Scotch whisky

Scotland is the whisky country par excellence: it has more than a hundred working distilleries and its name, Scotch, is protected by law. Single malt and the great blends drunk all over the world were born here, and each region, from Speyside to Islay, has its own character. This page has every Scotch whisky in the catalogue, with its regions, its distilleries and brands, the average flavour profile and a guide to get started.

In the catalogue
309 whiskies
Distilleries and brands
110
Most common type
Single malt
Peated
66 of 309

History, style and where to startIts distilleries on the world map

309 whiskies

Guide to Scotch whisky

History

The first written reference to Scottish aqua vitae appears in the royal accounts of 1494, when the friar John Cor received malt to make it. For centuries it was a farm drink, and 18th-century taxes pushed many distillers underground, until the 1823 act made licences cheaper and brought much of the production into the open. The continuous still, patented in 1830, made it possible to produce grain whisky on a large scale and, by blending it with malt, the blends were born, which conquered the world when phylloxera devastated cognac. After the crises of the 20th century, the rise of single malt from the end of the century put the distilleries back in the spotlight.

What the law says

To be called Scotch whisky, a whisky must be distilled and matured in Scotland, in oak casks, for at least three years, and bottled at a minimum of 40% ABV. It may only contain water, cereal, yeast and, at most, caramel to adjust the colour. The law defines five categories: single malt (malted barley only, from one distillery and in traditional pot stills), single grain, blended malt, blended grain and blended Scotch. The age on the label is always that of the youngest whisky.

Style and flavour

There is no single Scottish style, which is why people talk about regions: Speyside leans towards fruit and sherry; the Highlands, towards variety; the Lowlands, towards lightness; Islay and some of the islands, towards peat and the sea; and Campbeltown, towards a briny, oily character. Bourbon casks bring vanilla and honey; sherry casks, dried fruit and spice. Blends, which make up most sales, aim for a smooth balance between grain and malt.

Average flavour profile of Scotch whisky in the catalogue (309 whiskies)

Sweet
2.9
Fresh fruit
2.3
Ripe and dried fruit
1.6
Floral and herbal
1.1
Cereal and malt
1.6
Vanilla and creamy
1.9
Oak
1.7
Spicy
1.8
Toasted
1.5
Smoky
0.8
Maritime
0.6
Body and intensity
2.5

Where to start

To start, a blend such as Johnnie Walker Black Label shows the Scottish style with a touch of smoke. If you prefer a friendly single malt, Glenfiddich 12 Year Old is an easy-to-find benchmark, fresh and fruity. And if smoke appeals to you, Talisker 10 Year Old is a good step before the intense peat of Islay. From there, each region’s page helps you keep exploring.

This text was generated and translated by AI and may contain errors.

Explore more