Moving into a new home and has a bar- want to have a bottle of Bourbon, Scotch, Irish and Rye whiskeys. Looking to have one bottle of each, for less than $100 each. Pretty sure my Irish will be a bottle of Bushmills 16. But looking for suggestions on the others.
Jay,
Under $100 leaves an endless amount of possibilities! But, MY* suggestions are:
Bourbon - Elijah Craig Small Batch 12 yr. 1.75L
Scotch - Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or (Sauternes barrel finished) or Glenlivet Nadurra Oloroso
Rye - Whistle Pig
All are available in the Chicago area.
*By no means, written in stone.
Check out Yellow Spot for the Irish option as well.
rye = Whistle Pig
Scotch = take your pick from, literally, hundreds (if not thousands) of options.
Bourbon = (see Scotch)
can you give any additional guidance on your likes/dislikes?
Rye: Angel’s Envy ($70)
Scotch: Lagavulin 16 (more traditional) or The Balvenie 14 year old Caribbean cask (less traditional) (both $70)
Bourbon: Where do I even start? Blanton’s ($60), Four Roses Single Barrel ($45), Booker’s (higher proof $60), Woodford Double Barrel ($50), Eagle Rare ($30).
I know I left this pretty open- but cant say I have a particular style I like. My favorite whiskey is probably Macallen 18…but its a bit over my $100. I don’t really care for overly “peaty” scotches.
I like the suggestions coming in.
And might have to be 2 bottles of each!!
Thanks…
Bourbon – Elijah Craig 12 year
Rye – Taylor BP Rye, Michters 10
Irish - Redbreast 15
Scotch - Glemorangie 18 (not sure if this is <$100, I’m not a scotch drinker)
I find a lot of Scotch too peaty. I have a feeling you would like the 2 I recommended. Also The Balvenie 12yr Doublewood.
That’s a good one.
For Scotch, if you stick to the Highlands region, and select a cask strength offering, odds are pretty high you’ll end-up with something you like (especially if you’re willing to dilute it with a few drops of water, to taste — and you should be so willing).
For Scotch, do you know what your preferences are with respect to what type of cask/barrel the whisky is aged in? (i.e.: ex-Bourbon barrel/cask; Sherry butt/cask; Port pipe; etc. etc. etc. …) For example, if you know you don’t like whiskys that have been aged in ex-sherry receptacles, then that will be helpful to know (i.e.: best to avoid Glenfarclas and Glendronach, with rare exceptions). Letting us know you don’t like peaty whisky is very helpful, too.
Great idea Brian, Highlands cask strength is probably right up his alley. I’ve had a couple and loved them, but the only one I remember by name was Aberlour ($70).
http://www.klwines.com/p/i?i=991222
Jay, I just read this and it is helpful in understanding the regions you may or may not want to focus on. I also learned how to say “Islay” 
Picked up the Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or yesterday…think I will need more than one Scotch!
Didn’t like it?
No- I liked it quite a bit. Spicy(clove?), toffee, a bit of a sweet finish- very good.
But as has been mentioned- so many out there, will have to have a couple of scotches.
My current Go-To’s
Bourbon: Eagle Rare 10
Runner ups could be Buffalo Trace, Four Roses, Elijah Craig and a few others. I avoid anything advertised on TV, which especially includes Angel’s Envy- I found it to be overly sweet shlock.
Rye: Sazerac Rye
Runners up could be Michter’s or Whistle Pig- but Whistle Pig is a bit more $$ than I prefer for this category
Scotch: Lagavulin 16
However- you said you don’t like the peaty. Others I like are Oban and Macallan and Glenrothes. (pretty generic I know) Macallan 12 year should be a staple in every bar as it is the easiest, most generally likeable Scotch. For me it is worth the extra $$ to pony for the 18 though.
Its nice to hear that someone else doesn’t care for Angel’s Envy. I find that stuff to be pretty pedestrian. As for Rye, definitely go with Sazerac. I think Whistle Pig is also decidedly average.
These are my choices for shelf stuff you can find at any Bevmo, TW or Binny’s given your criteria.
Bourbon: Regular Four Roses Small Batch or Blanton’s
Rye: Willet 7 year or Sazerac
Scotch: Balvenie 12 year double wood or 15 year single barrel sherry cask
You have a WHOLE bar and you think you only need one bottle of each of these??? I’m confused.
Bourbon-Willet Single Barrel 1.75L ($70); underrated bourbon, bottle looks like a giant bong, what else do you need?!
Scotch-Bruichladdich Scottish Barley Unpeated Single Malt ($55)
Chivas Regal 18yr blended ($65)-underrated and freakin’ delicious
Irish-Red Breast 12 yr ($60)
Rye-High West Rendezvous Rye ($55)
If you’re a fan of MacAllan 18, just stick with MacAllan. Otherwise, Oban is a solid option.