Scotch Whisky: The 5 Types of Scotch Whisky

Scotch is a distilled alcoholic beverage made in Scotland, also known as Scotch whisky. All Scotch whisky is a blend of water and malted barley (or other grains) aged for at least three years in oak barrels in one of five areas in Scotland, including Highland, Lowland, Speyside, Campbeltown, and Islay.

There are five different types of Scotch whisky, which are: single malt, blended malt, single grain, blended grain, and blended.

In 1495, Friar John Cor distilled Scotch whisky at Lindores Abbey, which is the first recorded mention of the spirit. Scotch whisky was originally made with malted barley, but distillers began using wheat and rye to produce scotch in the eighteenth century. Whisky was originally called Uisge Beath, which roughly translates from the Gaelic to "water of life."

In the nineteenth century, Scotch was exported to other countries. As international trade expanded the industry, Scotland’s Wine and Spirit Association was established in 1912 (later renamed the Scotch Whisky Association in 1942) to manage and protect Scotch whisky production. In 1993, the Scottish government imposed regulations making Scotch production legal only in Scotland, followed by the Scotch Whisky Act in 1998.

The Scotch Whisky Regulations of 2009 imposed new rules on the production and branding of Scotch. Those rules include: composition (must be a blend of water and barley, or other grains), aging process (must be aged for at least three years in oak barrels in Scotland), additives (no additives other than caramel coloring and water), and ABV (no less than 40 percent ABV). The Scotch Whisky Regulations of 2009 also regulate where Scotch can be produced, including the areas of Highland, Lowland, Speyside, Campbeltown, and Islay.

Scotch whisky is a type of whiskey, which is a spirit made from mashed and distilled grains. There are several factors that you can use to differentiate a Scotch whisky from other whiskeys:

• Grains: Whiskey is a distilled alcoholic beverage derived from barley, wheat, grain, or corn. Scotch whisky was originally made only from malted barley, but since the eighteenth century, it has also been made using malted wheat and malted rye.
• Production: Scotch whisky producers sometimes “malt” the grains before fermentation. To “malt” the grains, distillers soak them in water—in the case of barley, it will sprout—which prepares the starches to ferment into sugars.
• Aging: Scotch is matured in oak casks that have occasionally been used before for wine or other spirits. Whiskey is typically placed in charred white oak barrels for maturation.
• Flavor profile: Scotch generally has a smoother flavor than other whiskeys, because of the malting of the grains.
• Spelling: Scotch whisky has no “e,” while other varieties of whiskey are spelled with an “e.”

Other types of whiskeys include Irish whiskey (made in Ireland from unmalted barley), American whiskey (like Kentucky Bourbon and Tennessee Whiskey), and Japanese whiskey (which is similar to Scotch).

The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 outlines five types of Scotch Whisky:

1. 1. Single Malt Scotch Whisky: Single malt Scotch whiskey is produced at one single distillery by using malted barley. The spirit is distilled in pot stills from a mash of malted barley. Single Malt is considered a high end Scotch, and only about ten percent of scotch whisky is single malt.
2. 2. Blended Malt Scotch Whisky: Blended malt scotch whisky is a blend of different batches of single malt Scotch whisky from different distilleries.
3. 3. Single Grain Scotch Whisky: Single grain Scotch whiskey is made with water and malted barley, as well as whole grains of other malted or unmalted cereals. It is distilled at one single distillery.
4. 4. Blended Grain Scotch Whisky: A blend of single grain Scotch whiskies, distilled at more than one distillery.
5. 5. Blended Scotch Whisky: Blended Scotch is a mixture of malt Scotch whisky and grain Scotch whisky, distilled at any number of distilleries.

Learn more about mixology from award-winning bartenders Lynnette Marrero and Ryan Chetiyawardana. Refine your palate, explore the world of spirits, and shake up the perfect cocktail for your next gathering with the MasterClass Annual Membership.