Just got back from 11 days in Kentucky...toured 8 Bourbon distilleries. The best tasting was the Whiskey Connoisseur Experience at Heaven Hill. Four 1/2 oz. tastes of their top shelf bourbons ($130 - $400 a bottle). Evan Williams 23 ($400/bottle) is AWESOME!!!!! :)

Scotch
 

Scotch ... Johnny WalkerBlue Label to be precise ....

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It's way to pricey for a BLENDED whisky.

I'll stick to SINGLE MALTS at better prices..

Currently, My goto is Balvenie 12 YO, Double Wood, a Speyside.

But I'm easy,, give me a single malt house whisky that's 12 yrs or older and I'm GTG.. With the exception of Lagavulin 16 YO. We have a Love-Hate relationship.

When I want to splurge, I try to find a bottle of Aberlour a'bunadh Cask.

Sounds awesome, I'm jealous!

What on earth can you have against Lagavulin 16? I can understand prejudice against their Cask-Strength nonsense, but the 16yo?

It may be me,, but the salt is just to much of the flavor.

Hey! I like what I like .... (there's no accounting for taste, just ask me ... LOL!)

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Yeah, the barrels are really washed with sea spray constantly, so I suppose it is a bit salty. I like it for the strong taste of peat and a whiff of sea. Maybe living 400 miles from the sea makes that more important to me.

Irish
 

Tried a little something different last week. Opened a bottle of Connemara Peated Single Malt Irish Whiskey. This was based upon a recommendation as I was purchasing a bottle of Laphroaig. The "Peatiness" is not to the extent of the Laphroaig. Probably more along the lines of some of the lighter Islays. Still a good taste if you enjoy the smokiness and want to try something a bit different.