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If you have been grabbing a bottle of your chosen brand, upending it into a glass and gulping it down with ice – let me tell you that’s not how you relish single malt. Drinking this is an art, and like any other art form you need to master some techniques.

Beginners’ guide to single malt

My love affair with <keyword id="124925" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="malt-whisky">malt whisky</keyword> started in the early nineties when I discovered the strong, peaty aromas of a Lagavulin. This was my first discovery of a whisky other than the standard Red Label and Black label that most of us in India had access to. My next malt whisky was the Glenfiddich 12 in its iconic green triangular bottle followed by the incredible Irish Whiskey (yes with a "e"), Midleton packed in an expensive wood carton, each bottle individually signed. 
 
Since then, I started on a journey not only to sample and enjoy this fabulous gold liquid but also to build a collection of malts, which I must admit, over the years has appreciated more than the stock market! 
 
This article attempts to demystify the malt whiskies based on my personal experience and will focus only on Scottish Malts, where it all began. This product is probably one of the few products in the world where it is identified by the name of the region it was produced in. All the whiskies mentioned in this article have been sampled by me and are in my personal collection as well. 
 
 
 
If your “love affair” with “malt whisky” has just begun or you discovered malts a few years back then your journey for the appreciation of this delightful liquid has commenced. You would have also built a formidable collection of expensive malts in your private bar which you carefully pour for close friends and family. And you must have a few bottles saved away for that special occasion. 
 
You would also have understood that you need to add a “drop of water” to your malt to “open up the bouquet” and that it is heresy to have a malt whisky with “ice and soda”! As you built your collection, you would also have learned about the regions of Scotland. Every time you open a newly acquired bottle of malt whisky, you must love to talk about where you acquired it and for some of you, disclosing the price is also essential to establish the origin and lineage of your bottle of malt whisky. 
 Along with Japanese whiskies which are tantalisingly difficult to find at duty free stores, for love or for money and the availability of whiskies from Taiwan to Australia to France in addition of course to whiskies from Wales and Ireland, and more recently from “craft” <keyword id="104823" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Distilleries">distilleries</keyword>, most whisky lovers are a little confused on what to buy and what to stock. I have left out the whiskies from North America from this article. 
 
Single Malt is whisky from a single distillery. Malt is germinated cereal grains (cereal derives from the word Ceres, the name of the Roman goddess of harvest and agriculture) that have been dried in a process known as "malting". 
 There are primarily six <keyword id="306294" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Scotch">scotch</keyword> production regions – <keyword id="1332180" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Highland">Highland</keyword>, Speyside, <keyword id="1816892" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="lowland">Lowland</keyword>, Islay, Island and Campbeltown. Islay and Island are sometimes taken as a single region but I have chosen to keep these separate because of the uniqueness of the whiskies of these two regions. 
 
The malt you indulge is always identified with the region it was distilled in. Each region has its unique characteristics. For most of us, the first four regions are from where we would normally be consuming our favourite dram. Malt aficionados swear by their love for a particular region. This love for a type of malt in the consumer lives up to the intense competition between the manufacturers to identify the uniqueness of their malt. 
 
• Highland: The Highlands is by far the largest region in Scotland both in area and in whisky production. Given the huge area, there is a reasonably wide range of styles from this region from the light and fruity styles of the South to the more-spicy and full bodied styles of the North. Highland whiskies are bold, flavorful, and frequently made with peat-kilned barley, giving them a smoky, medicinal quality. Some of the better known Highland whiskies are Glenmorangie, Old Pulteney, Ardmore, Oban and Singleton. 
 
• Speyside: Speyside gets its name from the River Spey, which flows through this region and provides its unique water to many of the distilleries. Speyside is home to more than half of the operating distilleries in Scotland. Speyside malts offer sweet aromas and rich flavor profiles. Apple, pear, honey, vanilla and spice will be some of the common flavours you will be able to “nose” in whiskies from this region. Some of the better known Speyside malts are Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, Aberlour, Macallan and Cardhu. 
 
• Lowland: The whiskies produced in this area are generally the most light bodied of all single malts. You will get flavours of cream, ginger, toffee and cinnamon. Some of the better known Lowland malts are Auchentoshan, Blandoch, and Glenkinchie. 
 
• Islay: The Islay region is known for its peaty and strong flavored whisky. The single malts produced here are salty, peppery, and smoky due to extremities of the sea that surround the area. Some of the better known Islay malts are Lagavulin, Laphroig, Ardbeg, Bowmore and Caol Lila. If you like a peaty whisky, Bunnahabhain is probably the peatiest of them all. 
 
• Island: Scotch from the Islands generally that bridges the wide gap between Highland Scotches and Islay whiskies. Flavours tend to have citrus, peat, honey or black pepper. Some of the better known Island malts are Jura, Talisker, Highland Park and Scapa. 
 
• Campbeltown: Malts from this region have a very distinctive sea influence. You can detect the salt and brine as well as the peat that has been used. Flavours could range from vanilla to smoke to toffee. There are three Campbeltown malts left, Glengyle, Glen Scotia, and Springbank. 
 
So the next time you are browsing through a selection of malts at a duty free shop, remember these whisky characteristics and then make your purchase decision. Unless you are a collector of whiskies, choose whiskies with flavours that you like and do not buy the “oldest” or the “most expensive” whisky. 
 
For most of us whisky lovers, while I am a strong proponent of drinking responsibly, I would like to end with the stating that the word Whisky, in Scottish Gaelic means “water of life”! Think about your first few whiskies and reminisce in your journey since you sampled your first few whiskies. 
 
In conclusion, as I said in my earlier article on “How to Understand and Appreciate Whiskies”, if you have paid for your bottle of whisky, you have every right to enjoy it the way you would like to! 
 
(Ashutosh Garg is a whisky enthusiast over the past three decades, is also the founder Chairman of Guardian Pharmacies and the author of the best-selling books, Reboot. Reinvent. Rewire: Managing Retirement in the 21st Century; The Corner Office; An Eye for an Eye and The Buck Stops Here - Learnings of a #Startup Entrepreneur.)

Understanding scotch – malt whisky from Scotland

<div class="image-container float_right" style="width:480px"><div class="image">REUTERS/ Brendan McDermid</div></div>With a staggering 400 bottles of <keyword id="306294" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Scotch">scotch</keyword>, bourbon, and rye, <a href="http://noormanskil.com/">Noorman’s Kil</a> bar in <keyword id="71339" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Brooklyn">Brooklyn</keyword> is a whiskey fan’s dream.
“We all loved whiskey and grilled cheese, so we thought, ‘Let’s go nuts with both,’” co-founder Marcel Simoneau told Business Insider.
The bar is a place for serious and casual whiskey drinkers alike (grilled cheese enthusiasts too), so we sat down with Simoneau to learn some tips on how to drink scotch and bourbon without looking like an idiot.
1. Just get to it, tipplers.
Drinkers often start with bourbon because of the taste accessibility and price point. Eventually, many connoisseurs want to move toward scotch. 
So just start tasting them, Simoneau says. For a good first date, try the classic single-malt <a href="http://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/oban-14-year-old-whisky/">Oban 14</a>. Another “nice and accessible” scotch stepping-stone is <a href="http://us.thebalvenie.com/our-range/doublewood-aged-12-years">The Balvenie Doublewood 12</a>, whose sherry finish gives it a sweeter taste. For fans of peatiness – the smoky flavor that results from peat firing malted barley – Simoneau recommends <a href="http://www.laphroaig.com/">Laphroaig</a>.
2. Relax. You’re not doing it wrong.
Whiskey snobs may say there’s a “right” way to drink the stuff, but just relax. Simoneau has seen every request, from a Laphroaig 10 year Manhattan (a cocktail usually prepared with rye) to Johnnie Walker Blue and ginger ale. Point being: You don’t always need to drink it neat.
Simoneau says he sometimes adds water to scotch and ice to bourbon when drinking, but the best way to really taste a whiskey is still when it's alone in a glass. Getting the full taste and aroma also looks dorky, so know your surroundings. Swirl the snifter by your nose to get a whiff. Then put the glass to your face and leave your mouth open as you sniff – you get more of the smell that way. Now take a sip and chew the scotch to let the flavor really hit you. Boom.
3. Look for “distiller’s editions.”
Trying to impress? Peruse the menu for a “distiller’s edition” scotch or bourbon. You’ll probably find a tasty, rare, and expensive treat.
4. Older is not necessarily better.
“Some people say an 8-9 year old bourbon is the sweet spot,” according to Simoneau. Don’t just go with the oldest thing you can find to look cool, even with Scotch. Age is just a number.
5. Branch out.
Everybody has staples, but don’t be afraid to do something different. You could try the <a href="http://www.highwest.com/spirits/new-campfire/">High West Campfire</a> – a wacky combination of bourbon, rye, and scotch (one hearty sip will put hair on your chest). There’s <a href="http://www.oldpulteney.com/">Old Pulteney’s</a> sea salt finish or <a href="http://www.balconesdistilling.com/brimstone">Balcones Brimstone</a>, a Texan corn whiskey with a hint of powdered sugar.
6. Buy the app that will make sure you never pronounce anything wrong.
Go ahead and splurge $5 for <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/malt-whisky/id337717719?mt=8">Malt Whisky</a>, a comprehensive whiskey app for your iPhone. The app comes with an essential pronunciation guide. Simoneau says a patron once asked him for a glass of “Le Frog” (apparently that’s not <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LanWn7DvSlU">how you say Laphroaig</a>).
7. Get local.
Craft distilling takes more time and effort than craft brewing, but the two industries are both in a renaissance right now. Simoneau likes to feature <keyword id="6355838" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="New-York">New York</keyword> brands, like Brooklyn’s own <a href="http://kingscountydistillery.com/">Kings County Distillery</a>, distiller of award-winning moonshine. Because distilling can take upwards of 10-20 years, fledgling brands will often sell colorless, un-aged "white dogs" for their first few years.
8. It’s fine to shoot flavored whiskey.
If the owner of a whiskey bar thinks it’s OK to take shots of <a href="http://www.fireballwhisky.com/splash/?redirect=61A620F711A42C67E53F756E91EB0B8F">Fireball</a> and <a href="http://www.jackdaniels.com/history/jack-daniels-tennessee-honey">honey whiskey</a>, it’s probably OK. “I’m not going to sit with it on the rocks, but it’s just fun to shoot,” Simoneau says.
There you have it. Enjoy responsibly.

You Searched For "pulteney" and got 3 results

Beginners’ guide to single malt

Suchayan Mandal

Understanding scotch – malt whisky from Scotland

Ashutosh Garg

8 Tips For Drinking Whiskey Without Looking Like A Newbie

Steven Perlberg

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