Yeah I've been meaning to try Oban for a while now. I've had Laphroaig and it's also great. Don't think I've tried the Ardbeg so that's getting put on the list.
I always start folks with Maker's Mark, then progress to Maker's 46 to show the effect finishing staves can have on flavor. After that, it's all about how much you want to spend. Eagle Rare from Buffalo Trace distillery is excellent and can be had for around $35 depending on where you live. Blanton's, also from Buffalo Trace, is great, too, and you get fun pewter horses to collect. It's more expensive, around $60, and hard to find depending on where you live. Michter's is solid, and that's around $30. Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, usually around $60, is as smooth and vanilla-flavored as they come, which is right up my alley. I had Jefferson's Aged at Sea (Voyage 17) ($70 near me) which tasted like scotch. Not a bad thing. I don't spend over $100 on bourbon, for better or worse, so I can't help you too much on the high end.
I forgot to include Elijah Craig barrel proof in my list. You have to add water to that one since the first sip smacks you with the alcohol if you're not prepared. For reference, I believe the bottle I bought was around 63% ABV.
1792 is a great choice at a good price. I finished a bottle of that off last weekend, actually.
Thanks for the recommendations. I'm actually one of those people that loves the "getting punched in the mouth" feeling of that first sip.
I've heard very mixed things about Balcones Brimstone from my coworkers, but I really want to try it. I can't find it near where I live, though, but I keep any eye open when I travel for work.
So you have to find an old bottle basically, I'd say circa 2015/2016. As that's the good stuff. One of the partners threw out the main creative dude behind their good whiskeys, but continued to keep the same names.
