@ContemplativeFox Thanks for the perspective! It will be interesting to do a head-to-head with Monkey Shoulder and the Compass Box. They’re both around the same price near me, although I need to order from (or drive into) DC to pick up the Compass Box. Monkey Shoulder is readily available near me, which gives it the initial advantage.

Thanks for the great input @bigwhitemike :) I can't object to Chivas 12 too much and I wouldn't be surprised if I cooled to Monkey over time too. IMHO The Famous Grouse and JW Red are bad, but the rest are palatable, but vary from boring to fine. I've heard quite good things about Artist's and Glasgow (and I in fact have both on my shelf, albeit unopened), though they're a bit more (about $35). in a similar range, you could consider Glenmo 10 ($30), Dewar's 15 ($45) or JW Green ($45).

I've only had Monkey Shoulder once @ctbeck11, but it would be my pick of those based on that surprisingly positive experience. Many will disagree, but I strongly disliked The Famous Grouse, putting it an about the same level as JW Red. I was pleasantly surprised by Dewar's White, but I'd still take Monkey. Monkey is a little more than JW Black around here though and I can see those being reasonable competitors, so you might consider JW Black as well. I haven't tried Dewar's 12, but that's cheaper than either of those two and I've heard good things about it, so it might be worth a shot.

@bigwhitemike Thanks for chiming in! I’ll take all the advice I can get. As luck would have it, I was already in the process of placing an online order and was able to add the Artist’s Blend before checking out. Unfortunately, this site didn’t have the Glasgow. For the price, the reviews on them seem pretty stellar. Thank you for the recommendation. Looking forward to trying it.

@ctbeck11 Tuesdays are for unsolicited input, lol, so I’ll jump in for @ContemplativeFox. I like Monkey Shoulder but have cooled over time... still palatable, but just monotonous vanilla. I’d lean towards the Chivas 12 on your list, but otherwise if you’re open to a sherry+peat character I really like Compass Box Great King’s St. Glasgow Blend for the price. Seen the Artist’s blend with positive reviews as well (for something a bit less assertive), but I haven’t tried that one yet. I’d also keep the door open to other options in the price range, like Glenmorangie 10 (by me at least) or even Suntory Toki. Monkey usually has them beat price-wise, but not by much.

@ContemplativeFox On a completely unrelated note, I’m looking to find a blended scotch to stock as a house cocktail mixer in the ~$30 price range. My favorite so far has been Monkey Shoulder, which is $35 near me. The likely suspects are Famous Grouse, Dewar’s White Label, Chivas Regal, and Johnnie Red, but maybe you have some suggestions for others I may want to evaluate?

@ContemplativeFox I’ve read lots of good things about the XO. Looking forward to it. That one’s on deck for review tomorrow night.

I wasn't a fan of this either. The XO on the other hand was very good :)