The Best Blended Malt Scotch Whiskies

Copper Dog Blended Malt is a blend of eight different single malts from the Speyside region. The brand is named after a small makeshift device that distillery workers used to use to steal spirits out of resting casks at distilleries they worked at. It is made in partnership with Copper Dog Pub, which is located in the Craigellachie Hotel in Speyside.

Inspired by the famous Shackleton's expedition story, Richard Paterson, Whyte & Mackay's master blender, has tried to recreate the lost whisky legend by combining different casks of "the best Highland malt whiskies" and allowing them to marry over a long period.

The Timorous Beastie comes from the independent bottlers Douglas Laing & Co., founded in 1948 in Glasgow, Scotland by Frederick Douglas Laing. The company has remained in the hands of the family, with the sons Fred and Stewart managing (however Stewart has since moved to found his own business in 2013), and has brought such joys as the Big Peat and Provenance. The Timorous Beastie is non-chill filtered and is a blended malt comprised of whiskies from distilleries from the Highlands including Dalmore, Glengoyne and Glen Garioch. The name is a tribute to Robert Burns' famous poem ‘To a Mouse’.

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.

Big Peat is one of the Remarkable Regional Malts from bottler Douglas Laing & Co. This blended malt is made up of single malt whiskies all from the Isle of Islay. They include Ardbeg, Bowmore, Caol Ila, and Port Ellen. Big Peat is bottled at 46% ABV without chill-filtration and without added color, both standards for the brand.

The name Monkey Shoulder originates from an injury that the maltmen (those that hand turn the grain in a malthouse) would get as the task would leave one arm hanging. This is a blended malt whisky which means it's comprised only of single malt whiskies. As the brand is owned by William Grant & Sons, you can expect to have whiskies from Glenfiddich, The Balvenie, and Kininvie to be included in the bottling. After blending, the whisky is allowed to marry for up to six months before bottling.

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.

Orchard House joins the brand's core lineup. It gets its name from the dominant part of its blend of single malts, which comes from stocks of liquid from various distilleries known for whiskies with fruit-forward flavor profiles. These whiskies were then aged in a variety of casks which include first fill ex-bourbon barrels, oloroso sherry-seasoned butts, and French oak custom barrels. It is bottled at 46% ABV and available as of October, 2021. Note: Compass Box updated its core portfolio in fall 2024 with Orchard House one of four of its permanent collection. Packaging updated.

In 2019, Compass Box updated the The Peat Monster recipe. It's now mostly comprised using peated single malts from Islay. The recipe breakdown is 64% Caol Ila and 35% Laphroaig, each parcel matured in refill hogsheads. Additionally, 1% of the blended malt whisky includes a blend of single malts from the Highlands which matured in custom French oak barrels with a heavy toast. The malts were married together for several months before bottling without added color or chill-filtration at 46% ABV. Previous batches will be referred to as Classic Brown Label. Note: Compass Box updated its core portfolio in fall 2024 with The Peat Monster featured as one of four in its permanent collection. Packaging updated.

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)