this is my favourite type of "scotch"... 1977 Undërage

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That is interesting. I think I would have made a float!

Added Ardmore 12 - Cask Strength.

I am staring at my last bottle of the Macallan 18 year old scotch (1981). I no longer serve it to guests. (too selfish)
I agree completely about the Glenlivet. Laphroaig, Lagavulin and GlenFiddich also are great.

As for Glen Morangie 10 yrs. Well, it is the no. 1 scotch in Scotland, and I think the Scots know something about Scotch. It is easy to drink and grows better as you consume it.

As for blended scotch, I was given a bottle of Johnny Walker Blue Label for my birthday last year. My God! It is the ambrosia of blended scotches. Comparing it to the gold is like comparing Ety's to Prophonics.

Nowadays, in a burst of patriotism I have been exploring single batch bourbons. Those really have to be diluted if you want to taste them. I love Woodford Reserve and Blanton's best. If I'm mixing, then nothing beats Maker's Mark.

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Finally found an official store--they didn't have much, but I was able to grab the Talisker 10. This is REALLY good. The distillery is on the isle of Skye, so I suppose it is a West Highland style.
The outstanding feature of this one is its complexity. It starts out sweet and malty (especially neat, as Tyson recommends), then transitions to smoky, and finishes (as everyone says) with a nice peppery burn.

I wrote earlier that I found that adding water to the Laphroaig 10 opened up the phenols and whatnot so much that the malt, sweetness, and mouth feel were overwhelmed. With the Talisker, that is partly true, but this can be fully enjoyed (in a different way) with water.

Added an update to the Oban 14.

firstly, tyson, thanks for all the valuable info...

where does the bowmore dusk fall on your list?...it was top five w/a bullet...then bruichladdich 15...then Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength took over the five spot...but i see bowmore dusk nowhere in the top ten...perhaps i'm misreadin' things...

mention it 'cuz i have the opportunity to order some dusk...honestly, though, i have little hope that it'll beat out Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength in my mind...i was originally drinkin' this neat & enjoyed it immensely but finally went to a 1:3 whisky to water ratio after readin' the tube...but it then tasted much worse...only after i started usin' "Fiji" bottled water did it taste nearly as good...highly recommended...

also bought a bottle of Lagavulin 16...very nice as well but not quite as good...but i hear that the older "White Horse" was better?...any thoughts?...maybe i should give it more time to breathe...

& last & probably least...one of the local liquor stores has a crapload of glenhaven they seem to want to get rid of...guess it isn't made anymore but from what i could glean on the web it isn't anything spectacular...but there's so many variations you'd think a couple would be decent...

cheers...

I'm actually glad you brought that up, as I needed to update my top 10. Springbank 15 is out, as on further tastings it is just a bit too "woody" tasting for me. And the Bowmore Dusk is back in the top 10 where it belongs

Also, the Top 10 list isn't in any kind of order. Their ratings relative to each other vary a lot depending on my mood and especially the weather. Now that cold weather is back here in Denver, the Islays are once again at the top of the heap.

The Lagavulin is not a subtle whiskey at all compared to some, but it is very good. But it is a bit more "hot" and more "grainy" tasting than the Laphroaig, which is why I drink the Laphroaig more often. But, the Lagavulin has a more intense smokiness that just hits the spot, sometimes.

I tend to drink the Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength neat, but it can handle as much as 3 parts scotch to 1 part water before I start losing interest.

Never tried Glenhaven, so can't comment....

excellent, thanks....i was feelin' bad 'bout drinkin' the Laphroaig 10 Cask Strength neat....didn't think you'd be drinkin' it that way...it really is ok w/a splash of Fiji water but ya....despite directions i'd rather have it unadulterated...

the Lagavulin 16 just keeps gettin' better & better...your observations jive well with my own....definitely hot...grainy...but not overly so...just 'nuf that you'll notice it...the smokiness...hmmm...more in the aftertaste to me...

if you haven't done so already i'd recommend goin' to the Laphroaig website....can't order the good stuff since i'm in the U.S. BUT! they do have a neat feature where you can enter a bar code from the packagin' of the bottle that lets you become a "Friend of Laphroaig"...which apparently entitles you to a 1 foot square portion of their land....in commemoration only...but they have a satellite image of their property on which they place an arrow that points towards your specific lot....

if you should ever decide to visit the lot you're entitled to....well this part is fuzzy...i mean the defintion of a dram is fuzzy to begin with....& personally i'd like to think that i'd be able to talk them out of @ least a bottle of their 10CS....but ya a "fluid dram" is what? an eighth of a fluid ounce?....what an incredible gimmick!...nevertheless, 10 effort points...

these guys seem pretty cool, though, & had i the money i'd pay a visit...

Yeah, I knew about the foot of land thing but had forgotten. I'll have to register because our next vacation is going to be a whisky distillery tour of Scotland. That'll be fun

the Clynelish 24 years,

seems to be very good, never tasted that one...one on my wanted list..

Found myself at a free wet bar yesterday--couldn't indulge very much since I still had to work, but I did get a nice big shot of Macallan 18. That stuff is amazing. Very sweet and tasty, almost like a good bourbon, but with a typically Scotch development and very subtle smoky aftertaste. I got started with it neat and couldn't bring myself to add any water until I was almost at the bottom of the glass. By then, the ol' taste buds were used to it neat and just a few drops of water seemed to make it too pale.
If you can't afford a bottle of this stuff, try to get a single shot someplace, you won't regret it.

Added Talisker 20.

daycart1,
The Macallan 18 is really something! Glad you had a chance to try it, it's one of my absolute fave's.

Agreed on the Macallan 18, if you think that's great wait till you have the chance to try the Macallan 25.

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Dumb question from someone who doesn't frequent drinking establishments: but how much should one expect to pay for a dram of Scotch at a bar or pub? I mean do most places have some formula based on the retail price of a bottle? I know that a random drink, e.g. some crummy blended Scotch will cost $4-$8. If a place has a $200 bottle of Scotch, can one predict what the charge will be for one hit?