Let’s talk about… categories of Scotch whisky
Ever been bamboozled by malts, blends, blended malts and grain whiskies? You are not alone. We’ve put together a quick guide to help you decipher the differences and navigate your way through the world of Scotch like a pro.
In the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, there are five defined categories of Scotch whisky:
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Single Malt Scotch Whisky
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Single Grain Scotch Whisky
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Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
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Blended Grain Scotch Whisky
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Blended Scotch Whisky
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Ingredients: malted barley, water and yeast.
Product of only one malt distillery using pot still distillation.
This means that the whisky has only been produced at one distillery and has been distilled using the traditional copper pot distillation method.
Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Ingredients: malted and unmalted barley, cereals (maize, wheat), water and yeast.
Product of only one grain distillery using either the traditional pot still distillation method or more commonly continuous distillation.
This means this whisky has only been produced at one grain distillery using either the traditional copper pot distillation method or more commonly a Coffey still (continuous distillation).
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
Ingredients: malted barley, water and yeast.
Product of more than one malt distillery, a vatting (mix) of more than one single malt whisky.
Blended Grain Scotch Whisky
Ingredients: malted and unmalted barley, cereals (maize, wheat) water and yeast.
Product of more than one grain distillery, a vatting (mix) of more than one single grain whisky.
Blended Scotch Whisky
Ingredients – malted and unmalted barley, cereals (maize, wheat), water and yeast.
Vatting (mix, blend) of 1 or more malt whiskies and 1 or more grain whiskies. Product of numerous distilleries.
By law under the Regulations, all Scotch whisky (whatever its category) must be a minimum of 40% ABV, matured in Scotland for a period of at least three years in a cask no bigger than 700 litres. No additives are allowed other than E150a caramel colour which is purely for colour consistency and does not affect the flavour of the final product.
What about “Single Cask”?
While not listed as a category under the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, it can often cause confusion. Single Cask simply means that the whisky in these bottles all originate from the same cask.
