The only thing I would add to a good single malt is a touch of water. It really does allow the taste of the Whisky to come out. If I was after a whisky to mix it would be any on offer blended. Nothing wrong with a good blended by the way. BNJ was / is excellent and so is monkies shoulder. I once had a bottle of blended single malts called the living cask from Loch Fyne Whiskies. Best I’ve ever had by a long way but bloody expensive.

http://www.lfw.co.uk/acatalog/Living-Cask.html

Chivas Regal is very nice,and unfortunately its dearer than some malts so if I am drinking a blend it’ll be BB.

Highland Earl from Aldi.

I got a bottle for Christmas, and I must admit the whisky snob in me stuck it to back of my shelf expecting to use it as a mixer.

In the interest of fairness I tried it straight last night and it’s lovely, infact more enjoyable than some of my single malts.

Oh and it’s £9.99 a bottle!

Do people really buy drinks costing this much?

http://www.shop4whisky.com/product_info.php?products_id=1055

My local grocers (G&M) have bottles behind the counter for £3,500 🙂

It’s worth pointing out that “blended” can be a bit misleading since it can cover quite different products.

Most blended whiskey or whisky is cheaper as they use grain rather than malt and as such are fundamentally slightly different. Many / most won’t notice the difference, mind. Some blended whiskeys are blended single malts (eg Bushmills) and as such are usually regarded as better though clearly that’s very subjective.

Can O’ Worms.

Not a blend (though it would be a decent name for one), but this thread.

My understanding is as follows (it’ll be wrong or arguable, but it won’t be far off).

Most whisky is blended.

Single Malt is a blend of whiskies from a single distillery. If it has an age, they will be of the same age. Normally there is water added during the blending – if it’s cask strength there wasn’t.

Single cask is unblended but may have added water.

Single grain whiskies also exist, though I forget any examples.

Blends may be malt or grain and generally refer to blending more than one distillery. The good blends are as good as the good singles, and the best are excellent. They also cost as much.

All distilleries are the oldest, newest, smallest, highest, lowest, most remote etc.

Of course like all Scots mythology, most whisky lore is subject to change without notice.

That sounds about right I think apart from the blended single malt – if it has an age then the youngest whisky will be that age (there may well be older ones in there).