Single Malt vs Single Grain

Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of whisky made (or, legally defined) in Scotland. The famous one is malt Scotch, made from 100% malted barley and distilled in a pot still—and if it comes from one distillery only, that is our much-beloved single malt Scotch, from all your favorite distilleries. The other is single grain Scotch, which can be made from many different grains and can be distilled in a pot still, but nearly always comes from a column still. Grain Scotch costs less to produce than malt, and lighter in flavor; it is the “filler” in blended Scotch, which might consist of several dozen single malts, perhaps 20-40% of the blend, with the rest being filled up with grain Scotch whisky. Grain Scotch is lighter in flavor and character than malt, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be delicious when treated right and, it can be bottled from a single distillery, also, hence: single grain Scotch.

But why do American whisky lovers need single grain Scotch? Because, It’s not only light, it’s delicate, and made with zero peat influence.

The blenders don’t want any peaty interference from the grain whisky; Scotch grain is supposed to be a gentle, uncomplicated flavor bed for the richer malts.

So, if you’re not into Scotch because of the smoke, here’s your new best friend.

But the other reason lies in the commonality between grain Scotch and an increasingly popular variety of domestic whiskey—and that’s American light whiskey. Defined in law and launched in 1972, American light has received little attention in the ensuing decades. Now, with a new generation of whiskey lovers, some of the legacy stocks of light whiskey are seeing wider approval, and even new craft distilleries are getting into the light whiskey act, such as Starlight and this Larrikin 6 yr TPS Private Barrel (153.13 proof). Grain Scotch and American light are both made from higher amounts of corn and distilled to a high proof on continuous column stills, and both are “lighter” than their more famous cousin whiskeys in each country. If you like American lights, do try a single grain Scotch—I think you’ll say, aye—especially with these smashing examples from Duncan Taylor, at cask strength with beautiful wine finishes.