my first single malt purchase?

Lagavulin 16

Lagavulin 16 would be way over the 50£ budget in my neck of the woods. If you're in the uk I recommend Bladnoch. Get one of the Sherry-matured expressions from the current ownership ( 10-12 year old).

If you're new to Scotch try one of the ones bottled at 46%. I've heard they are good (only tried one at that strength) and probably a little less overwhelming than the ones bottled at 55%. But get a bottle of at 55% or cask strength because perhaps by the time you are ready for it it will be a lot harder to get and more expensive.

If you're really new to scotch altogether I would start with a small bottle of glenlivet 12 year old, and for a peated scotch a small 200cc bottle of lagavulin. Those would be decent introductions.

Ralfy.com has archives of review videos and the first ones from March 2009 are good to review for anyone starting out (glasses, water, caramel, nosing, tasting-that one is hilarious) and I believe somewhere he does discuss some good started drams.

@whiskypanda Welcome to the journey of single malts. I would recommend, for folks starting out on the path to single malt enjoyment, would be two at or around the price range / experience level and in a humble non expert opinion to be Old Pulteney 12yr old and AnCnoc 12yr old. These are good for starting and are at the price point you mentioned. Hope this was helpful :)

You can always order yourself a set of different samples, so you can get a wee taste of different malts: masterofmalt.com/samples/whisky-samples/… Might be worth trying out a few different flavours instead of buying a whole bottle at once. Everyone has a different taste, so by picking a few different whiskies you may find something of your liking.

@Nozinan, payed €45 for my last one

@Pandemonium sorry about the dislike on your comment, am on a tablet & it hit the dislike by accident. Am looking into getting some samples as its a good way to try different whiskys before getting a bottle. Thanks for the replys :-) all mentions seem worth looking at.

Watching this thread with interest, as a noob myself. I've already discovered that quality product can be worth the extra coin (as with so many things in life).

@Spitfire

But extra coin does not always get you quality stuff.....

@Nozinan Which is why we come here to ask those with more experience. :-)

@whiskypanda - I suggest either Glenfarclas '105' 10 yr-old or Macallan Cask Strength 10 yr-old.

Both of these have a good nose and are exploding with flavour. The higher abv in both allows you an opportunity to water down if necessary. You will also experience some sherry influence and not be overwhelmed by peat/smoke/phenols. These cask strength expressions will provide you with an authentic malt experience and allow you to jump in the deep end without the fear of going under.

Mac CS is one of my favourite whiskies and it is easily affordable.

I also like the second suggestion from @Pandemonium - samples are a great way to experiment.

Start with Highland Park 12yo and see what you think.

I "LOVE" Ardbeg 10yo but it really depends on the batch you get. I have a bottle from early 2013 ( L13 004) and I it is not the Ardbeg TEN I know and love. If I were you and I wanted "peat" I would go for Laphroaig 10yo. It is way more consistent then Ardbeg TEN.

Lagavuin 16yo is also great. However, these days it seems to be less "awesome" then it was. They have lowered the peating levels and it seems to be showing up in recent batches.

@Spitfire

or just those with strong opinions... ;)

I have to agree with @Nock , HP 12 is a very well-balanced Scotch that has a lot to offer the new and experienced palate. One of the few "branded" malts that I enjoy.

@Nozinan ...especially the eponymous posters... ;)

@paddockjudge

What eponyms? That's my real name!

Well, maybe not, but the effect of Nozinan is the same as the effect of listening to me lecture on Nozinan...

A lot of the recommendations here are for Whisky that I enjoy (Ardbeg 10, Lagavulin 16, Old Pulteney, ...) but if you are looking for a first purchase maybe you could tell us more about your tastes in wine and other spirits so that we can try to find a suitable introductory (yet somewhat challenging) Whisky for you.

My first real quality scotch was Lagavulin 16, but it was different back when I bought my first bottle in the early 2000's. I would recommend trying Highland Park 12. That's a good first bottle. If you want peat and smoke try the Laphroaig cask strength offerings.

I wouldn't recommend Ardbeg 10 as a first bottle. It's not all that well balanced. The Laphroaig cask strength is better than the Ardbeg 10, which has some elements fighting each other, in my opinion.

Springbank 12 year cask strength is quite good if you can get it for that price. So is Tomatin 18, which is remarkably well priced for an 18 year old offering.

Agree with the recommendations of Highland Park 12. One of the great all arounders.

I would agree with others about HP12, but I would throw in a small caveat that if you do buy a bottle, I would open it right away (even if you don't have a pour) to introduce some air into the bottle as HP12 in my experience takes 2-4 months to hit its full stride in terms of aroma/taste profile. In that regard, HP12 is also a great 'instructional' bottle as you can notice how a whisky can change/open up over time, especially if you sample it on a weekly basis.

HP12 is also nice as it is a nice all-around malt that does not go too heavy in any one flavour direction (i.e. Ardbeg 10, while awesome, is very smoky).

If you want to start at the lighter end of the overall flavour profile, at a really good price, Auchentoshan 12 could work for you as well.

I started with Highland Park 12 and it was a perfect place to start. It has a bit of the character of all the scottish regions, so it gives you an interesting overall experience of what is to come in your journey.

@olivier i enjoy dark rums & bourbons also mainly drink stouts & porters so maybe i go for the sweeter kind of drinks. But also enjoy other tastes, i am open minded about trying all kinds of whiskys.

@whiskypanda, add to the other suggestions, all good, Laphroaig Quarter Cask and Aberfeldy 12. Both of those cater to the sweet tooth.

If you are looking for something very approachable, but with some complexity and good balance, I would recommend Benromach 10 year old. if you are interested in something with an island character, with some peat and and salt air, Higland Park 12 year old, is a good place to start your peat journey.

@MacBaker62

Both very sound choices.. I'd recommend a milk chocolate bar to go wit the Benromach

Glenfaclas 12 for sherried taste and its very affordable:) Caol Ila 12 for an introduction to peat/smoke Bruichladdich Port Charlotte 10 or Laphroaig QC for big sweet peat.

Much agreed with the HP 12 recommendations. Novice or veteran, everybody loves that one.

A few others that won't lighten your wallet too much (as whisky prices go, anyway):

-anCnoc 12 yo: Tame and light, but with nothing to dislike.

-Glenfiddich 12 yo: The light "apple cider" malt. Definitely an entry-level malt, but experienced drinkers always enjoy it in a bar (because it's often the only decent single malt available).

-Glendronach 12 yo: Good intro to the sweet Speysiders (or the Speyside stereotype anyway).

-Coal Ila 12 yo: Always my recommendation for an introduction to peat. Start here, move on to Ardbeg 10 yo in a few months.

Good whisky is good whisky. Just because something is characterized as an "entry-level malt" doesn't mean you won't enjoy it ten years from now when you've tried several hundred whiskies. My suggestions are only the opinions of someone who nose-dived into Ardbeg 10 early on and wishes he would have waited about six months and a dozen whiskies before doing so. (But who knows? You may like it right away. It is a fine, must-have whisky to be sure.)

@WhiskyBee Agreed also on the HP12, as it was my first single malt and here I am.

Another nice thing I have is the samples collection including 50 cl bottles of Lagavulin, Talisker, Glenkinchie, Dalwhinnie, Oban, and Cragganmore. I don't know how easy it is to find, but with such a set you could try each one twice (with small portions, clearly) over a time interval and get an idea of what works for you. A samples approach (or 20 cl mini-bottle; I know you can get Oban 14 this way) is less of a commitment if you are dipping your toe in.

@WhiskyBee Great choices I agree on the anCnoc 12yr and the Caol ila 12yr, another good one for this is Old Pulteney 12yr old won't lighten the wallet as well. :)

Found a nice whisky shop in a edinburgh woollen mill in dorset, and picked up a 50cl of the highland park 12 plus some others. But am going to start With the hp 12. Thanks everyone for all the great comments.

@whiskypanda meant 5cl bottle of hp 12.

As a relative noob myself, I'm really only familiar (so far!) with some of the Speyside malts. Personally I would go for the Glen Dronach 15-year. Still one of my faves (though I've now progressed through the 18-year to the 21-year and find that one quite exquisite! Both of these are under £100, btw.