First, if it's not a single malt scotch, then you've already ensured you aren't dealing with the best. Second, the brand is less important than the age and the medium in which it was aged. And after 10-12 years, adding years matters less. I like Balvenie's 12 yr. Doublewood more than, say, Oban's 18 yr.
That said, once one gets to a good aged single malt, personal preference is a huge factor (like wine, and whether one prefers a drier wine or not). Some single malts are too smokey form me.
Moving beyond single malts, there are some good bourbons, such as Knob Creek. Maker's Mark is decent enough, but avoid Wild Turkey unless it's 101 and you are just looking to get semi-conscious or fully unconscious as fast as possible (in which case, you're better of with grain alcohol or rum 151). As for most of the blended, even the extremely expensive Johnnie Walker brands don't match up to a far less expensive single malt.
