Before my next post, I figured I'd explain a little bit about whisky so that you understand the basics. Whisky, spelt with a "y" at the end is the spelling for Scotch, whereas Irish and American (bourbons) are spelt with an "ey".
The name "whisky" comes from the ancient Scottish and Irish Gaelic names for "water of life", Malt Whisky is made from malted barley. Malting the barley causes it to germinate, converting the starch into sugars which makes fermentation possible. The malt is then dried over a peat-burning furnace. Peat is the dried soil and gives the whisky a distinct flavour. After fermentation, distillation takes place in a pot still. The process is usually repeated twice.
Isley whiskies which are often referred to as "peaty" have a very strong flavour, sometimes described as medicinal. This is because the peats from the islands and coastal areas have a much higher seaweed content which imparts the strong flavour which a small handful enjoy, A common example is Laphroaig.
Single Malt whisky is malt whisky made in only one distillery and not blended with any other product from elsewhere. It may contain whisky from several production batches made over a couple of years. A popular example is Glenfiddich.
Blended Whisky has a variable proportion of blended malt and grain whiskies. A grain whisky is made from unmalted barley or other unmalted grain such as maize or wheat.
Check out these sites to get in the know on distilleries, etc.
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