With the trepidatin of ignorance, I picked Powers Gold Label (very widely available, usually £13.49) as my favourite for everyday enjoyment, noting its rich, assertive, slightly spicy character. I've since discovered that the whiskey authority Jim Murray describes it thus: "A monster of a whiskey of which the nose and tastebuds can never tire . . . Classic is a cliche in the drinks world but if this isn't one of them, I'd like to know what is."