What is Scotch Whisky?

With all the information out there, whisky can seem a complex and confusing drink. What does ‘Scotch Whisky’ even mean? Our CEO Martin McAdam is here to help…

Well, as you might imagine, any whisky called Scotch must be produced in Scotland. But more than that, as a registered ‘Geographical Indication’ (like Champagne) Scotch Whisky must be produced according to strict regulations set down in law.

To understand this better, our starting point the Scotch Whisky Regulations (SWR) 2009. Here in law is the exact definition of what Scotch Whisky is. According to the SWR, whisky can only be called Scotch if it has been produced at a distillery in Scotland from water and malted barley (to which only whole grains of other cereals may be added). Furthermore, Scotch Whisky can only be so defined if:

•       The malt and grains are processed at that distillery into a mash

•       The mash is fermented at that distillery only by adding yeast

•       It’s distilled at an alcoholic strength by volume of less than 94.8%

•       The resultant spirit is wholly matured in Scotland in oak casks of a capacity not exceeding 700 litres, for at least three years

•       The whisky retains the colour, aroma, and taste of the raw materials used in, and the method of, its production and maturation.

•       It contains no added substances, other than water and plain caramel colouring.

•       It has a minimum alcoholic strength by volume of 40%.

According to the regulations there are only two basic types of Scotch whisky, from which all Scotch is made:

•       Single Malt Scotch Whisky -  a Scotch Whisky produced from only water and malted barley at a single distillery by batch distillation in pot stills

•       Single Grain Scotch Whisky -  a Scotch Whisky distilled at a single distillery but, in addition to water and malted barley, may involve whole grains of other malted or un-malted cereals.

There is a little wrinkle in the above definitions for a distillery producing both single malt and single grain. Excluded from the definition of "Single Grain Scotch Whisky" is any spirit that qualifies as a Single Malt Scotch Whisky or a Blended Scotch Whisky. The latter exclusion is to ensure that a Blended Scotch Whisky produced from single malt(s) and single grain(s) distilled at the same distillery does not also qualify as a Single Grain Scotch Whisky. 

At the last count Single Malt Scotch Whisky accounted for about 12% of total Scotch Whisky production. Using the two productions methods we can arrive at a total of 5 different Scotch Whisky types:

  1. Single Malt Scotch Whisky

  2. Single Grain Scotch Whisky

  3. Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

  4. Blended Grain Scotch Whisky

  5. Blended Scotch Whisky

It is worth expanding a wee bit more on blends:

  1. Blended Malt Scotch Whisky means a blend of two or more Single Malt Scotch Whiskies from different distilleries.

  2. Blended Grain Scotch Whisky means a blend of two or more Single Grain Scotch Whiskies from different distilleries.

  3. Blended Scotch Whisky means a blend of one or more Single Malt Scotch Whiskies with one or more Single Grain Scotch Whiskies.

Creating blends is something that requires great skill. A master whisky maker like Max McFarlane loves the challenge. He loves Single Malt Scotch Whisky, but not every single malt is created equal. Using his skills, he can take a number of average single malts and create a splendid blended malt with the best characteristics of all its parts.

There is much disagreement about what is the best whisky. It will come down to personal taste. Some people choose to only drink a single malt, others will only drink a blended whisky.

Given the number of distilleries and whisky types - there is a lot of choice out there!

Slàinte mhath,

Martin

Whisky 101Ardgowan Distillery