There is no good answer to this question, and that’s part of the reason scotch has been so successful and so popular. There seems to be a flavor and style for everyone! Points and Ultimate Spirits Challenge Finalist, Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition That is not to say you shouldn’t enjoy a clearly labeled Vatted or a Blended scotch. Some of these are really quite excellent and full of delicious flavors you won’t get in a single malt. Vatted and Blended selections are often much more consistent in flavor across the years as well. Blended scotch whisky is a great chance to have some fun and experiment with different styles of whisky. So don’t be a single malt snob, give blended malt scotch a try too! Balvenie’s 12 Year Doublewood is known for being smooth and especially enjoyable with a cigar. Mix it into an old-fashioned to bring out the marmalade and orange peel notes for a perfect afternoon drink. Blended whisky is similar to blended malt in the number of options you can find. However blended whisky won’t be as clearly marked with the style and type so you’ll have to get some help when shopping for a bottle you like. They range from light, honey, citrusy, and floral to dark, rich, caramely, and spicy.

On the other hand, if you prefer a smoother and more balanced taste, you may want to try a double malt whiskey. Double malts are made from a blend of different single malts from two distilleries, which results in a more balanced flavor profile. Additionally, double malts do not have a legal definition, which means that the term is more of a marketing term than a whiskey term.With a rounded nose and the brand’s signature spiciness, expect sweetness and an explosion of flavor from the first sip. Blue Label is known for being a velvety whisky, so enjoy flavors like hazelnut, toasted oak, sandalwood, and tobacco while drinking it neat. The great taste indeed boils down to personal preference, but single malt has a great reputation for being a higher quality spirit, making it even more special. Since a lone distillery should make it, sometimes, the distillery finds it hard to keep up with the demand. Knappogue Castle 16 Year Old is an intriguing Irish whiskey with an ever-growing number of notes that seem to appear and disappear each time you sip it. This no-peat, triple-distilled malt whiskey comes aged in both bourbon and sherry barrels, ensuring a well-rounded, slightly sweet aroma and a creamy finish.

Before we take a deep dive into the grain spirits that’ll whisk you away, find out more about the terminology you should know about whisky and our selection process for drawing up the best whisky brands in the world. The Islands– variable based on the Island, but generally heavy in heather and peat smoke with a honey sweetness. E xamples: Jura, Talisker, Highland ParkThe biggest mover is not a single malt at all, but blended malt Monkey Shoulder, which enjoyed remarkable growth of more than 30% last year. Being able to draw on William Grant & Sons’ full roster of distilleries helps counteract the supply shortages that are currently affecting many single malts. The foundation of Archie Rose’s (barley) malt whisky is their six grain mashbill. Whilst nearly all other whisky distilleries mash and ferment a single variety of malt – usually chosen for ease of use, efficiency, and alcohol yield – Archie Rose instead pursues flavour, opting to work with six different types of malted barley. Some of these offer a relatively low alcohol yield, making them an expensive choice, but they evidently contribute much in the way of character and flavour. To give this some context: A distillery focusing on yield will be aiming to get around 400 litres of pure alcohol per tonne of malt. In contrast to this, one of the specialty malts used by Archie Rose typically yields just 40 litres per tonne! Gold Award at the International Spirits Challenge (2018), Gold Award at the World Whiskies Awards (2017) Why? Well, blending whisky is no mean feat, requiring serious distilling pedigree and patience. But the rewards are irrefutable: an exceptionally smooth spirit that offers the best of grain (creamy, caramel, herbal) and single malt (rich, floral, fruity) whisky in every dram. What is blended Scotch whisky? Blended whisky means a blend of both malt and grain whisky. They often have a poor or cheaper reputation and hardly ever have the age listed on the bottle. But that doesn’t mean they are all low-quality. Johnnie Walker and Famous Grouse are among the most popular blends. Blended Grain