The most famous and best-selling Irish whiskey globally is Jameson, known for its smooth, triple-distilled blend that's popular in cocktails and for general drinking. While Jameson dominates sales, other highly recognized and respected brands include Tullamore D.E.W., Bushmills, and Redbreast (a premium single pot still whiskey).
Jameson Irish Whiskey
It is by far the best-selling Irish whiskey in the world. Jameson is a blended Irish whiskey produced by the Irish Distillers subsidiary of Pernod Ricard. Originally one of the six main Dublin Whiskeys, Jameson is distilled at the New Midleton Distillery in County Cork.
While "No. 1" Irish Whiskey can mean best-selling or award-winning, Jameson is the world's most popular and best-selling Irish Whiskey by far, known for its smooth, versatile blended flavor. However, for top-tier quality, many experts point to premium single pot stills like Redbreast or award winners like Dunville's 21 Year Old, showcasing a diverse range beyond the classic blend, with Powers also highly respected.
There's no single "world No. 1" whisky, as it depends on the competition and category, but recent top contenders include Kavalan Solist Fino Sherry (International Whisky Competition 2025) and White Peak Wire Works Bourbon Barrel (The Whisky Exchange 2026), with Lark Distillery's Symphony Nº1 often winning Best Blended Malt, highlighting winners from Taiwan, the UK, and Australia alongside traditional Scottish/Irish/Japanese malts, showing a diverse global scene.
The Rankings
Taking the crown in American whiskey (and 'world whisky' if that sort of categorisation floats your boat) is Jim Beam. Sales actually dip by 1.6% from 2021, when it sold 17m cases.
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Irish Whiskey
And it's as smooth as it gets! Jameson is produced from a blend of grain whiskey and single pot still whiskey, which uses a mixture of malted and unmalted or “green” Irish barley, all sourced from within a 50-mile radius of the distillery in Cork.
While Queen Elizabeth herself was more of a gin drinker, The Famous Grouse was one of her favourites, with it receiving a royal warrant from her in 1984. While the Queen might have enjoyed a dram, it was Princess Margaret who really loved this blended whisky.
Johnnie Walker King George V is the spearhead among Johnny Walker's creations, certainly among the blended whisky best known, drunk and sold in the world thanks to the unmistakable style that unites all the proposals in the range, from blended whisky newspapers to mythological bottles like this one.
Notable Irish Whiskey Brands
The heavyweights: Classic Irish whiskey distilleries
We may be biased, but we'd have to say the best whiskey to drink straight for beginners is Jameson Irish Whiskey. Even to the unbiased wondering what is the smoothest Irish whiskey to drink straight or what is the easiest whiskey to drink straight, Jameson Irish Whiskey always comes out on top.
SINGLE POT STILL IRISH WHISKEY
Irish single pot still whiskey is made exclusively in Ireland (although other distillers around the world are beginning to experiment with the style elsewhere).
However, in the blind tasting, the Jameson came out better than the Tullamore DEW. The Jameson whiskey's nose is more elegant and inviting, and on the palate, the Jamesons is smoother. In the Tullamore DEW, the tropical fruit, floral notes, and oaks are more pronounced on the palate than the Jamesons.
The Bushmills® 46 year old is the oldest single malt ever released from the oldest licensed whiskey distillery in the world. It pays homage to the River Bush, which has flowed through our story for over 415 years. Its water is at the heart of every drop of Bushmills® Irish Whiskey, dating back to 1608.
In celebration of this honour, the distillery produced Laphroaig 10 Year Old Royal Warrant though according to those closest to Prince Charles, he prefers the 15 Year Old in the this particular range.
The Churchill Bar & Terrace at the Hyatt Regency London
In 1915 he painted 'Bottlescape' in homage to his favourite whisky, Johnnie Walker ® Black Label, and it still hangs in the dining room at Chartwell.
Pendleton Whisky is another Canadian blend that's actually fairly similar to Crown Royal. It's made of blended whiskies, distilled in Canada, and bottled in Oregon. It's aged in oak barrels and is described as an excellent sipping whisky.
Canadian Five Star Whisky imparts a unique character that results in a robust taste that is lightly balanced with hints of fruit and nuts with soft touches of oak. Canadian Rye Whisky must be mashed, distilled, and aged for a minimum of three years in Canada.
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The main difference between bourbon and whisky is that bourbon can only be produced in the United States of America (US). Similar to how Scotch whisky can only be made in Scotland, bourbon whisky cannot be made outside the US. Some other rules need to be followed to craft bourbon.