Like the name suggests, this is a 'BEGINNER'S GUIDE' - I've tried to keep things as concise & understandable as possible.
Much more details can be found in the ADVANCED BEGINNER'S GUIDE - but that's not quite finished at the moment.
 

Chapter 1: Basics - What is single malt Scotch whisky?
The first chapter of this guide deals with the 'fundamental' basics. What's the history of whisky?
Where is whisky produced? Is there a difference between whisky and whiskey - and can you taste it?
What's so special about Scotch malt whisky? And what exactly is it that makes whisky, erm... 'whisky'?
I've tried to provide answers to all these questions - and more - in chapter 1 of the Beginner's Guide.
 

Chapter 2: Vocabulary - Terminology & pronunciation
Do you know your hogshead from your butt? Or a 'pure malt' from a 'vatted malt' (a.k.a. 'blended malt')?
Where do grain whiskies fit in the picture - and are they any good? Are there any other 'types' of whisky?
What is the difference between vatting and single cask? What do abbreviations like OB, ABV and WIP mean?
What is the role of the Scotch Whisky Association? What is Gaelic and why does it hurt your ears so much?
What is the pronunciation of distillery names like Auchroisk, Bunnahabhain, Glen Garioch and Teaninich?
If you don't know what I'm on about, you can use this second chapter to brush up on your Scotch.
Soon will be able to impress other barflies with all the fancy new words you've learned.
 

Chapter 3: Geography - The malt regions of Scotland
The miracle of whisk(e)y distillation may (or may not) have been discovered in Scotland (or maybe Ireland).
These days whisky is produced all over the world, but everybody seems to agree the Scots did manage to perfect the process. Although you can find distilleries as far away as America, Australia and Japan, they are usually unable to reach quite the same level of excellence as the Scots. Although 'terroir' (within Scotland) may not be quite as important as sentimental copywriters would like us to believe, it offers a very useful 'handle' for beginners...
Chapter three explains more about the 'terroir' of famous whisky regions like Speyside or Campbeltown.
 

Chapter 4: Distillation - And so it begins...
The production process begins with malted barley and ends eventually with 'fresh spirit'.
Chapter 4 deals with all the steps involved in the distillation process; malting, germination, mashing, fermentation, various still types, feints & foreshots and, last but not least, the actual distillation of the whisky. Together with geography and maturation, distillation is one of the three main 'ingredients' of single malt Scotch whisky. I have to admit that it may seem like a boring 'theoretical' topic for those eager to take their first sips, but when you understand the essence of distillation you'll enjoy those whiskies so much more...
 

Chapter 5: Maturation - All the fresh spirit needs to evolve into real whisky is time
After at least three years of maturation in oak casks the fresh sprit has transformed into whisky.
The pedigree and history of the wood and the casks themselves is probably the single most important factor in shaping the end product. That's why I've dedicated an entire chapter to this topic. After reading it you should understand a little more about the reason for the major differences between whiskies aged in a sherry cask and those matures in bourbon casks. Spirit & time = whisky - but that equation seems a lot simpler than it is...
(The fact that this is the least read chapter of this guide proves that most readers are indeed beginners ;-)
 

Chapter 6: Bottling - Sooner or later the whisky is ready for human consumption
Drinking straight from the cask can get quite messy, so these days whisky is usually bottled for consumption.
This sixth chapter deals with issues like the difference between official and independent bottlings, single cask bottlings, cask strength bottlings, batch variation of OB's, chill filtration, artificial colouring of whisky, etcetera.
Chapter 6 also includes a list of the main independent bottlers. So - find out why and how they use bottles.
 

Chapter 7: Shopping - How to spend your money sensibly on single malts
After six chapters filled with 'theory' you should now be able to spend some actual money on malts.
There are many different single malt whiskies. Some bottles can be obtained for as little as 25 Euro's (or the equivalent in your own currency) while others will cost you a small fortune. There are still affordable single malts available, but it's not always easy to seek them out - especially for 'beginners' in the confusing world of whisky.
I've listed a few tips to help you make some sensible choices when it comes to buying your next bottle(s).
 

Chapter 8: Enjoyment - Nosing and tasting single malt whiskies
Everybody enjoys a glass of whisky (preferably single malt) in his or her own way - just like they should.
After all, whisky should be FUN! But if you want to get the most from a glass of single malt it helps to take some details seriously. Chapter 8 deals with 'dramming' topics like glassware (extremely important but often neglected!), temperature, water for diluting a whisky and most importantly: our senses. The Scots and their spirits have spent many years on the stuff, so it's only civilised to learn a little about how to properly enjoy a single malt whisky.
 

Chapter 9: Practice - Have your own little tasting party
Practice makes perfect. The more malt whiskies you try, the more you'll learn to recognise and appreciate the variation in character and style between single malts from various distilleries - and the differences with other types of whisk(e)y. You have some serious dramming ahead of you if you want to build a useful 'frame of reference'.
One of the best (and funniest) ways to explore the whisky world is a social tasting session with a few friends.
But wouldn't it be a shame if you enthusiastically threw some ice cubes in their tumblers before filling them up?
Chapter 9 contains useful tips and pointers to help you avoid shame & humiliation amongst your peers.
 

Chapter 10: Conclusion - Some final observations and reflections
Until I made the 'final' update of this Beginner's Guide in 2007 (future updates will be made to the Advanced Beginner's Guide in PDF), I tied up some loose ends in this last chapter. I think the current guide contains a lot of useful information for absolute beginners, but the more you learn, the more new questions pop up. That meant that I had to update all 10 HTML pages of this guide regularly - and the list of 'loose ends' grew longer and longer.
The eBook Review in the last chapter of the Beginner's Guide explains why I started work on a brand new guide.