[Christien]

Scotch, bourbon and rye shouldn't even really be discussed as a group - they're as different as vodka and gin. The best approach would be to discover what you like within one of those families. Scotch tends to be more sharp and defined, even amongst blended scotches. Single malts are very sharp and defined, very precise, if that makes sense. Rye is sweeter, but more simple. Bourbon is the sweetest, and usually very complex. Of the varieties available here, there tends to be less difference between the various brands than scotches or ryes.