Editing Scotch whisky (section)

== Types ==
[[File:Scotch whiskies.jpg|thumb|Various Scotch whiskies]]
There are two basic types of Scotch whisky, from which all blends are made:
* [[Single malt Scotch]] whisky must have been distilled at a single distillery as a batch process using a [[pot still]] distillation process and made from a [[mash ingredients|mash]] of 100% [[malt]]ed [[barley]]. Single malt means that the whisky has not been blended elsewhere with whisky from other distilleries. A single malt Scotch must be distilled in Scotland and matured in [[oak]] casks in Scotland for at least three years, although most single malts are matured longer and also must be bottled in Scotland.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How Single Malt Whisky Is Made - Whisky.com |url=https://www.whisky.com/information/knowledge/production/overview/how-single-malt-whisky-is-made.html |website=www.whisky.com}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=Scotch Whisky FAQs |url=https://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/discover/faqs/ |website=Scotch Whisky Association}}</ref>
* [[Grain whisky|Single grain Scotch]] whisky is a Scotch whisky distilled at a single distillery but, in addition to water and malted barley, may involve whole grains of other malted or unmalted cereals. Grain whisky can be distilled continuously in continuous stills or [[column still]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 October 2019 |title=How is Whisky Made? |url=https://www.whiskybosh.com/whisky-handbook/2019/9/30/how-is-whisky-made}}</ref> Single grain whisky can essentially be seen as any spirit from one distillery which qualifies as whisky but does not qualify as malt whisky. "Single grain" does not mean that only a single type of grain was used to produce the whisky; rather, the adjective "single" refers only to the use of a single ''distillery'' (and making a "single grain" generally requires using a ''mixture'' of grains, as barley is a type of grain and some malted barley must be used in all Scotch whisky - although a single grain whisky can be made entirely from malted barley and continuously distilled). 
Excluded from the definition of "single malt Scotch whisky" or "single grain Scotch whisky" is any spirit that qualifies as a blended Scotch whisky. This exclusion is to ensure that a blended Scotch whisky produced from single malt(s) and single grain(s) distilled at the same distillery does not also qualify as single malt Scotch whisky or single grain Scotch whisky. Nearly 90% of the bottles of Scotch sold per year are blended whiskies.<ref name="auto" /> 

Three types of blends are defined for Scotch whisky:
* [[Blended malt whisky|Blended malt]] Scotch whisky means a blend of two or more single malt Scotch whiskies from different distilleries.
* Blended grain Scotch whisky means a blend of two or more single grain Scotch whiskies from different distilleries.
* [[Blended whiskey|Blended]] Scotch whisky means a blend of one or more single malt Scotch whiskies with one or more single grain Scotch whiskies.

The five Scotch whisky definitions are structured in such a way that the categories are mutually exclusive. The 2009 regulations changed the formal definition of blended Scotch whisky to achieve this result, but in a way that reflected traditional and current practice: before the 2009 SWR, any combination of Scotch whiskies qualified as a blended Scotch whisky, including for example a blend of single malt Scotch whiskies.

As was the case under the Scotch Whisky Act 1988, regulation 5 of the SWR 2009 stipulates that the only whisky that may be manufactured in Scotland is Scotch whisky. The definition of ''manufacture'' is "keeping for the purpose of maturation; and keeping, or using, for the purpose of blending, except for domestic blending for domestic consumption". This provision prevents the existence of two "grades" of whisky originating from Scotland, one "Scotch whisky" and the other, a "whisky product of Scotland" that complies with the generic EU standard for whisky. According to the Scotch Whisky Association, allowing non-Scotch whisky production in Scotland would make it difficult to protect Scotch whisky as a distinctive product.{{sfn|Scotch Whisky Association|2009}} The SWR regulation also states that no additives may be used except for plain (E150A) caramel colouring.<ref name="GGazetteGuide">{{Cite web |last=Shapira |first=J. A. |date=25 May 2018 |title=The Scotch Whisky Guide |url=https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/the-scotch-whisky-guide/ |website=www.gentlemansgazette.com}}</ref>

=== Single malt ===
To qualify for this category the Scotch whisky must be made in one distillery, in a [[pot still]] by batch distillation, using only water and malted barley.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 |url=https://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/media/1360/scotchwhiskyregguidance2009-amended.pdf |access-date=29 December 2019 |archive-date=29 December 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191229193817/https://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/media/1360/scotchwhiskyregguidance2009-amended.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> As with any other Scotch whisky, the Scotch Whisky Regulations of 2009 also require single malt Scotch to be made completely and bottled in Scotland and aged for at least three years. Most are aged longer.<ref>{{Cite web |title=How Single Malt Whisky is made - Whisky.com |url=https://www.whisky.com/information/knowledge/production/overview/how-single-malt-whisky-is-made.html |website=www.whisky.com}}</ref><ref name="auto" />

Another term is sometimes seen, called "double wood" or "triple wood", sometimes incorrectly referred to as "double malt" or "triple malt". These indicate that the whisky was aged in two or three types of casks. Hence, if the whisky otherwise meets the criteria of single malt, it still falls into the single malt category even if more than one type of cask was used for ageing.<ref name=GGazetteGuide/> Examples include The Balvenie 12 Year DoubleWood and Laphroaig Triple Wood.

Another nuance is that Lowland Scotch malts use a triple distillation just like [[Irish whiskey]], breaking away from the general rule that all Scotch is double distilled.<ref>{{Cite web |date=21 December 2019 |title=The Difference Between Scotch and Whiskey |url=https://www.theirishplace.com/food-and-drink/difference-between-scotch-and-whiskey/}}</ref>

=== Single grain ===
Single grain whisky is made with water and malted barley but the distillery then adds other grains or cereals, [[wheat]], [[maize|corn]], or [[rye]], for example. From that moment on, it can no longer be called single malt. This type of product must be from a single distillery and is often used in making blended Scotch.<ref name=GGazetteGuide/> Single grain whiskies are usually not distilled in pot stills but with [[column still]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.kilchomandistillery.com/distillery-news/what-exactly-makes-a-scotch-single-malt-single-grain-or-a-blend/|title=What exactly makes a scotch 'single malt', 'single grain' or a 'blend'?|accessdate=7 April 2023}}</ref>

=== Blended malt ===
[[Blended malt whisky]], formerly called ''vatted malt'' or ''pure malt'' (terms that are now prohibited in the SWR 2009), is one of the least common types of Scotch: a blend of single malts from more than one distillery (possibly with differing ages).

Blended malts contain only single malt whiskies from two or more distilleries.<ref name=GGazetteGuide/> This type must contain no grain whiskies and is distinguished by the absence of the word "single" on the bottle. The age of the vat is that of the youngest of the original ingredients. For example, a blended malt marked "8 years old" may include older whiskies, with the youngest constituent being eight years old. Johnnie Walker Green Label and [[Monkey Shoulder]] are examples of blended malt whisky. Starting from November 2011, no Scotch whisky could be labelled as a vatted malt or pure malt, the SWR requiring them to be labelled blended malt instead.{{sfn|Scotch Whisky Association|2009|loc=Chapter 11}}

=== Blended grain===
The term blended grain Scotch refers to whisky that contains at least two single grain Scotch whiskies from at least two distilleries, combined to create one batch of the product.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Smith |first=Gavin D. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2WuADwAAQBAJ&pg=PT52 |title=MicroDistillers' Handbook |publisher=Paragraph Publishing |year=2018 |isbn=978-1-9998408-0-8 |page=52}}</ref>

=== Blended ===
[[File:Johnnie Walker Blends Lineup.jpg|thumb|[[Johnnie Walker]] produces a line of blended whiskies.]]
Blended Scotch whisky constitutes about 90% of the whisky produced in Scotland.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009 |title=Statistical Report |url=http://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk:80/swa/files/StatisticalReport2009.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120131070959/http://www.scotch-whisky.org.uk/swa/files/StatisticalReport2009.pdf |archive-date=31 January 2012 |access-date=16 November 2011 |website=scotch-whisky.org}}</ref> Blended Scotch whiskies contain both malt whisky and grain whisky. Producers combine the various malts and grain whiskies to produce a consistent brand style. Notable blended Scotch whisky brands include [[Ballantine's]], [[Bell's whisky|Bell's]], [[Chivas Regal]], [[Cutty Sark (whisky)|Cutty Sark]], [[Dewar's]], [[Grant's]], [[Justerini & Brooks Whisky|J&B]], [[Johnnie Walker]], [[Teacher's Highland Cream]], [[The Famous Grouse]], [[Vat 69]], [[Whyte and Mackay]] and [[William Lawson's]]. Most Blended Scotch Whiskies are made from the produce of at least two distilleries as the majority of distilleries produce only malt ''or'' grain whiskies; however a few distilleries such as [[Loch Lomond Distillery|Loch Lomond]] produce both malt and grain whisky at the same site.