Can not go wrong with Bruichladdich’s Islay Barley series. Planning to do a blind tasting of the ‘07, ‘09 and ‘10 shortly. Wouldn’t say Islay Barleys or Classic Laddies are the best options for beginners - younger whiskies so they can be a little spiky upon opening and require some patience (air time in bottle, time in glass, tiny bit of water) to reach their full potential but, when they do, they’re stunningly beautiful. I went through long phases of drinking heavily peated, sherried and cask strength whiskies (including a lot of the Port Charlotte experimental bottlings) - these are not any of those things. They’re more stripped down and spirit driven. It’s like listening to your favorite band’s acoustic album - a new experience grounded in something you already know you love. I’m digging this style of whisky a lot right now.