whisky, blended , is a single term with multiple, confusing meanings. In Scotland and many other countries, blended whisky is made by combining the malt whiskies from two or more distilleries, as well as grain whiskies (i.e., distilled from grains besides malted barley, usually on a column still to produce a light, neutral flavor). See whisky, grain; and whisky, single-malt, global. The two components are usually mixed in a ratio of roughly 40 percent malt whisky and 60 percent grain whisky, although that can vary significantly. Flavoring and coloring are also allowed. If the constituent elements are all single malt whiskies, then the final product is called “blended malt whisky” (or, in the past, “vatted malt whisky”).
Until the last decades of the twentieth century, almost all Scotch whisky bottled and sold was blended, and many of the most famous whisky brands—Johnnie Walker, Ballantine’s, Dewar’s, Chivas—are named after the grocers who traditionally bought whiskies from different distilleries and combined them to produce a signature flavor profile. See Johnnie Walker; Dewar’s; and Chivas Regal. Even today, blended whisky dominates the industry: 90 percent of all whisky sold worldwide is a blend. While many inexpensive brands of blended whisky exist, they also include some of the market’s most prestigious brands, such as Johnnie Walker and Compass Box, and skilled master blenders are highly sought after. See Compass Box.
Blends are also common in Ireland, Canada, and Japan, made along similar lines. In Ireland, it is generally pure pot-still whisky that is blended with the grain whisky, although malt-grain blends and even pot-still–malt-grain blends are also popular. In Canada, the grain whisky is blended with various expressions of rye, corn, and wheat whisky. See whisky, Canadian; whisky, Irish; and whisky, Japanese.
In the United States, in contrast, blended whisky is typically made by adding a small amount of straight whisky (by law at least 20 percent, and in practice rarely more than that) to a base of grain neutral spirits. For that reason, blended whisky in the United States has a questionable reputation, and blends tend to occupy the bottom shelf in the liquor store whisky section. However, over the last decade a small number of distillers and bottlers—perhaps most notably High West—have made names for themselves as blenders in the Scottish tradition, buying whisky from different distilleries and then blending them to meet a certain flavor profile. Their products are usually labeled “a blend of straight whiskies,” which means that no grain neutral spirits have been added.
See also blending and whisky, scotch.
Broom, Dave. Whiskey: A Connoisseur’s Guide. London: Carlton, 1998.
United States Tax and Trade Bureau. Beverage Alcohol Manual, chapter 4, 2007.
By: Clay Risen