Do you know the difference between peated and unpeated scotch? Lowland and highland malts? What does "double wood" mean? Maybe you thought all scotch was the same fire water that granddad drank, and they couldn't have the subtle differences that wine connoisseurs like to carry on about. Well, having recently attended the whisky tasting at Tucson Originals restaurant, Pastiche Modern Eatery, I can assure you they do, and I now speak more knowledgably as I savor the flavors from the land of my ancestors.

Pastiche owner (and whisky/whiskey lover) Pat Connors started a club that meets on the last Wednesday of every month to explore and celebrate the variety of spirits that make up the whisky/whiskey family. A certified whisky expert was on hand to guide about 40 of us through the wonderful world of single malt scotch and its regional flavor tendencies. We learned (and tasted!) that Highland malts are typically smooth, smokey and fruity, while those from the lowland tend to be a little lighter and sweeter. Scotch from Islay, a small island off the west coast, is known for heavily peated (read: not for beginners) malts that tend to have a more "medicinal" flavor to them. Believe it or not, iodine is one of the flavors often associated with the single malts from Islay.

Having worked up a hunger sampling those delicious drams, we went downstairs for dinner, which was another treat. I had the bourbon salmon and then bread pudding for dessert - a perfect ending to a whisky-soaked evening.

I have yet to attend a wine tasting, which happen every Friday, but it's certainly now on my list of things to do this summer. I suggest you put it on yours as well.

For information on future whisky/whiskey and wine tastings at Pastiche, call 520-325-3333.