I like a good blend as i like a single malt only i prefer single malt above blends.Blends are made for big crowds and to make it acceptable they take a harsh taste as peat or smoke and try to minimalize it by mixing it with some sweeter malts from the speyside for example and dilute it with grainwhisky.It can work out good(JW Blue label,Grouse)but have you ever had Vat 69?Even mixing that with coke is a waste of your coke!And as long you have more bad blends than good ones i stick with malts most of the time.Ever tasted 6 Isles?It`s a blended malt with a very nice palate,the black bottle you mention is nice too and available here in good quantities only i`m not living in England.If you have difficulties in getting your favorites try the net.Good luck,Eric.

Well worth a try is 6 isles a blended malt catches all the good things of those isles.In Holland you have a blend called Glen Talloch it has a good balance and there is Islay in it,but i`ve never seen it on your side of the water.Eric.

Another one,which i haven`t seen it for a long time, is Islay Mist.I don`t know if it is still for sale.

It was a long time only 3% and now it is already 6% so it doubled in 10 years time,more people start to get the taste.Within 80 years or so we all be drinking single malt.

Well i think people try to  look sophisticated by drinking single malt and say that blends are inferiour,it only shows their lack of knowledge and taste,i never had the opportunity to sample a grainwhisky but i expect them to be okay as well,i have no prejudice against it.