If you HAD to choose just 3 whiskies...

Great responses so far; this kind of forum can be really bad on our wallets though. I need to restrict myself to single malt Scotch OBs: Uigeadail, HP30, Glenmorangie 25. Since most people cheat in some way :) here's an alternative line-up: PC8, Ealanta, Parliament.

I didn't previously commit to ONE trio of whiskies to answer the question...of those various trios I previously mentioned, the one I would take would likely be:

Thomas H. Handy Rye, William Larue Weller Bourbon, and Ardbeg Supernova.

(if the Supernova variants become unavailable, then Uigeadail L 10 151 or L11 028, or Laphroaig 10 CS could substitute.)

For me Talisker 18 yr, Redbreast 12 yr, and Bruichladdich 10 Year Old. I think that would keep me very happy for the rest of my life.

Three? I can say also one only that will satisfy me forever: Nikka single cask coffey malt.

Hypothetical 2nd and 3rd place could be:

-2nd, W.L. Weller (from Antique collection, obviously...)

-3rd, ... hard to say. Some Islands aged scotch like Scapa, Talisker or Tobermory or some aged Nikka Yoichi single cask.

Having a limited budget myself, I'll choose 2 single malts: Glenmorangie and Glenfiddich 15, and an american: Maker's Mark

@amigo-fede, very nice choices. Being a longtime Maker's Mark fan has allowed me to discover Maker's 46; if you haven't already experienced this enhanced version of MM, I hope that you might do so, and for only a few dollars a bottle more. The '46' is fully matured MM with additional aging and exposure to European oak. Cheers!

Realistic choices for me would be (in no particular order) Uigeadall, A'bunadh, and Highland Park 18. Yeah, I could get by on those!

Laphroaig 10 CS

Springbank something-or-other...maybe that cask strength stuff from behind the counter at Cadenhead's Edinburgh, or else the 12 CS

Oogie

No, wait—JW Blue, a Diamond Jubilee thingamabob, and whatever's most expensive in that Constellation lineup. (These are the best, right?)

Possible: Bowmore 1988 - 21 Year Old Port Cask Matured, Glen Garioch 1999 - Batch 30 Sherry Matured, BenRiach Solstice 17 Year Old. Expensive: Port Ellen 6th Release, Brora 8th Release, Octomore 10 Year Old