A gentle nudge
 

I'm a single malt newbie. I'd like to broaden my palate but there are so many choices that I'm not really sure where to go. I'd like to avoid spending alot of money on something that I won't enjoy (Laphroaig). My favorite these days is Talisker 18, which is becoming more difficult to find. I'm a little bored with the 12 years I can find at the supermarket (Glenfiddich, Glenlevit, Macallan). Any suggestions?

The Balvenie 12 year Double Barrell is very good, and my local store carries it for about $50. Sweet, smooth, very drinkable.

But my favorite is the Oban 14 year. Local stores pricing ranges from $62 - $75. Very smooth, light on the peatiness but still has a slight smokey flavor. A good balance between spice and sweet. It is by far my favorite, and in the mid $60's I consider it a bargain.

I second the Balvenie suggestion as well as the Oban 14 year. Also, if you're up to it - have you tried any cask strengths Scotches? Macallan Cask Strength is awesome as is Aberlour A'bunadh. But...as a newcomer, these full bodied Scotches may be a bit much, but something to consider for the future. Also, the best advice I can give you is to spend your money attending Scotch tastings- they're always so much fun, informative and you get the chance to taste several Scotches.

Thanks for the suggestions! I have tried Aberlour A'bunadh, and enjoyed it tremendously. After reading some tasting notes and reviews, I've been eyeing the Oban and after your advice I think it will be my next choice!

Great! After I wrote my suggestions, I thought, "cask strength for a newbie, hmmm..maybe not great advice", but I'm happy to see you actually have already tried it (Aberlour) and enjoyed it. There are so many Scotches to try, sometimes it's hard just trying to narrow it down to a few to suggest - especially when it's for someone like you who wants to explore the world of Scotch. When friends ask me what my favorite Scotch is, I ask them, well, you mean for the last couple of months? You see, the more I try, the more I discover more great ones that it's literally hard to have just one or two favorites. This is at least, for me - there are plenty out there who know what the love and it's all they drink!

I must admit I'm very partial to all of the Glenmorangies (D'or being my fave of the line) and I enjoy Glengoyne 10yo ($40!) Another single malt which is truly delicious is Yamazaki 12 yo - yep, that''s right, it's a Japanese whisky, not even a Scotch. They also have an 18 yo which is even better. I'm looking forward to going to some upcoming Scotch tastings, so perhaps new faves will be on the way!

Good luck on your Scotch adventure and **please** keep us in the loop on how it's going!