Whisky Glossary
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.
