Butter - try a taste to begin with (4)
I believe the answer is:
goat
'butter' is the definition.
(animal which butts)
'try a taste to begin with' is the wordplay.
'try' becomes 'go' (both can mean an attempt).
'to begin with' suggests taking the first letters.
The initial letter of 'taste' is 't'.
'go'+'a'+'t'='GOAT'
(Other definitions for goat that I've seen before include "Butting nanny, perhaps?" , "foolish person" , "lecherous sort" , "heavenly sign" , "Animal in zodiac" .)