🥃 Cutty Sark Original
Base blended Scotch whisky from Cutty Sark with the yellow label, 40% ABV, no age statement; created in 1923.
Cutty Sark Original is the base blended Scotch whisky line, known for its yellow label. Its strength is 40% ABV, with no age statement. Berry Bros. & Rudd created this blend in 1923 for the American market during Prohibition, as a light, pale whisky.
Production. According to Difford's Guide, the blend combines grain whisky with more than thirty single malts, mostly from Speyside. After blending it rests for about six months in a vat before bottling. The casks are mostly American oak that had previously held sherry. According to the same source, blender James Stannard aimed for minimal caramel colouring.
Why it matters to you. This is the reference style for Cutty Sark: compare it with the Prohibition and 12-year-old lines. According to Difford's Guide, the bright yellow label came from a printing error rather than a marketing plan. The spirit is pale in colour, but its strength is standard. The WHO reminds us that no level of alcohol consumption is safe.
Facts
| Year founded | 1923, Berry Bros. & Rudd (London) |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Blended Scotch Whisky) |
| EU category | 2: whisky/whiskey |
| Raw material | grain whisky and more than 30 single malts, mostly Speyside |
| Cask type | mostly American oak, previously used for sherry |
| Minimum maturation | no age statement; by law at least 3 years |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Cutty Sark Original → packed in → 🍷 Oak barrel ← packed in ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- Made from
- 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Cutty Sark, 🥃 Blended Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Johnnie Walker Red Label, 🥃 The Famous Grouse, 🥃 Cutty Sark 12 Year Old, 🥃 Cutty Sark 12 Year Old, 🥃 Cutty Sark Prohibition, 🥃 Cutty Sark Prohibition
Frequently asked questions
Is the yellow label a printing error?
That is what Difford's Guide reports: the colour meant to be beige came out yellow, and it was kept.
How many whiskies are in the blend?
According to Difford's Guide, grain whisky and more than thirty single malts, mostly from Speyside.
What is the strength of Cutty Sark Original?
40% ABV (80 proof).
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden barrel of oak staves in which wine matures and breathes.
- 🥃 The Famous Grouse — Scottish blended whisky from Perth; created by the Gloag family in the late 19th century; 40% ABV; owned by William Grant & Sons since 2024-2025.
- 🥃 Johnnie Walker Red Label — Base line of Johnnie Walker: a blended Scotch at 40% ABV with no age statement, up to 35 whiskies in the blend; according to the brand, the most popular in its range.
Similar
🥃 Cutty Sark Prohibition · 🥃 Cutty Sark 12 Year Old · 🥃 The Famous Grouse Blended Scotch Whisky · 🥃 The Famous Grouse Sherry Cask Finish · 🥃 The Famous Grouse Smoky Black · 🥃 Dewar's 15 Year Old
⚠️ 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
- Difford's Guide: Cutty Sark Original (Yellow Label) (40 %, NAS, grain + 30+ single malts, ex-sherry American oak)
- Scotchwhisky.com (Whiskypedia): Cutty Sark (Berry Bros. & Rudd, 23.03.1923, composition)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)