roachboy

will:

i am still kind of a novice in the lovely world of single-malts: i had a friend in philly who would bring over outrageous bottles--like johnny walker gold, which is a fine fine thing and others that i can't remember right now---i have been working my way into single malts at a leisurely pace, learning how to taste them, what i like, etc.. it is a fine fine pursuit. so that's how i have been doing it, and i suspect that, with or without books, that's more or less how folk have to do it.

when i am out and about (in the outside world where single malts are expensive), i usually opt for balvennie double cask or 18 because it is reliably good and not backbreaking to buy from a (more or less random) bar.
oban is quite lovely as well.
most of the other good ones have already been listed here, but in bar contexts their prices can be a blow.

it seems like a good plan to explore a range of options when out, decide on something that you want to really check out and get a bottle to consume at your leisure at home. then you need a smoking jacket, a huge fireplace and staff to bring you stuff: you know, like charles foster kane hanging out at xanadu. you dont have to do much actively to turn yourself into charles foster kane, though. i find that after a couple, it sort of happens on its own.

i know there are some fine scotch joints in sf, but i cant remember what or what they are.
if you find yourself in chicago, though, let me know and we can arrange to go to delilahs, which is a very good exploratorium: a dingy little zoo of scotch, bourbon and bad films. excellent place.

__________________
a gramophone its corrugated trumpet silver handle
spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear

it make you sick.

-kamau brathwaite