Which Water of Life Did You Purchase Today?

[Megawatt]

I saw a bottle named Peat Monster made by Compass and I bought one. It was not that peaty at all but a decent whisky. Slightly sweet but needs more depth in my opinion. And its a blend, not single malt.

Let's clarify something: Peat Monster is a vatted malt, aka blended malt. It is a blend of 11 year old Caol Ila, 14 year old Ardmore, and perhaps some Laphroaig. Since many blends contain only around 20% malt, whereas Peat Monster is 100% malt, I would say it more closely resembles a single malt than a blend.

[LeoDLion]

Let's clarify something: Peat Monster is a vatted malt, aka blended malt. It is a blend of 11 year old Caol Ila, 14 year old Ardmore, and perhaps some Laphroaig. Since many blends contain only around 20% malt, whereas Peat Monster is 100% malt, I would say it more closely resembles a single malt than a blend.

That is what I said in my original post, that it is a blend. So what are you trying to clarify?

Another blended whisky is Black Bottle. The Islay version is made up of just whiskies from Islay. A little peaty than the Highland version it is worth a try.

[Brisko]

That is what I said in my original post, that it is a blend. So what are you trying to clarify?

Another blended whisky is Black Bottle. The Islay version is made up of just whiskies from Islay. A little peaty than the Highland version it is worth a try.

Technically a Scotch blend is a mixture of malt whiskies and grain whiskies. Peat Monster is all malt, which used to be called "pure malt" or "vatted malt" or a "malt blend." I think the regulations now require it to be labelled as "blended malt."

Anyway, not the same as "blend."

[Megawatt]

Technically a Scotch blend is a mixture of malt whiskies and grain whiskies. Peat Monster is all malt, which used to be called "pure malt" or "vatted malt" or a "malt blend." I think the regulations now require it to be labelled as "blended malt."

Anyway, not the same as "blend."

Right. Since the other year when the SWA changed "vatted malt" to "blended malt," much confusion has ensued. Now when someone makes a statement like "Peat Monster is a blend," no one can be sure what it even means.

Another blended whisky is Black Bottle. The Islay version is made up of just whiskies from Islay. A little peaty than the Highland version it is worth a try.

All the malt in Black Bottle is from Islay but I reckon the grain component is from the mainland. Black Bottle may use a higher-than-normal proportion of malt but most blends are grain-based and use single malts in small amounts for flavouring.

[Megawatt]

Also, to clarify what Brisko was saying, Scotch whisky is now divided into three main categories: single malt Scotch, blended malt Scotch, and blended Scotch. My original point was, blended malt Scotch should, if anything, be lumped in with single malt, and not with blended Scotch.

[LeoDLion]

Also, to clarify what Brisko was saying, Scotch whisky is now divided into three main categories: single malt Scotch, blended malt Scotch, and blended Scotch. My original point was, blended malt Scotch should, if anything, be lumped in with single malt, and not with blended Scotch.

That is what I know too. However if you go to wikepedia, they are talking about five classes of scotch whisky. But they are just variation of what you already mentioned above.

Just to put it here, there are two basic types of Scotch Whisky: single malt and single grain. Then from these two you can mix a combination that will get three kinds of blended Scotch whisky: blended malt scotch (only malt), blended grain (only grain) and blended scotch (both malt and grain).

This is suppose to be coming from the Scotch Whisky Regulations of 2009, quite recent. I have not read on what is the purpose of such grouping. Is it for taxation purposes? Production quota? Or just to make sure whisky bottles are labeled correctly.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotch_whisky

[LeoDLion]

Right. Since the other year when the SWA changed "vatted malt" to "blended malt," much confusion has ensued. Now when someone makes a statement like "Peat Monster is a blend," no one can be sure what it even means.

I dont think so. Single grain whisky is not very popular here in the US. People do drink it from blended scotches without realizing it. Perhaps we are splitting hair here. "From now on you got to call it blended malt which is much differnt from blend scotch" will turn off the uninitiated to such whisky snobbery.

[LeoDLion]

Technically a Scotch blend is a mixture of malt whiskies and grain whiskies. Peat Monster is all malt, which used to be called "pure malt" or "vatted malt" or a "malt blend." I think the regulations now require it to be labelled as "blended malt."

Anyway, not the same as "blend."

Well Compass has not caught on to the "new" regulation. The Peat Monster label called it "MALT SCOTCH WHISKY" without the blend.

[Megawatt]

I guess it depends on how you want to slice it. I personally think that for the sake of accuracy, blended malt and blended Scotch should not be treated as the same thing. Anyway, suffice to say that we wouldn't be having this discussion if the SWA had just left things alone. Apparently they felt the term "vatted malt" was unappetizing for consumers.

[LeoDLion]

I guess it depends on how you want to slice it. I personally think that for the sake of accuracy, blended malt and blended Scotch should not be treated as the same thing. Anyway, suffice to say that we wouldn't be having this discussion if the SWA had just left things alone. Apparently they felt the term "vatted malt" was unappetizing for consumers.

Quite an astute post about the SWA regulation. It was only 1 year and 5 months ago that the Scotch Whisky Regulation of 2009 was passed wherein they precisely define what words to use for the various scotch products.