Perfect time for a quote from a great movie:

"I'll have a scotch on the rocks, please. Any scotch will do, as long as it's not a blend, of course. Single malt, Glen Livet, Glen Galley, perhaps, any Glen."

In addition to all the "Glens" I'd recommend Oban 14. It's one of my favorites. There's a story behind this scotch which might be why it's my favorite....


I walk into a bar...duh-dump, ching. Really, it was a ratty pool hall. Every one with me was drinking pitchers of beer, but I was thinking scotch. I walk up to the bar and the bartender says, "what'll ya have?". After surveying the counter trying to see if they even have scotch, I see this dusty rack with even dustier bottles of scotch. They look like they've been there for years untouched...probably for looks more than anything else.

So I tell her, "I'll try the Oban 14, neat." She say's, "So, you want a shot of scotch?" Thinking she's going to put it in a shot glass I say, "No, I'd like it in a rocks glass please." "You want it on the rocks?". "No, I want it neat,...in a rocks glass."

At this point I've confused her and she grabs a rocks glass and starts pouring the house scotch...having forgotten I asked for the Oban. I inform her I'd rather try the Oban. So she finally grabs the right Scotch and the right glass (without ice) and fills it up almost to the TOP!....and says, "That'll be $7."

The guy sitting next me leans over and say's..."I'll have what he's having..."

I've never met an Oban I didn't like. They aren't typically $30, though.

I haven't tried Oban yet either, but it's on my short list. I only buy those +$50 bottles every now and then.

I think my 2 favorite +$50 single malts thus far are Ardbeg 10 year and Springbank 10 year. I usually try to get much closer to $30 though, and even then it's only a few times a year.

PD, any of the Oban line is woooonnndddeerrrffffuuullll! Occasionally you can see the younger ones get down to $40 around fall.

On the other hand, Ardbeg is one I haven't tried. I think I know what my traditional yearly "nice scotch" purchase this year will be.

You wacky bunch of peat-loving scoundrels.

Skip the peat and go Irish, my man, go Irish! Jameson is very affordable and widely popular, though I personally prefer Bushmill's (both of which are well within your price range).

Irish whiskey is far too sweet for me.

I'll compromise by enjoying a nice lowlands scotch, though.

$30 is a difficult price point for Scotch. $40-50 will give you a lot more range and options. Personally, I find one of the greatest Scotch values to be Balvenie Double Wood 12 Year Old at around $40.

+1 for the lovers of Peat. Bring it on.

OK, picked up a bottle of Glenmorangie 10 on the way home from work (and ran into an old friend at BevMo!).
Wow, smooth!
Fruity, light, perfect for summer.
A nice change up from the Islay peat monsters.

...and for $50 - $70... you get even more options... and don't forget $70 - $100... I mean, it's just money.

Don't get caught in the price trap, i.keen, although a true sentiment. There's a half dozen extremely tasty single malt scotches out there for around $30. If you're just starting out, they'll be fine. You have plenty of time at your age to save up, try more, and expand your taste for it.

Other sagely advice? Find a beverage place that's doing a scotch tasting and show up... they usually cost about $10 - $20, and you can sample far more whiskeys than you'd be able to on a limited budget. Bring a designated driver...I've gone home more than sauced a few times.

Gee, sounds almost like pipe/tobacco advice...buy what you can afford and enjoy what you like.

Don't get to go out much. 2 year old keeps me home most the time, don't think there is anything like that close by. May have to take a night out and go to new orleans for something like that. Good to get out every once and a while.