FoodBanter.com - Help please. Single Malt Whiskey recommendations?

In article
<Zm92ZW9u.a64d132f4eb33ae79e5d68ec9d846b74@1076126 175.nulluser.com>,
"John Doe" > wrote:

> Hello. I'm looking into buying a bottle of single malt whiskey for my
> professor before leaving grad school.
>
> However, being a teetotaler myself, I'm at a loss as to what to purchase.
> I'm fishing for some suggestions as to what to buy and where. I am
> willing to spend $100-$150 on a bottle.
>
> Should I purchase a single bottle or several different brands for
> comparison? All I know is that he likes single malt whiskey and that he
> doesn't spend over $20 for a bottle of wine (says he can't taste the
> difference). But, wine and whiskey are probably different.
>
> Any suggestions would be truly appreciated. Thanks!
>

I'd go for one good quality bottle. If he's a single malt drinker, he
has probably done his own sampling.

The trick is to find out what his taste in malts is. There are such
great differences between regions and individual distilleries' products
that if you buy blind, you could end up giving even a dedicated malt
drinker something he loathes.

So call his spouse or ask his colleagues or engage him in conversation
and find out what he normally drinks -- both in terms of region
(Highland, Lowland, Speyside, Islay) and the names (and ages, if
available) of one or two individual malts. Given that information,
you'll find superb advice here as to a premium bottle in your price
range to warm the cockles of his professorial heart.

If you provide the name of your city or area, chances are good someone
will even suggest the most likely stores in which to find the
recommended choices.

cheers.

bill