All Scotch Whisky is made from cereals, yeast and water. It must be distilled in Scotland, matured in oak in Scotland for at least three years, and bottled at 40% ABV or more. Despite these very strict rules, there are several types of Scotch Whisky.
- SINGLE MALT WHISKY
Malt Whisky is made from just malted barley, which is normally distilled in a copper vessel.
“Single Malt Whisky” is Malt Whisky from just one distillery and isn’t blended with whisky from any other distillery. Typically, a big-name Single Malt Whisky (eg Macallan 12 year old) will be a vatting of many casks of Malt Whisky from the same distillery.
- SINGLE CASK MALT WHISKY
“Single Cask Malt Whisky” is a bottling of malt whisky from just one individual cask of Malt Whisky.
Often, Single Cask Malt Whisky is bottled at considerably more than 40% ABV. Also, unlike many Single Malt Whiskies, it is common for Single Cask Malt Whiskies to be uncoloured (ie no E150 caramel added to artificially enhance the whisky’s colour) and unchillfiltered (ie no natural compounds removed from the liquid by filtration).
The vast majority of Skene Scotch Whisky’s own-label bottlings are uncoloured and unchillfiltered Single Cask Malt Whiskies.
- BLENDED MALT WHISKY
If a number of Single Malt Whiskies from various distilleries are combined together, the result is called a “Blended Malt Whisky”. Previously, it was known as Vatted Malt Whisky, which is a term still used by many drinkers. It will also be seen on older bottlings.
Very rarely, new make malt spirit from several distilleries is married together and filled straightaway into a single cask, where it matures until bottling. This is known as “blended at birth” Single Cask Blended Malt Whisky.
- TEASPOONED WHISKY
“Teaspooning” is adding a small amount of malt whisky from one distillery to a cask filled with malt whisky from another distillery. This creates what is technically a blended malt whisky (see 3. above), but which is in reality 99%+ single malt whisky from one distillery.
This procedure isn’t as daft as it appears, as it prevents buyers from bottling teaspooned casks under the official name of the distillery or as single malt whisky.
Usually, teaspooning is used when selling to competitors or independents as a method of protecting the brand, etc.
In recent years, some so-called teaspooned whiskies have become extremely popular with drinkers in their own right. One example is “Burnside”, which is Balvenie single malt whisky with a ‘teaspoon’ of Glenfiddich.
- SINGLE GRAIN WHISKY
“Single Grain Whisky” is made corn, wheat or raw barley, plus a small amount of malted barley. It is produced in a column-shaped still, which is capable of continuous operation.
- SINGLE CASK GRAIN WHISKY
“Single Cask Grain Whisky” is a bottling of Grain Whisky from just one individual cask.
Often, Single Cask Grain Whisky is bottled at considerably more than 40% ABV and after a long period in cask.
It is typically much cheaper than Single Cask Malt Whisky. So, it offers the drinker the opportunity to sample an aged vintage without breaking the bank.
- BLENDED GRAIN WHISKY
If a number of Grain Whiskies from various distilleries are combined together, the result is called a “Blended Grain Whisky”. Previously, it was known as Vatted Grain Whisky, which is a term still used by some drinkers. It will also be seen on older bottle labels.
- BLENDED WHISKY
A “Blended Whisky” is a vatting together of Single Malt Whisky from one or more distilleries with Single Grain Whisky from one or more distilleries. This category is often referred to as the ‘orchestra’ to Single Malt Whisky’s soloist. Blended Whisky accounts for the lion’s share of global export volume.
- SINGLE BLENDED WHISKY
“Single Blended Whisky” is a vatting together of Single Malt Whisky and Single Grain Whisky both distilled at the self-same distillery.
Historically, both Lochside Distillery (now closed) and Ben Nevis Distillery produced and bottled Single Blended Whisky. One example, which occasionally appears at auction, is “Dew of Ben Nevis 1962 40 Year Old”.
