I love Scotch, which is a malt whisky made in Scotland.
When did they first start making scotch?
Commercial distilleries began making whisky from wheat and rye in the late 18th century
Has the process of making scotch evolved much since then?
Not too much. All Scotch whisky must age in oak barrels for at least three years.
That is a long time.  What is the longest a scotch has even been aged?
whisky, and blended Scotch whisky.
All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three years. Any age statement on a bottle of Scotch whisky, expressed in numerical form, must reflect the age of the youngest whisky used to produce that product. A whisky with an age statement is known as guaranteed-age whisky. A whisky without an age statement is known as a no age statement (NAS) whisky, the only guarantee being that all whisky contained in that bottle is at least three years
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky (; often simply called Scotch) is malt whisky or grain whisky made in Scotland. Scotch whisky must be made in a manner specified by law.
All Scotch whisky was originally made from malted barley. Commercial distilleries began introducing whisky made from wheat and rye in the late 18th century. Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: single malt Scotch whisky, single grain Scotch whisky, blended malt Scotch whisky (formerly called "vatted malt" or "pure malt"), blended grain Scotch