Single Malt Scotch

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  • thommes
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    Single malt scotch is really a blend of scotch from the same distiller. Without intending any disrespect, I sort of find this to be an oxymoron. I have been thinking that a single malt scotch came from a single batch. Maybe that batch was aged in oak for x years and then sherry casks for y years, but originally the same batch from the same still. Now I find that a single malt scotch is a blend of whiskies from one distillery. 

    Are there any "true" single malt scotches? Are are most single malt scotch whiskys really blends from one distillery?


  • DaFin Member Joined: 23.05.2016Posts: 103CollectionDaFins CollectionRatings: 15
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    @thommes
    Try "single cask".  Where all liquid from the bottle comes from a single cask.

  • thommes
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    @DaFin

    AH! Thanks from a newbie. 

  • DaFin Member Joined: 23.05.2016Posts: 103CollectionDaFins CollectionRatings: 15
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    @thommes
    Ur welcome, mate. 
    Single cask aren't cheap expressions.  Easily over hundred € and much more :/

  • thommes
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    @DaFin

    I bought a random bottle of scotch from the shelf a week or two ago, Speyburn 10, which wasn't exactly to my liking. Though not expensive, the experience did convince me to try, if at all possible, a dram of a scotch before buying a bottle. I'll look up single cask scotches, but if you have a couple of recommendations I could keep an eye out for, toss them my way. :smile:  I've found a couple local scotch bars which have a fair selection of scotches so hopefully one of them will have a single cask scotch available.

  • Slàinte_Mhath Guest, Member Slàinte_Mhath Joined: 09.10.2016Posts: 134CollectionOslo Whisky ClubRatings: 211
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    thommes said:
    @DaFin

    I bought a random bottle of scotch from the shelf a week or two ago, Speyburn 10, which wasn't exactly to my liking. Though not expensive, the experience did convince me to try, if at all possible, a dram of a scotch before buying a bottle. I'll look up single cask scotches, but if you have a couple of recommendations I could keep an eye out for, toss them my way. :smile:  I've found a couple local scotch bars which have a fair selection of scotches so hopefully one of them will have a single cask scotch available.

    First, you should probably find out if you like peated whiskies or not. Try for example Ardbeg 10 or Lagavulin 16. As for beginner-friendly Single Malts (non-peated), I'd probably recommend Glenmorangie 10, Dalwhinnie 15 and Aberlour 12. Glenfiddich 12/Glenlivet 12 are the usual 'level 1' malts, but the ones I mentioned above might be a bit more interesting.

    Good luck with your malt journey!

    That's what I do. I drink, and I know things.” (Tyrion Lannister)

    >>> Whisky reviews by Slàinte Mhath <<<

  • Slàinte_Mhath Guest, Member Slàinte_Mhath Joined: 09.10.2016Posts: 134CollectionOslo Whisky ClubRatings: 211
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    Edit

    : The malts I recommended above are no single cask whiskies. I do not recommend to start with single cask, as they are both more expensive and probably not easily accessible. Some are also at cask strength which adds another challenge - keep it simple for the beginning to find out what you like!

    That's what I do. I drink, and I know things.” (Tyrion Lannister)

    >>> Whisky reviews by Slàinte Mhath <<<

  • thommes
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    @SlàinteMhath

    I'm not sure which Ardbeg I had a couple years ago, but it was heavily peated which my palate equated to drinking burning rubber tires. I can't say that I've had another peated malt, but I was hoping that other peated malts had a bit milder taste. I definitely want to try one that isn't Ardbeg. I'm currently on the hunt for Lagavulin 16 which is not available for purchase in my wonderful state of Ohio. I've had all the Glens that you mentioned and while they are completely drinkable, I'm looking for more. The Dalwhinnie and Aberlour are also on the list to try when I can find them. 

  • kroman Member Joined: 16.04.2016Posts: 261Collectionkromans CollectionRatings: 21
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    @thommes If you're looking to try more "lightly peated" scotches, you can also try highland park 12 or Talisker 10.  The Highland Park has just a touch of smoke...enough to give it some complexity, but not so much that you even really notice it.  The Talisker definitely has more smoke than Highland Park, but also a little less than Ardbeg.  Both are reasonably priced, and you should be able to easily find them.  Plus, both are great introductory whiskies for someone who is looking for a little more than, well...other scotches!

    I do not recommend to start with single cask, as they are both more expensive and probably not easily accessible. Some are also at cask strength which adds another challenge - keep it simple for the beginning to find out what you like!

    Agreed.  I don't go looking for a single cask unless it looks really interesting (Edradour Straight From the Cask is a perfect example).  Plus, keep in mind that many single malts, although blends from the same distillery, are blends of the same kind of whisky, which are often called batches (I think you might have been confusing batches with casks).

    @thommes, let's go with your example and say I have 10 ex-bourbon casks filled with scotch and I age them for 14 years.  After 14 years I empty them into 10 first fill sherry casks for one year.  After this point, I sample all of them and one cask is remarkably better than the other nine (let's say cask number five).  I will put cask number five aside and empty the other nine into one batch.  Those nine casks will be blended together for bottling.  Although this is technically a blend, they are all made the exact same way: aged for 15 years...14 in ex-bourbon and finished for one year in first-fill sherry.  

    As the information page says ( https://www.whisky.com/information/knowledge/production/overview/how-single-malt-whisky-is-made/scotch-maturation-in-the-cask.html ), they are only blended to make a consistent taste.  This blending period is very different than a Johnnie Walker, for example, which blends whiskies from different distilleries that are also made with different ages and in different ways.  So although single malts are still blends, they can be VERY different than a traditional blend.

    And what about cask number five...?  Well, the distillery will charge 50% more and and release it as a single cask expression of their 15 year old!  Again, the above example probably was not very accurate on a technical level (if someone more knowledgeable than me thinks I'm wrong, PLEASE let me know), but should help clarify things a little more.

  • Slàinte_Mhath Guest, Member Slàinte_Mhath Joined: 09.10.2016Posts: 134CollectionOslo Whisky ClubRatings: 211
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    @kroman
    Your explanation is spot-on! Single casks are often casks of better quality, suitable for special bottlings with higher price tag.


    @thommes
    Try Highland Park 12, it's both an excellent beginners malt and a dram with some, but not over the top peatiness.

    That's what I do. I drink, and I know things.” (Tyrion Lannister)

    >>> Whisky reviews by Slàinte Mhath <<<

  • thommes
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    , edited November 6 2016 at 2:16PM
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    @kroman ;

    Your explanation of a batch is my conception of a single malt. The batch all came from the same stills at the same time, was aged in the same type of casks for the same length, combined after aging, and then bottled. My conception of a blended malt is different batches being blended together and bottled. The definition of single cask is straight forward. So the new question is, do distilleries make many single malts that actually come from different batches?

    Thanks for the link. I'll go read that information. I've been reading a lot and watching vlogs and videos but when I stumbled across the fact that single malt really meant single distillery, well I had to get some clarification.  :lol:

    I think my next bottle is going to be Highland Park 12, based on your and @SlàinteMhath suggestions as well as vlogs I've been watching. I did notice that several reviewers will add a bit of water to the Ardbegs and Laphroaig peated malts. 


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