Just to add a bit more regarding what we call Scotch, since there's a bit of confusion here. We have a few terms which are quite strictly legally protected: Si

Just to add a bit more regarding what we call Scotch, since there's a bit of confusion here. We have a few terms which are quite strictly legally protected: Single malt = a single distillery blending various barrels of malt whisky they produced themselves Single grain = a single distillery blending various barrels of grain whisky they produced themselves Blended malt = a whisky produced from barrels of malt whisky from various distilleries Blended grain = a whisky produced from barrels of grain whisky from various distilleries ... I don't think I have ever seen this :) Blended scotch = a whisky produced from barrels of grain or malt whisky from various distilleries If you were to randomly choose a cheaper whisky it'll likely be a blended scotch, if you were to randomly choose a more expensive whisky it'll likely be a single malt. There are exceptions of course - there are cheap(er) single malts and there are pricier blends - and "blended" does not necessarily imply bad whisky (nor does the presence of grain whisky necessarily imply bad!). And indeed there are pricey single grains (Arbikie in Arbroath were doing a Rye whisky for a few hundred pounds a bottle). The only way to know anything for sure is to sample for yourself, which is a delicious and fun thing to do :D Edit: oh and "grain" refers to a bunch of things that aren't barley - it could be corn, millet, wheat, rye, rice or other things.