A true single malt whiskey is a brew that is distilled in one place. There is no inclusion of any other blends of grain whiskey in this product. A single cask whiskey has been in one cask and not transferred to accommodate other blends. This whiskey, when full strength, can exceed sixty percent alcohol by volume.
Most single malts are bottled at between forty and forty-six percent as the legal limit is set at a minimum of forty percent. Ask strength is a term used when the alcohol level is still relatively high and the brew has not been watered down or if it has been the addition of water was low. Cask strength is not always merely one cask it can be from several casks inclusively.
Given that there is approximately six to nine different regions in Scotland that actually have proven distilleries, the characteristics of the malt can vary considerably. They all have their own unique techniques and style to producing their malts and each produce a flavor all their own.