Did You Know - Scotch Edition

How to Become a Scotch Aficionado in 3 Boozy Steps

Step 1: Find a blended Scotch to enjoy

Single-malt Scotch has the allure of being a drink only a true connoisseur can enjoy (Ron Swanson's a Lagavulin man, for instance), which makes it a poor starting point if you're just getting into whisky. "If people think they're going to like Scotch, or want to like Scotch, but have never really tried it, I would start off with a blended Scotch whisky rather than a single malt," Morgan says.

Step 2: Dip your toe into the single-malt pool

Now this story turns into a Choose Your Own Adventure. But with fewer spike pits and more Scotch:

If you like the rich, smoky stuff...

That means you'll likely enjoy something more "rich and intense," says Morgan. "I'd start with something like Cragganmore or Mortlach, which are Speyside single malts, but they have quite a lot of character," he says.

That's just the tip of the smoky single-malt whisky iceberg. "For smokier single malts, I think of Caol Ila from the Isle of Islay or Talisker from the Isle of Skye, which are quite different." As it happens, Caol Ila whisky is used as part of the blend for Johnnie Walker Black, so this makes perfect sense. Pro tip: if the bottle you pick up describes it as an Islay single-malt Scotch whisky, Morgan says there's a good chance it'll be smoky. But be sure to eye the bottle, regardless: sometimes you'll find tasting notes on it.

Or you can go with a more unconventional Scotch. If you "want something a little special and unusual, there's a single malt called Clynelish which springs to mind," he says. "Or Springbank from Campbelltown -- it's an unusual, rich, bolder [whisky] with a maritime character." That means it tastes like the sea, but not the parts where people make #1.

Step 3: Go off the beaten whisky path

To track down those unusual whiskies, you're going to need a little help. If you live in SF or LA, K&L Wines can help. Binny's has a ton of locations in the Chicago area packed with whisky. And Park Avenue Liquor Shop in NYC is known for its single-malt selection. If you don't live in any of those places, worry not: UK-based The Whisky Exchange ships the rare stuff to the US, and Scotch Whisky Auctions is there to replace piles of your hard-earned money with alcohol.

Another strategy is to "find a well-known brand and follow its root into premiumization," which is a fancy British way of saying "track down that hard-to-find, limited-edition stuff." On a recent trip to the Lagavulin distillery in Islay, Scotland, I had the chance to try a few versions of the single-malt Scotch bottled specifically for a jazz festival held on the island. If you can find these types of special releases from top distilleries, you'll be tasting something not many Scotch fans on planet Earth have been lucky enough to sample. And isn't that what being an aficionado is all about?

(Thrillist.com)