Single malts have a mellow profile, and since it is made using one type of grain, it is not overly complex, unlike other grain whiskies. Final Thoughts The world of whisky can sometimes be obscure to the uninitiated. Here are the most important terms you need to know when shopping for whisky. There are cases where double malts can be more expensive, but that can depend on the brand and age of the spirit. The brand, rarity, and age somehow dictate the pricing of a bottle. FAQs The concept of blended whisky inevitably leads to confusion. Simply put, a blended Scotch whisky is a combination of single malt Scotch whisky and single grain Scotch whisky. Masters of their craft, these blends often take years to perfect, but create entirely unique drams offering complex flavour profiles. How we test blended Scotch whisky

The wash stills have steam coils as their heat source and a moderate decline in the lyne arm angle which is attached to shell and tube condensers, while the spirit stills are similar, but are smaller at 1,500 litres. The size and shape were chosen to accentuate the fruity nature of the spirit. You might be wondering how triple-distilled whisky is made without an intermediate still, as is common in Irish whiskey. The spirit is run once through the wash still and then twice through the spirit still, and then a second time with the low wines from the previous distillation. Mash Bill: Marriage of our copper-pot-distilled, high-malt bourbon (56% corn / 44% various malts) with our foraged, high-wheat bourbon (51% corn / 45% wheat / 4% malted barley) That tenure has included the wholesale makeover of the Glenmorangie range around Original and a tight roster of finishes, alongside regular high-end and limited releases, such as the annual Private Edition bottlings.Gold Award at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2018) and Gold Award at the International Spirit Challenge (2017) A very intense dram that needs quite a bit of water. But you’ll note interesting flavors like coconut, boiled fruits, and a bit of grass and sherbert! What is Double Malt? One of the main differences between single malt and double malt whiskey is the flavor. Single malt whiskey is made in one distillery, which means that the flavor is consistent from batch to batch. Double malt whiskey, on the other hand, is made in two distilleries and blended together, which can result in a more complex and varied flavor profile. If you want the best value for money with your next bottle of Scotch whisky, the safest bet is Macallan 12 Year Double Cask. An accessible drink, both for the pallet and your wallet, yet complex and rich in taste. Peat: When used in a whisky distillery, peat can be the difference between a light sip and a smoky drink. Peat layers form on bogs over thousands of years and are used to smoke barley grains during the drying process. The longer the grain is subjected to the peat smoke, the smokier the resulting drink will be.

Barrel Type: New, 53-gallon, char 4 American white oak barrels, with the final 3-5 months finished with 20-30 staves of hand-charred Georgia white oak our Master Distiller, Justin Manglitz, harvests placed in the barrel. In general, distilleries that produce single malt do not produce single grain and vice versa. They tend to be separate establishments. How to play catch-up? Take three malt distilleries – Dufftown, Glen Ord and Glendullan – and bring them together under one umbrella brand. Historically, each had a regional focus (Europe, Asia and North America respectively), but that’s changing now in favour of a more global approach. Lagavulin: This brand is known for its smoky and peaty flavor profile, which includes hints of seaweed, salt, and iodine.Palate: Burnt coffee beans, dark chocolate, dried fruit, smoky BBQ sauce, flamed orange zest, and caramel.

This means most single malt scotches are blends of different barrels or casks within the distillery. Distillers do this to maintain a consistent flavor profile in their offerings. In 1886, the manager of Mortlach distillery in Dufftown decided to go it alone, investing his life savings and considerable physical effort to build his own plant by the banks of the Fiddich river. Barley is soaked for two to three days and then regularly turned before it’s dried. Peat is the powering source for many kilns, which means it’s at this point of the process when the level of peatiness can be determined. What’s left after this process is malt.

'Scotch' and 'Malt'

Famously medicinal, tarry Laphroaig now finds itself under the same corporate roof as fellow Islay distillery Bowmore, since Japanese group Suntory bought US-based Beam Global in 2014. The flavor advantage over the grain whiskey and the wide diversity of flavor makes the single malt so special. Since it has to be made by a lone distillery, it becomes the essence of the distillery. Finally, the liquid is left to mature in casks. The spirit must mature in casks for a minimum of three years before it’s legally allowed to be called whisky in Scotland. When people ask me for recommendations on “the best whisky”, or best whisky brand, I take a number of things into consideration. Particularly, the kind of flavours they’re drawn to, and what they’re buying this particular bottle for. If they’re fairly new to whisky, I might steer them towards Johnnie Walker’s easy-drink blends, if they’re a peated whisky lover looking to try something new, it might be a venture towards Octomore, and so on (and so on).