Scotch: Sipping the water of life

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A line of copper stills quietly do their job -- producing malt whiskey -- at the Cardhu Distillery. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)

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The Highlands’ distilleries include Cardhu, home of Johnnie Walker. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)

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Scotch ages in casks at Glenmorangie Distillery, one of many dotting Scotland. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)

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Glenmorangie Distillery has the tallest malt whiskey stills in Scotland. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)

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A worker guides a new copper still at Abercrombie Works in Alloa, Scotland. Abercrombie dates back to 1790 and is one of the last remaining dedicated coppersmiths in Scotland. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)

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It’s a pastoral scene outside the Glenlivet Distillery in the Speyside region of the Highlands. Many of Scotland’s distilleries are located in the countryside. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)

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Is it the factory line or a work of art? A bottle sculpture decorates the visitor center at the Glenlivet Distillery. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)

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Albert Ludlow, a bartender at Craigellachie Hotel in the Scottish Highlands, discusses the 640 single malt whiskeys the bar carries, with price tags ranging up to $482 a shot. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)

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Bottles and bottles -- nearly 3,500 in all -- line the shelves of the Scotch Whiskey Experience, a museum in Edinburgh. It’s the world’s largest collection of Scotch whiskey. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)

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Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland; Queen Elizabeth II stays there each year at the beginning of summer. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)

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The ruins of Urquhart Castle perch on a rocky promontory above Loch Ness. Most Nessie sightings occur near the ancient stronghold. When not on the trail of the Loch Ness Monster, many visitors travel a different trail, one involving Scotch whiskey. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)

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Port Ellen, on the island of Islay, glistens in the afternoon sun. Islay is known for its peaty Scotches, such as Laphroaig. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)

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Could it be a ghost? An orb of light appears near the left leg of Menzies Castle administrator John Jack. In this castle, supposedly home to 20 spirits, strange things are known to happen: voices, slamming doors and ghostly orbs in photographs. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)

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A Highland cow munches grass on a hillside. The breed is known for its long, wavy pelts and fringed bangs. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)

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When the sun comes out, so do the people of Edinburgh. The Princes Street Gardens are a favorite spot to break out the blankets and bask in the sunshine. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)

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Walkers, including an enthusiastic golden retriever named Bob, stride down a green leading to Dornoch Firth and the North Sea, near the village of Tain, Scotland. (Rosemary McClure / For The Times)

By Rosemary McClure

March 9, 2014 3:54 PM PT

Special to the Los Angeles Times

Reporting from Edinburgh, Scotland —

The translucent, amber liquid winked at me from the long-stemmed glass in my hand.

“I describe Glenmorangie Original as a kaleidoscope,” master blender Rachel Barrie said as she led a tasting session with Scotland’s biggest-selling single malt Scotch. “You get a floral complexity, like being in an Italian garden, and some sizzling spices. The taste is silky smooth, creamy, with zesty tones.”

I wasn’t sure I could identify all those things, but I gave it a sporting try. I was visiting Glenmorangie Distillery in Tain, in the Highlands region of Scotland, and trying to learn how to appreciate Scotch, the nation’s best-known export. Besides, visiting Scotland without tasting Scotch would be like visiting France without tasting Champagne.

There’s certainly a lot of opportunity here to learn to appreciate it. There are more than 100 distilleries, and about half have tasting rooms.

And the capital, Edinburgh, offers the Scotch Whisky Experience, an interactive tour and tasting center that includes the world’s largest collection of Scotch — 3,500 bottles (www.scotchwhiskyexperience.co.uk).

Scotch is traditionally made only of barley, water and yeast and takes only a few weeks to make, but by law it must age at least three years. It develops an individual character as it ages, depending on environment, number of years it is aged and how it is stored. Premium brands may be 15 to 30 years old.

Connoisseurs often prefer single-malt Scotch — the product of a single distillery — to blends, which are the product of several distilleries. Could I tell the difference after a week of tasting Scotch? Perhaps, but I wouldn’t bet on it if someone asked me to participate in a blind taste test.

What did I learn about sampling Scotch?

— The people who make it don’t drink it neat. Everywhere I went, distillers said they added a few drops to water to “open up” the Scotch and release the aromas.

— If you plan to host a tasting party and your evening includes dinner, hold the tasting first; your sense of smell is sharper when you’re hungry. Tulip-shaped glasses are preferable to tumblers.

— Color isn’t as important with Scotch as it is with some types of liquor; instead, spend more time checking the “nose.” Add a few drops of water and try to distinguish the aromas: floral, fruity, spicy, smoky.

— Take a small sip, roll the Scotch over your tongue and swallow. What flavors do you detect? Hints of chocolate or vanilla, caramel, smoky or fruity flavors? Take notes so you can compare various types.

One thing distillers agree on: Unlike wine, Scotch doesn’t improve in the bottle, so there’s no excuse to keep it on the shelf. Drink up.

travel@latimes.com