Glossary

Don’t know your malt from your grain? Muddled about whether to splash or dash? This glossary is here to help you.

Blending

The act of combining one liquid with another, an important part of whisky making

Blended Whisky

The product of blending multiple malt and grain whiskies together

Body

How the Scotch feels in your mouth

Bourbon

A whiskey distilled in the US from a minimum 51% maize (the rest being malt and rye) and aged in oak barrels

Cask

The barrel in which whisky is held to mature over many year. This must always be oak.

Colour

The deep golden hue of a whisky

Dram

A Scottish measure for drinking spirits, mainly whisky

Distillery

A place where whisky (or other strong spirits) are made

Finish

The taste left on the palette once the whisky has been swallowed.

Grain Whisky

Whisky made, at least in part, from grains as well as a small amount of malted barley to start the process

George Ballantine

We’re named after our founder George Ballantine – a Scottish grocer who first blended Finest in 1910

Malt Whisky

Whisky that is made from a fermented mash produced primarily from a malted grain (usually Barley) and distilled in copper pot stills

Maturing

The process of ageing in an oak cask

Nose

The aroma of a whisky, how it smells

Peaty

A smokey or medicinal flavour

Scotch Watch

The name for the geese who watched over our Dumbarton warehouses

Single Malt

The product of a single distillery

Bar Spoon

A long handled spoon used for stirring and layering of drinks or ‘a big spoon’ for at home amateur cocktail makers

Dash

A very small amount, usually a quick flick of the wrist would do.

Highball Glass

A highball glass is a glass tumbler that can contain 240 to 350 ml

Jigger

A bartending tool used to measure the volume of spirit or liqueur to go in a cocktail

Large Jigger

Usually between 40 to 50ml

Mixer

A soft drink that’s added to a spirit e.g Ballantine’s Finest and Cola

Muddle / Muddler

A muddler is a bartending tool used like a pestle to mash or ‘muddle’ fruits, herbs and spices in the bottom of a glass to release their flavour. A mini rolling pin does the trick too!

Neat

A single measure, served without ice, water or any mixer

Part

An equal measure, whether it’s a shot, splash or jigger

Rocks

Any drink that is served with or over ice

Shot

A small shot glass worth (around 25ml)

Shaker

A bartending device used to mix beverages by shaking- or any large cup with a lid you have!

Small Jigger

Usually around 25ml

Splash

A looser term, giving you free reign to pour in a good glug

Strainer

A bartending tool used to remove ice from a mixed drink as it’s poured into a serving glass

Sugar Syrup

Sugar syrup can be bought or made by stirring granulated sugar into hot water in a saucepan until the sugar is dissolved and then leave it to cool off

Tumbler

A tumbler is a drinking glass with straight sides.