Mixed Scotch whisky is a delicacy of the whisky lovers. Although single malts tend to be the best entertainers, blends seem to do their thing effortlessly and silently with smooth balanced flavour. In Liquor Kingdom customers come up asking us what makes blended Scotch so special. The solution is quite obvious one, harmony. Blended Scotch combines various whiskies in a way that the result is more than the combination of just two or more of them.
The blending art is music composition. Every whisky takes on its note. The ability of the blender is to mix these notes together so as to come up with a beautiful complete song. Blended Scotch appeals to everyone, whether you are a daily drinker or drink Champagne. Now that we have got the basics down, let us look a little more closely at what makes this type of whisky so popular and how craft and creativity can make it magical.
The trick of Balance
The blended Scotch whisky is all about balance. A master blender picks out single malt and grain whiskies which can be combined to give the sweet rich flavor. Every whisky contributes something on its own, and some may be sweet, some may be deep or spice.
As the example, we might take the Chivas Regal 18 Years 100cl 40%. It is a rich and velvet textured blend. The embodiment of notes of dark chocolate, dried fruit and warm spice are together in harmony. The product is absolutely delicious, so it is an ideal choice to go to a person who prefers a drink that has a rich flavour but is easy to drink.
Blended Scotch is made to satisfy. Its sweet flavor is attractive to new drinkers as well as the experienced whisky lovers. That is what makes it very special.
Creative Space for Creative Ideas
The blended Scotch allows the whisky makers to get creative. It is possible to combine regions and casks of whiskies to produce new and dynamic profiles by blenders. This liberty results in new flavours and concepts that you would not get in single malts only.
Its ideal example is the Compass Box Orchard House 70cl 46%. This whisky is full of fruit notes, which are fresh and vivid. It is a cocktail that is shocking and pleasant to drink. The Compass Box The Peat Monster 70cl 46%, in its turn, introduces strong, smoky flavours to the mix, resulting in an overall heavy but well-balanced composition.
This combination of old and new is one of the factors that keeps blended Scotch so popular.
A Taste to Suit all Tastes
The good thing about blended Scotch whisky is that there is something that everybody will enjoy. No matter what sweet, smoky, fruity or spicy notes are your favorites, you will have a bottle of your taste.
This is why blends are versatile:
- They are able to mix flavours in a same glass.
- They are easy to drink with smooth and friendly taste to all types of whisky enthusiasts.
- They are appropriate to a number of occasions -- informal evenings and extravagant parties.
The Compass Box Nectarosity 70cl 46% is well suited to people who prefer banana sweetness. In the meantime, those adventurous drinkers could perhaps experiment with the Compass Box Secrets Of Smoke 70cl 52 % which has layers of smokiness coupled with some element of sweetness below.
A Tale within a Bottle
Blended Scotch whiskies are not beverages. They narrate something. Every bottle bears the decisions of the blender: which regions they have chosen, which casks they have chosen and which style they have tried to create.
Compass Box Juveniles 70cl 46 % was produced in collaboration with a renowned Parisian bar that combines delicate fruit flavours with a hint of spice to give a sense of Paris excitement. Compass Box Architectonics Foundations 70cl 49 % is a journey into creative cask marriage with as many layers and flavours as possible to satisfy the pallet once more.
Boundary-Pushing Blends
Blended Scotch is not only a tradition. Others go to extremes and present something really new. These bottles indicate that blending is like art that keeps on growing and developing.
Compass Box Crimson Casks 70cl 46 is a gutsy mix that has been matured in sherry casks to give them heavy flavours. Compass Box B-Side New Vibrations 70cl 49% is a whisky with bright modern character that is a result of playing around with new and surprising casks. And to those who desire something really unique, then the Compass Box The Circle Release No.1 70cl 46 percent presents a custom flavour experience that the true whisky connoisseurs would invent.
Conclusion
Blended Scotch whisky is unique in the sense that it unites the best of numerous worlds. Whether it is the velvety, dessert-like Chivas Regal 18 Years 100cl 40% or the creative force of Compass Box The Peat Monster 70cl 46%, blends have a flavour, balance, and craftsmanship of flavour in every bottle.
At Liquor Kingdom, we feel that blended Scotch should get its right at the top. It is whisky to enjoy, experiment and share with friends, wherever you are on the whisky trail. Why not have a drink and find out the magic by yourself?
