Because this is just a 'beginners guide', I've tried to keep things as concise as possible. Much more information can be found in my Liquid Log (a chronological record of my alcoholic adventures) and the profiles in the Distillery Data section. Check out Malt Maniacs for the writings of two dozen other whisky lovers.

Chapter 1: Fundamentals - What is single malt Scotch whisky?
The first chapter of this guide deals with the basics. What's the history of malt whisky?
What is it that makes whisky whisky? What's the difference between whisky and whiskey?
I've tried to provide answers for all these questions in chapter 1.

Chapter 2: Vocabulary - Terminology and pronunciation
Do you know your hogshead from your butt? Or a 'pure malt' from a 'vatted malt'?
If you don't what I'm on about, you can use this second chapter to brush up on your Scotch.
Soon will be able to impress other barflies with all the fancy new words you've learned.

Chapter 3: Geography - The malt regions of Scotland
The miracle of whisk(e)y distillation may or may not have been discovered in Scotland.
Nevertheless, everybody seems to agree the Scots did manage to perfect the process.
Although you can find distilleries in America, Australia and even Japan, Scotland still rules.

Chapter 4: Distillation - And so it begins...
The production process begins with malted barley and ends eventually with 'fresh spirit'.
Chapter 4 deals with all the steps involved in the distillation process; malting, germination, mashing, fermentation, various still types, feints & foreshots and, last but not least, the actual distillation.

Chapter 5: Maturation - All the fresh spirit needs to evolve into real whisky is time
Spirit & time = whisky. After at least three years of maturation in oak casks the fresh sprit has transformed into whisky. The pedigree and history of the wood and the casks is probably the most important factor in shaping the end product, so I've dedicated an entire chapter to this topic.

Chapter 6: Bottling - Sooner or later the whisky is ready for human consumption
Drinking straight from the cask can get quite messy, so these days whisky is usually bottled for consumption. This sixth chapter deals with issues like the difference between official and independent bottlings, single cask bottlings, batch variation, chill filtration, etc. Chapter 6 includes a list of independent bottlers.

Chapter 7: Shopping - How to spend your money sensibly on single malts
There are many different single malt whiskies. Some bottles can be obtained for as little as 25 Euro's while others will cost you a small fortune. There are many affordable single malts available, but it's not always easy to seek them out - especially for 'beginners'. So, I've included a 'Bang For Your Buck' list.

Chapter 8: Enjoyment - Nosing and tasting single malts
Everybody enjoys whisky in their own way - just like they should. But if you went to get the most from a single malt it helps to take some details seriously. Chapter 8 deals with 'dramming' topics like glassware (extremely important!), temperature, water and most importantly: our senses.

Chapter 9: Practice - Have your own tasting party
Practice makes perfect. The more malt whiskies you try, the more you'll learn to appreaciate the variation in character and style between different single malts. One of the best (and funniest) ways to explore the whisky world is a social tasting session - and this chapter contains some useful tips and pointers.

Chapter 10: Conclusion - Some final observations and reflections
I've tried to tie up some loose ends in the last chapter of the Beginner's Guide.
But don't think that will be the end of your studies - it will be just the beginning!

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Credits: Many of the pictures used in the Beginner's Guide were provided by Serge Valentin and Krishna Nukala.
I've also used a few images I found on the world wide web. Sadly, I neglected to keep track of the sources.