What is a single malt whisky?
Single Malt Whisky is often seen as the pinnacle of the whisky world. It is heavily associated with craftsmanship, tradition and complex flavour. For beginners though, the term can be confusing. What does single mean? What is ‘malt’? And what makes it different to other whiskies?
This guide explains everything you need to know about single malt whisky in simple, clear language. By the end, you will understand what it is, how it’s made and how to enjoy it.
What does single malt mean?
The term single malt has two important parts.
Single means that the whisky comes from a single distillery. It does not mean that it comes from a single cask. In fact, most single malts are a blend of multiple casks from the same distillery to build a consistent flavour profile. This is how core releases such as Bunnahabhain 12 Year Old or Glendronach 12 year old are produced and how the flavour is kept consistent over time.
Malt means that the whisky is made from 100% malted barley and no other grain is used.
To be legally called single malt Scotch whisky, for example, it must:
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Be made at one distillery in Scotland
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Use only malted barley
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Must be distilled in pot stills
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Be aged in oak casks for at least three years.
- Must be matured and bottled in Scotland
Other countries such as Ireland, Japan, and the United States also produce single malt whiskies under their own regulations. For example, Ireland has been experimenting with casks of different wood types.
How single malt whisky is made
The production process is a big part of what makes single malt unique.
Malting
Barley is soaked in water and allowed to germinate. This process converts starches into fermentable sugars. The germination is then stopped by drying the barley in a kiln. For some single malts, peat is burned to dry the barley which gives the resulting whisky a smoky flavour.
Mashing & Fermentation
The dried malt is ground into grist and mixed with hot water in a mash tun. This extracts sugars, creating a sweet liquid called wort.
The wort is transferred to fermentation tanks, where yeast is added. The yeast consumes the sugars and produces alcohol, resulting in a liquid known as wash, which is similar in strength to beer and very sweet to taste.
Distillation
Single malt whisky is distilled in copper pot stills, usually twice in Scotland and three times in Ireland, however some distilleries do experiment with triple distillation and Bruichladdich Distillery even experimented with a fourth distillation for one of their special Octomore releases.
The shape and side of the still influences the final character of the spirit. If you visit a few different distilleries, you will notice that they all have their own unique stills. Ardnamurchan Distillery's stills actually had to be a specific size so that they could be transported down the narrow road to the distillery, any larger and they wouldn’t have been able to get them there.
During distillation, typically only middle cut (the heart) is taken, however distillers will take varying cuts depending on the age and style of whisky they intend to produce.
Maturation
For Scotch Single Malt Whisky, the spirit is placed into an oak cask for ageing. Over time, it extracts flavours from the wood and develops complexity. Distillers will use various casks from around the world to impart unique flavour profiles into the spirit. These include ex-wine casks, ex-bourbon casks, and sherry casks. Often the spirit will be matured in a mixture of different casks to get the correct profile.
Flavour profiles of Single Malt Whisky
Single malt whiskies vary widely in flavour from distillery to distillery and with different cask types. This means that even individual releases can vary in flavour from the same distillery depending on the cask make-up of each release. There are some regional differences too, for example, most Islay distilleries are commonly associated with producing heavily peated single malt whisky, while Speyside distilleries are often associated with a lighter, fruitier single malt.
Some common flavor notes include:
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Fruit such as apple, pear, citrus, or dried fruit
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Sweetness like honey, caramel, or vanilla
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Spice such as cinnamon or nutmeg
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Smoke and peat in certain styles
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Oak and toasted wood
Single Malt VS Blended Malt VS Blended Whisky
Most confusion comes around the various types of whisky so let’s break each down:
Single malt:
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Made from malted barley only
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Produced at one distillery
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Must be distilled in pot stills
Blended Malt:
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Made from malted barley only
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Produced at more than one distillery
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Typically distilled in pot stills.
Blended whisky:
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Can include both malt whisky and grain whisky
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Produced at more than one distillery
Blends are often looked over but if you’re looking for great value, there are great examples, such as Thompson Bros TB/BSW 6 Year Old Blended Whisky or James Eadie Trade Mark X.
Famous Single Malt Distilleries
Scotland has an abundance of distilleries, old and new that have built a reputation for producing excellent single malt whisky.
This includes:
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Ardnamurchan Distillery
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Ardbeg Distillery
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Tobermory Distillery
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Macallan Distillery
And many more, you can view a full list of distilleries in Scotland here
How to drink single malt whisky
The best way to drink single malt whisky, is the way YOU enjoy it, with that being said, it’s unlikely you will be purchasing premium single malt whiskies and mixing them into cocktails, there are plenty of reasonably priced single malts that are perfect for this though, such as Glenfiddich 12 Year Old.
Popular methods include:
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Neat, at room temperature
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With a few drops of water, especially common with whiskies produced at a high strength. It can open them up and produce an entirely different tasting experience to drinking it neat.
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With ice, though this can mute flavors
Single malt whisky is typically drunk with specially designed glassware that enhances the experience. You can read all about glassware here.
Tips for beginners
If you are new to single malt whisky, you will want to start with something lighter and fruitier, typically Speyside single malt whiskies are a great option with whiskies such as GlenAllachie 12 Year Old being a great starting place, it’s a reasonable ABV and a lovely fruity dram. From there you can start exploring other regions to experience different profiles to find what you like best. Other great options from other regions are Arran 10 Year Old and Bunnabhain 12 Year Old.
Final thoughts.
Single malt whisky is defined by simplicity of ingredients and complexity of flavor. Made from malted barley at a single distillery and aged in oak, it represents centuries of tradition and skill.
For beginners, the best approach is curiosity. Taste widely, compare styles, and discover what suits your palate. With time, you will begin to appreciate the subtle differences that make single malt whisky one of the most respected spirits in the world.
