Double Malt Whisky Gift Pack

Product Information

Blended: As the name suggests, blended whisky is a blend of two or more malt and grain whiskies. Blended whiskies are overlooked by a master blender to ensure a consistent flavor throughout. Due to the nature of the drink, blended whiskies are often cheaper than their single-malt counterparts. That is not to say you shouldn’t enjoy a clearly labeled Vatted or a Blended scotch. Some of these are really quite excellent and full of delicious flavors you won’t get in a single malt. Vatted and Blended selections are often much more consistent in flavor across the years as well. Blended scotch whisky is a great chance to have some fun and experiment with different styles of whisky. So don’t be a single malt snob, give blended malt scotch a try too! The Lowlands– The lightest and gentlest of the scotches, often called “The Lowland Ladies” for their soft floral and perfume-like quality. Examples: Annandale and Eden Mill No, not all single malt is Scotch [ 3]. However, it must be made in Scotland to be considered a single-malt Scotch whisky. A distillery can make it anywhere worldwide, but other requirements vary on the whiskey styles.

Blended or vatted malts is the closest term to “double malt.” A distillery can make it from fermented grain mash (corn, ryes, or barley). When producing their wash at the original Rosebery facility, the six different grains were combined into a single mash and fermented as a combined unit, for the wash to then be distilled. This, itself, had inherent inefficiencies and did not fully optimise what the individual grains could offer. For example, to get the fruity notes on offer from the pale malt, you need a long fermentation and then a high cut when distilling to capture the esters. However, if you want to get the biscuity, chocolate notes out of the amber or chocolate malts, you’ll want a shorter fermentation and to then cut lower in the distillation run. Combining the different malts prior to fermentation certainly created an interesting wash and some very tasty spirit at their original facility (the Six Grain New Make was actually sold as an unaged product), but the process meant the production team were compromising the potential of the different grains at various processes and points along the way. Dave Withers (L) and Will Edwards (R) assessing the malt. (Photo courtesy Archie Rose) If ever a whisky could taste reminiscent, it would come in the form of a bottle of Oban. Originating as a small distillery in the Scottish Highlands, the brand offers classic ‘coastal-yet-sweet’ combinations that have put it firmly on the whisky lover’s map. Highland Park is known for a few things that are unique within the scotch whisky industry—namely, its fixation on all things Viking and its remote Orkney location, which makes it Scotland’s northernmost distillery (it beats Scapa by about a mile). The whisky is generally moderately peaty and matured mostly in sherry-seasoned casks, with bourbon barrels used for a few expressions as well. The core range here in the U.S. consists of 12 (Viking Honour), 15 (Viking Heart), and 18-year-old (Viking Pride) whiskies, all of which do a nice job of balancing smoke with rich dried fruit flavors. Another new and really flavorful addition to the family is the Cask Strength expression. The third batch of this NAS, non-chill filtered whisky was recently released, bottled at 64.1 percent ABV (slightly more than batch 2) with big notes of smoke, vanilla, and honey on the palate. There are many other Norse-themed bottles from Highland Park to explore, with age statements ranging up to 50 years. Highland Park does not add coloring to its whisky. William Grant’s second-string single malt continues to grow apace, with a double-digit sales volume increase last year built on strong momentum in the US, Far East and duty free.https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/food-news/what-makes-some-single-malt-whiskeys-more-expensive-than-the-others/articleshow/90994544.cms

Germinating the Barley: The harvested barley is then soaked in the distillery’s local water. (Each distillery has a unique water source that helps define their style and flavor.) The barley soaks until it is just beginning to germinate. It is then removed from the water and dried over hot fires or other heat. (This is another area where distilleries impart flavor to their whisky via peat, wood, or heather.) This dried, germinated barley is called malt. Before we take a deep dive into the grain spirits that’ll whisk you away, find out more about the terminology you should know about whisky and our selection process for drawing up the best whisky brands in the world. Single Malt: A whisky that is produced by a single distillery using a single malted grain, typically barley. They can be produced all over the world but are most favored among Scotch whisky. Now that you have learned about the differences between single malt and double malt whiskey, you can confidently choose which one to try next time you visit your local bar or liquor store.

Second Distillation: The low-wine transfers to the second distillation in spirit stills and heated again to convert the alcohol to gas. Here the master distiller must make a precise decision on when to cut the second distillation into the head (first cut), heart (middle cut) and tail (end cut). The heart is the purest distillate and the only one used to make scotch. In some cases, distilleries use a tiny heart, only 16% of the entire distillate, to make extra pure scotch. Step 3: Maturation, Blending, and Bottling

More recently, however, the company has stopped communicating this element of provenance, freeing it up to use other malts (specifically Ailsa Bay, located within its Girvan grain complex) when needed. According to the Scotch Whisky Association, around 1.28 billion bottles of scotch are sold every year. And scotch alone makes up 70% of Scotland’s food and drink exports! The United States imported over 137 million bottles in 2018. And just last year a bottle of scotch sold for nearly 2 million dollars. Distillers make whisky from other grains like corn, wheat, rye, and barley, but single malts are made from malted barley only. It has to follow the single-grain requirement to be labeled as one. Double malt is a blend of two single malts from two distilleries. The blending was pioneered in Scotland in the 1860s, and by mixing malt whiskies, they created lighter and sweeter whiskies. Technically, they are blended whiskeys from two distilleries. Johnnie Walker is one of the most famous brands of blended whisky.As a brand, Monkey Shoulder is currently on fire, enjoying rapidly rising sales in the US, and has been named the ‘trendiest’ Scotch whiskyby trade magazine Drinks Internationalfour years running. An offshoot with a peated element, Smokey Monkey, was launched last year. 8: Laphroaig Macallan: This brand is known for its rich and complex flavor profile, which includes hints of dried fruit, spice, and chocolate. More than four decades of French ownership have given Aberlour a strong following in France, but trade issues in that country cost the brand a chunk of its expected sales last year, dropping it down the top 10. Sheep Dip: This is a blended malt whiskey that is made from 16 different single malts. It has a rich and full-bodied flavor with notes of honey, vanilla, and oak.

Another name on the rise is Diageo’s Singleton brand which, it’s important to note, covers not one but three malt distilleries: Dufftown, Glen Ord and Glendullan. Their combined sales are featured here, since no individual breakdown is available.

Vatted

This means most single malt scotches are blends of different barrels or casks within the distillery. Distillers do this to maintain a consistent flavor profile in their offerings.