How to Buy Single Malt Scotch Whiskey

Video Transcript

"Okay, so how to buy single malt scotch. This is - there is a very wide range of single malt scotches. And there's a lot to consider when you want to buy one. The area - there are four different areas, there's Highland, Lowland, island and this one looks like island but is pronounced Isla, it's I-S-L-A-Y. These are the smoky ones. They used smoked peat and very, very smoky, not like a wood smokiness, it's different, you'd have to try it and see for yourself. The highland ones, I have two highland scotches here are more floral and not as smoky, the smoky is a very distinct taste. The rest of them are not smoky. And more people find these appealing, but also what you need to consider is how long they're aged, this smoky one is a ten year, there are others that are sixteen, some of them go up to thirty years or more, very expensive. Here is a twelve year Macallan, that's pretty standard. You also want to look at what they were aged in because depending on what these whiskey were matured in you will get a completely different flavor. The Macallan twelve is aged in sherry. So that definitely adds something to the taste, there are some scotches that are matured in bourbon casks, and you just have to try and take all these little pieces and figure out which one you would like the most and buy a bottle. I know it's expensive but there is some trial and error involved. Or you can go to a bar that might have some of these scotches and see what you like."