Our Favorite Blended Malt Whiskies

Taketsuru Pure Malt, released in the summer of 2015 without an age statement, is set to replace the now extinct aged Taketsuru expressions. It is a blend of malts averaging 10 years of age, with a high percentage of Miyagikyo malt, with some Yoichi added in. The whiskies were aged in different cask types, including ex-sherry barrels. Note: As of November 2020, this product has been discontinued and replaced with a reformulated blend. That new product has an updated label as well.

Sheep Dip gets its name from a time amateur whisky distillers in Scotland's farm lands used to hide their hooch from tax collectors, and the joke is the barrels were labeled "Sheep Dip" to throw them off. Considering the name, this blend was actually crafter by revered Master Blender Richard Paterson of Whyte & Mackay for the Spencerfield Whisky Company. 16 different Highland whiskies, aged between 8 - 21 years, were given a year to get to know each other in first-fill casks in order for them to mellow before bottling.

Douglas Laing & Co. is an independent bottler and blender of Scotch whiskies. They release single malts, blended malts, and blended whiskies. The Rock Oyster Blended Malt was released in early 2015 and it is blend of single malts from the Isles of Islay, Arran, Jura, and Orkney. There is no-age statement on the bottling which is released at 93.6 proof and without coloring or chill-filtration.

Casks from Speyside's well known distilleries such as Mortlach, Macallan, and Glenrothes are married together to produce this small batch whisky from Douglas Laing & Co. Matured in sherry butts and bourbon hogsheads, Scallywag whisky is non-chill-filtered and bottled at 46% abv. The name and bottle packaging was inspired by and features Master Blender Fred Laing's beloved Fox Terrier.

Matsui Shuzo was established in 1910 and has been producing shochu every since. The boutique-sized Matsui Distillery is located in Tottori, a coastal prefecture on southern Honshu in the Chūgoku region of Japan.The whiskies produced there are characterized by the pure underground waters from the Daisen Mountains that are used while aging. This is a 100% malt whisky, but the whisky was sourced from distilleries in Scotland before being blended with malt whisky from Japan. This Kurayoshi whisky is bottled after maturing in oak and finishing in sherry casks for a total age statement of eight years. It is non-chillfiltered and no caramel is added.

The name Monkey Shoulder originates from an injury that the maltmen (those that hand turn the grain in a malthouse) would get as it would leave one arm hanging. This blended malt whisky is comprised of three single malt distilleries: Kininvie, Glenfiddich, and The Balvenie. The trio gets acquainted in a tun for three to six months before being bottled on site.

Naked Malt (aka Naked Grouse Blended Malt) first started to roll out in August 2017 in select global markets and is expected to appear in select US markets beginning April 2018. This is a blended malt whisky featuring single malts from Glenturret, Glenrothes, Highland Park and The Macallan. These were aged in first and second-fill American and European oak before blending together. The blend then finished in first-fill oloroso sherry butts for six months further. It is chill-filtered and bottled at either 43% or 40% ABV depending on the market. Note: This replaces the Naked Grouse Blended Whisky which has been removed from the market.

Compass Box The Peat Monster is a blended malt whisky using various single malt whiskies from different areas of Scotland. A typical blend will include single malts aged in refill hogsheads as follows: 40% "malt whisky from Laphroaig", 20% "malt whisky from Ledaig", 13% "malt whisky from Caol Ila", and 26% "malt whisky from Ardmore." The final 1% is a blend of Highland malts from Clynelish, Dailuaine, and Teaninich which finished for two years in Compass Box's new French oak toasted hybrid barrels. Note: Beginning in 2019, all batches of Compass Box The Peat Monster will feature a new Painting Label as well as a new recipe. Older batches will be referred to as Compass Box The Peat Monster (Classic Brown Label).

The whiskies in Oak Cross are Highland malt whiskies which are initially aged in 1st fill American oak casks. For the 2nd maturation, part of the whisky is aged in barrels built specifically for Compass Box using American oak bodies and French Oak Heads. The whisky is then married, rested, and bottled.

Johnnie Walker Green Label is the only blended malt whisky in the Johnnie Walker core portfolio unlike the others which are blended whiskies incorporating grain whiskies in those blends. Included in the Green Label blend are single malts from Skye (Talisker), Islay (Caol Ila), and Speyside (Cragganmore and Linkwood). Each of these single malt whiskies were aged a minimum of 15 years. While the Green Label was discontinued for a short time in 2012, it did return permanently to the portfolio in 2016 due to popular demand. (SRP $64.99 for 750ml)