When this product first came out last year (or a littler earlier), I was a bit skeptical. It's blended whisky—but under this new brand, it cuts through the opacity of a lot of Scotch whisky labels. The brand is called John, Mark & Robbo, representing a few guys who describes themselves as "three mates (two of us brothers), who passionately believe that decent quality whisky should be enjoyed and not worshipped."

Thanks to John, Mark and Robbo, anyone who’s not a scotch connoisseur won’t have to ask questions like: "Is Laphroaig smoky?" Instead, the names speak for themselves. John, Mark and Robbo created a whisky called The Smokey Peaty One. They also have the Rich Spicy One, the Smooth Sweeter One and the Fresh Fruity One—all of which mimic styles of certain scotches, but simply tell you exactly what they're like from the outset.

Because they're blends, these whiskies lack some of the ferocity and uniqueness of single malts. But all the ones I've tried are quite good and a great way for the inexperienced drinker to enter the wonderful world of Scotch.