Maybe it's psychological but I've had Johnnie Walker and Dewar's... and then I tried Macallan 12 and Glenlivet, then Highland Park... I do smell/taste a big difference in quality and consistency with the single malts.
Another vote for a french press. Simple Bodum one is fine... get a bag of fresh beans, grind them coarse... steep for 4 minutes and then press. Perfect.