About Single Malt Whisky

Single malt whisky is whisky made from only malted barley at a single distillery. Blending can only occur between barrels from the same distillery and no other grains can be used in the mash bill. ‘Malt’ refers to a 100% malted barley mash bill. Meanwhile, ‘single’ refers to the number of distilleries involved.

Single malt is gluten free even though it’s produced from barley which is not gluten free. The distillation process leaves behind the gluten proteins, so the final product is gluten free. Single malt is suitable for coeliacs and those with a gluten intolerance. 

Single malt whisky is revered for its quality and character, but blended and grain whiskies can offer those in equal measure, depending on where you look. Single malt whiskies reflect the nuances of growing conditions and production, whereas, it can be harder to decipher specific accents in a blended whisky. Moreover, grain whiskies offer a broad range of unique flavour profiles that malt whisky can’t. Both have their role to play in the rich history of whisky. “single malt wouldn’t be here without blended whisky” - Rob Patchett, Global Whisky Ambassador for Cotswolds Distillery. 

Whisky is made by fermenting starch sugars from grains. The alcohol produced is distilled and matured in oak. There are several things that influence the final flavour of the single malt whiskyThe barley itself: the type of grain is highly influential on the final flavour profile, it's why malt whisky and grain whiskies are in distinct categories. The fermentation: During this crucial stage, aromatic compounds form, which add flavours ranging from tropical or ripe fruit to citrus or floral notes. It's not uncommon for distilleries to smell of banana bread and pina colada during fermentation.Maturation: Whisky takes on lots of flavour from the barrel including red fruit, raisins, nuts, smoke, toffee, toast, caramel and honey. The flavours in your final whisky can depend on the type of barrel seasoning used.

Our helpful guide outlines 14 different types of single malt. However, categorising single malt isn’t all that straightforward – it depends on geography, terroir, ingredients, production style, maturation and blending. Single malt whiskies are usually grouped by geographical origin (Scotch has six key regions, including Islay, Speyside and Highlands), but New World whiskies challenge that outdated approach to categorisation.