Going to cigar bar tonight that has many different scotches. What to try?

I have recently started drinking scotch. Started out with a blend(Dewars) and now have at home The Glenlivet 12, The Glenlivet 15 French Oak, The Glenlivet Nadurra 16, and Highland Park 18. I have not tried the French oak or the Nadurra yet. Glenlivet 12 is my regular drink so far. Highland Park 18 is heaven in a bottle(its my favorite so far). I have tried Lagavulin 16 and Laphroaig 10. Didn't care for the Laphroaig 10 and thought the Lagavulin was ok. I plan to give the Lagavulin another chance tonight. What others can you suggest I try? I won't be able to try too many since i have to work tomorrow! Some that are on my radar:

Aberlour
Glenmorangie
Macallan(had the 12 before but didn't seem to like it. I want to give another try)
Talisker
Caol Ila.

I can only have 2 or 3 drinks so help me choose wisely! Thanks!

[Jojo]

Great selection - here is what I would choose:

Glenmorangie (it's one of my favorites, but take a look at notes and comments at the bottom of our page to see if this something you would like -
http://whisky.com/brands/glenmorangie_brand.html

OR - Aberlour - see: http://whisky.com/brands/aberlour_brand.html
My notes: Aberlour 12 year has a strong nutty flavor, it's very unique . The Aberlour A'Bunadh Cask Strength is robust! Very enjoyable, lots of body, flavorful, rich sherry notes. The Aberlour 16 year Double Cask Matured is INTENSE and powerful - Heavy spicy notes - great dram on a very cold day - warms you to the bones

OR - Macallan - try the 18 or Cask Strength (wow) - http://whisky.com/brands/macallan_brand.html

Now, keep in mind, we all have verrrrry different tastes. You may think the cask strenghts are too much and some say a person new to Scotch probably shouldn't go so bold. Heck, just grab a seat at the bar and see if the bartendar will let you try just a bit beforehand. Scotch isn't cheap, so better to like what you're ordering!

Good luck - report back tomorrow and let us know what you decided!

Have a good one!

Thanks for the tips!

I had a Glenmorangie 12 Sherry wood finish and a Lagavulin 16. I like them equally but in different ways. My favorite thus far is still the Highland Park 18. I liked the Lagavulin more this time...sweet and smoky with a seaweed/salty/iodine like finish. I think I still like The Glenlivet 12 for a regular drinker. The Glenmorangie was good but really didn't leave me with any impressions. We will probably try to do this once a month so i'll keep reporting in.

[Jojo]

Awesome! Thanks for the feedback - great to hear. Also, as mentioned above, everyone has different tastes, so what one person might love another may not. That's why we hope everyone has an open mind when trying new scotches.

DEFINITELY report in every month with your reviews - I love to hear feedback and so do our members and those just lurking!

[Jojo]

I just got a Duncan Taylor Highland Park bottled in 1986. Looking forward to trying and commenting!

Tried the Glenmorangie 18 this past weekend. Very good scotch. Had a very buttery/scotch candy nose to me. Palate was full flavor and finish was good. Overall I enjoyed this scotch. Still trying to beat Highland Park 18 for me!

Anyone have any good online stores to buy scotches at?

[Jojo]

Originally Posted by bacchus

Tried the Glenmorangie 18 this past weekend. Very good scotch. Had a very buttery/scotch candy nose to me. Palate was full flavor and finish was good. Overall I enjoyed this scotch. Still trying to beat Highland Park 18 for me!

Anyone have any good online stores to buy scotches at?

Good to hear you like the Glenmorangie 18! (yum) Regarding online stores - where are you located?

I am located in Louisiana.

Where can one buy a sample of different scotch mini bottles online. This would be a cool way to try many different scotches without breaking the bank on ones you don't like. Any ideas?

Well broke down and bought a bottle of Laphroaig 15 today. I went to the store wanting Lagavulin 16 but left with Laphroaig 15. They let me taste Bowmore 15, Lagavulin 16, and the entry level Ardbeg. I made the mistake of tasting the Ardbeg first. VERY peaty and I loved it. After the Ardbeg I tried the Lagavulin...tasted like it had no flavor next to the Ardbeg. The Bowmore was pretty good but for some reason I really liked the Ardbeg. I used to not like the Islay malts but I have been drinking Scotch neat lately and I guess my palate is getting tougher. .

The Laphroaig 15 is VERY good. Nice and smokey with a hint of sweetness and finishes wood dry and long. I don't like the 10 due to the heavy Iodine taste. The 15 barely has the iodine/medicine taste at all.

My next bottle will be either Lagavulin 16 or the Ardbeg. They both deserve a shot.

Finally opened The Glenlivet 15 French Oak Reserve I got back in January for my birthday. GREAT malt. At first it is very similar to the Glenlivet 12 but the more experienced drinker will notice the vanilla, cinnamon, raisin flavors. This scotch is also very buttery/creamy. The 15 is a bit smoother than the 12 as well. Another good one!