It is said that the acquisition of knowledge on any subject that you are interested in only increases your appreciation for it.  This can easily be said about the finest of scotches as well.

There seems to be a trend building with aficionados flocking the rolling country sides in Scotland just to sneak a sample of the gold they seek. As one must experience to appreciate, it appears that this is a task for the strong willed in this subject.

One could imagine many trips booked from abroad flocking Scotland’s coastlines in search of the malt that has only been heard of and not been tasted. This is not merely just a trend, to Scotch enthusiast, it is rather a mission. To be experienced in the fine subtleties of these malts and blended scotch whiskies is to many a dream. Some could not even imagine the soft roll that many of these great spirits have to offer to the tongue.

Spending time with true connoisseurs of scotch and single malts gives you valuable insight as to what to look for in a full bodied fine scotch. They have made it a life ambition to seek out and test what the worlds finest has to offer. Many of these great spirits of course are not easily obtainable some run very steep in price and are on the wish list of some of the great testers of fine scotch everywhere. Generally they have first dibs, as the company will wait in anticipation for a vote of confidence and endorsement.

So too are the batches that are still maturing that so many people are waiting for with absolute excitement. Given the time it takes for some of these blends to reach an acceptable maturity where it will be appreciated it is only natural that many testers keep close tabs on the process and look for hints of up and coming blends that can be comparable.

As many professional testers will state, the best of the best still and most likely will always come from Scotland as they have mastered this art with a precision and dedication second to none. Testers will admit when they have stumbled on a gem from another country but honestly have not found that diamond in the rough all that many times.

So instead they give honest and professional opinions to the public, the benders, and distillers themselves, taking into account how harsh possible poor media coverage can be.

When discussing whisky the first thing that needs to be know is that there are two legitimate spellings. The Scotts and Canadians spell whisky without the “e”, while the Irish and Americans spell it with an “e” as in whiskey. This should be the first indication that the world of whisky is a very complicated one and has many regional differences in taste and production. This is part of what makes whisky such an interesting and enjoyable spirit.

Historically it is believed that the Irish were the first to make whiskey, however the Scotts have also laid claim to being the first whisky producers. The Irish used the term “uisce beatha” (“Water of Life” in Gaelic) to describe whiskey, so it must have been important.

Both the Scottish and Irish make whiskey the same way, except for the malting and distillation process. In Scotland the malted barley is roasted over open peat fires to dry, this results in the grain picking up the peat flavour. In Ireland, the malted barely is dried in closed ovens, and is never exposed to the smoke. The process of mashing and fermentation is much the same for both countries. In the distillation step, the Irish, most of the time, distill their product three times, which results in a very pure distillate which makes Irish whiskey exceptionally smooth. The Scottish distill their product twice and this results in more flavour in the spirit.

In North America there is Canadian whisky and American whiskey, which has a number of regional classifications including Bourbon and Tennessee whiskey. Each product in North America is unique and is regulated by the government. Canadian whisky is the number one imported spirit into the United States and is second in consumption only to vodka.

American whiskey has a number of regulation depending on the definition of the product. Bourbon must be made from fermented mash of not less than 51% corn, rye, wheat, malted barely or malted rye grain. It cannot be distilled at a proof higher than 160 and must be stored in new oak barrels at a proof of 125 or less. Blended American whiskey must be made from at least 20% whiskey aged two or more years with the remainder made from unaged neutral grain spirit. American corn whiskey must be made from a minimum mash of 80% corn. Tennessee whiskey follows the same regulations as Bourbon, but is charcoal filtered (Lincoln County Process), so it does not qualify as a bourbon.

Canadian whisky must be ages for at least three years, but for the most part the Canadian government allows the expertise of the distiller to define the characteristics of the final product so there are no limits on distillation proof or barrel requirements. Any Canadian whisky that is aged for less than four years must have the age listed on the bottle. Most Canadian whisky is aged for six or more years. Canadian whisky is generally a blended spirit. The term “blended” means that the final product is made from a number different types of distilled product. For example, a Canadian whisky may be composed of corn, barely, wheat and rye distillates that have been aged in selected used or new oak barrels. Some Canadian producers put all of the grains in one vat and ferment them as a whole and pre-blend and age the distillate. Other producers ferment each grain individually and age each distillate separately and then blend a final product from a mixture of spirits. Most Canadian whisky is distilled twice.

This article has only scratched the surface of the whisk(e)y world. There are many regional characteristics of whisky and many other counties are producing this fine spirit. It would take a lifetime to explore the complete world of whisky, but it would be a worthy attempt.

Ask the Edrington Group’s master blender, John Ramsay, what makes his drams different and he immediately proposes marriage. In the whisky-making sense, of course. Marriage used to be normal practice for blenders: before bottling, malts and grains would be brought together for a period of mingling. Most firms have abandoned the art, but Edrington sticks to the old ways, marrying its blends for six months and at reduced strength.

‘The bean counters in most firms decided it wasn’t helping the bottom line,’ says John. ‘But we ran an exercise to see if we were getting a benefit from marrying, and we were.’ It’s all down to maximizing flavour.

‘When you add water to cask-strength malt, some components become unstable,’ he continues. ‘We give that time to settle, which means we can give the final blend a light filtration. If you don’t do this you’ll have to give it a harder filtration to get that stability – and then you lose some flavour’.

The process is made more complicated by his insistence on marrying blocks of blends. ‘We’ll combine malts and grains; reduce, marry and have Blend One,’ he explains. ‘Then we repeat the exercise and get Blends Two to Four. When it comes to bottling, rather than just using all of Blend One and then moving on, we’ll use some from each batch. It’s a form of whisky solera’.

But we skip ahead. Edrington’s brands (which include Famous Grouse, Cutty Sark -which they blend for Berry Bros – Lang’s Supreme and Black Bottle) start their lives as the new make samples from a host of distilleries, and are nosed by John every day. Then, like every blender, he has to work out how much new make to lay down, to satisfy potential demand for any of the brands many years down the line. It’s this ability to assess new make and mature spirit that sets blenders apart.

John can stick his nose in a glass of Glenrothes 5-year-old from sherry wood and know if it fits ‘the wee picture in my head’, and also how that whisky will behave when combined with thirty others. While some of us may be able to pick out a few malts at a blind tasting, a blender knows not just what it is but whether it fits within the right parameters according to age and wood. It’s an awesome ability, but this modest man hasn’t allowed it to go to his head.

These blends are very different creatures: they don’t just have different core malts, the wood recipe has also been carefully plotted. The sherry wood in the delicate Cutty comes from American oak; the richer Lang’s uses Spanish oak and Grouse uses both. ‘You want a fragrant sweet aroma in Cutty, so you use American wood and a Speyside malt like Tamdhu for sweetness, with some Bunnahabhain for freshness. Grouse is Speyside-based as well, but there is a lot of influence from Highland Park and the mix of sherry from Spanish and American wood’.

He uses a very Scottish analogy to describe the art of blending. ‘It’s like putting together a good soccer team. You need a strong central core, then you can tack the stars around that. It’s useless if you haven’t got that central core right.’ But the unsung, hard-working midfielder in all the Edrington blends is North British grain. ‘We use different grains: some for commercial reasons, but also to give different characters in the blend. We’ll use Strathclyde when it’s younger, as it matures quicker. North British ages well, so it will be used in older blends -it also rounds out the wood influence on older whiskies.

‘A blend is a bit like a pasta with sauce,’ John concludes. ‘The grain is the pasta, edible but bland, and the malts are the sauce – a bit strong on their own, but together they’re a great combination.’ CUTTY SAR1C first made in 1923 by London wine merchants Berry Bros & Rudd, Cutty Sark was specifically made as a light-flavoured blend that would appeal to the American market, even though Prohibition was in force. It was smuggled into the United States by one Captain William McCoy and became so popular that people began demanding ‘the real McCoy’ as their choice of bootleg liquor.

TASTING NOTES

Cutty Sark Gentle, light nose with oat, butter, icing sugar and some delicate raspberry. A mix of cream and grass, with a touch of lemon sherbet on the finish. * * *

Black Bottle

Originally conceived by Aberdeen tea merchant Gordon Graham in the 1870s, Black Bottle passed through many different hands before landing in Highland Distillers’ lap in 1995. John Ramsay has since reformulated it to be ‘the malt with the heart oflslay’ and uses all seven Islay malts in the blend. It’s a brand to watch.

TASTING NOTES

Black Bottle 10-year-old

Islay personified: ozone, ginger, ripe fruit and ginger. With water, an intense smoky perfume leaps out, then mingles with soft cakey fruit before a blast of salt-spray halfway through. Stunning.

FAMOUS GROUSE Perth wine merchant William Gloag started blending whiskies in the 1860s, to warm the cockles of the huntin’, shootin’, fishin’ set. In 1896 his nephew, Matthew, created The Famous Grouse. It remained a little-known classic until the 1970s, but since then has become Scotland’s favourite dram, number two in the UK, and is spreading its wings into export.

TASTING NOTES

The Famous Grouse

A fat, juicy, succulent nose with a bint of menthol, lavender and a drift of smoke. Lovely weight on the palate, which is sweet, lightly spiced and tinged with peat.

The Food In Trend

Fire was discovered.

This discovery enabled him to the means of preparing food for eating. We call it cooking. Man used stones, used wood, used stove and now, he captivates the appetite of anyone-anywhere. Food now is not only considered as a basic need but also a means of business, profit, expression, culture, and catharsis.

As an element of business and profit, restaurants and eateries have been the form of livelihood for many. As an expression, cooking food is a way of experimenting with what you know and what you want to know more. It is also a good skill if mastered. As culture, menus tell the country’s name. As a catharsis, you can just eat a lot on a depressed day.

Food comes in many trends in all parts of the globe. There are really these popular trends common for the white, brown and black.

We call the tenth food trend as convenient or ready-meals. They are becoming so popular these days. They come in handy packaging and may be chilled or ready-to-eat food products. Americans and Southeast Asians are among who take out these pouches for most number of times a week.

The next one is something one cannot munch but drink. These days, healthy juice drinks, energy drinks and so forth are hitting the customers’ fridge. They come in really cool containers commonly tin cans.

Low-fat and Non-fat food are now in. People now are more conscious and particular about their health. Their body figure is also a big factor. These days, people are now more conscious about their health and wellness so they prefer healthy drinks.

The seventh spot is taken by the healthy low-carbohydrates snack. Between meals, people commonly eat something like junk food. As mentioned, people now try to consider healthful factors for their very selves. A pack of a multi-grain snack and the like are one of the trends and they are liked by people of all ages.

Cheese, condiments and ethnic food flavors like that of exotic fruit takes the 6th spot. On the other hand, farm products like meat, milk and others are always in trend no matter what the season is, it holds the 5th place for food trends.

Meeting friends while pouring a bottle of liquor is a usual sight. As social creatures, we need to meet people. Social drinking bonds people to deeper acceptance of each other. The fourth in trend is the liquor and other beverages. Wines are good for the health that makes it as one of the most wanted. Liquor and its other forms are the third one…

Drive-through in every fast food restaurant. It is more convenient and hassle- free for people especially those who are on the go. Today’s fast way of life really finds this form as in trend. It is the second most popular food trend these present times.

Instant-prepared food is on the top rank. This type includes food which is easy to prepare and are still not so lacking the “full” factor. All over the globe, this is the number one food in trend.

Like fashion styles, food trends also vary and if one is in trend, it does not mean that it is the well-balanced diet our body needs.

Malt Whisky is made from a type of malted grain and it comes to the market as Single malt whisky or double malt whiskey which is also called vatted malt. These single malt whiskies are the best since it uses a single type of malt as it sounds. Double malts are not as expensive as single malt whisky, but they use multiple malts and produce a blend. 

The ingredients used to make malt whisky are water, barley and yeast. The production starts by mixing the barley with water and it is kept for some time to allow germination. The enzymes which are released in the malting process assist in breaking down the starch in the grain and result in converting them to sugars. Once the germination is complete the malted barley is dried. Famous distilleries such as Balvenie, Glenfiddich, Bowmore, Springbank and Highland Park have their specialised malting but produce only a small quantity. 

Next, the malted grain is carefully examined for any stones or other elements before they are milled. The malt goes through the milling machine and leaves the powdered grain at the bottom of the milling machine. This powdered dust which is called the grist is then mixed with hot water. The grist gets mixed with water for about 6 hours, until it produces a thick porridge. The moisture, the heating and the movement then extract the sugars or maltose from the grist which is now called wort. Next yeast is added to the wort in a large container or a vessel which is made out of stainless steel. These large vessels usually contain thousands of litres. When yeast is mixed it feeds on the maltose and transforms it to crude alcohol. 

The crude alcohol which contains a very low strength of alcohol next goes through boiling. The vapour is collected in a container which is submerged in cool water so that it gets back to its liquid form. This liquid gets distilled about twice or three times which finally contains 60 to 70% of alcohol. This new spirit is then stored in oak casks until it gets matured. The longer it is kept, the more flavour from the wooden cask it contains. For best results the newly malted whiskey is kept for a minimum of three to four years. Finally the malted barley produced at a single distillery is named as single malt whiskey while others will be called vatted malt, pure malt, double malt or blended malt. 

Malt whisky should be stored in a cool place, away from direct sunlight or heat in order to avoid evaporation. It is advised that the corked bottles should be stored upright to avoid contact between the cork and the spirit, since the taste of the alcohol can be ruined by mixing with the cork. 

Each malt whisky is different in its taste from the other and today there is a wide selection of malts in the market. Some people are obsessed with collecting whiskies such as Highland malt whiskey which range from more fragrant malts such as Glenmorangie to Talisker or Lagavulin. Although malt whiskey comes with a price today people are willing to spend more money for a good malt whiskey.

Introduction: Canada’s whiskies are made from blends of different grains, the greater proportion of each brand on an original mash that combines rye, corn and malted barley. They nearly always contain some spirit, however, that is produced entirely from the heavier tasting rye, but it usually accounts for less than a tenth of the final blend. As a result they have the reputation of being among the lightest classic whiskies of all, even more so than the triple-distilled Irish.

History: The whisky industry in Canada dates back only to the last century, when it arose as an offshoot of the agricultural production of grain. It was quite common at one time to pay the millers in kind with some of the grain, and distillation has long been a traditional way of using up surpluses the world over. The earliest producers—and, despite the country’s size, there are still only a handful—were Hiram walker, Seagram’s and Corby’s, all in the province of Ontario.

The continuous process, in gigantic column stills, conducts distillation. Different spirits produced from different mashes, or fermented from different yeast strains, are painstakingly blended by the distiller- before the maturation in some cases, afterwards in others, All whiskies must be stocked at least for three years in the barrels, which are of new wood, but there is noble tradition of aged products in Canada for that are 10, 12 even 18 years old in release. As elsewhere, the standard blends are sold at 40% ABV, but speciality aged bottling may be somewhat stronger.

The speciality of Canadian whisky is that the regulations permit the addition of a tiny quantity of other beverages, such as sherry or wine grapes or other drinks made from other fruits. While this may account for no more than a hundredth part of the finished product, it makes its presence felt in the fleeting suggestion of fruitiness in the flavours of some whiskies.

Most of the distilleries are situated in the eastern province of Ontario and Quebec. The leading label is Hiram Walker’s Canadian club, which was first blended in the 1880’s and is supported by the Burke’s and Wiser’s ranges from Corby’s McGuiness’s Silk Tassel, Alberta Springs and Seagram’s Crown Royal.

Interestingly, whisky means the water of life and it is no wonder then that a lot of individuals get hooked in this spirit. Whisky is actually made from fermented grain and allowed to stay in a wood barrel for some time to work its wonders in the palate. While it is not clear where whisky manufacturing first started, it is being made in different parts of the world now and enjoyed by millions worldwide.

Meanwhile, whisky is typically bottled in glass containers, as the material doesn’t tend to react or affect the taste of the aged spirit. These days, technology has improved and distilleries now use equipment that can make as many as 400 bottles in just one minute. Here, the whisky bottles are sanitized, filled up and securely covered until they are ready to be shipped to the shops.

Consequently, whisky and whisky bottles have become an attractive collectible for some individuals, some whisky collectors claim that this pursuit could be just any hobby. What makes it fun is that the collection never stops because it continues to grow and is never really completed. While there are those who accumulate them after choosing a favourite among the ones that have been tasted, there are also those who collect them as an investment.

Claive Vidiz is a Brazilian whisky collector who has the widest number of items in his possession. He has 3,384 whisky bottles that he has gathered from all over the world. These are composed of the well-known varieties as well as the most unique ones. Strathmill single malt and Dimple Pinch Scotch whisky is some of his priceless collections.

Meanwhile, there are also whisky collectibles that are not meant to be opened nor tasted. These collectibles come in different measurements, some come in mini 2 ounces or less while others are packed in gallons. The most collectible whisky decanters though are those that have been released as limited editions. Because these bottles are made for a short period of time, they are made on special occasions such as the anniversaries of distilling companies; needless to say they are made to be rare and extraordinary.

While the value of these limited edition whisky collectibles can rise up over time, not every one of them does so, some even tend to get lowered in price. The law of supply and demand mostly dictates the success of these investments. Aside from the limited editions, other collectors opt to get into specialization and collect every single item that is manufactured by a preferred whisky maker. Another exciting alternative is to watch out for a series of whisky collectibles.

Whether the collectible whisky item is meant to be preserved or not, making an array of whisky set is a worthwhile endeavour. Whisky collectors become like archaeologists who protect the spirit legacy and allow it to be enjoyed by the next generation.

Lastly, distillers themselves get encouraged to manufacture quality products by the enthusiasm that whisky collectors have shown.

Have you ever been to the mother land, the original land of Scotch Whiskey?  Of course you can go down to your neighborhood store and buy any scotch that you heart may desire, but there is nothing like having a glass of scotch from its mother land Scotland.

There is a difference in the taste of scotch that is from Scotland and Scotch made in the U.S.  It is said that the difference comes from the water that is used to distill scotch.  You see, most of the distillers in Scotland maintain establishments that are centered around fresh water springs that originate from the various mountains in Scotland.  These fresh water springs provide pure tasting clear water that has been refined from the mountain ice caps.  Some of these ice caps have snow that has been there for years and by the time the snow melts and releases the water down the hills it is filtered and given a unique taste that can only be found in the hills of Scotland.

Scotch has been around for quite a number of years.  It dates back to the early settles of Scotland, a time since the early Celts.  The Celts valued the drink because of the way that it kept them warm.  Researching a little further you will also find that there are quite a few different types of scotch, including the single grain, the blended whiskey and the blended malt.

Single grain malts are very expensive and are quite rare and even harder to find.  To date there are only 7 known distillers in Scotland that actually make this type of scotch.

The more common type of scotch is the blended malt scotch or whiskey.  This type of scotch is very common and can be brought at almost any store the stocks liquor.  Approx 90% of the scotch made in Scotland is Blended whiskey.  Compared to the single malt scotch, blended whiskey is much milder.

To make scotch and whiskey even more attractive they are packaged in designer bottles usually made out of crystal.  That being said they make wonderful gifts and great collector items.

Single Malt Scotch is a type of single malt whisky, distilled by a single distillery, using malted barley as the only grain ingredient in Scotland. As with any Scotch whisky, a Single Malt Scotch must be distilled in Scotland and matured in oak casks in Scotland for at least three years.

Water is needed in all stages of the production of whisky. It is mixed with the barley to promote germination, it is added to ground barley grist to create a mash and it is required for diluting most whisky before maturation and once again before bottling.

Barley, water and yeast are the exclusive ingredients required in the production of single malt Scotch.

The barley used to make the whisky is “malted” by soaking the grain in water for 2-3 days and then allowing it to germinate to produce the necessary enzymes required.

The malt is milled into coarse flour, and mixed with hot water to activate the enzymes, which leads to conversion of starches to fermentable sugars. Long starch chains are broken into glucose, maltriose, and maltose, which can be fermented by yeast.

The extraction is carried out in a large kettle called a mash tun. At first, the hot water activates the enzymes by providing an optimal temperature for activity in the grist. The enzymes act on the starch to convert it into sugar, and in the process it produces a sugary liquid, known as wort.

Yeast is then added to the wort for fermentation, in a large vessel called a washback. Washbacks are commonly made of Oregon Pine or stainless steel. The yeast feeds on the sugars and as a by-product produces both carbon dioxide and alcohol; this process is called fermentation and can take up to three days to complete. When the process is complete, the liquid contains an alcohol percentage of 5% to 7% by volume, and is now known as wash.

To be called a single malt Scotch, a bottle may only contain whisky distilled from malted barley produced at a single distillery. If the bottle is the product of single malt whiskies produced at more than one distillery, the whisky is called a vatted malt, or a blended malt. If the single malt is mixed with grain whisky, the result is a blended Scotch whisky.

The age mentioned on a bottle of single malt Scotch is the age of the youngest malt in the mix, as commonly the whiskies of several years are mixed together in a vat to create a more consistent drink.

Which is the correct spelling whiskey (plural whiskeys) or whisky (plural whiskies) and what is the origin of the word(s). History tells us that the word whiskey – with the ‘e’ – was derived from the Irish Gaelic. The Irish Gaelic word “uisce beatha” was a translation from the Latin words “aqua vitae” meaning “Water of Life”. Subsequently the ‘e’ was dropped from almost everywhere in the world where the ‘water of life’ was distilled. In the late 1800’s the Irish and the Americans chose to include the ‘e’ again to differentiate themselves from the products from Scotland. Today Scotland, Wales, Japan and Canada maintain the use of the word Whisky. Finally – Scotch is generally used to mean a whisky from Scotland and the Scots would say there is no other correct use of the word Scotch.

The whisky ‘map’ divides Scotland into a number of regions where the general characteristics of each of the distilled whiskies is similar. Fine Scotch whiskies are distilled in each of these regions:-
· Highland
· Speyside
· Islay
· Campbeltown
· Lowland
Some of these areas have now been divided into sub categories or regions due to the size of the areas.

In very general terms the areas to the west of Scotland have more areas of peat and as such many of the whiskies distilled in the areas have the ‘taste of peat’. This particularly true of Islay (a region in itself) where in excess of 20% of the island is peat. The greater Speyside, in the North East of Scotland, houses more than half of all the distilleries in Scotland and two of the most famous and well know single malt whiskies are from Speyside distilleries – they are Glenfiddich and Glenlivet.

Whisky is created by distilling a ‘mash’ based on either grain or malt (malted barley). Hence we have the single malt – being for many people the true ’water of life’ and the regarded as the superior whisky. Grain (malted and un-malted barley along with other grains) based whiskies can be blended in such a way to generate further distinctive brands. However, “Blend” may occasionally have a different interpretation. A mixture of malts (with no grain) from different distilleries (usually called a vatted malt) can be referred to as a “Blended Malt”, and mixtures of grain whiskies with no malts will sometimes called a “Blended Grain”.

For a whisky to be called a whisky it must have been as a minimum matured in oak casks for at least 3 years and one day. Although the casks should be oak the history of the casks can be varied. I understand that American Whiskeys are stored in ‘new’ oak casks – hence there is an obvious market for re-cycled casks. Other casks may have originated or been used for the storage of Sherry in Spain. Hence the history of the cask will be a defining part of the whisky’s characteristic. Another feature of Scotch whiskies is that they are almost always distilled twice (some three times). For any whisky to be called ‘Scotch’ it must conform to these criteria – and – perhaps more obviously – be distilled in Scotland.

By all means take the time to understand the history and how our fine Scotch whiskies originate but above all take the time to find your favourite tipple.

I am not pretending to be an authority with 40 years knowledge of the whisky business but I do remember in my younger days enjoying from time to time a malt whisky.  I also new by choice I’d ask for a malt, though never quite sure why.

I’ll try and provide a simplistic view of what and why a malt whisky is a fine whisky and with Scotland having in the order of 140 distilleries producing one or more whiskies then I must confess I tend to think of a malt as fine Scotch whisky.

Generally speaking people mean a single malt whisky when they refer to a malt whisky and this is because the malt whiskies are distilled in distilleries which usually only produce one whisky.  It is possible to have more than one brand of whisky from a distillery and this can be attributable to a number of factors.  For example a distillery may have a single malt whisky which is a mere 10 years old and then another brand name which is matured for a full 20 years.  Similarly the unique flavour of a fine whisky is as much about how the whisky is matured and stored and specifically the history of the casks that are used.  The Benriach distillery, for example, produces several brands and they are a mix of age and the casks that have been used.  Benriach specifically refer to whisky being matured in originally American oak casks and then finished either in casks having been used for storing sherry, port or dark rum.  In all these cases the actual distillation process may have been the same but how the fine whisky is stored and for how long are the key factors to the product which is eventually consumed and enjoyed.

The ingredients of a fine malt whisky.

Almost all malt whiskies and made by malting barley gain (though rye grain can be used).  The barley, yeast and water are the only ingredients used in the production of single malt whisky.

In the first instance the barley used is malted, which means, it is soaked in water for a few days. This malting or soaking process is the start of the germination process which leads to the natural starch being converted to a fermentable sugar.  This process is then stopped and the malted barley is dried.  Eventually the dried and germinated malted barley can now be ground or milled to produce something which the industry calls a grist.  From here the grist is combined with hot water to remove the sugary liquid which is called a wort.  This wort will now have the yeast added.  This where the first alcohol is produced and anyone familiar with brewing beer will recognise this process as both are very similar until this stage.

The next stage is where beer making (brewing) and whisky making (distilling) differ because the wort liquid is then distilled which means it is heated to boiling point such that the alcohol boils away but is captured on the cooler condensing surfaces and the alcohol is collected.  This distillation initial process produces a relatively low alcohol strength liquid so the process is repeated (and sometimes a third time) until such time as a liquid is produced which is typically two thirds alcohol by volume.

These are the initial processes of making a scotch single malt whisky.  Note it is not a scotch whisky for another year or two yet!