Hmmm…Laphroaig as bong water. Might be the only practical use for the stuff. You certainly aren’t supposed to drink it.
Sigh. If you don’t want to taste peat, then don’t drink scotch. Now leave me to enjoy my bottle of Laphroaig 18 year old.
You have to love the Dope.
What is a decent mainstream fast food burger… nobody mentions McDonalds
What is a decent mainstream cola… nobody mentions Coke.
What is a decent mainstream scotch… nobody mentions Johnny Walker. If I’m just stocking a bar I’d get the Black.
The above suggestions are good, just not typical well options (JW Black is much better than most well brands)
True, but I got the impression that the OP was looking for something better than a “very good” well drink - a Scotch that would really deserve to be consumed neat, or perhaps with a splash of water. I like JW Black, but I haven’t any qualms about drinking it on ice, or even with a splash of Coke. A man who put Coke in his Laphroig, on the other hand, would never get another glass of that divine Scotch from me. 
I agree with this suggestion.
There are a lot of very good suggestions in this thread. the problem with them is that there is often a very large (think cavernous) difference in flavor profiles from one whisky to the next. Do you prefer the overwhelming flavor of peat? Or do you want your Scotch to taste like the inside of an oak barrel?
I don’t think the OP can go ‘wrong’ with any of the suggestions here, but he will probably offend half of his guests tastebuds no matter which one he chooses. If I was looking for a single bottle of Scotch to put in a liquor cabinet, to achieve maximum flexibility, I’d grab a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black. It’s not going to ‘impress’ a Scotch drinker, but it’s not going to offend him either, and it is a perfectly serviceable whisky.
That’s mostly true. I’m not much of a Scotch drinker and I think that’s partly due to the poor selection you typically find out here in the hinterlands of America’s flyover country (Nebraska - where the men are men and the cows are nervous). Most places carry JW black and red, Glen Livet, Chivas Regal and that’s just about it.
I am trying to expand my range and secure 3-5 broadly ranged and not insanely priced varieties to enjoy.
Thus far I snagged the last dusty bottle of Laphroaig that the sixth store I went to had. No one else had even heard of it before. I have not cracked it open yet - tonight we’ll see.
The sample of Dalwhinnie I was able to coax from a friend (from a bottle procured in Denver) last night was very nice. Not nearly enough "O"s in the word "smooth’ to describe it. If I can find a bottle then it’s on the list.
No place I could find had Macallan 12 in stock but several offered to order it for me. I’ll get it next Wednesday.
The OP didn’t ask for “decent.” He asked for “good.” That rules out all blends. 
Another good single that should be available just about anywhere is Glenmorangie. It’s the largest selling single in Scotland, if that’s any help.
Alpha, you will find that The Macallan is worth the wait. If you think Dalwhinnie is smooth…
Anyone heard of Té Bheag? (Pronounced something like “chey vek.”)
It’s blend, but a darned nice one, and reasonably priced. Of course if Laphroaig and Macallan are hard to get a hold of, I suppose this will be impossible.
Perhaps the LCBO is good for something after all: selection.
Another suggestion is The MacAllan ‘Fine Oak’, which is exactly the same as the normal MacCallan but instead of being matured in a sherry cask it’s been stored in french oak. It’s a lovely, light, buttery whisky and if you like Dalwhinnie I guarantee you’ll love it.
I don’t know how widely available it is in the US, but the 10 year old is pretty common here (although ‘here’ is Scotland I suppose…)
Alpha Twit - there are two questions you need to answer before any of these suggestions are worth a damn.
- Single malt or blend?
- What’s your price range?
I feel like I need to hug my parents, and thank them for staying on the East Coast after I was born.
I have no good answer for this. I have not drunk deeply enough of the waters of life to intelligently say. Providing a serviceable selection for my guests and teaching myself what I what is what this thread is about.
Another nearly meaningless answer but my price range is enough to get the job done. I don’t mind spending money for quality but I detest spending it on hype and marketing.
I’m beginning to think my only viable option is to spend a few evenings in a high end club where I can sample many different bottles without the investment of tracking down and purchasing dozens of hard to find bottles. It’s hard works but it has to be done.
Then I’d get one bottle of blended and one single-malt. As for price range, you’re really going to get what you pay for - so heading to a bar with a good selection is a good idea. I’d also contact your favorite liquor store that seems to know what they’re doing, and see if there’s a scotch tasting event at some point - that’s your BEST bet. You’ll get to find out what people mean when they mention the various regions, you’ll find out what you like, what you don’t like, and most importantly - what the (price and taste) threshold is that you like.
If it were me, I’d get a bottle of Cutty Sark (blended) and Balwinie Doublewood (single). If the Balwinie is too pricy, the Dalwhinnie linked above is a fantastic “beginner’s” single malt. (I’d personally stay away from the Laphroig - the peatyness is a very acquired taste that can really turn away newcomers. It’s like licking Scotland.)
I’ve seen some sampler packs at the stores over the last couple years. Those are good, but a little limiting. They are three servings of one brand’s selections. I have a Macallan and a Balvenie one. They give a great glimpse, but really push you towards the really good/expensive offerings.
Here’s a resource that may help you narrow down where you’d like to start your exploration.
Edit:
Note that the map there is produced by a major spirits company, so beware that there are may be labels, that you’d enjoy, missing.
If nothing else, though, you should certainly try Laphroig - perhaps in a bar. If you decide you rather enjoy licking Scotland, it’ll open up whole new vistas of Scotch for you.
Laphroig is my favorite, but it’s not to everybody’s taste.
For cheap blends, you really can’t beat Teacher’s. It’s better than Johnny Walker Black and usually cheaper. Again, it won’t impress any connoisseurs, but for everyday drinking, mixing with Coke, or pouring over ice, it’s perfectly good.
OTOH, if you like scotch and Coke and you can afford it, I don’t know why Laphroig would be a bad choice. You’re certainly not going to cover up any of the peatiness! Laphroig is actually probably the best scotch for mixing with Coke, it’s just that anyone who likes scotch enough to (a) develop a taste for Laphroig and (b) pay for a bottle probably doesn’t drink highballs to begin with, since the point is usually to cover up the taste of the liquor.
I agree with this for two reasons. Firstly, some people (like me) enjoy strong and extreme flavors. If you’re one of those people, you might fall in love with Laphroig, and there’s no point in pussyfooting around your whole life.
Secondly, I always like to get a sense of the range of tastes available in a food or drink. If you start with a middle-of-the-road scotch, even a single malt, you might wonder if that slight chemically, bog-/bong-water taste is meant to be there or if it is a flaw. With Laphroig, there is no question, and after you know what that taste is, you might feel more comfortable identifying it and appreciating it (or avoiding it) in less intense forms (or just going for it).
Just don’t taste Laphroig first and decide that you don’t like scotch!
PS–I discovered that Trader Joe’s carries a very nice Laphroig-like Islay single malt called Finlaggen that’s a fraction of the price. Worth seeking out!
See if you can find a high end club that offers Scotch “flights.” This was thefirst Google suggestion for “Nebraska ‘Scotch Flight.’” It’s in Lincoln, but there were other options.
I’m not much of a whisky/whiskey drinker, but went through a Laphroig phase in my youth.
Bruichladdich makes a few scotches that are pretty fine for the price. Oban Double Distilled is really nice too, but my default scotch is Lagavulin 16.