D avid Daiches, a much-published expert, notes that many individuals will still order a Scotch or a whisky in a bar or restaurant without specifying what kind they want. While it is arguable that there is no such thing as bad Scotch whisky, making such a generic request is similar to asking a sommelier to bring wine without further elaboration. In fact, there are many different kinds of Scotch whisky , whose radically different characteristics can be appreciated very easily, even by those of us who make no claim to be connoisseurs. A professional wine judge of the author s acquaintance asserts that there are considerably greater and more obvious differences in the taste and aroma of different Scotch whiskies than exist among different kinds of wine. T he special features of each whisky are derived from aspects of the manufacturing process that are unique to the particular distillery where it is made.
Precise formulae are closely-guarded company secrets, often handed down through many generations.
H owever, the general steps in the manufacturing process are universal. Whisky is made from malted barley. The grain is soaked in water until it germinates. It is then dried over peat fires, the smoke rising up through a perforated, metal floor. The dried grain is then ground up and mixed with warm water to make a mush called wort.