The Smart Guide to Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Single malt Scotch whiskies are renowned for their highly nuanced flavors and aromas, but the world of the single malt Scotch, while rooted in tradition and fellowship, can also throw up an intimidating number of offerings. Lavishly illustrated, this singular and savvy guide provides information on the making of malt whisky, the primary whisky regions, the various distilleries, identifying the flavors in each distillery’s “house style,” how to appreciate the flavors and aromas of single malt whisky, reading a bottle label—even how to pronounce the names of certain Scotch whiskies. Additional sections introduce readers to the language of whisky descriptors and a few little-known distilleries, as well as how to manage a taste of some of the rarest and priciest single malt Scotches available. And, because a good single malt is always better when enjoyed in company, this manual offers recommendations for buying single malt Scotch whisky and hosting a tasting. This is an indispensable resource for anyone looking to deepen their appreciation for and knowledge of this “sipping whisky.”

Elizabeth Riley Bell is an expert and consultant on single malt Scotch who has evaluated single malts for magazine buying guides as well as the Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Edinburgh, Scotland. She worked for a time in Speyside distillery in Scotland and was the first American, and one of the first women, to be invited to undergo training in the sensory evaluation of whiskies at the Scotch Whisky Research Institute at Herriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. She lives in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.