What is single malt?

Single malt is so-called because the malt comes from a single distillery. It is a whisky refined by a single distillery, using malted barley as the only grain ingredient. Each distillery has its own distinct taste, flavour and style and single malts bear that. Some world-renowned single malts are Glenfiddich, Glenmorangie, Glenlivet, Glenkinchie and if you move into the rare varieties, PortEllen, Dalmore, Glenfarclas, IsleofJura, Knocdhu, Lagavulin,Laphroig,  Macallan, Oban,Taliskar, Cragganmore. Enjoying a single malt is a connoisseur’s job and you have to learn to be one. A single grain, as distinct from a single malt, is a grain whisky made at one distillery, while the single malt is made with barley.
 
What is Blended Whisky?

Blended whisky is a mixture of single malt whisky and ethanol derived from grains.  Developed for those who could not stomach the strong taste of whisky, it is a combination of malt and grain whiskies. First distilled and bottled by Andrew Usher in Edinburgh in the early 1860s, it turned out to be softer, lighter and more palatable.
 
The character of the whisky is determined not only by the proportions of malt and grain whisky, but  also by the ages of the individual whiskies and the manner in which they are combined to bring out the finest qualities in each other. Most whisky drunk across the world is blended whisky. Famous Grouse, Bells,  Teacher’s, Whyte & Mackay and Johnnie Walker are a few that are well-known.

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