What is Blended Whisky?

Blended Whisky is one of the more simple whisky styles to understand; it is a blend of whiskies from more than one distillery into one product, usually both malt and grain whiskies. They came onto the market in the mid-1800s, quickly taking over from single malt whisky due to their lower production costs and approachability. The first big name to come out of it was Glenlivet.

To some, blended whiskies pale in comparison to the quality of Single Malt Whisky, and to some extent this is true. Many of the larger blended whisky brands such as Famous Grouse or Bell's are made by mixing a higher quality whisky with a lower quality one to keep them affordable whilst imparting some good characteristics.

However, this one-track quality attitude is also a result of good marketing from single malt brands who have positioned themselves in a premium position on the market. It is easy to forget that excellent brands such as Johnnie Walker and Hibiki make some super quality, premium priced blended whiskies. Plus, the vast majority of whisky sold worldwide is a blended one, with some well loved names like Jameson and Monkey Shoulder leading the way. It also ignores upcoming whisky styles such as Canadian whisky, most of which is a blend due to its unique production process.

Ultimately, your choice for blended whisky should come down to personal preference and how much you are willing to spend. The range at your fingertips is huge and single malt fan or not, you'd be missing out if you didn't try the world of blended whisky too.

How does Blended Whisky differ from Blended Grain and Blended Malt?

The difference is all in the "grain" or "malt". A Blended Grain Whisky is made from 100% grain whiskies, not malt, from more than one distillery. A Blended Malt Whisky is made from 100% malt, not grain, from more than one distillery.