

I’ve been enjoying this Christmas gift all week and would definitely recommend it to the more adventurous alcohol/whiskey drinkers, that like to step off the road into different neighborhoods to taste what’s new.

Since this is not a mass-market whiskey it might be hard to find for some, and it costs more than Skrewball, but I am definitely looking forward to visiting and trying other spirits from Bogue Sound.

(For ppl in NC you can find it at the ABC store).

I always buy “premium” whiskey and very rarely did I buy flavored whiskey but this was recommended to me and I instantly went out and bought it. At first glance, the bottle is simple which is very appealing to me.

It smells great! On its own it’s pretty good however when used as a mixer magical things happen. First I put it in hot chocolate and it was so delicious. The delicious peanut butter flavor with the mild and gentle whiskey flavor was absolutely perfect in the hot chocolate.

Then I decided to make a “peanut buster parfait” style milk shake using this whiskey and oh my goodness, it was incredible! I don’t think this has an intense after burn like some whiskey and I think it has the perfect peanut butter flavor.

I haven’t tried any other peanut butter flavored alcohol but I don’t think I would find one that is as good or better than this one. I purchased it at the PA State Store so I paid more than average for it but I think it was worth every penny.

If you love peanut butter and are willing to drink whiskey, I definitely recommend trying this if you get the opportunity!!!!!.

‘Did an ‘A-B’ test with Screwball versus Sheep Dog last night. There was really no contest. Screwball has a nice distinct fresh peanut aroma. Upon first taste, you get a slightly sweet balance of flavors of peanut butter and high-quality whiskey.

On the finish, you get an incredibly clean and smooth mouthfeel with a little heat from the whiskey, but with a luxurious peanut aftertaste that lingers so beautifully. Sheep Dog has a somewhat weird indistinct aroma, with a hint of butterscotch, but nothing else.

The initial taste is rather pleasant, with a blending of butterscotch and mild peanut flavor. But upon the finish, the peanut flavor quickly fades away to a burning heat of a musty seemingly low-quality whiskey.

So unfortunately, Sheep Dog is not a good budget alternative for Screwball. Screwball is so good, it’s ridiculous.

Everybody’s palate is different, and in the world of bourbon, it’s so true that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Having read numerous glowing reviews about The Statesman I decided to give it a try.

Upon opening, there’s an immediate astringent note on the nose. After pouring 1. 5oz into a Glencairn and letting it open up for a few minutes, there were some very pleasant dark red fruit, leather and slight vanilla notes, although with a significant amount of alcohol as well on the nose.

Tasting this juice wasn’t an altogether bad experience, but I had to get past that initial wall of alcohol on the front. As the sip finished, however, the flavor was very much leather and light vanilla.

the fruit was there but way in the background. and the mouthfeel was oily but not unpleasant. A few weeks after opening, I decided to try it again, this time on the rocks, and was pleasantly surprised at how much better it tasted the second time around.

I got more fruit during the second tasting and the alcohol was a bit more tame as was expected. All in all, I’m glad that I picked it up. I’m hoping to pick up a 1920 in the coming weeks and see what that’s about.

Happy sipping!.

TBH I had no clue what I was buying. I like Old Foresters line up so I grabbed it went. Didn’t even know it was made for a movie, until I got home and googled it. Taste like it wasn’t ready to be bottled yet.

Could use more aging, light color, citrus, some spice, a bit leathery. No deep flavors to be found. I like bold oak, smokey, Carmel, vanilla. Not to be found here. Probably ages on the lower levels of the barrel house.

I’ll stick with the 1920.

This bottle is perfect. As a lover of 1910 and 1920, I had high hopes. This bottle is the warm buttery partner to its counterparts. It has a beautiful buttery nose and a honeyed roller coaster of flavor.

I received an incentive from Influenster and Monkey shoulder in exchange for my honest review. Perfect gift for my husband!!! Whiskey Monkey Shoulder Blended Scotch Whisky. This, I say right away, is a high-quality, real, whiskey! This brings it closer to the unique bouquets of single malt whiskies; moreover, different bouquets of different alcohols are mixed here… The color is rich caramel.

In general, it looks expensive, very solid. The smell is very sweet, and floral. There are no shades of alcohol. You can enjoy the smell. The smell is light. The taste is sweet, and a little caramel.

Sharp burning with alcohols. There are few burning ingredients, so the taste sensations are not dulled for a long time. And intoxication from it does not come quickly, which also has a good effect on perception.

Separately, I must say about the design of the bottle: A thick bottom. A wide body resembling a wooden barrel, and the color of the label. And funny monkeys))) My husband was very pleased with the gift!!!.

Ok, so I understand that everyone has different taste buds, but just for fun, thought I’d share my thoughts. My son , a scotch newbie brought a bottle of this home and asked me what I thought. I’m an old fart, so have consumed at least my fair share of Scots whiskey.

Good. And Bad. I’d put this one in the OH MAN, WHAT WERE THEY THINKING BAD category. It reminds me of some stupid cheap stuff I bought back in college, ’cause I was really poor. To this day, I refer to that swill as “old stump shovel”.

This monkey shoulder thing reminds me of a bad batch of old stump shovel that they tried to save by dumping in a bunch of sweetener, citric acid, and god knows what else. After a few swigs, and due consideration, I dumped it out, and poured some Jack Black.

STILL can’t get the taste of that mess out of my mouth. I can usually “tough it out” and at least finish a wee dram, but NOT THIS. As always, your mileage may vary.

During the 2020 lockdowns, I always saw my coworker sipping on this during our virtual happy hours. He always described it as a scotch that brought him back to the times he spent, late at night, talking to his grandpappy.

It always painted a great pic of him reminiscing about the good old days. Now that Influenster gave me a chance to try it, it’s a great drink for the price point, and it will become a mainstay in my liquor cabinet.

Perfect for those who are new to the world of scotch and even those who consider themselves to be aficionados of the greatest form of liquor. I recommend this tasty treat just like my coworker. Do yourself a favor and pick up a bottle of Monkey Shoulder; you will not regret it! Even my mighty duck is a fan!.

Rittenhosue Rye 100 is about the most “rye” whisky I’ve ever had. It’s like the rye hops out of the bottle and smacks you across the face. hard. with each sip. This is great if you love rye. I thought I loved rye until I drank this.

It made me realize I didn’t love rye quite as much as I thought. It also made me realize high-rye spirits give me a WICKED headache. Who knew? Now I stick with low-rye or no-rye spirits, like Scotch and wheated Bourbon.

Rittenhouse consistently gets great reviews–I can understand why. But, it’s just not to my liking. But if rye is what you want, you can’t go wrong here.

This. Is. So. Good. It’s sweet and I taste some cherry in there as well. I do not taste grass as at all as someone else mentioned, just spicy, sweet, vanilla, cherry goodness. It became my top favorite upon the first taste.

It’s great with old fashions and holds up well in other cocktails, but I also love sipping it from a glencarin glass to get all the great smells while drinking.

This reminds me a bit of George Dickel rye and that’s not a bad thing (IMO). It’s a bit less sweet than the Dickel. The nose is spice, caramel, and slightly leathery. The palette is definitely spicy with some dried fruit, and caramel.

The finish is definitely short lived but the spice comes back again. For $27. 99 (price I paid), it is well worth it. As a scotch drinker primary, my expectations for whiskey aren’t too high. I like bourbon and Tennessee whiskey as a change of pace mostly.

That said, this Rittenhouse is really an enjoyable dram. No need to add water. It’s great neat.

I don’t care who doesn’t agree with me on this review. This is the best I’ve had in my life. I bought 3 bottles and I don’t apologize for it if you didn’t get one. I am down to my last bottle and best believe no one is allowed to pour themselves.

This is a bottle you lock up and store away. It has the spicy rye and caramel finish of a perfectly timed barrel of whiskey. I loved this version so much I am afraid to taste the others for fear it will disappoint.

If you find this bottle just pick it up and don’t think about it.

I’ve spent tons on Texas whiskey, Balcones, Yellow Rose, Treaty Oak. bought them all and drank them and then some. BUT The one Texas whiskey I come back to time and time again Is Rebecca Creek. Or as I refer to it, The Becky.

It doesn’t matter how you want to drink it, neat, mixed, shots. it works and it works well. Don’t let the low price fool you, this is Fine Texas Whiskey, not swill.

Smooth. No harsh taste after a swig. So much better than that swill they make in other parts of the country. Tennessee I looking at you. But seriously a fine Texas whiskey you can enjoy and not have to shoot to get past the taste.

Two thumbs up definitely.

I have bought this rye several times now. It is good, especially for the price. My favorite is Crown Royal rye but it is too expensive and Canadian Club, which Total Wine used to carry but doesn’t anymore.

The Jim Beam has a good, mellow flavor that I like either on the rocks or in a mixed drink.

Jim Beam Rye has a clear amber appearance, and the aroma is of subdued rye spice, water, and assorted grains. The flavor is of mild rye spice, cereal grains, and a bit of sweetness. Jim Beam Rye has a medium body and a short-to-long finish.

RJT.

Of the ryes I’ve tasted I’ve noticed that there are generally 2 types of rye whiskies: The lighter and more complex newer school ryes, or the rugged and rougher old school ryes. This one definitely is an old school rye, as the name says.

Dry, hot, spicy, and a little rough, but yet has a smoothness, richness, and slight sweetness that is common to Jim Beam. It’s not overly complex but is pretty straightforward. I appreciate the commitment to preserving this old style that goes back pre prohibition.

This is the kind whiskey that our great grandfathers would have drank. Definitely a real man’s whiskey.

I’ve had Canadian Whiskey a fair amount, including two summers in a row buying low to mid and high end offerings while on vacation. This is the worst. Let me be clear: I’ve bought bottom shelf stuff in a pinch before and nothing was as bad as this.

No subtle notes of anything, this is reminiscent of acetone or paint thinner. I can’t believe anyone buys it more than once.

This is my absolute favorite whiskey! It is definitely affordable. It is not necessarily the prettiest thing to look at, but I am pretty sure nobody buys it for the packaging. It has a nice flavor and it is not a small bottle.

I would definitely purchase this again.

Very strong taste and aftertaste but very warm and tingly feeling all the way down. its not my absolute favorite but it’s in my top five. I would try to give a better aftertaste with the flavor. It definitely met my expectations but I did think it would probably be a bit stronger.

I would certainly buy again.

This is my husband’s favorite thing. It’s really good but I have other things I prefer. He always mixes this with the Seagrams ginger ale of course. Which is great. I’ve tried other whiskeys mixed with ginger ale but this is definitely the best combo I’ve tried.