my next purchase

For around $130 you should check out a bottle called Highland Park 18, for me it was the first 'big' purchase in malt whisky I made. You won't regret getting it.

I would prefer 2 bottles as i am trying to try as many different whiskys as i can, but the highland park 12yo could replace the ardbeg and increase how much i can spend on the other bottle

The HP12 is pretty good, but I personally prefer the Ardbeg 10. From the list you've stated it seems you haven't tried a heavily Sherryed whisky yet. Maybe have a look at Glenfarclas 15 or 105 or Glenmorangie PX (though if your buying in Australia that one can be hard to find in a store and can be expensive). I wouldn't recommend the Glenlivet or Glenfiddich 12yo's if your looking for a good sipping whisky, both just aren't that great. Another great starter whisky you could try is Glenmorangie Original.

If your looking at trying as many styles as possible it might be good to try a few different whisky's before going for the Ardbeg 10 as you already have tried laphroaig 10 and will be getting Lagavulin 16 and both are similar to the Ardbeg 10.

very true so maybe the ardbeg later on.

Hi @Donski! I also agree that with the Talisker and Lagavulin already locked in, you might want something of a different style altogether (non-Islay, non-Islands). I also agree that for the remaining $130, you should aim for two bottles.

Dan Murphy's (if you're close to one, or don't mind paying a few dollars to have whisky delivered) has the excellent Dalwhinnie 15 yo for $60 which gives you a completely different style to the others - a smoother, delicate yet complex Highland whisky which I think will provide a valuable and enjoyable experience along your malt journey.

That leaves $70 - for that price, I would be mighty tempted to pick up the Johnnie Walker Green Label - a vatted malt (sorry, "malt blend" - we're not allowed to call them "vatted" any more!) which consists of 100% malt whisky and is a classic malt, especially now that Johnnie Walker have discontinued it and in the coming years you will no longer be able to obtain it. Dan's has it for $69.

I can also highly recommend the An Cnoc 12 year old, a Speyside single malt - for me, a 90+ out of 100 dram ($70 at Dan's) which, if you like fruity sauvignon blanc flavours you'll adore it - a "must have" for any whisky drinker's cabinet - amazing complexity.

The other approach you might take is to pick up a great value blend (with a high proportion of great malt whisky) such as the Bailie Nicol Jarvie ("B.N.J.") which for $36 is a steal - a whole $7 cheaper than the acclaimed Monkey Shoulder which is another viable option (a 100% malt blend consisting of malts from Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kininvie). Both of these can be had neat but you also wouldn't feel bad if your mate wanted to have a glass with a mixer - they'd appreciate the great flavour vs. a "standard" blend, for sure! Great any time of day whiskies, or whiskies to kick-start a tasting as they're easy on the palate and will "warm up" your tastebuds before tackling something stronger like your Islays.

If you were to go for that option, you could have some $90+ remaining of your $130 to spend on something great. Examples: Auchentoshan Valinch ($90) - a triple distilled, non-chill filtered, 57.5% lowland gem. Fantastic for cutting your teeth on a cask strength whisky; Auchentoshan Three Wood ($85) - a smooth sherry and vanilla marriage; Oban 14 year old ($80) - classic coastal highland; Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban ($80) - port wood finish, fantastic complex highland; Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or ($80) - after dinner dessert dram, finished in Sauternes casks! Yum; Dalmore 12 ($80) - christmas pudding in a bottle, must-try for any malt drinker.

As you can see there are many options available to you. Given what you've already got, and the options available, the Glenlivet 12 and Glenfiddich 12 are not really vital. I would still sample them, but you might want to put your money for a full bottle somewhere else given the inherent lack of complexity in these malts, the Glenfiddich 12 in particular, as the Glenlivet 12 offers better bang for your buck (in my opinion).

Let me know what you decide, and have fun.

Talisker 18yo. in a litre bot. This will be my first on line purchase from Melbourne (Aust.) 'Love those ltr. bottlles - 200ml. in a small bottle, 800ml. in a large 'Old Man'...Can't wait!

Slainte.

There is also a gift pack with 12 Year Old Glenkinchie 15 Year Old Dalwhinnie and the 14 Year Old Oban for $70, would that be worth getting, that would leave me with $60 for another bottle and I would get 7 different bottles

@Donski That sounds great.. I think you'll have a lot more fun that way and if there's a particular style you're not fond of, you won't be stuck with a full bottle.

So any suggestions for another bottle for $60

@Donski I don't really see anything for $60 on Dan's that gets my attention. You could go with something cheaper like the BNJ or Monkey Shoulder for a different experience (a great way to compare a "malty" blend with a single malt in terms of character and complexity), or spend $10 more than you wanted to and get the JW Green or An Cnoc 12. The other option (and probably a good one), is to pocket the $60 and put that towards a bottle like the Ardbeg 10 that you mentioned, or any of the ones in the $80+ range I mentioned that you like the sound of, based on your experiences with your sample packs - you'll have plenty to keep you occupied in the meantime and you'll then know what you want to get next.

I definitely think the other 200 mL 3-pack is the way to go - taste as many different expressions as you can. Why don't you wait and try all your 200 mL bottles before deciding which direction to go with the next bottle?

@Donski : Last time I was at Dan Murphy's (Middle Pk.) they still had the 'Coastal Pack' reduced to $50.00.

3X200ml. Talisker 10yo., Caol Ila 12yo., Clynlish 14yo. A rather good selection with the Caol Ila being the stand out Whisky - And you get a few small bottles to store Wkiskies for later on etc.

Cheers.

I just went to dan murphys and made my purchase . Decided on the 6 x 200ml bottles and a bottle of highland park 12 yo, went $6 over budget but very happy with my selections

So I get home and decide to take the bottles out of the boxes and put them on the bar, as I am doing this I notice that I have 2 bottles of talisker 10yo and the oban 14yo is missing, so someone must have switched them in the shop . Now I am undecided on if I should take the extra talisker back or not . They both get pretty good reviews and I think I will enjoy the talisker plus dan murphys is 30 minutes away and I work night shift so its hard for me to get back there before sunday . I think I will just keep the extra talisker, what would you do?

@Donski , call them up, explain the situation and see if they can work with you any. That's what I would do. If they are reputable they should at least try to exchange that extra bottle for the correct one.

@Donski: Dont open any of the bottles in that pack! As @MikeDram suggests, give them a 'bell' - I'm sure they will exchange the pack - In the unlikely event that they don't have a pack at your outlet they will source one from another of their many outlets. It's a huge business, to be sure, but most of the staff are friendly & helpful.

Personally, I think someone has done you a favor...my $0.02.

Cheers and Good Luck.

so i have just tried the talisker and i think i am happy to have 2 of them as it taste pretty good