The Malt Madness site focuses on one particular type of whisky:
Scotch single malt whisky. But single malts make up just a tiny
fraction of all the whiskies that are produced in Scotland and in
other countries around the world. This Deviant Drams section
covers most other types of whisky (blends, vatted malts, grain
whisky and the whiskies & whiskeys that are produced in other
countries like Ireland and Japan) - as well as other beverages.

As a result, it's not as easy to find great Scotch single malt whiskies as
it was in the early 1990's. There still are excellent single malts, but they
are harder to find these days (although the Hit List might come in handy
here) and if you find them you'll usually have to pay dearly for them.
That means that many other alternatives that I used to scoff at have
gradually grown more interesting in comparison.
 
So, what is there besides single malt Scotch whisky?
Quite a lot, actually! The mere fact that so many different alcoholic
beverages have been invented in relatively recent history proves that
alcohol stimulates creativity. The list at the left provides an overview
of three groups of drinks; (1) four other types of Scotch whisky,
(2) whiskies of various types that were produced in other countries and
(3) other alcoholic beverages (actually far more than what's listed here).

What's more, none of them had the character and individuality that I found in single malt whisky.
Most other alcoholic beverages were already mass produced and mass marketed via mass media,
but due to its fairly traditional production process this wasn't the case with single malt whisky yet.
Because malt whisky is produced in pot stills in batches (and often requires at least a decade of
maturation), it was relatively difficult to increase its production.

When I discovered single malt whiskies in 1991 I felt they were
in a class of their own as a far more 'authentic' product than the
other spirits that were available in Holland at the time; blended
whisky, bourbon, rum, cognac, armagnac, grappa, calvados, etc. 

In recent years most distilleries have tried to find ways to make
more whiskies in less time (and have them mature much faster),
while the Scotch Whisky Association (the lobby organisation
behind most of the larger Scotch whisky conglomerates) has
been 'massaging' lawmakers and media to obscure definitions.

I'm afraid I haven't been able to add a lot of information to this site section yet, but as soon as I'm finished with the Distillery Data section I'll start adding pages for the different spirits and alcoholic beverages. At the top of my list are the other types of Scotch whisky like bastard malts ('illegitimate' single malt whiskies where the name of the distillery isn't given on the label) and blends.
 
Because Scotland isn't the only country on earth where they make whisky (or whiskey) I've included the world whiskies category as well. Whisky is produced in countries like Ireland, Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, India, Japan, Thailand, Uruguay, Turkey,  Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France, Holland, Belgium and even Poland. If you are interested in details about these 'international' malt whisky distilleries, please check out the Lex-icon on Malt Maniacs. In due time I will add profiles on the countries where whisky is produced.
 
Last but not least, there are plenty of other beverages & spirits that could be used as an alternative for whisky. I actually used to enjoy cognacs and armagnacs a lot before I discovered single malts - and I still mix a mean cocktail if I say so myself...

But I'm getting side-tracked... Just like a few other sections of this site the 'Deviant Drams' section is still under re-construction. Until the new version is finished you can find an old 'frozen' version of the Deviant Drams section in the 'A Decade of Heavy Dramming' section on Malt Maniacs.
 
Please bear with me while I (slowly) rebuild the Malt Madness and Malt Maniacs websites.
I have to do this in my spare time while trying to avoid a mouse-arm, so please be patient...

In all honesty, I'm still mad about single malts, so this section is probably one or the
last ones I'll get to. So, feel free to peruse the the frozen Deviant Drams section for
now. After finishing the brand new Beginner's Guide I've started with the complete
reconstruction of my Liquid Log and the expanded and enhanced Distillery Data
section. For now; here's my latest amazing 'deviant' discovery;
 
That was Old Farm 1938/1943 100 Proof Straight Rye Whiskey (50%, OB, USA).
This whisky was over half a century old, but the nose was amazing; woody, rich and
fruity in the nose. Smoke and organics after half a minute. Unfortunately, the
magnificent nose loses steam after ten minutes. Something metallic? Then pure
grain smells emerge. It has lost most complexity after fifteen minutes, but has grown
notably sweeter in character. More oatmeal and grains. The taste was rich and smooth
with growing amounts of wood and smoke. More meaty notes with refreshing hints of
mint. Wow! Unfortunately it loses steam after a while, just like the nose. Almost takes
a medicinal direction at times. Smooth & sweet. Score: 90 points - making it the best
American whiskey I've EVER tried!
 
Which reminds me I should get to work on my Hit List in the mAlmanac as well...

However, I felt I should add at least SOME tasting notes for 'exotic' whiskies to this page...

Japanese Whisky

Nikka 12yo '70th Anniversary' (58%, OB, Single Coffey Grain, +/-2008)
Nose: Complex light fruits. Not a very big 'voice'. Spices. Opens up within a minute; a very 'broad' profile with lots of changes.
It's an eye opener that a grain whisky that's so young can be so good. I like this much better than the Johnnie Walker Blue Label.
Taste: Solid with a great mouth feel - until the dry, hot finish. Quite sweet. Doesn't live up to the nose. Touch of liquorice.
The smooth start reveals it's a grain whisky, but it has more substance and complexity than most grain whiskies this young.
Score: 84 points - a Japanese single grain whisky is not something you see every day... Surprisingly good stuff...

Nikka 1986/2008 (63%, OB, C#80283)
Nose: Peculiar. Light with some odd fruits and something metallic. Leather? Sweet coffee in the background. Quite unique.
None of the peat I found on the palate, though - a sneak attacker... It needs quite some time to reveal all its sides.
Taste: Hey… Loads of wood before the peat explodes in the centre. Dry, smoky and salty. Kildalton type seriousness.
Fairly salty and sharp in the centre. In the finish a piney bitterness takes over, pulling it from the lower 90's.
Score: 88 points - but I should add that this whisky doesn't respond very well to several months of breathing.

Hakushu 1993/2008 (60%, OB, Spanish oak 'Bota Corta', C# 3C40789, 571 Bts.)
Nose: Oolalaah! Wood, smoke and fruits. Evolving spices. Slowly crawls towards the edge of silver, but doesn't quite get there.
Dark tea. Organics. The fruits grow more complex over time. This needs quite a bit of breathing, but it's more than worth it.
Taste: Prune jam. Sublimated sweetness. Dry, smoky finish - too woody for the upper 80's in my book at first sight.
Slightly odd fruits take over in the finish. Ah, wait - there are the prunes again. They don't make 'em like this in Scotland anymore...
Score: 86 points - and it improves even further after some breathing; lovely complexity...

Karuizawa 1986/2008 (60.7%, OB for The Number One Drinks Company, C#7381)
Nose: Coffee and Mocha. Pleasant profile, but initially not very expressive. Starts subdued, but grows more complex over time.
Nutty and slightly dusty notes emerge. Oriental spices as well. Tertiary fruits. After maybe half an hour the coffee took over again.
Taste: Full and sweet. Powerful woody finish with lovely sweet fruits. Solid undercurrent. Something medicinal in the finish.
A beautiful mouth feel with a fair dose of peat. Surprisingly drinkable at cask strength, as long as you take little sips.
Score: 87 points - it's not exactly a 'peat monster' (especially in the nose), but I think most peatheads will love it.

Yamazaki 1993/2008 (62%, OB, Heavily Peated, puncheon, C#3Q70048)
Nose: Light and mellow start, before more spices and organics emerge. Malty. Some peat and veggy notes too.
A dash of water destroys the balance. The fact that it is heavily peated doesn't really show in the nose.
Interesting and quick development. Some very subtle fruits in the background. Whiff of menthol? Settles down after 15 minutes.
Taste: Sweet and smooth start, quickly powering up in the centre. Smoky, dry finish with a good dose of tannins. Leathery.
Score: 88 points - a fairly unstable whisky; perhaps I scored this one a little generously because of the high proof.
 

Swedish Whisky

Mackmyra NAS (46.1%, OB, Batch 2008-02, Sweden)
Nose: Clean, prickly start with soft fruity and malty notes. Polished and quite complex. Mash. Something metallic.
More 'grain whisky' smells after a few seconds. Faint vanilla notes? Whiff of sulphur and organics after a while. Oilier later on.
It drifts in and out of focus. It seems unsure which direction it wants to take, but at least there's plenty of development.
Taste: Malty, sharp start. Cardboard. Just like the nose, it shines for a few seconds before quietly signing off.
Quite bold in the start, although I'm not crazy about the heavy finish that hangs around. Could be a little sweeter.
Score: 77 points - not quite recommendable yet in my book, but already it's up to today's Scottish standards.
 

Tasmanian Whisky

Lark Distillery NAS 'Single Malt Whisky' (58%, OB, C#LD31, 2008, Tasmania)
Nose: Big. Sweet. Cough syrup. Some rough edges, but very pleasant. Smoke and some organics emerging after a minute.
The profile mimics some old, heavily sherried Speysiders. Freshly burnt coffee? Over time more complexities emerge.
In fact, this keeps evolving over time (especially the organics); it pays off to spend at least half an hour with your glass.
Taste: Very fruity - along with plenty of wood, smoke and tannins. A little odd perhaps, but this is a good, expressive whisky.
The start feels slightly gritty (rhubarb?), but it grows much smoother in the solid, sweet centre. Really excellent stuff.
What's more, this is perfectly drinkable at cask strength - I didn't dare to add water because the palate felt so great.
Score: 85 points - really excellent work from the Lark family in Tasmania. More honest whisky than many modern Scotches...