Single malt and blended whisky aren't a hierarchy - they're two different approaches to making whisky, suited to different moments. This guide breaks down what actually separates them, clears up the most common misconceptions, and points you toward bottles worth trying from five whisky-producing countries.

Quick answer: single malt whisky comes from one distillery and uses 100% malted barley. Blended whisky combines whiskies - often malt and grain - from multiple distilleries - to build a consistent, layered flavour profile. Neither is "better." They're built for different jobs, occasions and tastes. 

Single malt does not mean single barrel, and it does not mean unblended. 

A single malt is a blend of malt whisky casks from one distillery, made entirely from malted barley.

• Single = one distillery

• Malt = 100% malted barley

Scotland made the category famous, but single malt is now produced globally, with each country setting its own rules. In the US, for example, "American Single Malt" is a newly recognised category: 100% malted barley, distilled at a single distillery, aged in oak.

Flavour profiles vary widely, with much of their nuances being attributed to cask type and distillery character - the style of whisky the distillery is looking to create. 

A reminder - the age statement on the front of the bottle (if it has one) is the minimum age of whiskies inside that bottle. So a single malt may be a marriage of casks from one distillery, aged for the ‘numbered’ amount of time, and above. Another note: older doesn’t necessarily mean better when it comes to whisky.

Blended whisky makes up over 90% of whisky sold worldwide. 

It's typically malt whisky combined with grain whisky, sourced from more than one distillery.

Blending is its own craft, aimed at consistency, balance, and complexity — combining different casks and styles to produce something approachable and often more affordable than a single malt.

It could be argued, in fact, that creating a blend is significantly more challenging than a single malt: the challenge to create the same complexity of flavour and balance time after time, from an ever-rolling stock of casks that change every time you go to make the same blend. 

Common blend types:

• Blended Whisky — malt + grain whisky (e.g. Johnnie Walker)

• Blended malt — only malt whiskies, from different distilleries (e.g. The Heart Cut BARLEY - an English Blended Malt made from 5 of England’s leading single malt distilleries)

• World blends — whiskies combined across countries (e.g. Woven Hemisphere and Nikka From the Barrel - a blend of Japanese and imported whiskies into one profile).

While we’re here - as we bought it up earlier - let’s cover what a single cask is.

As the name suggests, this is one single cask of whisky. This could be a single malt (SINGLE being the key word - one single distillery), but it might also be a single rye, a single ‘wheat’ whiskey. 

99% of whisky is laid down in a cask for maturation, whether that be a cask made of oak or another type of wood (this distinction will be dictated by country). 

Every cask is different - thus every whisky, that comes from every cask, will be different. Casks are limited in volume as they’re a singular entity, so when looking at a single cask you’re looking at a limited number of bottles coming from this. 

There's no wrong answer - it depends on the occasion.

• Want complexity and a sense of place? Single malt.

• Want a reliable all-rounder? A well-made blend.

• Mixing cocktails? Blended whisky usually gives better value and versatility but that’s not to say you CAN’T use a single malt in a cocktail! 

• Sipping by the fire? Go either way - whatever suits the mood. 

Prices below are approximate as of August 2026 and will shift with the market — treat them as a guide, not a quote.

• Ardbeg 10 Year Old — Islay single malt. Tarry peat smoke, lemon zest, salt air. Tasting notes: smoked bacon, iodine, lemon peel, black pepper. ~£50–60.
• GlenDronach 15 Year Old Revival — Highland single malt, matured in Oloroso and PX casks. Rich and sherried. Tasting notes: fig, raisin, dark chocolate, nutmeg. ~£80–95.
• Johnnie Walker Black Label Islay Origin — smoky blended Scotch built around Islay malts. Works well long, with cola. Yes you read that correct - a smoky cokey. Tasting notes: bonfire smoke, heather honey, peppercorn. ~£30–40.
• Compass Box Nectarosity — a patisserie-leaning blend. Tasting notes: vanilla custard, honeycomb, caramelised pear. ~£85–95.

• Teeling Single Malt — made at Dublin's first new distillery in 125 years, aged across five wine cask types. Tasting notes: tropical fruit, baking spice, red grape. ~£45–55.
• The Heart Cut #11 – JJ Corry — our Great Taste two star award winning Irish blend, drawn from four casks including sherry-matured pot still and grain whiskies. Tasting notes: sunshine in a glass! marmalade, toasted almond, spice. ~£70–80.

• Wire Works Caduro — Another husband and wife team fronting one of England's most exciting new distilleries up in the Peak District. ~£60-70
• The Heart Cut BARLEY — Five distilleries, one small-batch English Blended Malt. Built around the flavours you told us you love - summer fruits, vanilla cream and gentle spice. Sip neat, shake up or stir down. Delicious however you like it. ~£40-50

• Hakushu Distiller's Reserve — a mountain-distillery single malt with light smoke and orchard fruit. Tasting notes: green apple, smoke, mint, white flower. ~£90–110.
• Hibiki Japanese Harmony — a blend of malt and grain whisky from Suntory's three distilleries. Tasting notes: orange blossom, sandalwood, honeyed cereal. ~£85–100.

• The Heart Cut #20 Westland — A single cask, American single malt smoked with local Washington State Peat - showing that peaty pours don’t just HAVE to come from Scotland. ~£80-90.
• High West Double Rye — a blend of a young, punchy rye and an older, mellower one. Tasting notes: clove, mint, honey, cinnamon stick. ~£55–65.

• Woven Hemisphere — a blend of Manuka-smoked New Zealand single malt and Scottish grain whisky. Tasting notes: orange zest, clove, manuka honey, soft smoke. ~£45–55.