Blended whiskey

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A blended whiskey (or whisky) is the product of blending different types of whiskies. It is generally the product of mixing one or more single malt whiskies (made from 100 percent malted grain (such as barley or rye) together with other grain whiskies or neutral grain spirits. Scotland, Ireland, and Canada are the most common countries of origin for blends.

Most blended whiskies do not list an age. When a blended scotch whisky does so, each individual malt and grain whisky must be at least as old as the age listed. One of the most widely known examples of blended whisky is the Johnnie Walker brand, but there are many others such as Pigs Nose, Old St Andrews and Isle of Skye

A blended whisky is much less expensive to produce than the other types of whisky. Most cocktails and mixed drinks that call for whisky use blended whisky. This is primarily for cost reasons, and secondarily because the complex flavours of single malt whiskies would be overshadowed by the mixer(s). Scotch purists generally consider blended whisky to be an inferior drink to the single malt Scotch varieties. Others might argue that blending allows for the creation of smoother or more desirable flavors, and many experts agree that top-quality blends can rival certain single-malts in overall flavor and drinking enjoyment.