We’ve all knocked back a few quick shots of Jack Daniel’s or Red Label in our time, most likely to kick off a gloriously messy night on the town. And why wouldn’t we? Bar rail whiskies are cheap, strong, and leave us with a throat burn that makes us painfully aware of what we’re doing to our bodies.

While funnelling copious volumes of boozy brown battery acid through our livers does make for a great time, the rising popularity of single malt Scotch has turned whisky drinking into a much more ceremonious affair. Scotch enthusiasts around the globe have taken to their armchairs, sitting back with their friends and contemplate the sweet caramel or smoky peat of their favourite drams. At the same time whisky bars are popping up the world over, catering to Scotch lovers seeking out lesser known malts and rare vintages.

Is this all a bit pretentious? Absolutely. But getting to know your Scotch is a very rewarding process, and one that forces you to drink while educating yourself. Now that we’re all on the same page, here’s what you need to know to get your single malt drank on.

What’s in it?

Scotch is made from three basic ingredients: barley, water and yeast. Barley plays a huge part in shaping how a whiskey will taste down the road, as the quality of the barley chosen ultimately determines the quality of whiskey that will be produced years later. For its part, the purity of the water ensures that that the character of the malt will shine through. Scotland is famed for the purity of its water; in fact, single malt distilleries are so reliant on fresh water that in rare cases when Scotland doesn’t receive steady rainfall they’ve been known to cut production entirely.

Some distilleries add peat to their barley before moving on to fermentation and distillation. Peat is the stuff that gives some Scotch that smoky bacon/tobacco/leather boot flavour, and is most used by producers on the island of Islay (pronounced Isle-ah), but more on that later.

Turning barley and yeast into the “water of life”

Once the ingredients are fermented and distilled, the leftover liquid is poured into used bourbon and sherry oak casks for ageing. In addition to amount of peat used, the length of time that a whisky stays in the cask and the type of wood that it is made of are the most important factors in determining how a dram will taste.

Unlike wine, Scotch doesn’t mature in the bottle; all its flavour is developed in the casks. To be officially named a Scotch a single malt must spend at least three years ageing in oak casks, although most distilleries worth their salt don`t release any malts younger than 10 years old. While in the cask a Scotch absorbs flavours from the wood. At the same time, a small percentage of the liquid evaporates each year, which is why older single malts are thicker and more syrupy than young whiskies. The portion of liquid that evaporates from the barrel is called “the angel’s share”.

Bourbon casks produce golden and caramel-coloured Scotches, while Sherry casks produce amber and ruby drams that are sweeter and heavier on the palette. Sherry casks are also rarer and more expensive than American Bourbon casks, which is why the whiskies they produce are often more expensive. Some producers transfer their malts from bourbon casks to sherry or other sweet wine barrels part-way through ageing to give them a combined flavour profile; the Glenmorangie distillery in Tain is well known for ageing its malts in Sherry, Port, and Sauterne wine casks.

Islay, Speyside, Highland or Lowland?

All of them! The major whisky regions in Scotland produce single malts with completely different flavour profiles, and the best way to figure out what you like is to sit down with many bottles and sample them all. That being said, here are some general guidelines to get your started:
Islay Scotches are where the peat is at. If you’re looking for smoky flavour above all else then the likes of Lagavulin, Bowmore, and Ardbeg have got you covered. A personal favourite is the Ardbeg Uigeadail. Try it now!

Technically part of the Highlands, Speyside is home to almost half the distilleries in Scotland. Whiskies from this region tend to be quite mellow and fruity when compared to peaty Islay malts. If you’re willing to stretch your dollar, Macallan makes some of the finest Scotch in Speyside.

The Highlands cover such a large portion of Scotland that it’s hard to peg any particular flavour to the whiskies from here. They vary in sweetness, colour, and smokiness but are all still less peaty and intense than Islay malts.

Lowland distilleries produce some of the mellowest whiskies available. While these are light on character they still maintain a devoted fan-base.

Just drink it

Ultimately, you can’t enjoy any Scotches if you don’t go out and try some. So buy a bottle or two and get drinking. Better yet, get your friends in on the action and build up a nice collection to share amongst yourselves. Once you figure out what you like, you’ll be stocking up on your favourites for years to come.