Being a newcomer to whisky can often feel overwhelming; dipping your toes in can quickly become a somersault into the deep end. There are so many varieties of whisky, not to mention subcategories within them, that it can feel impossible to know where to start. That’s why we’re here to help.
When it comes to Scotch, each type of whisky has its own unique definition, flavour profile and production process. These distinctions are easy to learn, which, in turn, makes trying and buying different whiskies simple.
Follow our guide to the five types of Scotch whisky below.
Table of contents
- Single Malt Scotch Whisky
- Single Grain Scotch Whisky
- Blended Scotch Whisky
- Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
- Blended Grain Scotch Whisky
- Scotch tasting tips for beginners
- Shop exceptional Scotch at The Whisky World
Single Malt Scotch Whisky
It’s amazing that single malt Scotch requires just yeast, malted barley and water to create an incredible taste. Single malt is revered for offering rich, layered flavour profiles, and you can expect a different profile from each distillery. Depending on factors such as fermentation length, distilling processes and cask ageing choices, single malt Scotch can provide notes ranging from charred oak and dried fruit to sweet vanilla and spicy nutmeg.
As you’ve probably worked out, single malt must be made at a single distillery. And the rules don’t end there: although each distillery produces single malts with their own unique character, they all must be made with 100% malted barley, distilled in pot stills and aged for a minimum of three years in oak casks in Scotland to qualify as Scottish single malt.
Our Single Malt Scotch recommendations
Explore delicious single malt Scotch whisky in our extensive collection. If you’re looking to discover your taste in single malt, our selection features iconic names ranging from the super peaty (and therefore smoky) Ardbeg to the maritime Talisker, and the supple sherried Macallan.
Single Grain Scotch Whisky
Single malt Scotch often receives a great deal of attention from new whisky enthusiasts due to its rich history and worldwide reputation. Unfortunately this also meants that single grain Scotch sometimes goes overlooked by those looking to begin their whisky journey.
Single grain means a grain whisky distilled at a single distillery – but don’t be fooled into thinking the whisky needs to only be made from a single type of grain! These whiskies can be made from a wide variety of cereals, including wheat, corn, unmalted barley, rye and more.
Distillation happens in copper column stills rather than the pot stills used for single malt, resulting in a whisky that’s often lighter and sweeter than its malty cousin. Notes of butterscotch, toffee, and caramel, as well as a creamy cereal character, are common in these whiskies.
Our Single Grain Scotch recommendations
There’s a lot of flavour and variety to explore in grain whisky. Our collection features some excellent bottles to get you started, such as the ones we’ve listed below, as well as some great vintage gems well worth your attention.
