Let's talk about Bourbon

So, I have been on a multiyear journey with whiskeys. My able guides have been @PurpleBaze and @YellowSnow . Been a super enjoyable trip to try many bottles of all different sorts of stuff. Straight whiskey, scotch, bourbon. Had plenty of all the varieties. After much introspection I think I most identify as a bourbon guy. Specifically wheated bourbon. But, I am still a novice in the whiskey game, so although my palate likes bourbon the best, and specifically wheated at the tippy top (just plain old Weller Special Reserve tastes damn near perfect to me), I am open to suggestions.

Besides the obvious shit like the really high end Wellers, Stagg and Pappy, what else does everyone swear by for bourbon? I heard Olf Fitzgerald if you want to lighten your wallet a good bit, and I've also had recommendations for Redemption Wheated (affordable but I can't find it anywhere), Four Roses, and Elmer T Lee (also super pricey). Anything else? Any bottles of great bourbon you don't have to take out a second mortgage to buy? I've had Makers, which I liked, but it wasn't excellent to me. Wellers 7 year still the best until I try some of the more expensive shit I guess.

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greenblood

Just thinking about Scotch is making me grimace. A friend left a bottle of Dewer's at my E WA place and I did drink it, eventually, mixing it with anything I had, even just water. But again, I just can't drink Scotch straight, or I'm pretty sure I'll die.
Scotch doesn't make me want to die, but it is still strong. The one I liked the best (small sample size but still) is when @PurpleBaze sent me a bottle of Arran 10. That was good stuff. Still put a big fat fucking ice cube in it but I liked it a bunch and didn't feel like I was getting throat punched. There were a few other Scotch brands that had a bunch of promise, but ultimately, like you, I just think I'm probably not a Scotch guy.

I have been a rum guy for 30 years (rum sodomy and the lash!), and my whiskey guides and others have correctly pointed out that the sweetness of bourbon is an easy transition for my taste buds after so many gallons of rum. I just dig bourbon. Especially wheated bourbons. I think I'm hooked.

Highland Scotch is my favorite region. Great balance with peat and finish. My favorites from this region are Glendronach 12, 15 and 18 and Oban 14 and 18. I toured the Glendronach distillery while on a trip in Scotland. It was pretty cool! For those that might not know, a glen is a valley and the word after glen is the name of the Valley where the water came from. So, Glendronach whisky is made from water from the dronach valley. Cool little fact.

I always drink mine neat, because ice over a short time completely dilutes your whisky. A fun trick, if you try a whisky and think it’s too strong, literally swirl a single drop or two of water into your pour, and you’ll notice a world of difference. A single drop of water swirled into your drink can make a subtle but noticeable change. Once you notice that, you’ll realize why people find it blasphemy to put an ice cube in your scotch.