Types of Whisky

Whisky is known to mankind across the globe and for over five centuries; from being a potion with medicinal properties used in monasteries, it has transformed into what it is today while expanding its sway over the people in various countries.

Basis of Classification

Whisky is produced in many distilleries across the world using varied ingredients and processes, depending upon the raw materials available locally, traditionally followed processes of distillation and innovations thereon. The differences did not only result in whiskeys of many flavors, aroma and taste, but also gave rise to specific names for each type of whisky.

Number of Distilleries

Single whisky refers to whisky made in a single distillery. Blended whisky is that produced by blending whisky produced at more than one distillery.  By Blended whisky, some people mean, also, a mixture of malt and grain whiskies.

Ingredients/Processes

Malting, a process used in making whisky, refers to roasting of barley by a peat-fuelled fire. Though all whisky uses one or more of wheat, corn, maize or barley, not all whisky uses malts.  Malt whisky uses malted barley.  Grain Whisky is that which doesn’t use malted grain.  

Basic Types

Whisky is also classified based on the nature and type of blend or its absence. Five of types detailed below have been in common parlance. There are further names based on other parameters and combinations of distillation and storage from which different names and individual traits emerge in the product.

Single Malt

Brands such as Bowomore, Glenfiddich, Macallan and Glenmorangie fall under this type. Single Malt should come from a single distillery, using barley or rye and malting is done before fermentation. A variation of this is the Irish Whisky in which not all barley is malted.  The Scotch malt whisky is usually made and matured in Oak casks within the country and there is a legal requirement of minimum three years’ maturity.

Blended Malt / Pure Malt

This is a mixture of malt whiskies produced at different distilleries producing single malt variety. Johnnie Walker Green is an example.

Single Grain

Grain whisky comes out of wheat, maize, corn, malted barley, water and yeast. Its distillation process is patented. The ingredients are not malted. Minimum maturity is legally three years. This is not generally available as most of this type is used in the blended whiskies. Single Grain whisky refers to grain whisky of a single distillery.

Blended Grain

These refer to grain whiskies of more than one distillery having been blended. Again, most of these are not generally to be found as they are taken in for the production of blended whisky or blended Scotch.

Blended Whisky

This is a mixture of some malt whisky and larger quantity of grain whisky. Premium blends may have higher malt whisky.

Blended Scotch

Most of what is now produced in Scotland is blended variety- blend of single malt whisky and grain whisky from different distilleries. What is most often offered as Scotch today, such as Chivas Regal, Johnnie Walker, J&B, Cutty Sark and Dewar’s is all Blended Scotch. 

Though the above are the most commonly known types, you come across some more types of whiskey based on specific and very individualistic traits in the process of production. Examples include Whisky Liquers which  a blend of whisky, cream, spices, herbs and honey,   Cask-Strength Whisky or   Single cask malts which is of single distillation and bottled direct from the cask,  and Vatted malts  which refer to the mix of single malts with varying ages, coming from various distilleries.