Single Malt Whisky is the purest essence of Scotch. Blended scotches, are mixes of different single malts and grain whiskies from different distilleries, but each Single Malt Whisky is unique, lovingly produced in a single distillery. Four principle elements give it such unique taste: Barley, Water, Peat, and Oak.

M A L T I N G    A N D   M I L L I N G
In the beginning is the barley, a cereal plant of the genus Hordeum, source of food and drink since ancient times. Golden grains of barley are soaked then scattered across the warm malting floor to partially germinate, producing a natural sugar, maltose. The seedlings are next dried over fire fueled by varying amounts of peat, lending its distinctive flavor to the barley, which is ground into "grist," a coarse flour.

M A S H I N G   A N D   F E R M E N T I N G
The grist is combined with the purest water in a mash tun. The source and flavor of the water will contribute another vital bit to the scotch's final character. The resulting "wort," a sweet, sugary liquid, is fermented with the additon of yeast to form the "wash," an ale of about 7-9% alcohol content.

D I S T I L L I N G
Single malts are distilled twice in copper swan-necked pot stills, the size and shape varying with each distillery. Only the middle portion of the second distilling produces "the heart o' the run," a clear, fragrant liquor about 69% alcohol, which is diluted to 63% to form the "new spirit." The new spirit is sharp, raw liquor that must be aged to smooth out its rough edges.

A G I N G
British law dictates scotch whisky be aged for a minimum of three years in oak casks, but most single malts reach their peak maturity in about 10-12 years; though some can be aged much longer. As whisky is aged, the mellower and more complex it becomes and the more flavor it absorbs from the cask. The specific oak of the casks can greatly influence the flavor. Single malts are aged in "used" casks that once held bourbon, sherry or port. While aging, the whisky loses about 2% per annum in evaporation, (poetically dubbed "the angels' share") but each cask will yield about 300 bottles. Before bottling, most whiskies are diluted slightly to 40-43% alcohol by volume. Unlike wines, whisky does not age further once it has been bottled, so "the water of life" may be enjoyed in its full glory immediately after opening.