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Michelle Malicki is a Portfolio Market Manager for William Grant & Sons, a family-owned Scottish company founded in 1886 that distills Scotch whisky and other spirits. It is the third largest producer of Scotch whiskey in the world.

William Grant and Sons' most famous whiskeys are Glenfiddich, Tullamore D.E.W., Monkey Shoulder and The Balvenie.

Recently, we sat down with Malicki and sampled two of her favorite Scotch whiskys, a Glenfiddich bourbon barrel reserve and The Balvenie Caribbean Cask.

"I wanted to share a couple of my favorite whiskys," says Malicki. "I absolutely love the finishing on these two expressions."

What makes one whiskey "better" than the others?

There is absolutely no right or wrong with whiskey. It’s super subjective based on however you feel and what you enjoy. And keep in mind, a higher price tag does not necessarily mean it’s a better whiskey.

How do you recommend drinking whiskey?

Again, it depends on the person and what they like. Personally, I drink it neat or with a drop of water because I prefer it to be as close to room temperature as possible. For me, ice tends to tighten the flavor of the whiskey.

Did you grow up taking sips from your parents’ or grandparents’ cocktails?

I certainly did, but without them knowing. I was that child who always thought I was going to get caught, so I chose the bottle you couldn't see through, which happened to be the Baileys Irish Cream in the Malicki household. If I needed an afternoon nip, it was an Irish Cream. And for the record, I never got caught.

Do you drink a lot on the job?

That depends on who I have hung out with over the years (laughs). But seriously, people think I drink more than I do. I am around alcohol all the time so I have to manage the drinking or else I couldn’t be as productive as I want to be. I will usually "taste" but not drink an entire cocktail. And I don’t drink at home. I might have a glass of wine, but I don’t drink hard spirits by myself while watching TV.

Scotch is obviously your true love in the whiskey world. Why is that?

When I started the job, it was the one spirit I knew the least about and so I was the most fearful of it. However, I love a challenge and I knew I was going to be selling Scotch – which is simply whisky distilled in Scotland – and so I soaked up as much information as I could and surrounded myself with people I could learn from.

I love a good story, so I learned as much as I could about the history of Scotch. I fell in love with the story – it’s very much a family-run distillery – and then I fell in love with the juice inside the bottle.

If someone only drinks one type of whiskey, what might you suggest they try to branch out with?

I’d have to ask a few questions first. Again, it really depends on what they like in terms of flavor. But I find Monkey Shoulder, a triple malt blended scotch, to be very mixable and approachable while also being playful and interesting.

If easing into whiskey, talk to bartenders – they’re amazing. Tell them what you like and don't like. Explore! People are sometimes conditioned by the media and don't even know why they're drinking what they’re drinking. They’ve just always ordered it. That’s fine, of course, but it’s fun to experiment.

How does a person train their pallet to identify flavors in whiskey like "smoky" or "peaty?"

It’s difficult to identify all of the different flavors that are coming through when drinking whiskey – or any spirit for that matter. However once you start drinking it more, being comfortable with the spirit and asking questions – there are a lot of whiskey nerds out there – you’ll taste it yourself. From there, it’s really a matter of practice and personal preference.

Do more men drink whiskey than women?

Historically, I would say yes. But it’s important that women aren’t afraid of whiskey. Also, just because someone doesn’t like one brand or had a bad experience once doesn't necessarily mean they dislike the spirit as a whole. I say give it another try.

How is whiskey evolving?

It’s very experimental right now. There are set rules and regulations that need to be followed as to determine what qualifies as an Irish whiskey or a Scotch whisky, but we’re seeing a lot of experimenting, especially with the finishing. Our new Glenfiddich IPA Scotch whisky is a good example of that. It’s aged in an oak barrel but then finished in an IPA beer cask.

What’s your favorite whiskey shot?

Depends on the day, sweetheart, but my go-to is a shot of Tullamore D.E.W. Surprise, surprise, right?