What is the difference between single malt and blended whiskies?

Basic Answer:

A)     Single malt is a whisky that is produced at one distillery, using only malted barley as the grain.

B)      Single grain is a whisky that is produced at one distillery, using grain that has not been malted.

C)      Blended whisky is a combination of malted and grain whiskies. 

Advanced Answer:

Single malt whisky is whisky from a single distillery made from a mash that uses only one particular malted grain.  It will contain whisky from many casks, and different years from that distillery. 

Pure malt is similar to single malt save that the blending involves single malt(s) from other distilleries.  This is also referred to as a “vatted malt.”  The key thing to remember is that it no grain alcohols are added to this.  I believe a blend of single grains is called a “pure grain,” or, “blended grain.”

Single barrel is when the whisky is sold from one particular barrel.  These are typically special bottlings that are labeled such and are numbered.  These can be fun as no two barrels will taste exactly alike.

Enthusiasts Answer:

A good friend of mine would often get angry with me when I used an adjustable wrench, instead of the correctly sized socket wrench, when we restored my 1967 Ford Mustang.  I argued that I didn’t have to crawl out from under the car as often when I had a tool that covered the several sizes I may encounter.  He argued that each individual nut, or bolt, had a corresponding wrench that matched it perfectly…and to stop being lazy and bring the toolbox closer to the car.

Single malt and blended whisky are the same.

A blended scotch is like my adjustable wrench.  The distiller has blended all of the characteristics I may desire all into one easy to carry bottle.  A single malt scotch is like the socket wrench.  It may not have all of the tastes of Scotland, but it does one particular taste better than a blended could hope for.

Many enthusiasts often progress from blended to single malts once they have developed their palate and have some more knowledge under their belt.  That is not to say that blends are inferior or are only for the uninitiated.  But once you know that you really like one particular characteristic, do you really want to stick with a whisky that doesn’t specialize in it?

Sláinte