[#AllAboutWhiskyph] The Single Malts and Blended Whiskies.

When I started my journey as a beginner in whisky appreciation, I had this idea that a bottle labeled as a "Single Malt" would always be superior to a bottle labeled as a "Blended Whisky". This is a very common misconception.

For me, this misconception is partly owing to the popularity of Johnnie Walker in the Philippines. In this country, everyone starts with the blended whiskies of #JohnnieWalker. When you want to "level up" your #whisky game, you would likely buy a single malt. Often, that single malt would be your tito's (uncle's) favorite #Macallan. Since your standard Macallan would be better than your standard Johnnie Walker, it's easy to generalize that single malts are better than blends. That would be a poor generalization.

A Single Malt is a popular category of #scotch whisky. "Single" here refers to whisky that was made in only one distillery. "Malt" means that by Scottish law, the whisky was made from 100% malted barley and distilled in a pot still. This means that a malt whisky distilled by #Bunnahabhain distillery can be called a single malt even if the bottle will contain a blend of whisky from different barrels and distilling batches.

In contrast, a blended whisky is a combination of whiskies from multiple distilleries (even if under the same brand). The JW Green blends whiskies from #Talisker, Cragganmore, Linkwood and Caol Ila. A mix of whiskies from two distilleries owned by the same brand like Nikka Taketsuru Pure Malt (blending from #Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries) would also make a blended whisky. It can also be a mix of Single Malt and Single Grain whiskies.

A Single Grain Whisky is made from grains other than malted barley like corn, rye, or wheat, and can usually be produced in greater volumes due to column still distillation.

Bottom line is: since almost all whisky involves some form of blending, a #SingleMalt isn't necessarily any better than a blend. The many great blends from #CompassBox and Douglas Laing can easily go toe to toe with some of the best single malts!

Image Courtesy of @WhiskyPH

@WhiskyPH

At its core, whisky appreciation is an exercise in memory. Notes of a whisky enthusiast in the Philippines. 🥃🇵🇭