Whisky – The Great Scotch Debate
“Whisky” comes from a Gaelic term meaning “water of life” – a testament to this spirit’s historic use as medicine in Scotland. Monasteries used to make whisky and prescribe it as treatment for palsy and small pox.

Today, the water of life is a much more sophisticated drink enjoyed around the world. But no matter the drinker's level of sophistication of the drinker, one question tends comes up in Scotch whisky conversation: “What is the difference between single malt and blended whisky?”

At a fundamental level, the difference between single malts and blended whiskies is simple: single malt whisky is made by a single producer at a single distillery, while blended whisky consists of a mix of multiple distillations. 

Blends became popular in the 1800s, when Aeneas Coffee invented the still – a tool used for vaporizing liquids, then condensing them – which enabled a continuous distillation process. This allowed producers to mix their malted barley with cheaper grains such as maize and corn, giving Scotch whisky a mass market appeal.

Meanwhile, single malt is actually a misnomer, since the end product is still normally a blend of whiskies. But in the case of single malt the different whiskies being used are all from the same producer on the same site, and while traditional blends mix together up to 50 grain and malt whiskies, single malts are exclusively blended with whiskies made from malted barley.

One defining characteristic of single malt whisky is its age – the amount of time the whisky spent maturing in the cask. By law, a bottle whose label lists its age can contain no whisky younger than that age, meaning that a 10-year-old bottle of single malt may contain whiskies aged 10, 15 and 18 years. The presence of older whiskies gives the younger brands a more distinguished and sophisticated taste.

The debate between blends and single malts rages on, but experts will generally tell you that single malt is where the true flavour is. Whatever you choose, Scotch is best enjoyed with a splash of filtered water to help release the scent and enhance the range of flavours – similar to the way that air helps a good wine breathe.