In Part I of this in-depth interview and Scotch tasting with Adam Safir of the DC Islay Scotch society, some of the topics we discuss include:

• How Adam fell in love with Scotch, and what drove him to really dive deep into this particular region.
• All about whisky societies, including how to find a group to join in your area.
• How Scotch whiskies produced on Islay traditionally differ in style from those made in other famous regions like the Highlands, or Speyside, for example.
• Some important definitions for terms like “malting” and “peat,” and an examination of the role that terroir plays in peated malts.
• How to think about technical terms like Phenol Parts per Million (or PPM)
• A tasting of several impressive Islay Scotch expressions,
• And much, much more.