If you want a "good" Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey try Woodford Reserve. It usually runs in the low $40 range and you'll be hard pressed to find a better one at that price. Woodford’s Maple wood finish Reserve is superb.
Scotch is a different story altogether, single-malt is the only way to go in my opinion. They are too many to list. The sky is the limit price wise. Some of my favorites are the 17 and 25 year old Glenfarclas. Glengoynee’s “Scottish Oak” wood finish is very smooth. Just about any of the Murray McDavid limited releases are great. A 10-year old Lismore is a good single-malt that usually runs less than $20 a bottle.
I love scotch, straight up, but Woodfords is worth trying at least one, you won’t regret it.
Cheers,
Pat