This variety should not be confused with blended whisky. For a blended malt whisky, different single malts from different distilleries are mixed together . Unlike blended whisky, however, no grain whiskies are added. In the end, the connoisseur has the combined aromas of various high-quality single malts in the glass.

In everyday life, blended malt plays a rather small role. The availability of good single malts is so high that most connoisseurs prefer them.

Single malt whisky comes from just one distillery (single) and may only be made from malted barley (malt). It is stored in oak barrels. The master blender selects the barrels based on various factors and then mixes them together in a large tank. This is the only way to create a uniform style that fans of a particular variety can get used to.

If you want to enjoy a single malt, you should do so with a nosing glass . Tasting is particularly exciting for most connoisseurs, because the characteristics determine the actual taste and smell. Age also plays a role, of course, as single malts are often stored in oak barrels for 10 years or more. If the bottle says 12 years old, it must not contain any malts that are younger.

The single cask whisky is basically just the little brother of the single malt, but is clearly known among connoisseurs as a much more refined variant. Here the manufacturers go one step further . The malts used do not only come from a single distillery, but even from a single (single) cask. Because there is no blending, these whiskies do not have a uniform taste. Each cask brings different aromas to the glass.

Single grain whisky is still relatively new. The best known and at the same time worst of its kind is the Haig Club by former footballer David Beckham. This is a whisky made from various types of grain.

Blended grain whisky is more of an exotic option. It is a blend of grain whiskies that come from different distilleries. There are very few examples of this type on the market.

Whiskey is very popular in the USA for cocktails. This is also the reason why rye whiskey is experiencing a second spring. Its aroma is much more distinctive than bourbon , which is why it is much easier to taste in cocktails. Rye whiskey has a 51 percent rye content. It matures in barrels for 2 years. However, most manufacturers give it 4 years to develop its aroma. Rye whiskey was very popular before Prohibition. Later, milder bourbons overtook it. Today, it is in great demand again.

Corn whiskey is distilled from corn. The proportion here is around 80 percent in the grain mixture in the mash. This means that it contains significantly more corn than the 51 percent in bourbon. Just like bourbon, it is stored for at least two, but often four years and is particularly recommended for fans of sweet whiskey.

Straight whiskey is, as the name suggests, very straightforward. It comes from just one distillery in the USA, but is not blended with neutral alcohol . In principle, it is a supercategory that includes bourbons, Tennessee whiskeys, rye whiskeys and corn whiskeys. This means that almost any American whiskey can also be a straight whiskey.

Small batch bourbon is something special because it is not blended from many different barrels, but from a fine and small selection . The master blender selects these barrels and mixes them together in a larger tank. The size of the batch, i.e. the number of barrels used, is not fixed. The larger distilleries in particular are likely to mix a lot of barrels together. The result can still be called small batch bourbon.

The single barrel bourbon is the counterpart to the Scottish single cask whisky. This whiskey is bottled from a single barrel, which must be a typical bourbon barrel with a capacity of around 200 litres. During storage, a certain percentage evaporates or is absorbed into the wood . The yield of bottles is therefore correspondingly low. Each barrel produces a slightly different taste, which is why these whiskeys are particularly appealing to connoisseurs. The label only shows the batch number, the age and the barrel. The taste is then a surprise every time, within a limited range.

When you heard of Tennessee whiskey, did you immediately think of Jack Daniel's? That's right, because the Lynchburg distillery did a lot to ensure that the term spread quickly. In most cases, Tennessee whiskey is actually a bourbon, but is not sold as such . To be called Tennessee whiskey, the whiskey must have been produced in Tennessee. This is one of the requirements. Another is that it must also be distilled using the Lincoln County Process. Here, the whiskey is filtered through a thick layer of charcoal and maple wood. The distillate is then filled into the well-known wooden barrels. So anyone who drinks Tennessee whiskey is really just enjoying a variant of bourbon.

Bourbon whiskeys are available almost everywhere in every price range. For this reason, the demand for blended American whiskeys is rather low. A blend must consist of at least 20 percent straight whiskey. Everything else is a matter of interpretation, because the regulations for this whiskey are not particularly strict. The quality is often correspondingly low.

Some American whiskeys have the additional designation "Bonded". These bonded whiskeys come from a single distillery and were produced within a limited period of time. The alcohol content is at least 50 percent . They are stored in a sealed customs house for at least four years before being sold. This gives the distilleries several advantages. Firstly, it is a great marketing tool and secondly, these whiskeys are only taxed when they are delivered.