Calling the board's scotch snobs

[Prediction? Pain.]

As I await my next barrel share from Dickel -- second year of doing it with a big group of guys; last year's stuff was phenomenal -- I'm dabbling in other things. I've been down the fancy-rum path plenty of times and I know my way around that scene fairly well. Respasado and anejo tequila/mezcal are on the horizon, but my local selection isn't quite where it needs to be for that to happen.

And so I've arrived at scotch, with which I have only a passing familiarity. I can almost count the scotches I've had on one hand and the results have been mixed. I've checked out various "Top 10" lists for entry-level single malts, but I'm always skeptical that those types of rankings are thinly veiled marketing plants. So I need some recommendations for gateway stuff -- stuff that's $40 or less that could appeal to a fan of American whisky and long-aged dark rum. I get that $40 and less is low for nice scotch (or at least that's the impression I get when I blankly stare at the wall in my liquor store), but that's where I'm drawing the line for now. I figure if I can't find something in that category that I like at least almost as much as Dickel Barrel Select or El Dorado 12 or 15 year rum (which all run between $30 and $40 and are incredible), then I'm barking up the wrong tree.

Here are the bottles that I've had so far, along with my impressions:

• John Barr Reserve (blended): Didn't do much for me. Seemed a little thin but harsh.
• Auchentoshan American Oak: I enjoyed this one. Light, floral, grainy, fairly mellow. But I'm not sure it's worth what they charge for it at my local liquor stores ($40).
• Aucthenoshan 12 year: I enjoyed this one, too. Fairly different from the American Oak. Maybe more fruit going, especially citrus. I think it's a solid buy when I see it for $40 out of town, but in Chattanooga it's $50. A bit too steep for me right now.
• Speyburn 10 year: This one's underwhelming. Great aroma, but a little harsher than I'd like it to be. The flavor is just ok. Sort of a generic "Hey, I'm scotch" vibe going on. It's priced around $35 here, so I was hopeful that it'd be a contender. Nope.

That's pretty much it. I long ago tried and hated JW's red label. I long ago tried and enjoyed Macallan 15, but it's way out of my league for regular drinking. I also once tried Laphroaig Triple Wood, but I recall it being too medicinal and campfire-ish for my liking.

So, any suggestions for Frugal MacDougal over here?

ETA -- My wife's astute assessment of the Speyburn, verbatim: "Aged 10 years my butt."

[99jc]

Dimple pinch is my choice if I have to drink Scotch.