The flavour of whisky

Abstract

Lagavulin, Talisker, Ardbeg - the names roll off the tongue and the liquid slides gloriously down the throat. Single malt Scotch whiskies count among the pleasures of life. But how can you classify their complex and various flavours? David Wishart savours a smoky, medicinal, peat-filled Islay and comes up with a scheme. © 2009 The Royal Statistical Society.