I would personally recommend Rebel 80 proof as a good starter bourbon. Sweet, soft, nice caramel flavor, and very cheap. I recently had my brother – who has never tried any whiskey neat before – give it a try and he actually said it was "nice" and it didn't burn at all. A couple others to try are Old Forester 86 proof or Benchmark Top Floor. All very affordable easy sippers that also have higher proof versions when you're ready to step up a bit.

You had Evan Williams - did you like it? What about it did you like or not like? Do you want to keep with that sweet corn and caramel flavors > try bourbon. If you want something with more spice > try rye. If you want more of a malty or bready flavor > try a blended scotch.

All that to say, there isn't a one-size-fits-all answer to this. The more you can tell us about what you like and don't like, the better we can tailor recommendations.

Jameson is a good one. I think Makers Mark is another solid first whiskey. Personally I didn't like the barley flavor in Jameson when I first drank it, but that might be other's favorite part.

Because there is so much variety in whiskey, there isn't a "best first whiskey". You could make an argument for "best first Irish whiskey", "best first bourbon", "best first scotch" etc, but even then I don't think there's a "best" since there's so much variety even in those categories.

It depends on what kinds of flavors the drinker typically likes. What kind of drinks do you usually like?