It’s easy to forget, but whisky should be fun. And there are plenty of things that can make a whisky fun: a cool founder story, interesting production methods, links to history and cultural phenomena, uncovering a tremendous value, or simply finding a dram that tastes great. There's one whisky category right now that consistently hits every one of these marks: world whisky.

A catchall term for anything that’s made outside the Big Five traditional whisky-making countries (the United States, Canada, Scotland, Ireland, and Japan), world whisky encompasses an understandably wide range of styles, flavors, and personalities. It's made on every continent on earth except Antarctica (and who knows?—the scientists down there might be cooking up some single malt even now). World whisky's current leaders  range from England, France, and Germany to the Nordics (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland), Australia, and India. But there are budding industries in smaller countries too, like Israel and Taiwan. Even Mexico, world capital of agave spirits, is getting in on whisky.

For the most part, world whisky is a relatively recent phenomenon, with many far-flung distilleries cropping up in only the last 20 or 30 years. But the offerings have garnered enough attention to support dedicated importers and whole sections on bar menus. World whisky devotees point to a few key attributes of the category that have sparked and sustained whisky lovers’ excitement:

• Terroir. Though not always used in the same way it is for wine, “terroir” has become a byword for many world whisky distillers who endeavor to capture a sense of place in their spirits, says Fred Barnet, founder of Anthem Imports. Terroir-driven whisky typically entails using local or estate grain, fermenting or proofing with water from an on-site source, maturing in casks made of local oak, and similar backyard-minded techniques.
• Savoir-Faire. Many world whisky producers are located in places with histories of producing other alcohol: beer, wine, or spirits like brandy and eau-de-vie. Drawing on that experience and knowledge—plus access to stills, casks, and materials typically used to make other drinks—gives these new distillers a leg up, along with confidence in both their taste and perspective.
• Experimentation. Largely unfettered by production regulations or expectations about how their whiskies should taste—things that dictate the bounds of, for example, scotch—world distillers are free to make and bottle just about anything. “With world whisky, where there’s not really a tradition—they can sort of do what they want,” Barnet says.

These circumstances combine to yield the most important quality of all: delicious, often unique flavor that can extend far beyond what’s found in more-established styles. “We don't even realize what sort of flavor opportunities are out there,” says Holly Seidewand, co-owner of First Fill Spirits. The shop has a dedicated section for world whiskies, which Seidewand has been championing for years—and the best is yet to come, she says. “We are in for an exciting, wild ride going forward.”

Exploring the world through whisky is in reach for just about anyone; no passport (and no massive bank account) required. So pack your rollaway, trot out your best David Attenborough impression, and start circumnavigating the globe with these bottles.

WALES

Penderyn Madeira ($70)

Ease into your journey with a whisky from an English-speaking country: Wales. Thanks to its one-of-a-kind Faraday still, Penderyn Distillery has cornered a unique flavor profile among single malt whiskies: highly fruity with a piercing clarity of flavor, enhanced by the use of various finishing casks.

ENGLAND

Adnams Rye Malt ($80)

England currently has about 50 whisky distilleries, and while many make only single malt, a notable contingent chooses to work with other grains, especially rye. Brewer-distiller Adnams (which has been making beer since the 1880s) uses rye grown “just up the road” by its chairman to make this thick and creamy whisky, which is spiced, nutty, and warm with grain character.

FRANCE

Armorik Yeun Elez ($80)

Rooted in Celtic culture, Brittany often shares deeper ties with Scotland and Ireland than France. Armorik is an embodiment of that: a scotch-style single malt that’s nevertheless expressive of the rocky peninsula where it’s made. Yeun Elez, in particular, named for a local peat bog, is smoky and saline, with spice and warm oak tones.

DENMARK

Stauning Kaos ($90)

Fine dining mecca Noma has only one whisky brand on its menu: Stauning, which taps into the same slightly subversive Danish creativity that put the restaurant on the map. Kaos is among its most radical offerings: a blend of malted rye with smoked and unsmoked barley malt whiskies, all made from local grains, floor-malted on site, and double-distilled in direct-fired pots.

SWEDEN

Mackmyra First Edition ($90)

An early mover in world whisky, Mackmyra Distillery opened in 1999. Its gravity-fed distillery, nestled in a forest on Sweden’s east coast, produces single malt from Swedish barley and ages it in Swedish oak. Master blender Angela D’Orazio doesn’t shy away from pushing the envelope: among other experiments, Mackmyra is producing whisky recipes developed by AI.

ISRAEL

M&H Elements Red Wine Cask ($65)

Sunny, warm Israel is a surprisingly agreeable climate for single malts. Tel Aviv-based M&H (short for Milk & Honey) matures its whisky in five locations, from the temperate Jerusalem mountains to the arid, burning-hot Dead Sea. Each area has different impacts on the casks—which include those used in local winemaking—though the distillery’s house style, with bright citrus and spice layered on a malty base, typically prevails.

INDIA

Amrut Single Malt ($67)

Technically, Indians drink more whisky than anyone else in the world—though thanks to the inclusion of neutral cane spirit, most of that liquid wouldn’t be considered whisky elsewhere. Still, the country has a long whisky tradition, born out of its colonial history, and several distilleries that make top-quality single malt. Bengaluru-based Amrut was the first to export, and has set a high bar for the nation’s fruit-forward, intensely flavored style.

TAIWAN

Kavalan Distillery Select ($60)

As in India, the subtropical environment and high humidity of Yilan, Taiwan accelerates whisky maturation compared to other parts of the world. Thus Kavalan, which burst onto the scene in the late aughts, boasts ripe, rich flavors at just a few years old, rivaling scotches two or three times its age. The brand is pricier than many of its peers, but Distillery Select offers a reasonable entry point to the house style.

AUSTRALIA

Starward Two-Fold ($35)

Taking advantage of Australia’s brimming inventory of wine casks and harnessing the changeable weather and temperature of Melbourne, Starward has made its reputation on syrupy-thick, fruit-forward single malts. But Two-Fold, its blend of single malt and wheat whisky, is the distillery’s dark horse—a versatile bottle that fits into just about any traditional whisky cocktail recipe. Best of all: It’s much more affordable than a lot of whiskies from Down Under, where taxation and export fees can make many bottles too pricey for a casual taste.

MEXICO

Abasolo ($40)

Corn originated in Mexico, where it’s a staple of the diet but has rarely made its way into alcoholic beverages. That’s changed in the last decade, as several mezcal distillers have begun trying out whisky. Made from Cacahuazintle corn, Abasolo is the most available of these boutique spirits, but you may also find the rainbow-hued labels of Sierra Norte, which breaks up its batches into kernel color.