Bunnahabhain

It yielded 750 bottles, to the delight of fans and collectors around the world, with a special presentation box and artwork to celebrate. This is one of our favorite stories of all the distilleries we have surveyed.

Single malt stands for around 10% of the Scotch market. This is a malt containing only one grain, legally required to be barley in Scotland, and made at a single distillery.

A blended Scotch is a combination of different malts from different distilleries. It is typically made from grain Whisky but does include malt Whisky to give it a more complex body.

In 2012, a batch of old ledger books from the early 1960s were found in storage. Looking over the entries out of curiosity, one of the cellar-masters noticed an entry that he did not recognize, giving a storage location.

Beer and malt Whisky seem to have quite a bit in common. Both drinks begin with malted barley, which deliver the enzymes and sugars needed for fermentation when steeped in hot water. The two go their separate ways at the wash stage, where they're fermented or aged to become the adult beverages you know and love.

Blended Whiskies are the result of years of craftsmanship and dedication. A master blender does not simply wake up one day with a profound ability to create a cohesive and enjoyable liquid. From nosing the liquid to working out quantities of each different grain and malt to go into the blend, a master blender can take years, if not decades, to train.

Can Scotch go bad? Technically, an unopened bottle of Scotch can last forever. Air is the only true evil to Whisky; once the liquid is oxidized it is no longer immortal. After opening, as long as you store your Whisky in a cool, dry place, it will last another 5 years.