The first time I tried scotch, I hated it. While I was visiting a friend in Scotland, her dad poured me a glass of Famous Grouse, which tasted hot and harsh to my youthful palate.

A few years later, I found myself living in Edinburgh and decided to give scotch another go. To my delight, I found that I actually quite liked it.

The dram that changed my mind was Balvenie DoubleWood, a 12-year-old single malt with a sherry cask finish. Mellow and sweet, it opened up the entire world of scotch for me, kickstarting a journey that would eventually lead to my role as a whiskey writer and critic. 

It was, in other words, my gateway whiskey.

“Gateway” whiskies are, essentially, starter whiskies — the pours or bottles that ignite one’s enjoyment and lead to deeper exploration of a certain type of whiskey (or of whiskey altogether). I first heard the term when I tried that Balvenie, and it's now a common concept among whiskey lovers.

A good gateway whiskey serves as an introduction to a particular style or region. It’s well-made and displays the key virtues and characteristics of its category. It should be available and affordable (at least, relative to other whiskies like it), but not an outlier in terms of price. It should be sufficiently delightful and intriguing that it encourages further exploration within the category, but not so exquisite that its qualities can’t be found among many of its peers. If you enjoy a gateway whiskey, you’re in luck, because behind it stands a whole group of whiskies like it that you’re bound to like, too.

Since my initial foray into single malt scotch, I’ve come to believe there are great gateway bottles for just about every style across the whiskey spectrum. So here’s my list, if you’re looking to branch out and fall in love with the charms of a new whiskey style.

Bourbon

Straight bourbon: Bourbon that’s at least two years old and untampered with is a rich vein to tap. There are three broad styles of bourbon, each of which deserves its own gateway whiskey: standard (heavy corn/light rye), high-rye and wheated.

• Standard bourbon: Perennial crowd-pleaser Elijah Craig Small Batch ($33) clocks in at 47% ABV, which might be strong if you’re used to lower proofs, but it's excellent on ice or even cut with soda.
• High-rye bourbon: Start gently with 80-proof Basil Hayden ($50). Despite only meeting the minimum alcohol level, its rye-forward mashbill ensures there’s plenty for your palate to discover. 
• Wheated bourbon: Skip the hard-to-find Weller and pick up a bottle of Maker's Mark ($25), which perfectly embodies the nutty, honeyed flavors of the “wheater” style.

Beyond the confines of the straight designation lies the wide field of barrel-finished bourbon, where aging in new charred oak is followed by a secondary maturation in another kind of cask — anything from sherry or port to rum, brandy or tequila. Angel’s Envy ($50) is the OG here, melding the ripe red fruit and velvety tannins of ruby port with rich, sweet bourbon into a seamless whole.

Barrel-proof bourbon shouldn't be anyone's first step into whiskey — the high alcohol content will burn a novice palate long before it detects any flavors — but there's likely to come a point when you're ready for it. When you are, look for Stellum ($55), made by the same talented blending team behind Barrell Bourbon; it's balanced and flavorful with expected boldness while avoiding too-tannic, mouth-stripping heat.

Rye

The elder cousin to bourbon, straight rye shares many of the same tasting notes but tends to be spicier, more herbal, and sometimes more floral or fresh. Like bourbon, there are a few broad rye styles, including Kentucky-style — usually made with the minimum required amount of rye (51%) — and what we might call Indiana-style, made with the 95% rye recipe that originated with and was popularized by MGP Distillery in Indiana. 

• Kentucky-style rye: Despite its Pennsylvania roots, Old Overholt Bottled-in-Bond ($25) is pure Bluegrass State whiskey today. At 100 proof, it drinks nicely on ice and in rye cocktails. 
• Indiana-style rye: Redemption Rye ($30) is a prime example of the 95% rye/5% malted barley style — spiced and herbal, accommodating versatile applications.

Tennessee Whiskey

For a long time, just two distilleries comprised the Tennessee whiskey category — and, let's face it, only one really counted. That's not the case anymore, as Tennessee whiskies have proliferated over the last 15 years on the back of the craft distilling revolution. But the style is still defined by its two leading producers. 

• The OG: Jack Daniel's still reigns supreme but these days, Old No. 7 has been joined by a few siblings, including a Bonded version ($30) that's considerably more complex.
• The Other Tennessee Whiskey: George Dickel has also undergone a transformation in recent years with a perennial Bottled-in-Bond (around $45) representing one of the best values — and most delicious pours — in American whiskey today.

Scotch

The diverse flavors found in scotch make it difficult to narrow down entry points, but splitting the category into its two main components — blends and single malts — is a good place to start.

In theory, blended scotch can be as varied as a blender's imagination. But in reality, most blends hew to a smooth and mellow profile, with the biggest variance found in smoke level. So here’s a gateway at each end of the smoke spectrum:

• Non-smoky blend: Compass Box Great King Street Artist’s Blend ($39) is pleasingly well-rounded and complex, thanks to its high malt content. 
• Smoky blend: Black Bottle ($25), a woefully unappreciated brand that dates to 1879, offers balanced peat and smoke with underlying sweetness.

Single malt scotch tends to be more diverse in flavor and character than its blended brethren. There are almost endless gateway whiskies here, depending on what direction you want to take.

• Speyside-style: Roughly speaking, the Speyside style of single malt showcases fruity, floral, honeyed and sherried flavors, and no distillery epitomizes it more than Glenlivet ($45 for the 12-year-old). 
• Heavily sherried: Exclusive maturation in oloroso and PX casks gives GlenDronach 12-Year-Old ($66) the rich flavor density sherry-lovers seek.
• Lightly peated: More of a toe-dip than a plunge into peat, Talisker 10-Year-Old ($70) weaves its soft smoke into salty sea breeze and fruit notes.
• Heavily peated: When you're ready to go full-throttle, the 10-year-olds from either Ardbeg ($68) or Laphroaig ($63) — Islay neighbors separated by a few hundred meters — hit with a furnace blast of fiery peat.
• Cask strength: Maturation in sherry deceptively smooths out the roughness of high strength, making Aberlour A'bunadh ($110) something to sip slowly.

Cask-finished single malt scotch is a world unto itself, and theoretically endless in its variations, although most finishes occur in just a few cask types.

• Sherry cask-finished: Balvenie was one of the first distilleries to attempt finishing, and DoubleWood ($66) remains an outstanding leader of the style.
• Port cask-finished: The other early mover in finishing was Glenmorangie; its Quinta Ruban expression ($63) is a masterwork of restrained opulence.
• Red wine cask-finished: Soft berry notes typical of Cab finishes pervade Glen Moray Cabernet Sauvignon Cask ($30). 
• Rum cask-finished: Traditionally unpeated, Glenfiddich here incorporates gentle smoke into Fire and Cane ($50), whose rum cask finish buffers it with sweetness.
• Cognac cask-finished: Though you might expect sweetness, the French oak casks lend more spice notes to Glenlivet 14-Year-Old ($63).
• Virgin oak cask-finished: Charred new oak barrels, like those used for bourbon, amplify the underlying honey flavors of Deanston Virgin Oak ($50), while complementing its inherent waxiness.

Irish Whiskey

As with scotch, blended Irish whiskey makes up the bulk of its home country’s production. You’re likely familiar with a little brand called Jameson, which is far and away the bestselling Irish whiskey in the world. But there's a lot more to the category nowadays, as new producers proliferate and turn to contemporary trends, like barrel finishing, for their unique iterations. 

• Teeling Small Batch ($44) combines malt and grain whiskies and then finishes them in rum casks for a full year, lending the final whiskey roundness and fruit notes. 
• Writers' Tears Copper Pot ($45) eschews less expensive grain whisky in favor of single malt and single pot still, which give it robust flavor and texture.
• Lost Irish ($40) blends whiskies finished in casks from six continents, an homage to the 70 million-strong global Irish diaspora.

Ireland’s signature whiskey style, single pot still, once nearly died out but is enjoying a resurgence. Most brands on the shelf still come from one mega-distillery, Midleton, which kept the flame burning during the dark years. Powers Three Swallow ($48) and Green Spot ($52) both showcase the style's signature creamy body and spicy flavors, derived from unmalted barley.

Irish single malt is made throughout the Emerald Isle, though in far fewer variations than its Scottish counterpart.

• Bushmills 12-Year-Old ($63), a worthy standard-bearer for the style, highlights dried fruit and nut notes and purity of flavor. 
• The Busker ($30) comes from Royal Oak Distillery, one of Ireland's most established craft distilleries.

Canadian Whisky

Of all whiskey styles, Canadian is most deliberately designed for easy entry, with the majority of modern offerings hitting a light-and-sweet profile many find to be smooth and gentle. If that’s what you’re looking for, you can dive into any number of affordable, ubiquitous mainstream brands such as Crown Royal or Canadian Club.

But if you’re worried about getting bored, especially if your palate is used to more complex pours, there are three excellent gateway whiskies from the Great North that feature a profile representative of the country's more robust styles. 

• Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye ($30) is dangerously easy to drink and highlights the flavorful character of its signature grain
• Lot No. 40 ($38), made on a pot still from 100% rye, offers a bold take that will taste familiar to fans of American rye.
• At an ABV sometimes exceeding 65%, Alberta Premium Cask Strength ($80) is not for the faint of heart, but will accommodate barrel-proof bourbon fans with its firehose of flavor and body. 

Japanese Whisky

Japan’s whisky industry largely has followed scotch trends, so Japanese blends make up a large proportion of the shelf. Many have traditionally included — and still include —  imported whisky from Scotland, Ireland and elsewhere, a tradition that has been shrouded in secrecy but recently began coming to light. 

• Fully made in Japan: Hibiki Japanese Harmony ($80), made by juggernaut Suntory, embodies the effortless-seeming balance of the best Japanese whiskies. 
• Made with imported whisky: Nikka Days ($50), from Japan’s other large whisky producer, was designed for cocktails but drinks just as well neat or on the rocks, especially with its surprisingly full body.

Japanese single malt is the most prized of the country’s whiskies, and usually quite expensive; even the most widely available options, like old standbys Yoichi and Yamazaki, run well over $100. With that in mind, if you decide to wade in, the quality is uniformly high. 

• Unpeated Japanese single malt: Silky in body with supple fruit flavors, Nikka Miyagikyo (about $100) epitomizes Japanese single malt elegance.
• Peated Japanese single malt: Made with peated malt imported from Scotland, Hakushu 12-Year-Old ($185) is muscular yet restrained.
• New wave Japanese single malt: Beyond the two industry leaders, smaller producers like Matsui are starting to carve out their own niches. Matsui Mizunara Cask ($99) uses the country's rare native oak to impart exotic spice flavors.

A new style has emerged from Japan in the last decade: koji whisky. Made using ancient production techniques, the whisky’s base grain can be rice, barley or a mix of both. It's a highly aromatic style with delicate structure and novel flavors. 

• Koji rice whisky: Fukano ($90)
• Koji barley whisky: Takamine ($104)
• Koji rice-and-barley whisky: Ikikko ($90)

American Single Malt

There are many gateways to American single malt (ASM), which is, flavor-wise, the most diverse whiskey being made in the U.S. today. Although the average price per bottle tends to be higher than bourbon or rye, the most established distilleries have matured enough that they've actually brought prices down. As the category evolves, certain styles are starting to coalesce.

• Pacific Northwest ASM: With its established beer culture, the Pacific Northwest was a natural place for ASM to take shape, and two distilleries have become leaders: Westward ($75 for the core single malt) employs brewing wisdom in its production techniques, while Westland ($60) has made local ingredients — from grain to oak to peat — a focus.
• Desert-influenced ASM: The Southwest has also become a hotbed of top-notch single malt. Balcones Lineage ($40) enrobes tropical fruit in cacao and coffee bean, a juxtaposition that can only be achieved in the extreme climate of Waco, Texas.
• New oak ASM: Most craft distillers mature their ASM in used barrels, but as mainstream American whiskey makers have gotten in on the movement, they're employing new charred oak barrels heavily. Clermont Steep ($60), from the James B. Beam Distilling Co., carries off this challenging profile well.