Whiskey is a noble strong drink belonging to the brandy class. Entering the store, you will be surprised by the choice of tastes, types and brands of production. But initially, whiskey is divided into single malt and blended. Let's see what blended whiskey is, and what is its fundamental difference.

Blended whiskey is the most common type of this drink. It turns out when blending single malt and grain. Blending makes the taste and aroma more complex and fuller. The word "blend" means mixing. In the manufacture of this whiskey, different malts and grains are used. The mixing method achieves the ideal, in the opinion of the distiller, balance.

It is believed that blended whiskey is a drink for everyone. It accounts for almost 90% of the global whiskey market. That is why, every whiskey lover has the opportunity to choose exactly the taste that suits his liking. This type is made using different varieties of single malts and grains. Thus, the flaws of one of the "pure" tastes are hidden and the golden mean is achieved - a blend.

Reference. Single malt whiskey - made from the purest barley. It is produced by one distillery and the best harvest is collected for production.

The difference in aging and price

This single-malt whiskey is made for connoisseurs and collectors. You are unlikely to find such a drink in a supermarket at an affordable price. The extract of such a drink is 12-15 years. Only Scotland and Ireland are engaged in the production of this kind of whiskey.

Blended whiskey is usually aged up to three years. Worthy brands of such a drink have long deserved the attention of lovers:

• Johnnie Walker Red Label and Black Label,
• Ballantine’s, Dewar’s,
• "Chivas Regal 12 years old",
• William Lawson.

Standards and requirements

The composition of any whiskey contains three main components: water, malt and yeast. Sugar and caramel are added only to not very good quality blended whiskey. And there should be no flavors or dyes in any whiskey at all.

Malting is the stage at which the grain is germinated

Only grains with a high starch content are taken. For example, bourbon is known to be made half from corn kernels and half from a mixture of other grains. Sometimes, buckwheat, rice and other unpopular cereals are found.

Then the grains, dried in a bright room, are poured with clean water and left to germinate. This is an extremely important stage: you should change the water at regular intervals and do not miss the moment when the sprouts of the grains begin to eat the starch. The whole process takes about two weeks. Zates malt is removed and dried in a special chamber.

Wort preparation - malt refining

The malt is quality tested for moisture, purity and bacteria. Then, the checked grains are ground into flour, and the flour is then mixed with water and heated to form sugars.

At this stage, it is important to maintain optimal temperature conditions and stir the mass.

Fermentation - the first signs of a degree

At this stage, the wort is poured into wooden or steel vats with special alcoholic yeast.

Fermentation takes place under a temperature of 37 degrees, which lasts 2-3 days. Fermentation occurs due to oxygen bacteria.

Distillation

Braga is subjected to double or triple distillation - depending on the production. It takes place with the help of alambiks - copper distillation pipes.

After the first distillation, the liquid turns into a "weak wine" with a strength of 20 degrees, after the second distillation, the strength becomes 70%, then the resulting distillate is diluted with pure water to a strength of 50-60%.

Excerpt

Traditionally, the whiskey is aged in oak sherry barrels. This stage is very important, it is on it that the "bouquet" of the drink is formed.

Caramel flavors and a characteristic noble smell appear. Typically, exposure is three to five years. But some expensive drinks have been kept in barrels for 30 years.

Learn how single malt whiskey differs from blended whiskey in this video:

What is blended with?

This process is entirely the responsibility of the blender. You can mix not only whiskey of different sorts, but also add grain impurities to them, and even mix distillers of different aging years. All this creates its own, unique taste.

In production, any brand has its own unique blend and a specialist who has been blending for decades, and before retirement, prepares a worthy replacement for himself. After a unique blend, it is also aged in barrels for some time, so that the tastes "get married" and create one harmonious drink.

Watch the video in which sommelier Erkin Tuzmukhamedov and Dewar's blender Stephanie Macleod introduce viewers to the process of blending whiskey:

It is worth clarifying that in Scotland over 90% of whiskeys are blended.

What is the best drink?

Usually, every whiskey lover chooses a drink for his own individual taste. As you have noticed, the so-called "blend" is often cheaper. But a really good blend sometimes costs several times more than a low-quality single malt whiskey.

Important! It is necessary to build on the taste and smell - after all, it is these indicators that are decisive in quality.

Video: rating of blended Scotch whiskeys - up to 1,500 rubles.

Remember, the most important indicator of whiskey age is still the price of the drink. And any drink, be it single malt or blended after aging for 12 years, will be truly worthy.

Since ancient times, whiskey has been made from barley malt - sprouted grain, dried and ground to a state of flour. Wort was created from it, which was distilled after several days of fermentation in copper stills. This technology, with various variations, has survived to this day. This is how single malt whiskey is produced, which has a special flavor. In an attempt to reduce the cost of the drink, a recipe was invented in 1853.

What is a blend

The production of malt spirit is more expensive. Grain distillate is cheaper, but has a sharp, heavy taste. Whiskey based on it was considered "cheap swill", especially in Ireland. Asher came up with the idea to mix distillates, which made the final product less expensive. Of course, some manufacturers wanted to use more cheap spirits in the blend, but a law passed in 1860 regulated the production of blended whiskey, limiting the use of low-quality distillates.

The basis of the blend is single malt distillates, their share can reach 60-65%. Several lower quality grain alcohols are added to these, reducing the cost of the product. Mixing is carried out according to special recipes by high-class specialists. In some cases, they have to use several dozen single malt distillates in order to achieve a certain taste and aroma. Since the quality of alcohols is not always the same, it is the blending specialists who are responsible for ensuring that the drink of a certain type and brand has stable taste characteristics from year to year.

At the first stage, only single malt spirits are blended; they form the basis of any high-quality whiskey. Only then is the product diluted with cheap distillates. The finished blended whiskey does not immediately go on sale. It is poured into oak barrels for several months in order to "marry" distillates. This allows alcohols with different aging to mix well and become a single whole, thus the drink, which is called blended whiskey.

Features of single malt and grain distillate

Why are single malt alcohols better than distillates from wheat and corn grains? Their taste characteristics are good for the reason that they are made according to the original technology. Copper cubes of original shapes are used, single malt alcohols are obtained by 2-3 distillations. In contrast, cheap distillates are produced in distillation columns, which means that the products are not of very high quality, closer to technical alcohols. Their release takes place at a strictly defined temperature, which makes the distillates simple, characterless.

Single malt spirits used to make whiskey always have high quality raw materials, selected, grown in certain regions. Germinate and dry it very carefully. In the production of single malt spirits, no less attention is paid to the quality and condition of the barrels in which the distillate is aged. They are stored at a certain temperature, which makes the whiskey aromatic, and the taste is delicate and round.

Grain distillate is added only to reduce cost. The single malt alcohols are responsible for the taste characteristics. If the main share falls on rectified alcohols, then such a blended drink is not of the best quality.

Types of blended whiskey

Hundreds of recipes for blending Scotch whiskey made manufacturers think about creating a special classification of this drink. Three main categories have been identified:

• - in production, inexpensive alcohols are used with an aging of at least three years, the amount of single malt distillates does not exceed 20-25%, the main part is cheap rectified alcohols. The cheapest whiskey in this category is mixed in glass vessels, after which they are placed in barrels for only 4-5 weeks. Barrels of more expensive single malt and double malt whiskeys are often used, which reduces the palatability;
• - these varieties are made from single malt alcohols aged 10-12 years, their amount in a blend is from 30 to 50%. Whiskey of this type are distinguished by impeccable taste and aroma, as they are aged after mixing in oak barrels for six months. At the same time, the cost of such blended drinks is available to the main part of strong alcohol lovers;
• - such whiskey is created mainly from single malt distillates, their volume fraction reaches 55-60%, which makes the product more expensive. Aged in oak barrels for at least 12 years, and this is the main difference between premium whiskey. You can't find a better drink, the cost of a bottle of whiskey in this category often reaches several thousand dollars, but it can be an order of magnitude higher.

Recently, another category has appeared - the supermarket variety. Many fans of the drink do not know what it is and are dubious about the product. This variety includes blended whiskey prepared in distilleries, diluted to the required strength and delivered to retail outlets in tanks. This blended whiskey is of good quality, there is practically no difference between bottled drinks of the same brand. This practice is common in the UK.

Which whiskey is better - blended or single malt

Which whiskey to choose, which one to prefer, single malt or blended? Despite the fact that blended varieties account for 90% of the world whiskey turnover, the assortment of single-fruit in specialized stores is very diverse. Everything is perfect in it - from taste and aroma to a long aftertaste, which reveals notes of peat, vanilla, apples and chocolate. However, such a single malt whiskey can only be appreciated by fans of the drink with great experience. Beginners simply will not understand why they were charged a decent amount of money.

Probably, many have heard of blended whiskey, but few know where and how this alcohol is made, and why it is so prized among whiskey lovers around the world. I invite you to find out what blended whiskeys are made from, as well as about the characteristic features and famous brands of this already legendary drink.

Blended whiskey (Blended whiskey) is a product made by mixing malt (made from malted barley) and grain (made from corn or wheat) whiskeys in different proportions. Typically, 10% to 60% malt whiskey is added to the blend. The higher this percentage, the better and more expensive the resulting drink. The composition of blended whiskey includes 15-50 malt varieties and 3-4 grain varieties with an aging period of at least 3 years. The malt varieties are mixed first, and only then the cereals.

The difference between blended and blended is that single malt drinks include only barley alcohols, and blended varieties add other grain alcohols of lower quality.

After mixing, cheap blended whiskey is kept for 24 hours in special vessels, and then placed in barrels for several weeks. Expensive drinks are aged in oak barrels for quality improvement for 6-8 months. In the language of professionals, this process is called "wedding". By blending, craftsmen achieve a unique taste.

The first blended whiskey recipe appeared in 1853, it was developed by Andrew Asher, the issued brand was called "Old Vatted Glenlivet". In 1860, a special law was passed in Great Britain regulating the production of blended whiskey. This document specifies the minimum aging period for varieties, as well as important features of the technological process that must be observed.

Types of blended whiskey

According to the Scotch Whiskey Association classification, there are three types of blended whiskey:

• standard blend;
• de luxe blend;
• premium.

The most famous standard blend is the Johnnie Walker Red Label, Ballantine’s is still popular in Europe, and Dewar’s in the USA. All drinks of this type have a maturation period of at least 3 years.

De luxe blends, in comparison with standard blends, have a higher percentage of malt whiskeys (at least 35%), and they are also aged for at least 12 years. The most famous de luxe brands are Johnnie Walker Black Label, Chivas Regal 12 years old, William Lawson and Dewar's Special Reserve.

Premium class blends have been aged for over 12 years, many of these brands are included in the list of the most expensive whiskeys in the world, so such drinks are usually available only to wealthy people: collectors or true connoisseurs.

In recent years, there have been many "supermarket" varieties of blended whiskey. These drinks are sold in cisterns, they are also diluted with water in the country of the spill. They cost several times cheaper than well-known brands, but the quality cannot be called bad. If you are lucky, you can buy “draft” blended whiskey of acceptable quality.

There are quite a few whiskey varieties in the world. For centuries, the producers of strong wine have perfected the production technology, tested the recipes for creating a unique alcohol. As a result of years of trial and error, distillers around the world began to produce several of the most sought-after varieties.

In the article:

Whiskey varieties

In accordance with the raw materials used and the production technology, the following varieties are distinguished:

Malt whiskey

The most expensive and refined is considered single malt whiskey... What does this mean? This alcohol is made from barley using a special technology and is made in accordance with old recipes and traditions. Originally, single malt whiskey was used as the basis for blending blended spirits.

In 1960, at the Glenfiddich distillery in Scotland, an old recipe for single malt alcohol was restored. Connoisseurs of good wine appreciated the revealed taste and aroma qualities of this noble drink. Since that time, single malt whiskey began to rapidly conquer the world alcohol market.

In turn, this type of strong alcohol has several options. How do single malt whiskeys differ from each other?

1. Vatted malt - cask whiskey. This type of drink is born from the mixing of malt alcohol from various distilleries (pure molt). The technology of whiskey production at different enterprises is practically the same. But the water used and the special climatic conditions make the alcohol of each distillery individual. When mixing strong wines from different manufacturers, a noble drink of unique taste and aroma is obtained. This whiskey can be called two-malt, although officially such a concept does not exist in the technology of alcohol production.
2. Single malt - whiskey from one distillery. For the production of this type of alcohol, the manufacturer uses only single malt whiskey of its own production. In the technology of creating a drink, mixing only the same type of alcohol of varying degrees of aging is allowed.
3. Single cask - whiskey from one barrel. When creating this type of alcohol, the manufacturer varies only in strength. Extracted from one barrel, whiskey can have its own barrel strength, acquired during maturation, or it can be brought by the creator to a standard strength.

Grain whiskey

This type of strong whiskey is made mainly from corn. It is the lowest-tasting beverage that has no aroma. Scope of the drink - use for blending. Although a small batch of pure grain whiskey goes on sale.

The drink, which is planned to be used for blending, undergoes single distillation. With more thorough distillation (up to 5 times), alcohol is used to create vodka and gin.

Blended (Blend whiskey)

90% of the production volume is blended drink. What is the difference between single malt alcohol and blended alcohol? The answer is simple - the composition. Blended alcohol consists of single malt and grain whiskeys. Each producer of spirits creates its own unique bouquet, taking into account the traditions and preferences of the consumer. The most famous and noble is the Scottish blended version.

When getting acquainted with this amazing drink, many people have a question - which whiskey is better single malt or blended. You can find the answer to this question only by trying these drinks. As you know, there is no comrade in taste and color. Some people like the rich bouquet created by the blend. Someone prefers a restrained, monogamous drink. This problem can be solved only by experience. And everyone will have their own solution.

Bourbon

Another type is bourbon. it American whiskey made from corn using a special technology. And, although it belongs to the category of whiskey, it has an absolutely unique taste and aroma, different from other types of this alcohol.

Place of production classification

In addition to the classification by composition, the drink is also divided by the country of origin.

• Scottish (scotch). The most common whiskey is produced in Scotland. According to tradition, Scotch is the whiskey for which the spirit was produced in Scotland. And it doesn't matter in what part of the world this drink was bottled. A huge number of distilleries supply the world market with single malt and blended whiskey.
• Irish. A distinctive feature of this alcohol is the absence of a smoky aftertaste. Alcohol with such properties is born due to the special maturation process and the container used.
• American. In America, hard liquor is made from corn, rye and not a large number barley. Due to the peculiarities in the technological process and the unique recipe, the drink differs significantly from the Scottish and Irish.
• Canadian. In Canada, the main raw material for alcohol production is rye. The label "RYE" is found on the labels of this drink.
• Japanese. Alcohol, produced in Japan, goes to the Asian market, it is almost impossible to taste it here... The quality of Japanese whiskey is similar to scotch. The difference lies in the absence of a peaty flavor.

Each species is original in its own way and deserves attention. The final choice remains with the consumer.

Not all spirits lovers know what blended whiskey is and how it differs from single malt. If single malt provides for the presence of exclusively alcohol obtained from barley malt, then blended is obtained by mixing barley malt alcohols with cereals - cheaper in production, but initially of lower quality.

Why is this done? Some researchers believe - in search of a new taste, but another version is more convincing: there were not always successful years in the history of production - once barley did not ugly, it was partially replaced with what was at hand: wheat, corn.

Some of the experiments were really successful, which gave birth to new varieties of drink - with a rich taste, with new notes and at an affordable price. This is how blended whiskey was born, today known all over the world.

Standards

There is a special Scotch Whiskey Association that has established classification standards for blended whiskeys, dividing them into types:

1. Standard blend (standard mixture). Naturally, this is the species that is in the lowest price category. They contain no more than 30% alcohol obtained from barley malt. More often than not, even less. Excerpt - from 3 years.
2. De luxe blend (or luxury class). According to the requirements, this type contains barley malt alcohol from 35%. Exposure, at least 12 years.
3. Premium (premium) - the most expensive elite species with long exposure. Affordable only for very wealthy people.

There is also a species that is not classified by the mentioned Association, it is called supermarket... This means that a ready-made blended drink of about a standard class is supplied in small tanks and everyone can buy at least 100 ml, at least a 6 liter bottle.

The quality is acceptable, according to experts, and the protection is reliable. Manufacturers made it impossible to interfere with the contents of the tank: it will not be possible to top up, dilute, etc.

Blending requirements

Scotch blended whiskey has such strict manufacturing rules that if they are not observed, you can not only lose your license, but also serve a considerable time in prison. By the way, the process of making each of the alcohols that are used is also controlled.

The aging of both barley malt alcohol and other grain alcohols included in the blend is allowed from 3 years. And this is a mandatory requirement for the standard view. For elite drinks - at least 12 years!

Only after aging is the alcohols mixed in the right proportion and blended whiskey is born, but, according to experts, it still needs to be "married". The finished blend is sent back to the barrels. Depending on what kind is made, the "wedding" can be a couple of weeks or 8 months.

Only after that, the blending is considered complete. The drink is bottled, labeled and sent for sale.

What is the best drink?

Aesthetes who prefer are called blended cologne, because it has a richer taste and aroma. And in response, they hear that single malt is tea-colored.

But we will not delve into these disputes, but we will note the most popular blend products by type:

1. The three high-quality standard blends include Johnnie Walker Red Label, Dewar's, Ballantine's Scotch whiskey. For example, for a bottle of Johnny Walker Red Label with a capacity of 0.7 liters, you will have to pay from 1800 rubles.
2. In the deluxe class, there are Scottish Chivas Regal 12 years old, William Lawsons and Johnny Walker black label, as well as the American Dewars Special Reserve. A bottle of such pleasure "pulls" from 3 thousand rubles and more.
3. You can talk about De Luxe whiskey for a long time and delightfully. The cost of one bottle starts from 25 thousand rubles and then goes up. But since there is demand, then there will be production. The Dalmore and Macallan Scotch whiskey distilleries have been particularly successful in this regard, as they have a stock of malt spirits that have been aged for more than 100 years. At one of the auctions in Glasgow, an American collector bought two bottles of Dalmore 64 Trinitas at a price of 160 thousand US dollars. The whiskey blend was made from 140 year old alcohols!

In Russia, you can find online offers for the sale of whiskey in 5 liter cans from 700 rubles for 5 liters. There are big doubts about the quality of this "elite" drink ...