Single Malt vs Blended Whisky

Single Malt vs Blended Whisky: What's Actually Different (and Which Should You Drink?)

Single malt whisky is made from 100% malted barley, distilled in pot stills in a batch process and is the product of a single distillery. A blended whisky is usually a blend of different single malts from different distilleries built on top of a base of grain whisky.

A single malt whisky showcases the character of a single distillery and the processes that make it stand out, while a blended whisky allows a Whiskymaker to create a complex flavour profile that a single distillery cannot achieve on its own. Two styles with two very different purposes.

You should drink a single malt if you are looking for a strong and unique flavour profile shaped by one distillery's people, process and environment.

You should drink blended whisky if you are looking for an easy drinking whisky with a distinct and complex flavour profile shaped by the skill of the blender or Whiskymaker.

For a deep dive into single malt have a look at our article What is a single malt? and for a guide to some of the best, have a look at The Whisky Club's guide to the best single malt whisky.

The Core Distinction: One Distillery vs Many

Let's look at the words "single" and "blended". The words "single" pops up in whisky chats all the time, but what does it actually mean. In terms of single malt whisky, it means one thing: that a whisky has come from a single distillery. So a single malt is a whisky made from 100% malted barley from a single distillery while a single grain is a whisky made from other grains from a single distillery.

It does not mean it is from a single cask or barrel, unless it is explicitly says so. Many of the single malts we enjoy are blended from different casks that have all come from that single distillery. This gives the Whiskymaker scope to tell stories of the distillery, process and place while ensuring a consistent flavour from one batch to the next.

Compare this with a blended malt whisky which is a blend of different single malts together. It is still 100% malted barley, but the Whiskymaker has the freedom to pull stocks from different distilleries. Think of it like giving a brewer access to barley and a single hop, vs giving a brewer access to barley and a variety of hops. They can make a wonderful single hop beer by varying her process, but with access to different hops, they can create so many different great beers.

Now let's talk blended whisky. This is a blend of whiskies from multiple single malts with the addition of single grain whiskies. This has two effects: first of all, it brings the price of production down because grain whisky can be produced at 10 bottles per second, vs one single shot every 3 seconds for malt whisky. This is why blended whisky is less expensive on the shelf compared to single malts. Secondly, and more importantly, the Whiskymaker can use this often lighter and smoother grain whisky as a base or canvas upon which to showcase their blend of malts. What does this mean? It often means more lift, lighter and smoother flavour profiles and a great base for making cocktails. When we start to look at more expensive and older blends, the level of nuance, complexity and ability of creating a whisky that is greater than the sum of it's parts is evident as soon as we put our nose in the glass.

Whether a single malt whisky or a blended whisky, the skill of the Whiskymaker is paramount to the quality and consistency of what we find in our glass.

How Production Process Shapes What Ends Up in Your Glass

Every single process and production decision taken at a distillery effects what we find in our glasses. Let us explain the major differences and how they effect what we taste.

Pot Stills, Column Stills, and Why It Matters

There are two main types of still in whisky production, each one has a big impact on flavour.

Both types of stills do the same job in that they separate alcohol from water using heat:

1. Alcoholic liquid enters the still
2. Heat is applied
3. Alcohol rises up the still as a vapour, water is left behind
4. The alcoholic gas is condensed into a spirit with a higher ABV than the starting liquid

Another similarity is that they are both made from copper because it:

• conducts heat well
• is malleable
• removes unwanted flavour compounds from the spirit

But the similarities stop there.

Pot Stills

1. Use a batch process
2. Resulting spirit is 72% ABV after a double distillation
3. Produce 25ml every 3 seconds

Copper pot stills are the only type still allowed for making single malt whiskies. They are the type of still we think of first when we envision a whisky distillery. Often pear shaped, these vessels work like the kettles we have in our kitchen. They work in a batch process applying heat until the alcohol has evaporated. Each distillation takes time with stills needing emptied, cleaned and charged in between each batch. After two distillations we will have a spirit that is about 72% ABV. A set of pot stills will make about 1 x 25ml glass of whisky every three seconds.

The use of copper pot stills explains why your single malts taste more flavourful than grain whiskies or other spirits like vodka: basically, a spirit at 70-80% ABV still has plenty of room for flavour compounds resulting in a more flavourful and mouthcoating style of spirit.

To go even deeper, we should talk about still shape which will fundamentally change the flavour profile and mouthfeel of a single malt. Taller stills allow only the lightest aroma compounds over the neck, whereas heavier aromas can more easily ascend a shorter still. Glenmorangie uses the tallest stills in Scotland resulting in a light, complex and fruity spirit style evident in our collaborations with them. Compare that to Glen Scotia, and you will see a spirit that is just as fruity and complex, but it has an oily mouthfeel. This is due to the short stills used at this Campbeltown distillery.

Column Stills

1. Use a continuous process
2. Resulting spirit is 94.5% ABV continuously
3. Produce 10 bottles every second

Column stills (sometimes known as Coffey stills) were invented by Aeneas Coffey in 1831 and are used to make grain whisky. They use the same principle of separating alcohol and water, but they use perforated plates and steam to strip the alcohol from a beer. Steam rises from the bottom, taking alcohol vapours with it to the top of the still, while the water falls to the bottom. So beer is fed in to the still, and alcoholic vapour makes it's way to the top. With enough height (usually achieved by using two columns that can be up to 4 storeys tall), a column still can produce spirit at 94.8% ABV. If the still is continuously fed beer, the flow of spirit never stops. A column still produces spirit at the rate of 10 bottle per second.

The use of column stills explains why grain whiskies are often thinner on the palate with a different complexity of flavour. 94.8% ABV does not leave much room for flavour compounds. This explains why the vast majority of grain whiskies are used in blends. The grain brings a clean, ethereal and smooth base which is then built upon using the flavours and strength of different single malts from different distilleries and regions.

That's not to say that grain whisky is bad, in fact we have released grain whiskies here at The Club, but they are usually aged longer than our malts as they need time in oak to build character and complexity. We think they are just as delicious as a complex single malt, but in a different way. Our 1985 Girvan single casks were great examples of how a grain spirit develops over forty years in cask.

Hybrid stills

Hybrid stills use both column and pot stills in combination. They are widely used in Bourbon production. As you can imagine, the resulting spirit is more flavourful than a column still spirit and less flavourful than a pot still whisky.

If you want to have a closer look at whisky making in depth, see The Whisky Club's guide to making whisky.

Barrel Maturation and Cask Finishing

Oak casks bring colour and wood flavours to whisky, they remove some undesirable flavour compounds and provide space and time for flavours to break down and become more complex. They are vital to both pot still and column still whiskies. Every drop of Scotch whisky must spend at least three years in an oak cask.

Heavier style pot still whiskies integrate well with first fill oak casks. This is because the oilier spirit coats much of the tongue giving the oak flavours lots of flavour profiles to combine and interact with. The bigger flavoured whiskies are not overpowered by the intense oak. Bourbon casks flavours like to play at the front of the palate, European oak (Spanish and French) flavours play at the back with port and wine casks covering the mid palate.

Lighter style column stills on the other hand are often initially overpowered by first fill oak cask flavours. These flavours then need a long time in cask to break down and achieve balance. This is why many grain whiskies used in blends are matured in refill casks, they ensure the light, lifted spirit is not overpowered. The Whiskymaker can then introduce oak complexity in the malt whiskies they add to the blend.

Have a look at The Whisky Club's guide to casks for more information.

Wait, There Are Actually Five Types of Scotch Whisky

There are 5 different types of Scotch whisky.

• Single malt Scotch whisky - made using only malted barley; distilled in pot stills; product of a single distillery
• Blended malt Scotch whisky - a blend of single malt Scotch whiskies
• Single grain Scotch whisky - the product of a single distillery; fails one or more of the single malt Scotch rules; often distilled in a column still; often made using wheat or maize; includes pot still rye
• Blended grain Scotch whisky - a blend of single grain Scotch whiskies
• Blended Scotch whisky - a blend of single malt Scotch whiskies and single grain Scotch whiskies

Flavour Profiles: What to Expect From Each Style: Single Grain, Single Malt and Blended Whisky

Five types of Scotch whisky, five different flavour profiles, and their all down to the stills as well as the skills of the Whiskymaker. Pot stills brings weight and fuller flavour whereas column stills bring lighter spirits with more lift and a thinner flavour profile. Let's look at the 5 types of Scotch:

Single malt Scotch whisky - these showcase a distillery's fingerprint. Made from 100% barley in pot stills, expect a full mouthfeel and longer aftertaste. The richness of flavour and mouthfeel is universal. The flavours on top will depend on still size and shape and any use of peat smoke. So every Macallan will taste one way, every Lagavulin another. But both will have that viscosity expected in a single malt. Complexity in single malts is created by blending different casks together, moving whisky from one cask to another or simply waiting for flavours to develop through years of maturation.

For more on the different styles within the single malt whisky world, check out The Whisky Club's guide to Scotch whisky regions.

Blended malt Scotch whisky - these showcase the same richness of flavour and mouthfeel of a single malt, but the Whiskymaker has access to many more flavour profiles to build a flavour journey. So the best bits of that Macallan and that Lagavulin can share the same glass. This is an underrated style of Scotch where complexity is created by blending single malt styles.

Single grain Scotch whisky - these tend to be a lighter, thinner and some would say smoother style of whisky. Great to blend with, and wonderful at high age statements. If you want to see oak flavours in isolation and don't like the big, chewy style some whiskies show, then check out a single grain. Also a wonderful place to start for Bourbon drinkers looking to explore Scotch.

Blended grain Scotch whisky - despite the high ABV distillation process, each single grain whisky does have a fingerprint. They are all different. North British shows heaviness compared to Stratchclyde which tastes like bubblegum. Blending them together is not often done, but when done right, complexity can be achieved by a Whiskymaker.

Blended Scotch whisky - still the market leader in terms of volume. Famed for complexity, pricepoint and consistency, blends are Scotch whisky's answer to vodka, gin and Jack. Designed to be mixed, great on their own and with a smooth, short finish, blends are approachable and affordable as well as being flavourful without being overpowering. These are proof that complexity doesn't require age, it requires a Whiskymaker with a wide portfolio of flavours to play with.

So, if you are looking for a drink to think about, a flavour that tells a robust story of place or indeed a specific flavour profile, then single malts are for you. Blended malts tell the story of the Whiskymaker.

But if you like a highball, mixing cocktails or want a neat drink that is delicious without overpowering the conversation, then maybe a blend is the way to go.

And if you want to see what age does to a Scotch, but don't want to take a punt on an old, expensive single malt, you might find a blended malt or blended Scotch that will fit your budget and carry all of the complexity of an older malt whisky.

Is Single Malt Actually Better Than Blended?

Single malt whisky is not necessarily better than blended whisky. It is true that whisky is all about personal preference.

Is single malt whisky more important than blended whisky?

Single malts are the lynchpin of the Scotch whisky industry. On their own, they showcase distillery character and the results of the production processes and decisions made at each site. But in a blend, they can heighten, dampen, accentuate or cancel out other flavour profiles, even in the smallest quantities. Take Caol Ila for example: this Islay whisky is floral, peaty and maritime by nature. A robust and intense single malt. But it is also responsible for the wisp of smoke at the back end of a Johnnie Walker Black Label. So, are single malts better than blends? It depends what you like. But are they crucial to blends? Absolutely.

Why Single Malts Cost More (and Whether the Premium Is Worth It)

Single malts cost more because of how they are produced.

• Single malts are made from malted barley, a more expensive crop than wheat. Wheat is the main source of sugar for grain whiskies.
• Single malts are distilled in copper pot stills and run at a rate of about 25ml every 3 seconds in a batch process whereas grain whiskies are produced in a column still continuously at the rate of about 10 bottles per second.
• Ageing for single malts tends to happen in more expensive casks. A first fill sherry cask costs around £500 these days, whereas a grain whisky may be aged in a used vessel that effectively costs nothing. Also, most malts are aged for 10 years or more, whereas much of the blended whisky market will use whiskies that are 3-5 years of age. (Unless there is an age statement on the bottle which indicates the youngest constituent.)
• Blends are a mix of malt and grain whiskies together, so you can see they price discrepancy in production process ensuring blends are more economical on the shelf.

So blended whiskies offer excellent value but can't deliver the flavour hit that someone looking for regional or distillery character might be chasing. Here at The Whisky Club, we select the best whiskies from across the 5 types of Scotch whisky, ensuring our collective buying power delivers value whether a single malt or a well-crafted blended whisky.

The Master Blender: The Most Underrated Role in Whisky

Whether you are sipping a single malt or making an old fashioned with your favourite blend, there is one role that has had a hand in the flavours you experience: The Master Blender.

Master Blenders or Whiskymakers are the unsung heroes of the industry. They are responsible for creating the consistent flavour profiles we experience as well as managing their stocks to ensure every batch can look exactly the same into the future. Our Head of Whisky Creation, Craig Johnstone was a Master Blender before joining The Whisky Club:

"As a Master Blender for The Famous Grouse, I can peel the curtain back a little bit on the processes we had in place. It was definitely one of the most robust systems of quality control I had ever experience. On top of the whisky making, we had stock management to consider. I needed to know that the blend I came up with today could be replicated into the future. This involved forecasts, consultations, industry knowledge and relationships to ensure we could get the styles of whisky and casks that we needed. The team behind this were some of the most skilled people behind the scenes and ensured every bottle could taste the same, even if the samples were from completely different distilleries. 

For us, quality began at the distilleries. Every batch of new make spirit (whisky before ageing) we bought was nosed by our team of qualified nosers and scored. Each style of new make spirit had a job in the blend, and certain distilleries were interchangeable with others, so it was of paramount importance that they fit their designated flavour profiles from the start. We even did this with out grain whiskies, even though their consistency was almost guaranteed, we needed to make sure nothing was wrong.

Then there were the casks. Each empty cask, whether first fill or refill, was nosed before anything was put into it. Containers of fresh casks would arrive from Spain, and our cooperage team and I would nose them for any off-notes. If we were unsure, we rejected them. 

And finally, there was the whisky. Each and every sample was nosed by someone qualified before making its way into a blend. If it was wrong, it was rejected and another was selected in its place. THis could see 100+ samples being nosed every day. For Scotland's most popular blended Scotch, we could maybe have selectively sampled from each style and cut a few corners, but we never wanted to take the risk. Our job was guarding one of the most impressive whisky recipes in the world, we were not going to dilute the process to save a few quid."

Working with the best Master Blenders and Whiskymakers at The Club allows us to show Members how each one approaches their craft slightly differently. There is no doubt that the character of each shapes the whiskies they make. Bill Lumsden use of Bourbon casks as a base, Rachel Barrie's mastery of mixing Sherry casks and Alex Thomas' ability to showcase Bushmills distillery character through some incredible fortified casks are just three examples of how a Master Blender can take us all on a flavour journey in our favourite drams.

When to Sip a Single Malt Scotch and When to Reach for a Blended Scotch whisky

Here's our guidance on when to reach for a single malt and when blended is best:

You're heading for a party and want to take a bottle to share with the attendees.

• If it's a house party celebrating a birthday with music, dancing and games, we'd reach for a blended Scotch. It can sit nicely in the kitchen next to the ice bucket and mixers. If you want to sip one or two neat, make it a blended malt.
• If it's a dinner party, opt for a single malt. Maybe avoid Islay or peated whiskies unless you know the crowd. A good rich Sherry bomb like The Macallan or Aberlour will go well with red meat, blue cheese or any dessert.

You're having a night of whisky tasting with old friends from Uni.

• Single malts from across regions are the go to here. Variety is best, ensuring cask types, peat levels and flavour profiles are all accounted for. Consider tasting a blend to showcase the difference, but the malts will be the focus here.

Grand final day, and you've got a whisky drinking Uncle as well as a cousin who fancies trying spirits, but isn't too sure what to drink.

• Here is where a blended malt can shine. Your whisky drinking Uncle will get a good flavour profile if he's a single malt drinker, but also you won't mind him mixing it as blended malts are usually less expensive than single malts. And similarly your cousin can enjoy a dram neat and see if it's to her liking. If not, highballs all round.

For more tips on what brands or styles to reach for check out The Whisky Club's guide to the best Scotch whiskies and The Whisky Club's guide to the best single malt whiskies.

Explore Both Styles With The Whisky Club

As you can see, the world of Scotch whisky is rich and storied. It's too simple to say one style is better than another, simply because there are so many famous examples of brands in each category. Hopefully this article has ignited a curiosity to try whisky from across the spectrum.

Whether you are craving the smoky flavour of an Islay malt, or the uniqueness of a single barrel Balvenie, or the balance of the next Johnnie Walker, The Whisky Club is the best place to experience different flavours of whisky produced.

We work with the best Whiskymakers and Master Blenders in the world to craft exclusive whiskies for Members of the world's biggest Whisky subscription service.

Single Malt vs Blended Whisky: FAQs

Is blended whisky lower quality than single malt?

Blended whisky is not lower quality than single malt. Both require the skill of a Whiskymaker or Master Blender to find consistency in flavour and quality. Blends do tend to be cheaper as they contain less expensive grain whisky as a base. And it is worth pointing out that the flavour profile of each is different, due to differing production methods.

What does "single" mean in single malt?

Single in single malt simply means the whisky is from one distillery. It can be a marriage of different casks, spirit styles and ages, but they must all come from the same distillery.

Can single malt whisky be used in cocktails?

Single malt whiskies can be used in cocktails, but it is worth remembering that their robust character may involve tweaking a recipe to find balance. That being said, we love a peated whisky sour and a Sherry cask old fashioned here at Club HQ.

What is the difference between blended whisky and blended malt?

• Blended whisky is a mix of more than one style of whisky from more than one distillery. Usually malt whiskies mixed with one or two grain whiskies.
• Blended malt whisky is a mix of single malt whiskies from multiple distilleries. No grain whisky whatsoever.

Why is blended whisky more popular than single malt?

Blended whisky is more popular than single malt simply because the modern whisky industry is built upon the category's success. Today, 10% of Scotch whisky exported is single malt, the rest is made up of blended whiskies.

Single malts were historically full flavoured and inconsistent, but in the 1800s, greengrocers started to blend these whiskies together to achieve a consistency. When less expensive grain whisky was introduced as a base in 1850, the category could compete on price as well as quality, overtaking Irish whiskey and brandy as the leading spirits categories due to marketing and global events.

Is all Scotch whisky either single malt or blended?

Not all Scotch whiskies are either single malt or blended, but the majority of those on the shelves will fall into these to categories. There is also single grain Scotch whisky. This is made from malted barley and other grains and is usually distilled in a column still. These grain whiskies provide the base for blended whiskies. Blended whiskies are so popular that there is more Scotch grain whisky produced from 8 distilleries than there is single malt from over 150 distilleries.

What is the difference between whisky and whiskey?

In Ireland and much of America, it is whiskey. For the rest of the world, whisky is used. But there are caveats and anomalies to wrestle with. For the full picture, check out our video on this very subject: Whisky or Whiskey?

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