Continuing with the alcohol.....

How to Taste Single Malt Scotch
Tasting single malt whisky is becoming increasingly popular all over the world. To be a "single malt" a whisky must be distilled at a single distillery and made entirely from malted barley. To be called "Scotch," the whisky must be from Scotland, the country that produces most of the world's single malt whiskies. A good bottle of single malt costs about three times as much as a good bottle of wine, but it is a much stronger drink (starting at 40% ABV). You may also find that Scotch whisky has an intense taste, with flavors that can be more easily identified than the subtler ones found in wine.
Steps
Buy a bottle of single malt whisky. The chief rule is to drink what you like. Starting at $40 a bottle, you'd better like the taste, not the name. Names like Glenlivet, Glenfiddich and Macallan are famous for a reason, but they come from the same small area in Scotland and therefore taste quite similar. To begin, try some of your friends' favorite whiskies, or go to a whisky bar and ask for recommendations. If these options fail, some good bottles under $40 include Laphroiag 10 Year Old, Balvenie 12 Year Old Double Wood, Glenmorangie 10 Year Old, and Bowmore Legend.
Buy a good glass. The tulip glass (right) allows the rising alcohol to be directed toward the nose and splashes the spirit onto the palate like a martini glass. Most professional tasters believe that tumblers do not focus the alcohol, causing many of the aromas to be lost. A "dram" of whisky is about an ounce, but depending on your experience and how much you want to drink, this amount can be anywhere from half an ounce to two ounces.
Swirl the whisky around in the glass, which causes the molecules to spread out over a larger surface and evaporate, releasing the whisky goodness. Take a whiff. Remember that whisky (40%+) is stronger than wine (11%+). You do not need to be very close to the glass. The collection of aromas is referred to as the "nose."
Add water. Adding water depends on the whisky and the taster, but also on the strength and style of the whisky being consumed. "Cask strength" whiskies require more water. Regular bottles have spring water already added to reduce the alcohol content. However, a little water will always result in slightly different smells and tastes. Purists recommend adding distilled water. Some tasters do not believe in adding in water at all.
Swirl the whisky around in the glass and smell it again. Continue this for a few minutes while the water "marries" with the whisky and releases additional aromas you may not have noticed at first.
Take a sip. Take just enough to coat your mouth and begin to slowly swirl it around your tongue. Feel the consistency of the whisky. Some feel thicker, more oily, or grittier than others. This is referred to as the "palate." Try and coat your tongue so that the whisky touches all of your taste buds.
Taste the whisky. Try to hold still in this position as long as possible to notice all of the different flavor components.
Swallow but do not open your mouth or close your throat. Let in a tiny amount of air through your mouth and breathe through your nose slowly so that the fumes rise up into your sinuses. As the whisky evaporates from your tongue it will release a sequence of different flavors. This is called the "finish." Once the flavors subside, breathe normally.