I'm going to overlook the paddy/yank spelling so far but if I catch one more person referring to Whisky as 'Whiskey' or 'Scotch' when describing anything other than your ryes, bourbons and irish concoctions, there'll be a reckoning and there will be blood!
Anyway, if it's off-the-shelf you're after, it's harder to put a foot wrong than it is to find a winner providing you stick with single-malts and you have a rough idea of what you like.
If you want smoother, more fruity whiskies stick with the Speyside and Highland malts - or go Japanese they've got some wicked single malts on the go- Macallan is always a winner, as is Glenmorangie, Glenfiddich has a massive range with their 12 yr being found most places. Their best one though is the Gran Reserva (formerly known as the Havana Reserve) which is matured in Cuban rum casks to give it a weird leathery flavour.
If it's smoky, peaty whiskies get thee to Islay. Bowmore is a great el cheapo Islay malt if you're on a budget whereas Lagavulin is a top dram if you're feeling flush and Laphroaig is just plain mental. It's a love-it or hate-it dram. I fucking love it!
If you're really feeling flush with the cash though, get onto the single-cask malts. They're malts made not only They're usually only available from mobs like the Scotch Malt Whisky Society or specialist bars and they're bloody pricey ($200 - $400 a bottle from the SMWS and that's for vintages usually 18yrs and less. That said they're at cask strength 60-70% abv so they last a bit longer). Nothing else tastes like them on earth however and due to the variables found in each barrel over the decade or so they mature and the lack of any dilution or mixing, you'll never find anything that tastes
exactly the same - even from the same distillery.
Like I said, its hard to put a foot wrong if you know what style of whisky you prefer although I would warn anyone to stay the fuck away from South Island whisky from NZ. I thought $100 for a 21yr malt was a bargain. Turns out I was wrong. Absolute rank! Tasted like Bhopal tap water. Worst whisky I've ever tried and that's including Johnnie Red...
Spent two months hitching around Scotland in '81... and went to a few distilleries… hic.
My fave by far, was Highland Park, on the Orkney Islands. Flying to Cambodia last year, I saw a bottle of Highland Park at Tulla, going for $4,500… and that is duty-free.
Yes it is true, the Scots have a jug of water on the bar to add to your neat scotch.
BTW, back then the most common blended scotch was Famous Grouse.
It still is in Scotland along with Whyte & MacKay and Bells. Johnnie Walker is treated like Fosters by it's homeland...