Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Under the Scotch Whisky Regulations, a single malt Scotch whisky must be made at a single distillery in Scotland, from water, yeast and malted barley without the addition of any other cereals. It must also be distilled in a copper pot still, aged for at least three years in oak casks and be bottled at no less than 40% abv.

While each individual malt whisky distillery will have its individual style, geographically they are split into regional styles. Within these regions the malt whiskies tend to share certain common characteristics but each distillery has it’s own.

Highland and Island distilleries are situated north of a line from Greenock to Dundee. They produce the many intensely flavoured malts, with distinct peatiness, but also floral and honey characteristics. Within the Scottish highlands, the distilleries in the Speyside area produce particularly elegant whiskies that are highly sought after, either as components to blends or as single malts. The Speyside region has the largest number of distilleries. The distilleries on the Island of Islay, off the west coast of Scotland, produce the most fully flavoured and peatiest whiskies, with aromas and flavours of smoke, seaweed, iodine and tar. These are imparted by the local peat used for the malting, which was originally created from decayed marine, vegetable matter. Lowland malts come from the south of the line from Greenock to Dundee; these produce the lightest style of malt whisky. Scotch malts from Campbeltown are traditionally full-flavoured and full-bodied whiskies, famous for their depth of flavour and for their slightly salty tang in the finish.