My Slow Descent Into Alcoholism

I've always had an appreciation for good booze. I wouldn't call myself an aficionado, but I might toss around terms like "enthusiast" or "frequent drinker" or "lush." Let's just say that I like the sauce, but always within the confines of health, relationships, budget, and sobriety. (Pfft)

Anyway, I feel as though I've graduated to a new stage of alcohol appreciation in my "discovery" of single-malt Scotch whisky. Generally eschewed by those of my generation as being overly pungent, expensive, and "just plain nasty," this product has captured my nose, taste buds, heart, liver, wallet. As a close conspirator recently related during a late-night Scotch heist gone awry, "Damn, son. This shit just got real."

There is a wealth of information about the creation, geography, bottling, and appreciation of decent Scotch available on this World Wide Web. After a few months of doing "field research," I've come up with a short list of four "must try" bottlings that I've found are available in finer drinking establishments:

1. The Macallan 12 Year (Speyside) - This is the one that I recommend for novices, and also happens to be my favorite readily available malt. Smooth, fruity, spicy, and delicious.

2. Lagavulin 16 Year (Islay) - It's like a campfire in your mouth. Smoky and sweet. The Laphroig 10 Year is a good approximation if this isn't on the shelf.

3. Glenmorangie 10 Year (Highlands) - The way I remember that I like this is by thinking, "Orangy? I like oranges. Hey now." Sure enough, it's got a nice orange/tangerine nose and taste.

4. Johnny Walker Black (Blended) - Because it's pretty good and I'm not ballin' hard enough to shell out $60 a glass for the Blue Label.