 |
 |
 |
Scotch
Whisky Blends
|
Defining the Art of Blending 'The art of combining meticulously selected, mature, high-quality whiskies, each with its own flavour and other characteristics, with such skill that the whole is better than the sum of its parts, so that each makes its contribution to the finished blend without anyone predominating.' David
Macdonald |
| Ballantine's | Grant's | |
| J & B | ||
| Johnnie Walker | ||
| Teacher's Highland Cream |
Whisky.com's Top Blended Scotch Whisky
BALLANTINE'S
FINEST BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY |
||
Colour: A light gold. Taste: Well balanced subtle flavours with tones of milk chocolate, red apple and vanilla. Character & Body: Soft, sweet & complex. Rounded. Finish: The sophisticated after-taste gives a fresh, floral and rounded glow. Ballantines Finest is a complex, refined and elegant blended Scotch whisky. It is regarded as the taste to satisfy a modern style. Its light gold color and unmistakable taste comes from complex mix of carefully selected malt and grain whiskies all aged for at least 3 years and many for much longer. The signature malt flavours of Miltonduff and Glenburgie give Ballantine's Finest hints of chocolate, red apple and vanilla. More... |
BELL'S
SPEICAL RESERVE BLENDED PURE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY |
|
Colour: Deep amber Age: 8 years and older Aroma: Sweet honey and nutty, Bourneville chocolate. Taste: Rich honey complexity with a warm peppery finish. The secret behind the Bell´s blend lies in its undeniable quality and it is the task of the Bell´s Master Blender to ensure that this legacy remains unchanged, year after year. Bell´s unique character is derived from 35 different malt and grain whiskies, each matured between 5 and 12 years. More... |
BLACK
& WHITE BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY |
||
Tasting
Notes from the Collins Pocket Reference |
BLACK
BOTTLE BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY |
|
Nose: Fresh and fruity with hints of peat. Palate: Full with slight sweetness followed by a delightful, smoky flavour. Finish:
Long and warming with an interesting, smoky, Islay
character. |
CHIVAS
REGAL BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY |
||
Colour: Radiant, warm amber. Nose: An aromatic infusion of wild herbs, heather, honey, and orchard fruits. Taste: Round and creamy on the palate, Chivas Regal has a full, rich taste of honey and ripe apples, with vanilla, hazelnut and butterscotch notes. Finish:
Rich and lingering. |
CUTTY
SARK BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY |
||
Appearance: Pale golden, clear and bright. Aroma: Light, fragrant with hints of vanilla and oak. Taste: Medium intensity, sweet creamy vanilla. Finish:
Crisp and clean. |
DEWAR'S
WHITE LABEL BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY |
||
Nose: A perfectly balanced blend of Scottish heather and honey, with delicate notes of unripened pear and a hint of oak. Palate: A delightful blend of soft vanilla with honey and blooming heather, well rounded with a slight smoky sensation emerging. Body: Medium and smooth. Finish: Medium finish, slightly dry with lingering heather/honey overtones, and the faintest touch of smoke. Up to 40 of the finest malt and grain Scotch whiskies are blended together in perfect harmony, to create this time honoured blend. Our Aberfeldy single Highland malt, with notes of Scottish heather and honey, is placed at its heart to ensure this whisky is smooth and perfectly balanced. It is no surprise to learn that this is the Number 1 selling Scotch whisky in the USA today. More... |
FAMOUS
GROUSE BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY |
||
Bouquet: Full aroma, well-balanced oak with a hint of citrus orange. Palate: Medium body; rich, full, slightly sweet flavor with Speyside fruitiness. Finish: Long, clean and medium dry. The living, breathing spirit of the outdoors, The Famous Grouse Finest Scotch Whisky is the #1 selling Scotch in Scotland. Classic, smooth and a famously popular choice. More... |
GRANT'S
FAMILY RESERVE BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY |
||
The deliciously complex taste and long smooth lingering finish of Grant’s Scotch Whisky is known and loved throughout the world. It is enjoyed by whisky drinkers in over 180 countries. It is the Master Blenders’ special recipe, a blend of the finest single malt and grain Scotch Whiskies – including the company's own Glenfiddich and The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whiskies and its renowned Girvan Grain Scotch whisky – that creates the magical taste of Grant’s. When blended together, the malts and grains produce the deliciously complex, long, smooth taste that is known and loved throughout the world. More... |
J
& B RARE BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY |
||
Each time you sip J&B Rare, 42 different whiskies pass through your lips. They are carefully blended together to create a subtle, smooth and complex flavour. The delicate balance is what gives J&B Rare its distinctive character. If even one whisky was taken away, you would taste the difference. The heart of J&B Rare is formed by Speyside Malt Whiskies. They provide the fruity, fresh quality you can taste and give J&B its light colour. Speyside is recognised as the superior area in Scotland for making malts. Added to that are some of the finest grain whiskies Scotland has to offer. They help reveal the individual flavours of the various malts, unveiling the pleasant, smooth character of J&B Rare. J&B is the No. 1 Scotch whisky in Europe and the No. 2 in the world with its delicate rounded and balanced flavour which produces a uniquely smooth, long lasting and satisfying taste. More... |
JOHNNIE
WALKER BLACK LABEL BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY |
||
are revealed in several waves: first, there is an impression of silky richness; then deep and fruity foreground flavours give way to drier peaty nuances, followed by the complementary flavour tones of sweet vanilla and raisins. This unique complexity is achieved by expertly blending an extremely diverse, but complementary range of malt whiskies, each of which has been matured for a minimum of 12 years and some for much longer. In total, up to 40 malts and grain whiskies make up the Johnnie Walker Black Label blend. Island and Islay malts deliver spice, richness and lingering peat. Speyside malts make an important contribution to the depth of taste, bringing smoky malt, fruitiness, apple freshness and a rich sherry character to the blend. At the heart of Black Label lies 12 year old Cardhu, an outstanding malt from Speyside, which imparts silkiness, a characteristic which has made it famous as a single malt. More... |
TEACHER'S
HIGHLAND CREAM BLENDED SCOTCH WHISKY |
||
Palate: The sweet, wine-like, sherry imprint taste of the Glendronach Distillery malts is all over this poised, chewy thoroughbred. Finish: Long. Oloroso sherry sweet and almost prune-like. Satiny. I think of the muscular, sinew, peaty side of Speyside malts. Comment: Cream is the appropriate moniker. Smoky, robust, vibrant. Tasting
Notes by Paul Pacult
|
| What is a blended Scotch Whisky? If all the whiskies in a blend are malts, the resulting whisky is called a 'vatted malt' rather than a 'blend'. Some vatted brands are called "pure malt', or simply 'malt whisky' as opposed to 'single malt' which is the product of one distillery. Blended whisky is a mix of malt and grain whiskies. This style of Scotch accounts for the majority of sales worldwide (in 1995, it was 96 percent; in 1980 it was 99 percent). A blend will typically consist of between 15 and 40 different malt whiskies and two to three grains. Despite the fact that grain whisky is relatively light in flavour, attempts to use just one grain grain in a blend have proven unsuccessful. The percent of malt in a blend can vary from 20 to 60 percent. The quantity of malt, as well as the age of the malt in a blend, will inevitably be reflected in the cost of the end product. Malt whiskies are all different, and each has its own unique flavour profile. The blender sets out to balance the characterists of one whisky with another (in fact many others) so that the original aromas are so well integrated that they are unidentifiable. In the perfect blend each aroma makes its contribution to a 'flavour complex' that is much more than the sum of its parts. Blends are made to a formula but it is not always possible to adhere strictly to that formula. Some fillings might not be available or are inhibitingly expensive. The blender's task is to create a finished product that tastes the same from batch to batch and from year to year. The blender is thus guided by the formula and a deep familiarity with the flavour characteristics of the blend he wishes to re-create. The blender noses samples of every constituent malt and grain whisky that will go into his creation. He is aware that slight changes in flavour may occur over time - the peaty dryness of Highland or Island malts might increase and additional sweet and floral Speyside fillings will be required to redress the balance. On the other hand blends that use large amounts of Speyside malt may have to be 'dried' out by the addition of malts known for their dry flavour. Once the blender is satisfied that the marriage of the ingredients will create what he is searching for, the individual casks are moved from the warehouses where they have been maturing to the blending hall. He will once agin check by nosing. He will have spent many years commiting the individual characteristics of individual casks to memory. Once he is happy with the quality, the contents are poured into a large blending vat. In the blending vats the mixtures is stirred to thoroughly blend the contents. then it is either rested for a short period before being bottled or transfered to casks for one to six months to marry before bottling. It is often remarked that while distilling is a science, blending is an art. |