Aye, I'm totally with you on the salty peated whisky. Kilchomen is an interesting one if you like Islay whisky, all the peat, but very little iodene flavor that's typical of them. Ardbeg, Laphroig, Lagavulin, Caol Isla, Kilchomen are my favorite big peated ones (in order of most heavily peated first). Big Peat is a blended heavily peated whisky and quite nice but to my taste doesn't have the same kind of flavour profile as the malts, Smokehead is similar too. Talisker (from Skye) is also up there with the best IMO. Benromach gets an honarable mention in my book being an unusual peated Speyside giving a unique flavour. All worth trying.
The absolute best whisky I've ever had was a 1980 24yr old sample bottle of Port Ellen. Dunno what it would go for now but my god it was a fine dram. Shame they mothballed that distillery.
to disagree on the McCallan though. I'd prefer a Glenmorangie or even an Old Poultney.
***
With bourbon I like mine in an old fashioned (cocktail). I'm not fussy about that. Rum, has got to be good old Sailor Jerry's.