Experts Recommend This Irish Whiskey Brand For Quality Without The High Price

People who know whiskey the best know you can find good stuff even on the tightest of budgets. When Mashed asked five experts which cheap whiskeys they'd recommend, two of them answered with a familiar name: Jameson. While there's a lot to learn about the iconic Irish brand, one of the most important things everyone should know about Jameson whiskey is that they make some of the better whiskey you'll find at lower price ranges.

A 750-milliliter bottle of Jameson Original Irish Whiskey starts at around $18 on Total Wine, depending on your location, which is a pretty good price for the versatility you'll be getting. MAD Bar & Lounge head bartender Phil McKenna said the whiskey's approachability, smoothness, and balance make it just as enjoyable neat as it is in classic cocktails. To taste what he's talking about, try using Jameson with the 3-2-1 ratio for the smoothest whiskey sour you'll ever sip — that balanced flavor really comes into play with these proportions.

If you're willing to spend a little extra, you can get a bottle of Jameson Black Barrel Irish Whiskey starting at around $30. New Orleans mixologist Kimberly Patton-Bragg singled this option out because it has a richer, deeper flavor profile without losing any of the character that makes the brand's regular whiskey great. While Patton-Bragg uses the whiskey in New Orleans-based Pulcinella's complex Addio all'Irlanda ("Farewell to Ireland"), the robustness of Black Barrel should also work well in simpler drinks most of us can make at home, like an Irish coffee cocktail.

While the two experts highlighted Jameson's Original and Black Barrel, some of the brand's other sub-$50 products are well-regarded too. For instance, Jameson Distiller's Batch earned an "Exceptional" rating on tastings.com, scoring 93 points out of a possible 100. Starting at just around $46 on Total Wine for a 750-milliliter bottle, it's a good introduction to the single-pot still style unique to Irish whiskey.

On the more premium side, you can get a bottle of Jameson 18 Years Old Limited Reserve starting at about $160, which is an excellent price for what is considered to be one of the brand's best offerings. The 40% ABV version earned a rating of 92 on Whisky Advocate off the strength of its spice and its fruity sherry-cask finish. Every now and then, Jameson also releases limited-edition whiskeys that only get more expensive as bottles get harder to find. In 2008, the brand released its Rarest Vintage Reserve at $250 per bottle. These days, you'll find it only at specialty stores and on sites like Wine-Searcher, with a price ranging from around $722.50 to a staggering $3,896; with a 95 Whisky Advocate score, the quality and rarity combined back up its price.

The fact that the $30 Black Barrel isn't too far off in ratings from either premium option (it scored a 91 on Whisky Advocate) shows Jameson is more than capable of delivering quality at much more modest prices. This is probably why the brand has consistently been among America's most-ordered whiskeys in recent years.