Whiskey is the best thing men can have. Always make sure you drink a good whiskey, like a good whiskey or a good bourbon whiskey. Stay away from the whiskey's economic aspiration as Imperial Blue / Director Specials / Royal Stag / Royal Challenger and types.
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Try one of these to start:
- Jim Beam
- Jack Daniels
- 100 pipers (12 years)
- Black dog (12 years)
The first two are bourbon (Google if you really want to know the difference in b / w of bourbon and scotch) and the last two are good 12 Scottish years that we can find in India.
Try to find Amrut, if you can (only available in Bangalore for the most part). It is Indian and one of the best in the world, but it is not available anywhere.
(Source: Amrut Fusion: Whiskey Bengaluru one of the best individual malts in the world - The Economic Times)
Whiskey goes better with ice cubes, make sure you have them handy.
What are the best combinations for drinking whiskey?
It depends on the money you can spend. If you've never tried any whiskey, it would be hard to tell the difference between good and bad whiskey. As others have said, I would also recommend running away from cheap Indian whiskeys like Royal Stag, Imperial Blue, Royal Challenge and even Blender's Pride. If you can pay 2.5k for your first whiskey, simply take a red label from the more reliable Johnnie Walker brand and start with some ice cubes. If you can pay more, go to Black Label. Burbon is not good to start, it's a change of flavor. If you can not pay 2.5k right now, you can start with Blackdog Gold 12 (not black) with a little water. Although there is a saying that the way Indians consume a good whiskey would result in a shot in Scotland. A good whiskey is prepared in a very complex process and to be heard correctly it must be consumed clean. No ice, water or soda, but no Indian whiskey, except Amrut, could be eaten clean. Above all, do not drink too much.
For a beginner, I think it is important to start with something that is smooth and easy on the taste buds / palettes. Once you like whiskey, you can try different types later.
In general, whiskey is American or European. The United States has Bourbon which has different varieties. Europe has scotch whiskey and revered Irish whiskey. Scots and Irish can also be classified as "mixed" compared to "single malts". If you go further, both are available as "peat" or "non peat".
Returning to India, I suspect there is a lot of fake liquor in local liquor stores. I always buy in large quantities without paying taxes. However, if you go to a large liquor / brand store, you should be able to find some brands distributed in India. Jim Beam is one of those brands, but it can be too difficult for a beginner. My personal recommendation would be Jamesons Irish Whiskey (about 2.5K) and Scotch Whiskey from Ballentine (about 2.8k). For something cheaper, I'd recommend the Black & White whiskey which is a blend of Scotch and Indian whiskey. I do not recommend any other brand of Indian whiskey.
If you can go to duty free or have friends or relatives coming to India, you can ask to buy something. Each passenger is allowed 2 bottles. It would start with Jamesons Irish Whiskey, Connemara Irish, single malt whiskey (peat), Laphroaig single malt scotch (peat), Maker's Mark Bourbon or even good old Chivas Regal.
Have fun and drink responsibly.