Malt is a process in which it's sort of, like smoked or and it's dried. There are many different processes for malting different things. Malted barley can have more smoky type flavors than others. It really just depends on the malter. But I would say it's also a delicious flavor.
Scholar and distiller Sonat Birnecker Hart of the Koval Distillery talks with EconTalk host Russ Roberts about her career move from academia to whiskey-making. She explains that the heart is the key to great flavor--when making whiskey, and when making the right choices in life.