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WhatDrink

Spirits

Single Malt Scotch

  • Spirit
  • Alcoholic

At a Glance

SpiritType

What is Single Malt Scotch?

Single Malt Scotch Whisky is Scotch Whisky made at one distillery from water and malted barley without other cereals, using batch distillation in pot stills, while remaining subject to the general Scotch Whisky maturation and strength rules.

What does Single Malt Scotch taste like?

Single Malt Scotch varies widely by distillery, region, peat use, fermentation, still character, cask programme and age; the legal production category does not prescribe one universal tasting profile.

Single Malt Scotch authority guide

What defines Single Malt Scotch?

Regulated standard

Single Malt Scotch Whisky is Scotch Whisky produced at a single distillery from water and malted barley without other cereals, using batch distillation in pot stills. It also remains subject to the general Scotch Whisky maturation and strength rules.

Source: Scotch Whisky Association

The product-level view below is built from 8,569 approved WhatDrink whiskey records. It currently spans 140 named distilleries.

8,569
Products
55.9%
With age data
22.4%
With cask data
61.0%
With distillery data

Age statements in the graph

4,791 products have an approved age statement, ranging from 3 to 85 years in the current dataset.

Common documented cask types

Sherry cask · 917Bourbon cask · 423Oloroso sherry cask · 309Pedro Ximenez sherry cask · 102Port cask · 56Wine cask · 48Virgin oak · 32Rum cask · 25

Most represented distilleries

Macallan · 492Springbank · 250Bruichladdich · 216Glenfarclas · 199Bowmore · 167Glenrothes · 162Ardbeg · 150Highland Park · 145Dalmore · 137Balvenie · 113

Representative products

  • Ardbeg, Single Malt Single Cask Strength 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel Cask No 10 Bottled 2020, Islay
    single malt · Ardbeg
  • Ardbeg, Single Malt Single Cask Strength 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel Cask No 5824 Bottled 2019, Islay
    single malt · Ardbeg
  • Ardbeg, Single Malt Single Cask Strength Sherry Butt No 86 Bottled 2007, Islay
    single malt · Ardbeg
  • Benriach, Single Malt Single Cask Bottling - Batch 13 Peated/Oloroso Sherry Finish Cask No 7569 29YO Bottled 2016, Speyside
    single malt · 29 years · BenRiach
  • Benriach, Single Malt Single Cask Bottling - Batch 13 Tawny Peated/Port Finish Cask No 5462 39YO Bottled 2016, Speyside
    single malt · 39 years · BenRiach
  • Glengyle, Single Malt Kilkerran Cask Strength Bourbon Cask Matured 8YO 55.8%, Campbeltown
    single malt · 8 years · Glengyle
  • Glengyle, Single Malt Kilkerran Cask Strength Bourbon Cask Matured 8YO Bottled 2025 55.6%, Campbeltown
    single malt · 8 years · Glengyle
  • Glengyle, Single Malt Kilkerran Cask Strength Port Cask Matrured 8YO 57.9%, Campbeltown
    single malt · 8 years · Glengyle
  • Glengyle, Single Malt Kilkerran Cask Strength Sherry Cask Matured 8YO 57.4%, Campbeltown
    single malt · 8 years · Glengyle
  • Glengyle, Single Malt Kilkerran Cask Strength Sherry Cask Matured 8YO 58.1%, Campbeltown
    single malt · 8 years · Glengyle

Coverage percentages describe approved fields in WhatDrink's current specialist dataset; an unfilled field is not treated as a negative claim.

Drink counts and recipe data are based on published WhatDrink recipes. Figures may vary as new recipes are added.