Need advice for a gift

I also wanted to add the Ancnoc 12 to the list. I think this would be a good choice, but I'm not 100% sure about availability. I saw it pop up at Total Wine only to disappear a few days later. But that's also an option if I can find it.

First, welcome to connosr. Next, congrats on achieving debt-free status--a great accomplishment--and kudos to your girlfriend for her encouragement.

I have a few ideas for bottles, but here's another thought. There seem to be a fair few single malt Scotch drinkers in your area, and I've seen ads for tastings as well. You might consider contacting a local whisky club < www.singlemaltreno.com/chapter1.html > and asking about upcoming events. If you make your gift an evening out to taste Scotch it could make a much longer-lasting memory than a bottle you're not sure she'll like. Just a thought.

If that wouldn't work here are a few bottles to consider: Highland Park 12 or 18, Bunnahabhain 12 or 18, Arran 10 or 14, Glen Grant 10, Glengoyne 10, Strathisla 12. I could go on, but these top my list of suggestions. Some of them might be available to you in town or up at that famous lake near you.

Have fun with your decision.

@two-bit-cowboy That's a pretty good idea to take her out at an event. I'll definitely look into it to see if anything is happening in Reno next month. I'll also look into your whiskey suggestions to see if I can find those around here.

@mithion, I am with two-bit here: the best thing is to give her the whisky smorgasbord.

@mithion Let me also welcome you to this site. I second and third the advice of @two-bit and @Victor you can't go wrong with their recomendations. You wrote AnCnoc 12yr as one you wanted to add to your list, this is a good one and I also say the Bunnahabhain 12yr is good. If you can find Aberlour 12yr un-chill filtered this is a great one to grow with on your whisky journey. Hope this was helpful. :)

@PMessinger @Victor @mithion Well this seems like piling on but there is nothing in my opinion as memorable and rewarding as a great tasting session. When you can try many fantastic whiskeys and broaden your horizons you will remember that and appreciate it much longer than one bottle. If you did decide to go with one bottle, which you selections I think you will be happy with many of them, I would personally go with the Abelour 16, the Abelour Abundah (sp?) or the Glenmorangie 18.

If your girlfriend likes Glenvilet,try the Nadurra.It fantastic 1st bourbon cask,cask strength whisky,It still is very easy to drink at full strength. It may be non-peated but it a great start for a new whisky drinker to move forward from the "normal" distillery bottles.

uk.theglenlivet.com/the-whisky/nadurra

I'll cast yet another vote for a tasting session, but if there's nothing coming up in the Reno area, a suitable alternative might be to see if one of your local liquor stores has a nice sampler package available. For example, a couple of stores in my area stock a Glenmorangie four-pack containing the 10 yo, the Nectar D'or, the Quinta Ruban, and the Lasanta. It gives her the "smorgasbord" experience for the cost of one low-priced bottle (about $50). As they're 100ml bottles, the two of you might empty the entire package in a single evening, of course.

Again, just a suggested alternative. A tasting evening, if available, would very much be my first choice.

@WhiskyBee Awesome advice, I'd forgotten about those sample packs from Glenmorangie. I know those 4 packs you speak of I bought lots of those for Christmas stocking stuffers this past season. They were a huge hit... dang I can't believe I didn't think of those, go call. :)

Thanks for all your replies. I've looked into tastings a bit around Reno. Unfortunately, there isn't much going on. The local clubs look to be quite close nit and the shops and bars that would serve a flight of quality whisky are few and far between. There is this one place I want to look into, but if they don't offer a flight of whisky, I'll have to settle for a bottle gift. My girlfriend likes glenlivet, but I'd like to get her something a little nicer. What's a good bottle that's in the Glenlivet spirt, but better?

@mithion, like victor, two- bit cowboy, PMessimger and Nolinske already suggested I would make a tasting for her ( and yourself;)) - you could check out whiskysamples.flyingcart.com - they sell samples and ship to the usa. My advice would be to ho for different style which she not yet tried. If you would go for a while bottle I would try to find a Glenlivet 21 from Gordon&Macphails or at least the Nadurra as it is cask strength.

Sorry for the misspelling - my phone...

Of the 4 bottles that you mention, the Old Pulteney 17 made the best impression on me. It is a whisky that I buy regularly. I had a bad experience with the Glenmo 18 in that the bottle I bought was not to my liking.

Looks like buying samplers is the best option at this point. I found the website masters of malt which have reasonable priced samplers, and very very reasonable shipping. The selection may change by the time I actually purchase these, but here's the flight I was thinking of getting. Glendronach 15 revval Old Pulteney 17 Isle of Arran 14 Glenlivet 16 yo Nadurra Ardbeg Uigeadail Glenmorangie Ealanta

I wanted another expression of the Glenmorangie like Nectar D'or or Quinta Ruban, but that's the only one they had available as a sampler. I also would've like to add the Bunnahabhain (I apologize for the spelling) and An Cnoc, but those are also not available in samplers.

@mithion Great selection you made enjoy let us know how things went. :)

I'm not going to comment on the choices you listed. Rather, I will list the ones that I recommend. If you live in Reno, you can certainly find one of them. Don't be a baby. Drive a few extra miles if need be. Your girl deserves it. Here are my recommendations: Glengoyne 17, Highland Park 18, Aberlour 12 non child filtered, or Auchentoshan Three Wood. Of those, the HP 18 is peated mildly smoky. I can pretty much guarantee she would like any of them. Unless she is an experienced peat lover, the sherry flavored whiskies will go far. And only the HP18 is up around $100. The Aberlour is cheapest, then the three wood, then the glengyone. The glengyone is a nice choice. With a few drops of water, it is very enchanting and it will be gone forever very soon, replaced by the 15 year for about the same price.

@rigmorole Don't underestimate Reno's ghettoness lol... Before the Total Wine opened a couple of years back, our best liquor store was Ben's Fine Liquor. To give you an idea, this place sold your basic Glenffidich 12 behind glass doors cause that's "the good stuff". To my knowledge, there is no Mom & Pop specialty liquor shop in Reno which is unfortunate since I've met several scotch lovers around here. They must buy their stuff online I presume. Total Wine has a very decent selection for a brick and mortar store, but they're selection of samplers is incredibly lacking. As for your suggestion, I will definitely buy a bottle of HP18 before the year is over since the 12yo is currently my favorite so I thought I'd skip that one as a sampler since we'll have the opportunity to try it from a full bottle later this year. I just have to pace myself on my modest grad student income. One of the Aberlour's, either the 16 or the a'Bunadh is definitely on deck as well. The Glengoyne looks amazing and I might try to hunt down a sampler to add the collection, maybe instead of the Arran. Thanks for the great advice and cheers!

@mithion "Glendronach 15 revval Old Pulteney 17 Isle of Arran 14 Glenlivet 16 yo Nadurra Ardbeg Uigeadail Glenmorangie Ealanta"

Your choices are brilliant.

So I guess "Go Pack" is familiar to you, eh? Sorry, but now that you all are in the Mountain West Conference, I have to stick with "Go Pokes." :-)

@Nolinskie:+1...there is nothing as memorable and rewarding as a great tasting session. Well said! We have been fortunate enough to attend 'tastings' that were not only sensational but that also remain crystal clear in the memory - Sharing fine Whisky with like-minded folk has to be the ultimate experience.

Slainte!

@two-bit-cowboy Indeed! And I extend the best of luck to the Wyoming squad in what will hopefully be an exciting and competitive season. Mountain West for the win!

Hi Mithion: Good to hear from you! I salute your spirit and the spirits you are gravitating towards. The non chill filtered Aberlour 12 is great. Be sure to get non chill if you find a bottle. Since you can order online, I also highly recommend the Glenfarclas 15, which one cannot buy in the United States at all. I also recommend the Talisker 18. If you like smoky without the really heavy peat, it is a wonderfully complex dram with a finish that just keeps going and going and going and going. Best of luck! Let us know how you fare in your choices!