What does scotch taste like?

I'm a big fan of whiskey but I don't think ive ever had scotch. I usually drink jack Daniels or Jim beam because I prefer the smoky flavor when mixed with soda. I'm curious though, I know scotch is often drank by itself by sipping it. I personally wouldnt sip on jack Daniels but i want to know if sipping scotch would taste the same or how different is it? I've looked into the differences between the types of whiskey and the processes in which they're made so I'm not looking for that to be explained. Basically, what does scotch taste like and why do people always drink it by itself?