Looking For A High-Quality Whiskey? Watch For This One Word

Perusing the shelves for a standout whiskey (or whisky if you're looking for Scotch), means having an eagle eye for elevated price tags, but there are other things to note, too. In fact, some words on the label could trigger suspicion. One term that begs a closer look is "blended," which is a sign that the whiskey in your hands could either be the product of careful curation, or corner-cutting. 

Being a blend doesn't mean outright that a whiskey is not high-quality. In fact, some of the most prestigious whiskeys in the world are created by master blenders. In other cases, however, the word "blended" can indicate that the whiskey may not be top shelf. When whiskeys are blended, ambiguity gives producers a chance to use less desirable (often cheaper) whiskeys in the blend to keep the price tag lower.

Ways to identify higher quality whiskey, particularly for beginners, include searching for key terms. "Single malt" is often shorthand for quality, an expression of one distillery's ability to control the entire process using only barley. Where a single malt is an album from one musician, blended malt is a mixtape, and can be amazing or terrible based on the taste or intention of the maker. If you see "blended" on the bottle, it's a signal that you can't take for granted that the quality will be high. Early in your whiskey journey, choosing blends can be risky, as high and low quality blends can cross-over in price point.

If "blended" is on the bottle, it is often followed by one of two words, "whiskey" or "malt," which can make a significant difference. Blended whiskey (or whisky) sometimes means that non-barley-derived grain whiskey has been used. Unlike single malts, both blended malts and blended whiskeys could include spirits distilled with faster, cheaper-to-run column stills, which produce whiskey with less complexity and character. This creates yet more ambiguity, meaning that finding a higher quality whiskey can require more knowledge or familiarity. Blended malt means that the whiskey still comprises 100% barley, just from different distilleries or batches. Whiskeys in a blended malt may come from the same distillery but have different ages.

Some blends are verifiably high-quality, and blending has potential strengths, like allowing master blenders to achieve consistency. Johnnie Walker is blended malt Scotch, influenced by the founder's experience in tea blending, and its status as the world's best-selling Scotch comes in part from the fact it tastes the same no matter where or when you buy it. Johnnie Walker blue label is one of the most-recognized premium blended Scotches on the market, even if it's a bit overrated. Many highly regarded Irish whiskeys are blended, with well-known options like Jameson's 18 Years Old. In Japan, Suntory Whisky's Hibiki is another lauded example of top-shelf blended whiskey. Most American whiskeys like bourbon intrinsically blend different grains, although American single malt is gaining popularity as well.