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Other folks have pretty much covered it. I'll chip in with my $0.02.  Well, maybe more like $2.  

I do think if you can get some idea of your friend's predelictions, you'll do better.  I think the great divide is between those who like the smokey/peaty scotches, and those who don't.  There are wide variations on that spectrum, and those who like peaty scotch will most likely also like others (though not as much), but it doesn't tend to work as well the other way.   I'm basically going to try to work my way down the smoke level.

My favorite scotch of all time is Talisker.  From the Isle of Skye, it is peaty (though not as much as some others) and very, very complex.  Unless your friend hates scotch with a little smoke to it, I'd buy him Talisker.  He will really enjoy it.  It may also be the most expensive of any scotch whisky I'll mention, likely setting you back $60-70 (although prices vary by location).

Among the other smokey ones, I agree that Laphroig and Lagavulin are excellent choices.  They are a little more peat than Talisker, but you don't go wrong with either of those.  Caol Ila is a very smokey scotch that I am not fond of; I find it harsh.

Macallan is a very good scotch as is the Oban; you are starting to go down the smokiness level here.  These are not my favorites, but Ihave no quarrel with them and understand why some like them.

If I didn't know anything about somebody's taste except that they liked single malt scotches, and I wanted to play it safe, I'd buy the Balvenie 12 year Doublewood.  Well-rounded, smooth, has a really nice finish.  I often have a bottle around the house, but for some reason, they don't last long. 

Another safe choice is the Highland Park, not a highland scotch, but from the Orkney Islands.  This scotch, along with the Balvenie Doublewood, often gets the highest average rating when we have tastings -- suggesting that they represent the golden mean. 

Two scotches that are sometimes hard to find, but are fun because they are different, are the Tobermary from the Isle of Mull and the Isle of Jura from ... well, from the Isle of Jura.  If your friend has had a lot of single malts, you might try to find these, because not a lot of places have them. 

(PSA:  If you want to have a scotch tasting party, one theme is a tour of the islands: Talisker from Skye, Tobermary from Mull, Isle of Jura from Jura, Laphroig from Islay, and Highland Park from Orkney.  Fun!)

A pretty interesting and less expensive single malt I've grown to like is Deanston.  Light, but a long aftertaste.

I've had Abelour, but not the cask strength.  Didn't strike me one way or another, but with the kudos in this thread, I think I'll try it again.

Now, for some I'd stay away from:  SoCal is right that I'm not fond of the Glenmorangie, but I have to agree with him that if you stay away from their basic label and get some of the higher label stuff, it can be very good.  I think the Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or is a fabulous scotch, complex and smooth.  The Glenmorangies are all on the lighter side.

I'm not fond of Glenlivet (which is not to say that I won't drink it in a pinch), and am even less so of Glenfiddich (which I won't drink in a pinch; I'll go to a decent blended scotch before that)  IMO, these two are sort of the McDonald's of single malts. 

X bought me a bottle of the Glenfarclas cask strength for a trip to Penn State.  I drank the whole darn thing and it was excellent (may have some relation to the lost Badger jacket, but that's another story).  Since, I've tried the regular Glenfarclas, and it is passable, but not something I'd buy to impress your friend.

A couple of other points:  I'm not as down on blended scotch as some of the others because, after all, it is scotch whisky.   But you have to stay away from the cheaper stuff here, what I call the "brother-in-law" scotch, the stuff you have around to feed the in-laws when they visit.  Johnny Walker Black Label or above (Green Label,  or even Blue Label if you want to spend $175 or so) is very decent.  In fact, the Blue is the smoothest scotch I've ever had.  I like Chivas Regal, but it is a little sweet for some.  And the Dimple Pinch is a decent blend.   But, if your friend is a scotch lover, spring for the single malt.

And, finally, there are a very few single malt Irish whiskies that can compete with the good single malt scotches.  You could really surprise your friend with one of these.  Knappogue Castle is very good, very distinct taste; the Slieve Foy is also a very, very good single malt Irish with a unique flavor. Neither of these two taste anything like your traditional Irish blend like Jameson's or that Protestant piss, Bushmill's.   Michael Collins single malt is also pretty good.  Don't get the Michael Collins blended Irish as it is not that good. 

There you go, Dude. 

Usquebauch!