Yeah, it looks pricey on the shelf, but a few of those drunk at home is cheaper than shit beer at bar when you add it up.

Here's a few favorite bangs for the bucks of mine:
Aberlour
Bowmore
Old Pulteney
Highland Park

You can get them all at my favorite place for around or under $35 for a 750ml (Warehouse Wines & Spirits in Manhattan).  And there's plenty of things worth drinking that start popping up in the $20+ range (McClellands, Bowmore Legend, Tomintoul).

Currently there are about 25 bottles of Single Malt Scotch in my basement.  My favorites are Talisker 10 and 18 Year Old.  I like to call the 10 Year Old "smoke on the water."  It has the taste of smoke, peat and pepper.  The 18 Year Old is more tamed and refined.  Lagavulin is a another peaty favorite.

 

If smooth is what you are looking for, you can not go wrong with any of the Highland Park (12, 15 or 18 Year Old).

C.C. if it was good enough for Prohibition and a few Mad Men.

I think of it being more like the various island malts. If it's getting tossed in with the Speys I would guess that's because it's closer to that region than anywhere else.

DubStooge said:

I was pleasantly suprised by Old Pulteney a few months ago. Its location makes stand apart from the Speyside lot, although I think it gets thrown into that category.

I was pleasantly suprised by Old Pulteney a few months ago. Its location makes stand apart from the Speyside lot, although I think it gets thrown into that category.

I like Oban too, has some of the smoky, peatiness(is that a word?) of the Islay but not as "in your face". Having said that you can't beat a bit of Bowmore.

Scotty Mac said:

 

I am a fan of Oban.  Laphroig is excellent as well but an acquired taste.

Glenlivit 15 isn't bad either

 

I am a fan of Oban.  Laphroig is excellent as well but an acquired taste.

Glenlivit 15 isn't bad either

Agreed, Laphroiag is my favorite Scotch. I rarely spend more than $35 so that is about as good as I drink.

Drew Smith said:

Not inexpensive(but certainly not expensive), I love Laphroiag Cask Strength 10 year; one of my favorite whiskeys of all time(and way smoother than you'd think an overproof would be).

For Irish, I've been in love with John L. Sullivan since the first time I tried it.

Not inexpensive(but certainly not expensive), I love Laphroiag Cask Strength 10 year; one of my favorite whiskeys of all time(and way smoother than you'd think an overproof would be).

For Irish, I've been in love with John L. Sullivan since the first time I tried it.

Anytime. Yeah it's like beer kinda. Malt liquor got too sweet, cheap beer tastes shitty, and then the good stuff comes on. And lots of Jim Beam handles in between.

Thanx for the suggestions..I now see the how the scotch hobby starts..I think it was Mac something or others Rob said:

Slainte! Was it Caol Isla? That's one of my favorites. Regular smokiness for an Islay, kind of oily, smooth, and that kind of seaweed taste sits there. There's a blend that's out now called Islay Mist that runs for $20+ that I heard was pretty good. It's got a base of Laphroaig with some other single malts from other regions and grain alcohol mixed in. I haven't tried it yet but the suggestion came from a trusted source.
And if the triple distillation gives it a flavor you like, Auchentoshan, a lowland malt, uses triple distillation. It's lighter and really smooth.

Slainte! Was it Caol Isla? That's one of my favorites. Regular smokiness for an Islay, kind of oily, smooth, and that kind of seaweed taste sits there. There's a blend that's out now called Islay Mist that runs for $20+ that I heard was pretty good. It's got a base of Laphroaig with some other single malts from other regions and grain alcohol mixed in. I haven't tried it yet but the suggestion came from a trusted source.

And if the triple distillation gives it a flavor you like, Auchentoshan, a lowland malt, uses triple distillation. It's lighter and really smooth.

I know that Irish whiskey is triple distilled that makes it smooth. I actually tried a scotch that I liked the other dayI think it was isle or something . It had a lot more flavor and a lot less bite than I expected...I might just have to sample more scotch!!slainte'!! Rob said:

Uh, they're different, not necessarily better. The more distinct characteristics of single malts are A) from the water they use (Islays are peatier, Speys more flowery, for instance), B) if the germinated barley has been peat smoked, C) flavors caused by the shape of the still (which I don't understand) D) and whatever flavors they pick up from the barrels they're aged in and the location they're aged in (like seaside warehoused malts can be saltier or may have seaweed-ish flavoring). They also don't have grain alcohols in them. In short, there's a lot to each distillery that gives its whisky a flavor that makes each distinct; or at least that's what's supposed to happen, but there's a lot that taste more similar, like the Speyside whiskys, which probably take up the majority of the market, like Glenlivet, MacCallan, and Glenfiddich. I think a lot of the Speys have more marketing push behind them, too.

For the record I like Jameson a lot. It's solid, smokier, smoother, and doesn't have the bite a lot of other popular Irish whiskeys have. I'm always going to like Powers more, though, because I'm pretty sure it's the last Irish whiskey that's still owned by Irishmen.

There's probably differences in the distilling process, too, but I don't know enough about. In essence, I think bourbon, Irish, and Scottish whiskey/whisky are brewed in the same basic way, though.

Petulant Child said:

what makes a single malt so much better than say a jameson?

Uh, they're different, not necessarily better. The more distinct characteristics of single malts are A) from the water they use (Islays are peatier, Speys more flowery, for instance), B) if the germinated barley has been peat smoked, C) flavors caused by the shape of the still (which I don't understand) D) and whatever flavors they pick up from the barrels they're aged in and the location they're aged in (like seaside warehoused malts can be saltier or may have seaweed-ish flavoring). They also don't have grain alcohols in them. In short, there's a lot to each distillery that gives its whisky a flavor that makes each distinct; or at least that's what's supposed to happen, but there's a lot that taste more similar, like the Speyside whiskys, which probably take up the majority of the market, like Glenlivet, MacCallan, and Glenfiddich. I think a lot of the Speys have more marketing push behind them, too. For the record I like Jameson a lot. It's solid, smokier, smoother, and doesn't have the bite a lot of other popular Irish whiskeys have. I'm always going to like Powers more, though, because I'm pretty sure it's the last Irish whiskey that's still owned by Irishmen. There's probably differences in the distilling process, too, but I don't know enough about. In essence, I think bourbon, Irish, and Scottish whiskey/whisky are brewed in the same basic way, though. Petulant Child said:

what makes a single malt so much better than say a jameson?

what makes a single malt so much better than say a jameson?