Mary Ewing Mulligan recently returned from a trip to Ireland and Scotland where she visited the Isle of Islay, home of some of the finest single malt scotches.

The process used to malt the barley from which single malt scotch is made is a key factor. On the Isle of Islay, the barley is malted over peat fires which gives the scotch its distinctive "peaty" or smoky taste. Mary recommends trying single malts from the following distilleries:

Ardbeg: a very peaty scotch with a smoky character.

Glenmorangie: less peaty than Ardbeg and more delicate.