Whiskey Guide

Most of the Scotch whiskey made in Scotland is drunk in blended form. It is produced by blending grain whiskey with single malt whiskey. The skilled and highly complex task of arranging a marriage of single grain and single malt whiskey to create a blended one is the admirable responsibility of the brilliant Master Blender.

Each and every one of the whiskey going into the blend are extremely unique in their very own right and the highly skilled Master Blender must ensure the successful combination of the individual whiskey. The aim is mainly to produce a blended Scotch whiskey that is not only different from others, but also more subtle and complex than those individuals whiskey having gone into such a blend.

A careful mix of anything from ten to fifty single whiskey is compiled to a secret formula to help create a blend. The Master Blender will have needed countless years of mastering and then perfecting the so-called art of nosing.

His delicate sense of smell allows him to decide the right combination of the individual whiskey. Part of the Master Blender’s high skill is to keep the most incompatible apart.

Upon his final selection of single whiskey, the Blender will then nose them as completely new spirit made fresh from the stills, in an effort to ensure they’re up to the high required standard. The Master Blender will carry on nosing them throughout maturation and will not stop until he is satisfied they should be taken forward.

In due course, all of the chosen whiskey will be gathered, quickly pumped into vats and finally back into fine casks where they’re given a rest for as long as nine months. In whiskey terms, this is called the ‘marriage’ - the romantic period when each whiskey component gradually harmonizes with one another.

When the marriage period has come to an end, the whiskey is then ready for bottling. The Master Blender will again nose it to ensure the sheer quality of the blend meets the required standard he has set.

Once finally bottled, Scotch whiskey has now reached the utter end of its extraordinarily long journey down the long years in absolutely perfect condition and it is now ready to be dispatched to whiskey enthusiasts around the world.