Whisky basics

Did you know?

Blending whisky is a science. Most distilleries will employ a highly trained master blender who will know the taste of every batch of whisky maturing intimately. They are able to select for blending the right batch of whisky to give the required characteristics

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Blended or vatted whisky

Some of the most famous whiskies in the world are blends, such as the Johnnie Walker range from Scotland and the Jameson range from Ireland. Blends are traditionally used in bars and pubs for cocktails or mixing with soft drinks. This is partly because they are cheaper than single malts and partly because the subtle flavours of a single malt can be masked by a mixer.

Blended whisky
Blended whiskies are produced by mixing different types of whisky together. These whiskies can be single malts (made from barley) or other whiskies that are made using alternative grains or neutral spirit. They may come from more than one distillery. Whiskies are blended together to create a smoother and more complex drink, with each whisky bringing its own characteristics to the blend. Grain whisky and neutral spirits are much cheaper to produce than single malts, as the raw materials are more readily available and less expensive than barley. They are traditionally used in blends so that the final product will cost less to the consumer.

Vatted whisky
Vatted whiskies are also produced by mixing different types of whisky together, however only a mix of only single malts can be used in vatted whisky. These whiskies may be from the same or different distilleries.

Aged blends
Blended and vatted whiskies will rarely have any age stated on the label, although when one is shown this demonstrates the age of the youngest whisky present in the blend. Other whiskies included will be of the same age and older. Some blended whisky can contain over 30 different single malt and grain whiskies.