Single Malt Scotch - It might not be the drink you think it is

If I said that I was about to serve you "single orange juice", what would your assumptions be about the beverage you were about to drink?

• Would you think that it was the juice from only one orange?
• Would you think that it was the juice from 1/2 an orange, because it was diluted from full strength? 
• And if the juice in your glass was from oranges grown in different farmer's orchards, would you really care if it was tasty?

There can be a lot of misplaced assumptions about what Single Malt Scotch is and is not, so here is a quick primer for you:

What Single Malt Scotch is:

• A whisky that is produced using a single type of grain; malted barley
• The product of a single distillery

In other words, the "single" in single malt, refers to whiskey made from only one grain, that is produced by only one distillery.

• It is mashed, fermented and distilled in Scotland. Furthermore, it is distilled using a pot still and to an alcoholic strength less than 94.8% alcohol by volume (ABV)
• It has been been matured (aged) in oak barrels for a minimum of three years, also in Scotland, that hold no more than 700 liters
• It contains only distilled spirit, water and possibly tasteless caramel colouring for display/marketing consistency
• It is bottled at a minimum of 40% ABV

What Single Malt Scotch is not:

• It's not a guarantee that the whisky came from a single barrel, in fact, it's not even likely that it did. If the whisky does come from one barrel, and there are a number of options at the LCBO, you had better believe it will say so on the label, indicating either "single barrel", or "single cask whisky". You also better believe that it will cost you more to purchase. In other words, Single Malt Scotch, is a blend in every sense that you, Merriam-Webster and I, understand the word to mean, that is: to combine or associate so that the separate constituents or the line of demarcation cannot be distinguished. It's just not the definition the Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) chose to use. Suffice to say, that your average Single Malt Scotch bottling run, can have upwards of 100 barrels blended (vatted) together.
• It's also very unlikely that the whisky in the bottle is the strength of the whisky coming straight from the barrels. Have you ever wondered why so many whiskies come with a strength of 40% ABV (or, 80 Proof)? It just so happens that 40% ABV is the minimum regulatory requirement for a whisky's strength. Depending on the type of whisky and its age, barreled whisky can be as high as 75% ABV, as is the case with some Bourbons. So why isn't whisky sold stronger? It's largely because of economics and taste. You get many more bottles of whisky from a barrel when you dilute it. From a taste standpoint, a higher alcohol content tends to block a whisky's true flavour and is an acquired taste for many whisky drinkers. However, the choice of making a 40% ABV whisky, versus say a 45% ABV whisky, would have a big impact on the numbers of bottles produced. I'm just saying...

My contention is thus: while it's certainly not a secret, the true nature of Single Malt Whisky is not well publicized and is perhaps a bit obfuscated by the whisky industry. It shouldn't be, especially with the growth of great whisky being produced around the world, transparency, I believe, is more important then ever. Don't worry SWA, I knew the true story and it didn't lessen my love for Scotch.

The bottom line for me, is that if a whisky is good...then it's good. However, the price a bottle of whisky is worth paying for is another matter and the topic for another post.