WHISKY is a spirit that can be like Marmite to even the most seasoned of spirit drinkers – it can seem tricky to pin one down that you actually like.
But that doesn't mean you should give up on it altogether, we've tested some of the best whisky tasting sets around so that you can embark on your own honey-coloured taste test.
Contrary to popular belief, whisky is not just good for being served neat or on the rocks – some also work great in cocktails like Old Fashioned, or a good ol' Whisky Sours.
From ready-made cocktail sets to miniature masterpieces, we've selected the best whisky tasting sets on the market right now to peruse at your pleasure.
Whisky tasting sets at a glance:
- Best Bourbon: Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon Gift Pack
- Best cocktail: Nio Cocktails Rebel Bourbon Whiskey Cocktail Box
- Best mixed selection: Drinks by the Dram 12 Dram Whisky Collection
- Best Japanese experience: Japanese Whisky Tasting Gift Set
- Best for Irish Whisky: Drinks by the Dram Irish Whiskey Collection
- Best for Scotch Whisky: The Single Malt Scotch Whisky Trio
- Best single malt selection: Glenfiddich Tasting Collection
- Best for home blending: Chivas Blend at Home Kit
- Best supermarket tasting set: Marks & Spencer Whisky Tasting Experience
1. We tested: Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon Gift Pack
- Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon Gift Pack, £31.49 from Master of Malt – buy here
Don't leave the cocktail-making to the pros at fancy bars – try a classic Old Fashioned yourself, from the comfort of your very own kitchen.
Woodford Reserve is a tasty Kentucky Bourbon, and is a staple whisky for the classic cocktail. This gift set will help you on the way to perfecting your homemade tipple.
We tried it, and it was so simple – combine 50ml of bourbon with 10ml of the cocktail syrup – give it a twirl and add ice (we tend to use whisky rocks, instead) and garnish with a twist of orange peel.
For a gift set, it's fun, creative and definitely a good whisky tasting kit if you want to venture out into trying whisky-based cocktails.
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2. We tested: NIO Cocktails Rebel Bourbon Whiskey Collection
- Nio Cocktails Rebel Bourbon Whiskey Cocktail Box, £29.00 – buy here
How about a box of expertly-crafted whisky cocktails delivered straight through your letterbox? Sign us up immediately!
NIO Cocktails has launched a Rebel Bourbon Whiskey Collection tasting set and it ticks all the right boxes.
For under £30, sample four completely unique whiskey cocktails – without the frills and fancy cocktail shaker.
We tried Espression, their take on the classic espresso martini, and found it was so simple – simply rip the cardboard corner of the cocktail pouch, pour over ice, mix and enjoy!
The flavours are so rich and varied in the sachet set, and range from whiskey mixed with banana liqueur, to Vermouth notes with peppercorns, fig and cherry. You won't experience a whisky cocktail quite like it anywhere else.
3. Sherry Monsters Whisky Tasting Set
- Sherry Monsters Whisky Tasting Set, £26.95 from Master of Malt – buy here
The flavour of whisky is dependent on many things, not least of which is the wooden casks used to mature it.
Sometimes known as 'Sherry Monsters', whiskies can be aged in sherry casks, giving them an intense sherry-influenced flavour.
Experience five delicious sherry-flavoured drams to determine your favourite winter warmer, with this tasting set from Master of Malt.
4. Marks & Spencer Whisky Tasting Experience
- Whisky Tasting Experience, £15 from Marks & Spencer – buy here
One for the novice whisky buff who perhaps wants to explore further but doesn’t know where to start.
This set contains four whiskies – two single malts and two blends – all in 5cl bottles.
Enjoy Inverglen and Kenmore blended Scotch whiskies, as well as Glengoyne single malt and Speyside single malt.
5. Chivas Blend at Home Kit
- Chivas Blend at Home Kit, £29.95 from The Whisky Exchange – buy here
If you’ve ever fancied your hand at making whisky, then this is definitely for you.
This blending kit lets you create your custom Scotch whisky at home from four single malts and a single grain.
Chivas also includes a beaker and a pipette so you can measure your blend to suit your tastes. Fabulous for whisky fans!
6. Drinks by the Dram 12 Dram Whisky Collection
- Drinks by the Dram 12 Dram Whisky Collection, £49.95 from Master of Malt – buy here
This exquisite set from fine whisky connoisseurs Drink by the Dram would make a lovely gift, thanks to its swish box.
Nestled behind 12 doors are 12 wax-sealed 30ml glass bottled drams, spanning a range of whisky styles and flavours.
Spoiler alert: the well-rated set features a mix of well-known whisky names and some indies which are bound to become your favourites, including Glenfiddich's IPA experiment, Rock Island, Loch Lomond, and more scotches that you can shake a glass of whisky stones at.
7. The Single Malt Scotch Whisky Trio
- The Single Malt Scotch Whisky Trio, £60 at Fortnum and Mason – buy here
This luxury set from Fortnum and Mason could be the perfect gift for Scotch Whisky lovers – with single malts from three of the most famous Scotch Whisky regions.
The set includes a five-year aged Islay single malt, eight-year aged single malt Speyside and an eight-year aged Highland single malt from the Blair Athol Distillery.
8. Japanese Whisky Tasting Set
- Japanese Whisky Tasting Gift Set, £34.95 from Laithwaites – buy here
It's not just Scotland that boasts the best whisky, but Japan has thrown its whisky-saturated hat into the ring, too – now producing some of the most highly-acclaimed whisky in the world.
This tasting set is a great introduction to Japanese whisky for beginners with five 30ml single malts and blends – each with tasting notes – from famous Japanese distilleries such asSuntory and Nikka.
9. Drinks by the Dram Irish Whiskey Collection
- Drinks by the Dram Irish Whiskey Collection, £49.95 – buy here
This is another banger from the pros at Drinks by the Dram, but this time it shares with us the world of Irish Whiskey – forget Guinness for one day, as this is the true taste of Ireland.
Like the Drinks by the Dram option above, this offering comes in a giftable box, with 12 doors to open, revealing the hidden, exciting contents inside.
The samples are wax-sealed and clock in at 30ml each, with a selection from distillers like Teeling, Egan's, Hinch and much more to get your tongue wagging.
10. That Boutique-y Whisky Company 12 Dram Collection
- That Boutique-y Whisky Company 12 Dram Collection, £74.95 from Master of Malt – buy here
Well, That Boutique-y Whisky Company does exactly what it says on the tin – well, box of whisky, in this case.
Behind 12 windows are 12 supreme, wax-sealed drams containing 30ml of fine whisky from a range of Scottish distilleries.
Look away if you don't want spoilers, but the tasting set boasts drams from Speyside, Macduff, Abelour and many more Scotch whisky aficionados.
It's pretty pricey, but it's a great way of trying bottles that are out of your league budget-wise, and settling on your next best favourite.
11. Glenfiddich Tasting Collection
- Glenfiddich Tasting Collection, £59.95 from Master of Malt – buy here
Chances are you've seen Glenfiddich in your local supermarket, but we can bet you haven't wrapped your lips around these miniature marvels.
The Glenfiddich Tasting Collection features five exquisite drams from the legendary Scottish distillery – each 30ml dram is wax-sealed for that extra special touch, making it a great gift idea for the whisky-intrigue in your life who keeps stealing your stashes…
Inside features a range of single malts, as old as 26 years, in a mixture of tastes and styles – including a sumptuous rum cask finish.
12. We tested: Adnams Whisky Trio Gift Set
- Adnams Whisky Trio Gift Set, £41.99 – buy here
Southwold-based distillery Adnams is well-known for its fresh and tasty beers, and now it has something else to boast about.
Its Whisky Trio Gift Set is an ideal gift for whisky lovers or those intrigued by the golden stuff – or even just for yourself.
The set comes with three unique whisky samples, in stout 20cl bottles: a Single Malt that has aged in French oak barrels for four years, a Rye Malt aged for five years, and a complex, sweet and savoury Triple Malt.
We found that the set had such a range of flavours and whisky styles to savour. From smooth and rich vanilla in the Single Malt, to complex spicy chocolate in the Triple Malt – not one sample left us bored or unsatisfied.
The set is vegan, too, and a great gateway to new styles and breeds of whisky that are stirring up the spirits scene right now – especially since its Rye Malt was Awarded Gold Outstanding at the 2019 International Wine & Spirit Competition. Get on it!
13. We tested: Cotswolds Miniature Whisky Gift Set
- Cotswolds Miniature Whisky Gift Set, £22.95 – buy here
Look no further than this exquisite whisky tasting set from Cotswolds Distillery – complete with three 50ml sample bottles to try and test your way through unique whisky styles and flavours.
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All three are Single Malt whiskies, but each boasts a different flavour – from rich and fruity notes in the ex-Bourbon barrelled classic Single Malt, to toffee, oak and red fruits in the Founder's Choice sample.
We thought the whisky offering in this tasting set was so varied, and each sip left us wanting more – we even found a new whisky style that we hadn't sampled much of before in the peaty and smoky Peated Cask Single Malt. Delicious all round.
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