The History Of Whisky
Scotch whisky has been made for hundreds of years, with the first recorded instance occurring in 1494 as part of the tax records of the day - the Exchequer Rolls.
An entry lists “Eight bolls of malt to Friar John Cor wherewith to make aqua vitae.” Aqua Vitae was unaged spirit, but since then, whisky has evolved into what we know and love.
Today, for liquid to be officially classed as Scotch whisky, it must be distilled, matured for three years, and bottled in Scotland. This guide will cover different types of Scottish whisky on the market and what to expect from tasting through to investment whisky.
Types of Scottish Whisky
There are hundreds of distillers across Scotland, producing a variety of whisky each with their own flavour profiles and characteristics.
Single Malt
Single Malt: Malted barley distilled at a single distillery
This is the most prestigious Scotch Whisky with brands including Glenfiddich, Glenlivet and Macallan. They sell all over the world and can cost from as little as £25 in a supermarket to as much as £1.2M for a unique bottle at auction.
Single Grain
Single Grain: Other grains distilled at a single distillery
Single grain is becoming more popular with brands like Loch Lomond getting recognition. They tend to be less expensive and produced in large volumes. Grain whisky is mainly made for blending.
Blended
Blended: A mix of grain and malt from more than one distillery
90% of the whisky consumed in the world is blended whisky. The biggest brand being Johnnie Walker, and other popular brands being Chivas, Ballantines and Dewars.
Blended whiskies are now often considered inferior to single malts, however this isn’t the case, and many blends cost upwards of £100 and can be as much as £100,000.
Blended Malt
Blended malt: Malted barley distilled in more than one distillery
There are some increasingly popular brands of blended malt such as Monkey Shoulder and Johnnie Walker’s Green Label. Blended malts tend to be less expensive than single malts.
Blended Grain
Blended Grain: Other grains distilled at more than one distillery
There are very few big brands with a blended grain. Grants Elementary 8 year old being the most popular. Smaller brands are well known for creating blended grain, such as Compass Box and House of Hazelwood. Blended grain is traditionally inexpensive, but with older grains being blended they can be over £5000.
Single Blend
Single blend: Where both the single malt and single grain have been distilled in the same distillery (This is very rare).
There are only a few distilleries which have the possibility of creating a single blend, Loch Lomond being one but hasn’t made a single blend for a while. House of Hazlewood has an expression called A Singular Blend, but there are only 74 bottles, and it was distilled in 1963.
The Differences Between Regions
There are five main Scottish whisky regions, each with their differing flavour profiles. These profiles are becoming more blurred as each region creates whiskies of all styles, but traditionally the styles were as such:
- Highland (including the islands): Fruit and Spice
- Speyside: Orchard Fruits and Honey
- Lowlands: Light and Floral
- Campbeltown: Saline and Sweet
- Islay: Smokey and Earthy
In years gone by, Speyside dominated the world of single malt exports. While it is still the biggest whisky region in terms of volume, we can see that top preforming whiskies come from all over Scotland’s five whisky regions. Download our 2024 market report, Beyond the Cask, to read more about some of the top performing distilleries in recent years.
Global whisky flavours
There are now whiskies made all over the world in many different styles, and although certain countries have traditionally been known for a particular style, like Irish whisky being known for smooth sweet and fruity whiskies. However, there is now no rule of thumb for styles of whisky based on location alone, with a rich variety of finishes and flavour profiles being produced around the world.
The Most Well-Known Scottish Whisky’s
There are some types of Scotch which are globally known. The most known are the blended whiskies with Johnnie Walker selling the most with over 21 million 12 bottle cases in 2022, followed by Ballantines, Chivas and Grant’s. Single malt whiskies don’t sell in the same numbers with three brands selling over one million cases a year, Glenfiddich, Glenlivet and The Macallan.
The top 10 oldest distilleries all date in the 1700’s, with the oldest Scotch Whisky brand being The Glenturret. The distillery can trace its roots back to 1763. Glenturret is an interesting brand as it languished in unpopularity for many years until it was bought and joined forces with Lalique crystal. It was then remarketed as a super-premium brand with the whiskies being revitalised by ex-Macallan distillery manager Bob Delgado.
However, not all reputable whisky brands have been around for centuries. Of the new breed of whisky distilleries, Dornoch distillery and Daftmill have received cult status with heir whiskies being sought after and difficult to obtain – so much so that Dornoch having to sell their whiskies by ballot.
Tasting Scottish Whisky
There are five main flavours when tasting whisky. Fruity, smoky, sweet, savoury and mineral. Our taste buds classically have five receptors for sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and umami or savoury.
To get the most out of tasting whisky, there are some top tasting tips to consider:
- Smell - smelling it first is very important as 80% of taste comes from smell. Remember to not get too close to the glass at first. Whisky is a strong alcohol, and you don’t want to burn your senses.
- Start slowly - take a small sip at first, and if it is too strong, add water until it is suitable for you. The addition of water, in many cases, can help to open up the flavours of the liquid for a more enjoyable tasting experience.
- Savour - then keep the whisky on the palate for five seconds or more.
Read our comprehensive guide to whisky tasting and appreciating for a more in-depth summary.
What Is The Scottish Whisky Production Process Like?
It is worth noting that there are different distillation processes depending on the style of whisky. However, there are six main stages in the process of making whisky:
- Malting: The process of converting the starch inside the cereal to sugar by controlled germination of the barley or grain. Stopping the germination by hot air or peat smoke will make a whisky unpeated or peated.
- Milling: This is where the grain is crushed to a required consistency before it goes onto mashing.
- Mashing: This is the process of creating a sugary liquid called sweet wort by mixing the crushed grains with hot water.
- Fermentation: This is where the water, called sweet wort, from mashing is then fermented like a beer until it is around 8-9% alcohol called wort. In whisky there are no hops added.
- Distillation: Here the wash is distilled to create a spirit by getting heated into vapours which are condensed and collected. The first distillation is called low wines, the second sees the low wines distilled a second time until it becomes new make spirit at around 70%abv.
- Maturation: The new make spirit is then reduced to around 63.5%abv, filled into barrels and left to mature in Scotland for at least three years to become Scotch whisky.
The Best Scotch Whisky To Invest In
There are many factors which will influence what is considered a good whisky to invest in. Market influences and trends can heavily influence investment decisions just as much as personal taste or preference.
Firstly, decide on whether to invest in bottles or casks. Investing in bottles can be a good option for some. However, it should be noted that bottled whisky is very different to cask whisky investment. Once in the bottle, the liquid stops maturing and the appreciation of the liquid is halted. For a bottle's value to increase, it must have rarity and a demand from collectors and other investors wanting to buy it.
On the other hand, cask whisky increases in value over time as the liquid matures in the barrel. This means that unlike bottles, a cask’s value is linked to both the cask marketplace and the natural appreciation of the liquid. However, like with many alternative investments, longer term holds are encouraged and investors should not expect quick gains to be made.
In our Cask vs Bottle guide, we discuss in more detail the pros and cons to both types of whisky investment.
Ultimately, deciding your budget and goals is the first and most important step when considering scotch whisky investment. This will then help you choose the right cask or bottle opportunity to meet your needs. Read our Beginners Guide to Whisky Investment for further detail if you are looking to begin you whisky investment journey.
A Summary of Scotch
There are many types of Scotch whisky, from single malt to blended grain, and they are created all over Scotland, have very different flavours and many different brands. But to be Scotch, they must have been distilled, matured and bottled in Scotland. Discovering the differences is great fun and from beginners to aficionados there are clubs and tastings to suit everyone and the whisky journey they are on.
Learn more about the world of whisky investment via our helpful guides. Alternately you can speak to one of our experts via email or over the phone. Simply register to be assigned a personal account manager who can talk you through the investment process and answer any questions you might have.
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