Whisky (Scotch)
Scotch is whisky distilled and matured in Scotland, kept in oak for three years at the least, and bottled no weaker than 40% ABV. The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 allow only three ingredients, water, malted barley and whole grains of other cereals, and only water and plain caramel colouring may be added later. Fifteen recipes in our library call for it, from the Penicillin and Hot Toddy to the Rob Roy.
Quick Facts
Store upright in a cool, dark place. Reseal tightly after use.
None of the 14 listed allergens. Distilled from grain, but distillation removes gluten, so it is not labelled as a gluten allergen.
About Whisky (Scotch)
Flavour Profile
Primary Flavours
Tasting Notes
Balanced grain and malt sweetness with oak structure. Depending on style, may show vanilla, dried fruit, cereal notes, or smoky/peaty character. In cocktails, it contributes dryness and depth.
Three ingredients, and caramel the only extra
The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 define the drink tightly. Only water, malted barley and whole grains of other cereals may go into the mash, and the conversion, fermenting and distilling all happen at one distillery. The new spirit, run off at under 94.8%, then waits at least three years in Scottish warehouses, in oak casks of 700 litres or less, before bottling at 40% or stronger. A sweetened or flavoured Scotch cannot exist, because water and plain caramel are the only extras allowed.
Five legal types, and a blend for most of our drinks
The five categories of Scotch whisky, as the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 define them; grain whisky’s column stills: the Oxford Companion, a secondary source; the recipe column is ours.
Single Malt
- What it is
- Malted barley only, from one distillery
- Stills
- Pot stills
- In our recipes
- Rob Roy, Affinity, Bobby Burns (or a blend)
Single Grain
- What it is
- Other cereals as well as malted barley, from one distillery
- Stills
- Usually column stills
- In our recipes
- Not named on its own
Blended Malt
- What it is
- Single malts from more than one distillery
- Stills
- Pot stills
- In our recipes
- Blood and Sand (one option)
Blended Grain
- What it is
- Single grains from more than one distillery
- Stills
- Usually column stills
- In our recipes
- Not named on its own
Blended Scotch
- What it is
- Single malts mixed with single grains
- Stills
- Both
- In our recipes
- Penicillin, Hot Toddy, Whisky Mac and most others
| Category | What it is | Stills | In our recipes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single Malt | Malted barley only, from one distillery | Pot stills | Rob Roy, Affinity, Bobby Burns (or a blend) |
| Single Grain | Other cereals as well as malted barley, from one distillery | Usually column stills | Not named on its own |
| Blended Malt | Single malts from more than one distillery | Pot stills | Blood and Sand (one option) |
| Blended Grain | Single grains from more than one distillery | Usually column stills | Not named on its own |
| Blended Scotch | Single malts mixed with single grains | Both | Penicillin, Hot Toddy, Whisky Mac and most others |
Where a blend works and where a malt does
Grain whisky is lighter than malt, and in a blend it softens the drink without hiding the malt. That is why the Penicillin takes 60ml of blended Scotch with honey, ginger and lemon, and why the Hot Toddy and Whisky Mac use a blend too. A fruity single malt from the Highlands or Speyside gives more to a stirred Rob Roy than a blend can. Peat is a choice taken at the maltings, when barley is dried over burning peat; most of our recipes keep it out, and the Islay page covers when to let it in.
Using Whisky (Scotch)
Usage
Blended Scotch is the house pour: 60ml in a Penicillin or Hot Toddy, 50ml in a Whisky and Ginger Beer, 25ml in a Blood and Sand. Single malt suits stirred drinks such as the Rob Roy, and peat goes in only where a recipe asks for it.
Pro Tip
In a Hot Toddy or a Penicillin, pick a blend you would drink neat. The lemon and honey flatten detail but not harshness, so a rough bottle shows through more than a fine one.
Top Tips
- Buy a sound blend for mixing first: most of our Scotch recipes are written for one.
- A twelve on a Scotch label promises that nothing in the bottle is younger than twelve years.
- Keep heavily peated malt out of a drink unless the recipe names it; the smoke takes over.
- Highland, Speyside and Islay are place names protected by the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009: they tell you where the whisky was distilled, not how it tastes.
Possible Substitutions
- Whiskey (Irish): Softer and unpeated; close to a light blend
- Whisky (Japanese): A light Japanese blend suits a highball in the same way
Production Method
Water and malted barley, plus whole grains of other cereals if wanted, are mashed, turned to sugar by the grain’s own enzymes and fermented at a Scottish distillery. Under the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, the spirit comes off the still under 94.8% ABV and rests in Scottish warehouses in oak of 700 litres at most, for at least three years. Nothing may be added except water and plain caramel.
More to explore
Common Questions
What are the ingredients in Scotch whisky?
What are the legal requirements for Scotch whisky?
What is the difference between single malt and blended Scotch?
What does the age on a bottle of Scotch mean?
What mixer goes with Scotch?
What do Speyside, Islay and Highland mean on a label?
Is Scotch gluten free?
Can you make a whisky Negroni with Scotch?
Sources.
Checked between 16 October and 19 October 2026.
- legislation.gov.uk, “The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, regulation 3”.
- legislation.gov.uk, “The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009”.
- legislation.gov.uk, “Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex II (as retained in UK law)”.
- The Oxford Companion to Spirits and Cocktails, “whisky, grain” (secondary source: grain whisky distilled in continuous (column) stills in Scotland, Ireland and Japan; maximum 94.8 percent ABV; a distinct category from the 1908 Royal Commission).
- IBA, “Boulevardier”.
Made with Whisky (Scotch)
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Updated 19 October 2026