Blended Whisky Vs Single Malts | What's the difference and which is better?

Whisky drinkers love to argue over which is better; blended whisky or single malts. I’ll take you through the differences between the two, why some think one is better than the other, and the surprising historic origins of the debate.
I’m Nath Martyn, the Whisky Scribe, posting regular videos exploring the wonderful world of single malt… AND blended whiskies.
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[@McIntyresMalts]

Best take away - "not expecting more than the whisky was intended to give". Great comparison Nath 👌

[@thewhiskyscribe]

It’s such a shame when people disregard an entire distillery because they didn’t like the cheapest whisky in their selection.

[@McIntyresMalts]

@@thewhiskyscribe agreed, it’s tough though, when you have so much choice out there and you get let down by a purchase from a certain distillery I’ve been guilty of that too. The Glen Moray 12 was very average to me but a friend Glen Moray 18, which was significantly better.

[@EnglishApache26]

Loyal Fanatics and Whisk(e)y Purist are the very reason why so many STILL see whiskey as an “uppity” kind of drink. Thankfully with channels like this, Whisk(e)y Tribe, and Bottled-in-Bond, people are seeing that whiskey is truly a drink for everyone. Thanks for actually being as neutral as possible. Also, fun fact: IF the bottle DOES NOT say “Single Barrel/Single Cask” you are drinking a blend. It’s just a difference between whether it’s Malt whisky from ONE distillery, Malt whiskey from Multiple Distilleries OR Malt and Grain Whiskies from Multiple Distilleries Booker Noe said it best: What’s the best way to drink whiskey? Any Damn Way You Want.

[@thewhiskyscribe]

Thanks mate. There certainly are a lot of regulations around the naming of whiskies. If I ever talk about the process for getting the bottle’s label approved I think that will be a video in itself.

[@EnglishApache26]

Sounds Awesome. Looks forward to seeing that video eventually

[@Mikeecol]

|I would like to add into the discussion, single cask malts. These are unblended/vat'ed malts i.e. a single distillate, that is then aged in one or more types of barrel (e.g. ex Bordeaux, ex oloroso, ex bourbon and others). These produce a stunning range of flavours. The upside being that they are at cask strength 52% abc and above. The downside being they are not repeatable, like blends and Vat'ed whiskies. Once the cask is finished (250 - 300 bottles) there will be no more. The maturing happens both to the whisky and to the barrel so that reusing the barrel would produce an altered flavour to the next batch. If you get the opportunity try some

[@thewhiskyscribe]

That's a great point and I do love a good single cask. I'm not sure though if this always produces a fantastic whisky, or if distilleries and independent bottlers will only release a whisky as single cask if that particular cask's whisky is sensational. That said, Limavady is only releasing their whisky as single casks. It is diluted down to 46%, but it's an Irish single malt with time in PX sherry cask, and each bottle display's the barrel number as it's never vatted.

[@Mikeecol]

@@thewhiskyscribe Thanks for that. I'm a member of a single cask club and sadly we do not have them as a distillery we use (we have about 140 distilleries we use).. I'll put a word in to see if we can get a relationship. What flavour profile would you describe it as. I tend to favour Speyside types, not a fan of plated malts

[@thewhiskyscribe]

@@Mikeecol although it’s Irish, it’s a single malt with no peat. I don’t know if I’d compare it to any particular Scottish region (maybe lowlands) but it is very well balanced sherry bomb.

[@Mikeecol]

@@thewhiskyscribe Thanks for that. Are likely to come over to London?

[@thewhiskyscribe]

@@Mikeecol I’ve been there a couple of times. No immediate plans but I will be back again.

[@prajwalh8823]

In India, even Black label costs us 3500 INR(45 USD) Can't afford if ur student😭

[@thewhiskyscribe]

It’s certainly not a cheap interest if you want the good stuff. I understand there are quite a few Indian whiskies that are only available in India. Are they any good?

[@ianbuchanan6278]

Hi, can you tell what film the comment "I don't know what inferior swill this is but I ordered a Lagavulin" 😅 Thanks...good review.

[@thewhiskyscribe]

Thanks. It’s actually from a commercial for Lagavulin featuring the great Nick Offerman. He has his own three editions of Lagavulin now.

[@brucealmighty7586]

I drink my Whiskey like I live my life. Single.

[@hhvictor2462]

I like that shirt.

[@thewhiskyscribe]

Thanks, I can't even remember where I got it.

[@thewhiskyenthusiast]

Great info and history lesson! Every whisky has it's time and place and there are some fantastic blends like the Ballantine's 17 just as there are substandard single malts like the ones you've mentioned. Cheers 🥃 ps. I could've sworn that mystery pour was Dimple but yeah that Nikka is a banger!

[@thewhiskyscribe]

Thanks mate. I do love the Ballantines 17.

[@buddystewart2020]

Which one is better? Whichever one you prefer. Just be yourself and drink what you like, and you can't go wrong.

[@thewhiskyscribe]

Too true

[@buddystewart2020]

@@thewhiskyscribe ... Yes sir.

[@InevitableKiller4]

I guess nikka from the barrel. Ill see if im right after i finish :>, im a drunk help. Jokes aside, one of my best go-to japanese whiskies. Who cares if it is blended. I do wish they fix the spout a little but it feels like licking spilled whisky off the table is part of the experience.

[@thewhiskyscribe]

Spot on guess! I was at a Japanese tasting a little while ago which included this and they spoke about the reason for the bottle shape and short nozzle. It was so that in bars it would be more likely to be placed at the front of the shelf since you could still see other bottles behind it. That way it’s always front of mind and more likely to be picked up and suggested by bartenders.

[@BobZed]

For me, Johnnie Walker just tastes like Johnnie Walker, throughout the entire range. The blue label just tastes like very good Johnnie Walker. The weakness is also the strength of blending. You can produce a consistent product with less fuss and muss. I'm not against blends, but my favorites tend to be single malts. That's probably due to a bit of marketing-influenced bias. It would be interesting to contrast this with American blended whiskey and/or bourbon, which can be surprisingly expensive. There is a proposed new standard would say that American single malt whiskey must be made from 100 percent malted barley.

[@thewhiskyscribe]

It is worth considering how the standards differ from country to country. I would have assumed "single malt" meant made from 100% malted barley in any country, so it would be good if that standard is adopted in America.

[@teachergregory291]

Great video…. Speak on E150 Carmel coloring in scotch. I can’t stand it. Why do they do this practice??

[@thewhiskyscribe]

Thanks mate, I've actually just done a video on E150a. I think if distilleries were made to disclose "colour added" on the bottle they would quickly see sales favour those without and abandon the practice on their own. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6W3kn6jeq14mZI

[@teachergregory291]

@@thewhiskyscribe awesome!! Thank you so much!!

[@Fireblade-it9ln]

I live 30 min from Loch Lomond and it’s kinda pronounced loch low mind

[@thewhiskyscribe]

Thanks for that, my Gaelic pronunciations definitely need some work