[Aerkuld]

Back to suggestions for smooth.

Others have already mentioned Red Breast. That, along with most of the Irish whiskies, is very smooth with no real burn. Other Irish whiskies worth trying are Connemara and Tyrconnell as well as the more familiar Bushmills and Jameson.

If you want Single Malt Scotch, the Glenlivet 18 is a good value smooth drinker. Auchentoshan is a lowland whisky and is triple distilled like the Irish whiskies. The Auchentoshan 'Three Wood' might be a good start. Maybe try Bunnahabhain 12 too for something a little different.

Blends are more difficult as I haven't tried many, but I had a really good Bell's Royal Vat - but I have no idea where you'd find it. If you can find Chivas Regal Royal Salute, Famous Grouse Gold Reserve or Black Bottle if you like a little peatiness.

Not to leave out Bourbon and the like. I have really enjoyed some of the lower production bourbons. The Gentleman Jack and the Single Barrel were both good. Some of the other distilleries turn out some decent stuff for much less than Scotch normally costs. Japan make some good whisky too but it's usually quite difficult to find.

If you had to generalize, age is the key to making a whisky smoother. The older years are generally smoother and more mellowed from their time in the wood. The downside is that you have to pay more for them.
You might find that 'chewing' the whisky (I know it sounds daft, but try it) will warm it up in your mouth and can soften the burn as well as bringing out the flavor.

If you fancy a good read with loads of information and tasting notes you could do a lot worse than picking up 'Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch' from you're local bookstore. It currently on it's 5th edition and mine has a price of $27.50 on the back. It might save you a fortune in the long run. By the way, don't worry it's a different Michael Jackson - this one's 12 year olds are legal.