🥃 Blended Grain Scotch Whisky
A Scotch whisky category: a blend of two or more single grain Scotch whiskies from different distilleries, with no malt; each component aged at least 3 years in oak, bottled at 40% ABV or more.
Blended Grain Scotch Whisky is one of the five categories of Scotch defined by the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009: a blend of two or more single grain Scotch whiskies distilled at no fewer than two different distilleries. It contains no malt whisky. Every component has been matured in oak casks in Scotland for at least three years, and the bottled strength is 40% ABV or more.
What the law says. The category is defined in regulation 3 of the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, and the Scotch Whisky Association describes it alongside single malt, single grain, blended malt and blended Scotch whisky. “Scotch Whisky” itself is a geographical indication, and under Regulation (EU) 2019/787 it is a category 2 whisky. An age on the label refers to the youngest whisky in the blend and may only be stated in years.
Raw materials and production. Grain whisky is made from water and malted barley with other cereals added, most often wheat and, in the past, also corn. It is mostly distilled in continuous column stills, so the spirit is lighter than the one from the copper pot stills of malt distilleries. Scotland's largest grain distillery is Cameronbridge in Fife, which also makes Haig Club; according to Difford's Guide, its capacity is about 120 million litres of spirit a year.
Where you find it. Almost all grain whisky goes into blended Scotch such as Johnnie Walker or Haig, so standalone “blended grain” bottlings are rare. The first commercial release in the category is considered to be Compass Box Hedonism (2000): according to scotchwhisky.com, the blend used grain whiskies from Cameronbridge, Port Dundas, Cambus and other distilleries, some of which have since closed.
Why this matters to you. “Blended Grain” on the label means the bottle holds only grain whiskies from several distilleries, with no malt; “Single Grain” means one distillery; “Blended Scotch” is a mix of grain and malt whiskies. A light flavour does not make the drink any weaker: the strength is 40% ABV or more. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| EU category | whisky (category 2 of Regulation (EU) 2019/787); GI “Scotch Whisky” |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, regulations 3 and 12 |
| Raw material | water, malted barley and other cereals (mainly wheat, formerly also corn) |
| Distillation method | mostly continuous column stills; below 94.8% ABV |
| Minimum maturation | each component at least 3 years in Scotland |
| Cask type | oak casks of up to 700 litres |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV or more |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Blended Grain Scotch Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Previous step
- 🥃 Column still
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Single Grain Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky, 🥃 Rye and corn in whisky
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Related to
- 🥃 Haig, 🥃 Scotch Whisky Association (industry body), 🌍 Western Europe
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 British
- Part of
- 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Blended Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Blended Irish Whiskey, 🥃 Haig Club, 🥃 Age statement (age on the label)
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that grain whisky is not real Scotch?
No. If it was distilled and matured in Scotland for at least three years in oak, it is Scotch whisky by law; “grain” only describes the raw materials and the distillation method.
How is Blended Grain different from Single Grain?
Single Grain is whisky from one distillery; Blended Grain is a blend of single grain whiskies from at least two different distilleries.
How is Blended Grain different from Blended Scotch?
Blended Scotch whisky contains both malt and grain whiskies; Blended Grain contains grain whiskies only.
What grain is grain Scotch made from?
From water and malted barley with other cereals added, most often wheat and sometimes corn; it is mostly distilled in column stills.
What is the minimum age of Blended Grain Scotch Whisky?
Each component spends at least 3 years in oak casks in Scotland; the number on the label shows the age of the youngest whisky in the blend.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky — Malted barley is the base of whisky: malt enzymes convert starch in the mash, and EU whisky is distilled below 94.8% vol.
- 🌍 Western Europe — France, the Netherlands, Britain, Ireland, Belgium and Luxembourg: a mild, moist climate, pastures and hundreds of cheeses such as Roquefort, Camembert, Gouda and Cheddar.
- 🧑🤝🧑 British — People of Great Britain; their protected West Country Cheddar matures for at least 9 months, and tea is drunk with milk.
Similar
🥃 Single Grain Scotch Whisky · 🥃 Blended Scotch Whisky · 🥃 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky · 🥃 Peated whisky · 🥃 Single Malt Scotch Whisky · 🥃 Indian whisky
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), regulation 3: five categories incl. Blended Grain Scotch Whisky — a blend of two or more Single Grain Scotch Whiskies distilled at more than one distillery
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, regulation 12: maturation, age and distillation statements — age refers to the youngest whisky, stated in years
- Scotch Whisky Association: Scotch Whisky categories (Single Malt, Single Grain, Blended Malt, Blended Grain, Blended Scotch)
- Difford's Guide: Cameronbridge Grain Distillery (Scotland's largest whisky distillery, c. 120 million litres a year, mostly wheat, column still since 1826)
- scotchwhisky.com Whiskypedia: Hedonism (Compass Box, blended grain, first release 2000; grain whiskies from Cameronbridge, Carsebridge, Cambus, Port Dundas, Dumbarton)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/787 on spirit drinks: Art. 3 (blending — spirit drinks of the same category, result stays in that category), Annex I cat. 2 whisky, cat. 4 wine spirit
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)