Horace Hutchinson, stated that “We borrowed golf from Scotland as we borrowed whiskey. Not because it is Scottish, but because it is good.” However, there are many types of Scottish whisky, single malt Scotch whisky, Scotch whisky, malt whisky and how do we know that they are all “good”, what’s the difference?
To begin with let’s start be saying that Scotch Whisky can be divided into four distinct categories: Single Malt Whisky, Vatted Malt Whisky, Blended Whisky and Single Grain Whisky
There are two main types of Scotch Whisky; single and blended. Single means that the whole bottle of whisky is the product of one single distillery, while blended whisky implies that the product is composed of whiskies from two or more distilleries. These two types of whisky can be further divided into: Single Malt Whisky, which is 100% malted barley from one distillery and distilled in batched in pot still. Then there is Single Grain whisky, which is also distilled at a single distillery from water and malted barley, with or without whole grains of other cereals. Blended Malt Whisky is a blend of Single Malt Whiskies, from more than one distillery. Blended Grain Whisky is a whisky created by mixing single grain whiskies from more than one distillery. Finally, Blended Scotch Whisky is a mixture of single malt whisky and grain whisky, distilled at more than one distillery. They Blended Scotch whiskies were initially created as an alternative to single malt whiskies, which were considered by some to be too harsh on the palate. The majority of single grain whiskies produced in Scotland goes on to make blended Scotch whisky. The average blended whisky is between 60% and 85% grain whisky. Some higher quality grain whiskies from a single distillery are bottled as single grain whisky. Since 2006, there are only seven grain whisky distilleries that can be found in Scotland. The most famous Blended Scotch Whisky brands include, Famous Grouse, Chivas Regal and J&B.
One of the most uncommon Scotch whiskies is the Vatted Malt Whisky, also know as Pure Malt. This type of whisky is a blend of single malts with differing ages (the grain is harvested in different years) from two or more distilleries. Vatted Malt Whiskies contain solely malt whiskies and are usually distinguished from other types of whisky by the absence of the word ‘single’ before ‘malt’ on the bottle, as well as the lack of a distillery name. The age of the youngest whisky in the bottle is that used to describe the age on the label, so a Vatted Malt Whisky graded “10 years old” may include whiskies that are older than 10 years.
So, now you know the difference. Blended Scotch Whiskies have a lighter taste on the palate comparably with Single Grain Scotch Whiskies. Vatted Malt Whiskies are less common forms of whisky. Really now, it’s up to you to consider which one your Father will like the best! Father’s Day 2009 is the 21st June 2009.
