Just because it's not made in Scotland doesn't mean it's not good. Getting a Scotch just because it's a Scotch is stupid when there are other whiskeys and bourbons that are just as good that are made in the USA. Anyone who thinks "Scotch" is the best clearly has a narrow minded view on what liquors are out there or only go for the name or where it's made.
Also, I thought that Scotch is only from Scotland. Anything else is called whiskey.
Scotch comes from Scotland, Irish from Ireland, and supposed "Tennessee" whiskey is made in an almost entirely different way, making it closer to a bourbon than a whisky really. I'm not saying one is inherently better than another, just that if it ain't from Scotland, it ain't Scotch, and I *do* think scotch is the best because I prefer it to other whisk(e)ys. You can't compare the three major kinds because they all taste completely different. Irish is the best to mix with coffee, JD tastes awful neat but mixes well with coke, and having more than three ice cubes with a decent scotch is a crime that should be punished severely. Shitty scotch, meh.
If you want to get someone to try a decent scotch, Glenmorangie 10 year (single malt) isn't too expensive, neither is Johnnie Walker Black Label (blended; the others aren't half as good, excluding gold label). Both are fairly smooth and easy to drink and avoids the supermarket trash which invariably is the bottom of the barrel, its far better to spend a touch more and get something better. Mix it with a cube of ice or two and make sure they smell it before they sip it, otherwise you get that initial surge of the strong flavour (think about how the first tequila shot makes you wince a little but after that, they go down no problem). Talisker 18 year is my favourite that I've tried - but good luck finding a bottle for under $200 over there - and if you want to shop locally, try Canadian Club Whisky; it ain't a scotch but its still surprisingly good and probably the closest thing I've heard of readily available over there.
