Hello --
I'm wondering, how much does the distilling location of a whisky have to do with it's flavor? For instance, the Islay whiskies are peaty-tasting. But isn't this just because the malt is roasted over peat? Could Glenlivet taste the sort of same way if it was roasted over peat? It seems like the peat flavor is added like hops are added to beer; it's not a result of where the distillery is located. Similarly, a distillery's choice of barrels partly determines the flavor. So if all distilleries used exactly the same process to make their whiskies, would their whiskies end up tasting the same? Or do the different physical locations play a key role? I'm pretty new to single-malt whisky, and I find this stuff fascinating.
Thanks in advance -- Bill.