Experts and enthusiasts agree that whisky was aptly named, with the word being derived from the Gaelic for water of life. There is a huge variety of single malt whiskies available, each with a history, individual distilling process and distinctive flavour, and this book aims to provide a comprehensive guide to 80 of them. Brand-by-brand, the whisky of 80 distilleries are tasted and discussed. Old favourites and rare names are considered, and in a constantly changing market, this guide aims to separate the good from the exquisite, enabling the reader to make the perfect purchase every time. The book also examines the intricacies of the malt-making process, from fermenting and maturing to the taste-testing, and includes a map of the Scottish single malt regions, photographs of bottles and labels for easy identification, information on public access to the various distilleries and distillery facts accompany each description of a single malt.