A few misconceptions need to be cleared up regarding whiskey, specifically scotch, not all whiskey is the same and scotch falls into a classification all its own. There are two types of scotch whiskey, grain based and malt based.     In order for a whiskey to be referred to as scotch two major factors must be in place. First, it must be distilled and matured in Scotland, second the primary base must be malt. Malt Whiskey is produced by the pot still method. This consists of malting, mashing, fermentation and distillation. In 1915 laws were passed ensuring at least 3 years of maturation for scotch. Malt whiskey can obtain a variety of flavors and hues during the maturation process. The barrels used for this were often old oak barrels that contained sweet wines like sherry. These barrels do add to the flavor of different scotch whiskeys although they cannot take all of the credit for providing scotch with its distinctive bouquet. Some believe that additions to the flavor are from the peat, which is used to heat the kiln, where the malt is located and another decisive factor is the water source. Some distilleries draw from the same source and the scotch tends to have similar flavor, distilleries that have an independent water supply are very protective of their purified water. The color is derived from these barrels, but producers tend to strive for a color consistency, therefore they occasionally add a miniscule amount of a color-enhancing product. This product is a caramelized sugar that doesn't affect the flavor because such a small amount is added to such a large quantity of scotch. Although the minimum time required by law to age scotch is only 3 years an industry standard, for malt whiskey, of 10 to 20 years is recognized.     When looking for high-quality scotches know your own taste buds. If you prefer a heavy, stronger scotch it's best to go with a malt over a grain whiskey, although both can have mellow undertones malt scotch tends to have more flavor constituents. Also, scotch matured in sherry casks will usually have a darker hue than scotch matured in refilled whiskey casks. -- Summer Miller