Single-malt scotches are the world’s most exalted and sublime spirits, the culmination of centuries of folk culture, canny workmanship, scrupulous adherence to exacting standards, and a touch of elusive mystery. Twenty years ago, single-malt scotches were almost unknown to Americans, whose experience of Scotch was confined to blends - mixtures of various single-malts with up to 90 percent grain alcohol. In recent years there has been an explosion of interest in single malts, and any good liquor store now offers more than a dozen different brands, at prices ranging from less than $20 to hundreds of dollars per bottle. This book, by two American philosophers, provides a map of the cosmos of single malts for the intelligent and discerning enthusiast. It is far from being a mere bar guide , though it does include detailed entries for 67 single malts - all those of importance, and all those readily available in the US, excluding the unreliable and generally overpriced brokered malts .