I'm pretty sure my friends who didn't like Johnnie Walker Red Label, because it was too peaty and smokey, would probably like Jameson. Though not a scotch but an Irish whiskey, it is a reasonably priced spirit that can be found just about everywhere for those on a budget. Unlike the bolder Red Label, I think the flavor is much lighter and easier for someone fairly new to whiskey. Jameson still has enough of that robust, burning whiskey flavor which I love so much. I need my alcohol to have a little bit of fire that reminds me that I'm still alive and life is still hard.
In this whiskey, I taste light fruits like pear and apple along with some a dash of nuts. There's also some oak, but not a whole lot. Some online reviews I've read said that there should be a honey and barley finish that sits in the mouth for a while. After reading that review, I guess I taste those flavors. There's definitely a long aftertaste that stays on the sides of my tongue and the top of my mouth for a long time. My favorite part of whiskey is that kind of aftertaste.
There are a few differences between Irish whiskey and Scotch whisky. For starters, notice that there isn't an 'e' in Scotch whisky while there is one in Irish whiskey. Also, the legal regulations in Scotland after 2009 have very specific definitions for different types of Scotch, such as 'single malt.' Ireland does not have these same type of definitions, so there can be a much larger variation between the whiskies under the same category, like "Single Grain Irish Whiskey." Most importantly, there are over 90 distilleries in Scotland, but Ireland only has four. Those four distilleries do produce a large variety of whiskey, though.
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