I guess I should also ask then what affordable non-smokey scotch there is. I haven't tried many because well, scotch doesn't fit very well into a college student's budget. I've had a glass of Macallan 12 though and that was amazing, so I'm also thinking of getting that when my current bottle runs out...
ive mentioned it before, but Glengoyne 12 usually runs about $35-$40 and is quite good. Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Glenmorangie, and Bunnahabhain all make similarly priced single malts that in my opinion aren't quite as good, but they're each different and you might like one of those better. Glengoyne also makes a 10 year old which is pretty good, but I'd shell out the extra $10 for the 12 year old. A little bit up the price range is Macallan, as you mentioned, but the 12 is probably around $65? Something I don't hear a lot about is the Aberlour 12 but that is amazing, also around $60.
If you're looking for something blended, then monkey shoulder is a nice option for $30. Here I actually prefer johnny walker black, because it has just a little bit of smoke, although not enough to be considered really smokey.
Something I really like, and I think is comparable to scotch, is Bastille french blended whiskey. It's got a very light fruity flavor and goes for around $30. It's more and more becoming my go-to whiskey.
I recently finished my first bottle of Monkey Shoulders, and it was very drinkable. I paid around $30. It's obviously a blend, but a well crafted one. It comes with a bonus - an extremely interesting nose, remarkably fruity for a scotch. It has absolutely no fruit on the palate (thank goodness, IMO), but it is a nice add-on.
I've had Bastille, which was at that time marketed as French
bourbon (a misnomer in its own right), not whiskey. I found it quite foul, but again, I was misled from the beginning, and was expecting bourbon. The casks it is finished in show their presence in the nose, on the palate, and throughout the finish. I took my bottle back for a refund. YMMV.
After you've tried various Islay scotches to explore the smoke factor, try a glass of Ardbeg 10 year. Not overly expensive, and quite nice, if you like peat.
One final recommendation: a Highland single malt from Tomatin. Around $26 a bottle where I am. Very very good value, no peat (it's a highland, after all).