The Scotch Whisky categories – an overview
Article by Pip Martin
Many moons ago, I remember standing at the back of a Johnnie Walker Whisky tasting session in Harrods wine department. Believe it or not this tasting, like most of the other staff tastings we organised at Harrods, took place between 9-10am in the morning (before the store opened). This often meant that (despite our best efforts) we were slightly steaming when the store opened, never the best state in which to look after the Harrods Gold Card customers… During the tasting, the brand ambassador for Johnnie Walker made reference to one of his Whisky samples and (quite grandly) referred to it as a “battered malt” – at least this is what I thought he said. Being quite green at the time, I asked the wine and spirits buyer (standing next to me) what a battered malt was. Cue much laughter and ridicule – “Battered Malt” was in fact “Vatted Malt” – a style of Whisky that contains a number of different Single Malt Whiskies (and will never contain any Grain Whiskies). I thought at the time that the Scotch Whisky industry should probably win an award for arcane lexicon, but this was probably just my pride. The main categories of Whisky are important to know, as through them, you have the beginnings of a tasting roadmap to this most particular of drinks. Usefully in 2009 the Scotch Whisky Regulations officially defined five categories of Scotch Whisky. Firstly, you have your Single Malt Scotch Whisky, a Scotch Whisky produced at a single distillery from water and malted barley without the addition of any other cereals, and by batch distillation in malt stills. In a neat bit of forward thinking, from 23rd November 2012, Single Malt Scotch Whisky must be bottled in Scotland. Macallan, Talisker, and Lagavulin are all well known examples. Secondly there is Single Grain Scotch Whisky. This is a Scotch Whisky distilled in a single distillery from water and malted barley with or without whole grains of other malted or unmalted cereals, and which does not comply with the description of a Single Malt Scotch Whisky. Invergordon is perhaps the best known Single Grain Scotch Whisky (it’s jolly nice). Thirdly (and by the way there is no hierarchy here) you have your Blended Scotch Whisky, which is a blend of one or more Single Malt Scotch Whiskies, which have been produced at more than one distillery. Johnnie Walker are famous for their range of (predominantly) blended Whiskies. Contrary to popular belief these are not inherently inferior Whiskies (the price of Johnnie Walker Blue Label will make your eyes water, if the drink doesn’t), they’re just, well, different. Fourthly (stay with me) you have Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, a blend of Single Malt Scotch Whiskies, which have been produced at more than one distillery. The observant amongst you will realise that this and Vatted Malt are in fact one and the same. Johnnie Walker Green label is a well known Vatted Malt. Vatted Malts have also (perhaps confusingly) been called Pure Malts in the past. Lastly, and not least, there is Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, a blend of Single Grain Scotch Whiskies which have been produced at more than one distillery. Ballantine’s Vitality (made mostly for the Far East) is a good example of this style. From November 2011, every bottle of Scotch Whisky released onto market must display one of the above categories prominently on their label. Anything that provides useful substantive information to consumers is, in my opinion, a Good Idea. The other key of course is to remember (and subscribe to your heart if you are really interested in Whisky) Scotland’s distinctive regional styles (Highlands, Islay, Cambeltown etc). This all leads us neatly on to the differences in style – the taste, flavour, character, what have you. This my friends, we will cover in part 2… Pip Martin
Pip Martin manages and produces International, UK-wide and corporate wine tasting games and other specialist events for the corporate events industry.
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