A significant fact is that the range of flavor experience equals the number of whiskies available. Every one of these whiskies has a niche of its own. In addition, there is the vast largely unexploited region of the pairing of fine whisky with food in the same way that wine is used as a culinary accompaniment. Each of these areas provides an opportunity for a restaurant to increase whisky sales dramatically. In addition, offering professionally conducted tasting events to patrons has become an excellent way to increase traffic on slower evenings and an incentive to private party bookings.
Single malts are the royal family in the kingdom of distilled spirits.
The earth, flora and rock over which it flows as it comes into the distillery have a great influence over the taste of each whisky. Barley must be of the highest quality. These whiskies utilize only malted barley, which is grain that has been soaked to germination and then dried to halt the growth, usually over an all or partially peated fire. This dried malt is then ground to fine grist to which water and yeast are added and heated in mash tuns. Using malted barley in these whiskies is essential to their unique characteristic.