In a world of seemingly endless options, why choose a Blended Malt Scotch Whisky? We explore why connoisseurs should give this often-underappreciated style the attention it deserves.
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky may one of the more uncommon styles of Scotch Whisky, but it is by no means a modern creation. In fact, its origins can be dated back to the mid-1800s. So, why is it today such an underrepresented category? It is a good question – and one, as with much Scotch Whisky – that has a multifaceted answer. Let’s dive deep into the world of Blended Malt Scotch Whisky.
What is a Blended Malt Scotch Whisky?
Whether it is a Single Malt or Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, the principles of making the whisky remain the same no matter the type of style. Whiskies are made by distillation, using a cereal as a raw material in the process – barley malt, specifically, in the case of Malt Whisky. This resulting spirit from the distillation is then transferred to an oak cask for a minimum maturation period of three years and one day before it can legally be called Scotch Whisky. As we know, many whisky makers opt to mature their whisky for far longer – and in House of Hazelwood’s case, some whiskies will lay in cask for over half a century before the contents are decanted.
What defines the character of any Scotch Whisky is the component parts that are blended together. For a Single Malt, these malt-only parcels of liquid must hail from a single distillery and have used barley as their raw material. For Blended Scotch, this can be a mix of malt and grain components, almost always from different distilleries. For a Blended Malt, this style is built on a blend of Malt components from two or more distilleries.
But does the style of a Scotch Whisky have any bearing on the quality of the final product? Writer and Spirits expert, Richard Woodard, doesn’t think so. “I think we need to get past any dogmatic perceptions that somehow Single Malts are more ‘authentic’ or superior to Blended Malts, or indeed blends. Do I like the taste? Is it a good combination of whiskies that combines organoleptic appeal, balance, and complexity? These are the key points for me.”
What makes a great Blended Malt Scotch Whisky?
Just as Richard suggests, the fundamentals of a great Blended Malt Scotch Whisky are the same as any other whisky. Provenance, raw materials, maturation, and the blender’s skill all influencer the final spirit within. Although Blended Malt Whiskies may be a less “popular” or often-seen category, there is certainly no shortage in unusual and compelling whiskies that can be found in this category. Richard believes there is more than a Blended Malt than its make up, “The best Blended Malts - and blends - are greater than the sum of their parts. This is where the human element - the art-meets-science skill of the blender - comes into its own.”
There is perhaps no better example to demonstrate this sentiment than The Last Trace, a 58-Year-Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky. It is a remarkably well-aged whisky, abundantly rancio in its presentation – mainly due to the unusually extreme effects of the Angel’s Share over time. However, had the blender opted for a different type of maturation, the results would be starkly different.
Beyond the inherent benefits of flavour, Blended Malts can also be a window into the past. For instance, Queen of the Hebrides, a 36-Year-Old Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, is representative of some of the rarest stocks of the period hailing from Islay available at present. Stocks from Islay at this age range are rarely found in today’s market and the blender’s choice to marry together these component parts grants the drinker a rare window back in time to a bygone era for Islay and its distilleries.
Writer, Tom Bruce Gardyne, does not believe in limiting the view when it comes to choosing a whisky such as a Blended Malt: “Think beyond categories - embrace the world of Scotch - there are some wonderful old blends, grain whiskies out there - along with malts, single or blended. Remember a little knowledge is a dangerous thing - be open-minded, taste blind. And remember every Scotch Whisky involves blending, with the sole exception of single cask whisky - so forget any prejudice or stigma around 'blends and blending'.”
It should come as no surprise that Tom also takes a similar school of thought on the hallmarks of a great Blended Malt, “A great example would be well-balanced where the wood enhances and bring out the best in the distillery character of each malt - and the malts complement each other - aspire to be greater than the sum of their parts. A whisky with a distinct personality and a good weight and depth and texture on the tongue.”
Why are Blended Malts harder to find?
Blended Malts have been a fixture in the Scotch Whisky category since the mid-1800s thanks to the innovative efforts of blender, Arthur Bell, who began to vat malt whiskies together under the ambition to create a more uniform and consistent whisky.
Naturally, since this time, technologies and skills within blending have evolved so that a consistent whisky can be created in many ways, but even today every blender still opts to blend in the pursuit of elevating their whiskies.
With the rise of the Single Malt and changing tastes throughout the 20th century, Blended Malts have fallen in popularity. Of course, they can still be found in the mainstream whisky landscape, but perhaps the most interesting Blended Malts lie within independent blenders and bottlers who have collected parcels of malt over the years, with rarer distilleries of origin that cannot be named due to commercial agreements. Instead, their characteristics must be inspected by the palate to uncover more about its origins.
There is no shortage of stories that can be found within Blended Malts, looking far beyond their distillery origins – take Sunshine on Speyside, a 39-Year-Old Blended Malt as an example. Far from the typical meaty, sherried character that whiskies from Speyside often present, this expression is instead reflective of the era in which it was distilled – offering tropical tasting notes that reminiscent of the brightly coloured and vibrant cocktails that headlined the decade.
To limit oneself to a particular style or category of Scotch Whisky would greatly restrict your experiences of flavour and history. When asked to reflect on Blended Malts, Richard left some parting words, “Try it. Better still, try more than one, explore the different styles available and make up your own mind.”
We’ll toast to that.
