The Variations Between Single Malt, Blended, and Single Grain Scotch Whisky [Infographic]

Scotland is probably not an enormous nation however for a nation roughly the scale of Maine, it’s house to an spectacular quantity of whisky distilleries. And because of the range amongst distilleries and their respective areas, we now have entry to an unlimited array of Scotch expressions that vary from mild and floral to wealthy, smoky, and austere.

So as to qualify as Scotch, a whisky should hail from Scotland, be produced with water, yeast, and grain, bottled at a minimal of 40 % ABV, and aged in oak for at the least three years. Any sort of oak cask is honest recreation, whether or not that be ex-bourbon, rum, wine, sherry, port, and so on. However past these confines, in addition to regional variations and ranging ranges of peat, all Scotch falls into considered one of three households: single malt, blended, and single grain. That is the place the foundations — and terminology — get a little bit extra difficult.

Need to higher navigate the whisky aisle and have an concept of what’s inside each bottle of Scotch? Take a look at the information under and accompanying infographic to study the variations between the spirit’s three subcategories.

Single Malt Scotch

To qualify as single malt Scotch, the whisky should be distilled in copper pot stills at one distillery utilizing solely malted barley, water, and yeast. Nonetheless, there’s some freedom inside these confines. As an example, single malt whiskies don’t have to come back from only one barrel. Producers are free to mix as many alternative batches of whisky no matter age assertion and cask sort to craft a single malt. On prime of that, the distillers can use peated or unpeated barley as they please.

When viewing a map of Scotland with whisky manufacturing in thoughts, it’s vital to notice that the nation comprises 5 totally different regional designations: Highland, Lowland, Islay, Speyside, and Campbeltown. Regardless that there are not any variations in manufacturing necessities amongst them, some areas are identified to ship particular taste profiles. In Islay, distillers have entry to high-quality peat, so their Scotches are typically extra smoky. In the meantime, whiskies from the coastal Jap area of Speyside usually bear a fruity, honeyed, and barely salty profile.

Though it’s legally required for single malt scotches to age for no less than three years, most spend upwards of 10 years in oak. The mix of extended maturation and copper pot distillation provides these whiskies a wealthy, luxurious texture and strong aromas, therefore why they are typically essentially the most sought-after Scotches in the marketplace.

Blended Scotch

Because the identify suggests, blended Scotch is crafted by mixing two or extra whiskies from both one or a number of distilleries. There was a time when any combine might qualify as blended Scotch, however for the reason that Scotch Whisky Laws had been up to date in 2009, a blended Scotch should include a number of single malt whiskies and at the least one single grain whisky.

In mild of the brand new phrases, there are additionally now two distinctive subcategories of blended Scotch. Blended malt Scotch is a mix of two or extra single malt whiskies from totally different distilleries — no grain whisky wanted. However, blended grain whisky is a mix of at the least two single grain whiskies from totally different distilleries, although this substyle is much less frequent than the previous.

The historical past of blended Scotch dates again to the latter half of the nineteenth century when producers found that mixing batches of single malt and grain whiskies might produce a extra mellow, constant liquid. By the early 1900s, manufacturers like Dewar’s, Johnnie Walker, and Chivas Regal had hit the scene, and blended Scotch boomed in recognition all through the U.Ok. Regardless of drinkers largely coming round to — and looking for out — single malts in recent times, blended Scotch nonetheless accounts for the overwhelming majority of manufacturing. They perform because the spine for many Scotch cocktails, and though blends are likely to command lower cost factors than single malts, many nonetheless have wealthy and complicated taste profiles.

Single Grain Scotch

Like single malts, single grain Scotches should come from only one distillery. The variations between the 2 lie within the elements and distillation methodology. Single grain whiskies will be made with any malted or unmalted cereal grains, together with barley, wheat, corn, rye, or any mixture thereof. Consequently, these Scotches are typically lighter in physique and sweeter than their single malt counterparts.

Though there are some producers focusing on standalone single grain bottlings, most of those whiskies are made for the only real goal of softening the profile of blended Scotches. For that purpose, whereas distillers can theoretically use any sort of copper nonetheless to supply single grain Scotch, most go for column, a.okay.a. Coffey, stills. These enable producers to yield a lot bigger volumes of high-proof liquid than they in any other case would with pot stills.

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