With single malts firmly established as Scotch whisky’s worldwide A-list stars and new malt distilleries opening every year, you could be forgiven for thinking Scotch is only about malted barley. Yet, in terms of volume sold, most Scotch is still blended whisky. And, since a large proportion of blends is grain whisky, there is roughly the same amount of this lesser known spirit distilled every year in Scotland - in just seven locations - as there is malt whisky produced by over 150 malt whisky distilleries.

WHAT IS SINGLE GRAIN WHISKY?

So if single malt Scottish whisky is whisky produced from a single distillery using 100% malted barley, what is single grain? Well, the ‘single’ part doesn’t refer to how many types of grain it contains - quite the opposite. Just as with single malt, single grain refers to the fact it is the product of a single distillery, not blended from different distilleries’ whiskies. (While blended malts are available, blended grain whiskies are rare.)

Where malt whisky begins with one type of grain – malted barley – grain whisky is made from a mixed mash bill. The identity and ratios of grains will vary between distilleries but there are common combinations: a little malted barley to help kick off fermentation, a majority of either maize or wheat, and possibly some unmalted barley or rye too.

The resulting spirit is intended to supply the smooth, relatively neutral base of a blended whisky, with different malt whiskies providing the accents.

Of course, for seven facilities to produce between 250 and 300 million litres per year you can imagine that these distilleries are not quaint-looking buildings with a couple of small copper pot stills. They are huge, industrial sites – more Terminator than Tobermory - with tall, efficient column stills, not pot stills, working non-stop.

All of which results in grain whisky being regarded as a workhorse, rather than having intrinsic value as a whisky itself. Unless you’re in the know!

THE UNEXPECTED VARIETY OF GRAIN WHISKY

There is a common assumption that grain whisky is essentially neutral spirit with very little flavour until it soaks up the influence of the barrel for three years. In other words, all grain whisky is pretty much the same, right? Not so, argues Elixir Trails head blender, Oliver Chilton.

Distillery characteristics are very much detectable, says Oliver: “On the scale of grain whisky, you have the North British distillery at one end, which we’d consider a meaty, heavy style of grain whisky. And on the other side, Girvan is really soft, fruity and sweet.”

It stands to reason. Precisely because each distillery selects a specific grain recipe, there is a distinctive profile. Add to that, differences in fermentation time, temperature during distillation as well as size, shape and height of the still, and the number of reflux plates.

So where do the new Elixir Trails grain whiskies sit on the flavour scale?

Ollie says, “For Elixir Trails, we have selected two single-grain whiskies from different distilleries. The younger of the two is a 21-year-old from Strathclyde Distillery, which is towards the softer end of the flavour scale and has a character similar to Girvan – a light, creamy whisky. Our 51-year-old is from Invergordon. That’s about halfway along the scale: lighter and more floral than North British, but a richer and more heavy style than Strathclyde or Girvan.”

HOW DOES GRAIN WHISKY COMPARE TO IRISH WHISKEY OR BOURBON?

For a Scotch purist there is the mental hurdle of it not being 100% malted barley, thus it’s inherently inferior. But many of us are happily sipping mixed grain recipes used in Irish whiskey or American bourbon and these can give interesting comparisons to Scotch grain whiskies.

Oliver Chilton says, “Irish whiskey is a little different because it’s usually pot-still mixed grain, or pot-still blended with column-still grain. Bourbon does tend to be distilled in columns, so that’s a closer comparison. Like bourbon, grain is easy-drinking; it’s smooth, sweet and approachable. I think the benefit Scotch grain whisky has over bourbon is climate. The cooler temperatures mean it can spend longer in the barrel maturing slower and losing less to the angels share. Don’t get me wrong; bourbon flavours can be great, but they’re quite simple – any column-still whisky is. But grain whisky in Scotland has the opportunity to develop more complex flavours over time.”

TIME HOLDS THE SECRET OF GRAIN WHISKY

Most grain whisky is in a blend before anyone other than the blender gets to taste it. But some barrels escape and are allowed to mature in the way Oliver describes. Even then, most older grain spirit is usually snaffled for high-end older blends. Those blenders aren’t using it simply to maintain the 18-year-old or 25-year-old age statement on their bottle; they know the secret of grain whisky... grain tastes delicious when it’s old! Elixir Trails selected a 21-year-old and a 51-year-old grain whisky to show just that.

Oliver explains, “Grain develops more depth as it gets older. At 51, you have some very interesting flavours - tropical fruit, mint and other herbaceous notes. And vanilla from the wood has integrated so well. But it’s not all about wood – generally, grain whisky goes into refill bourbon casks, so its influence is less potent. But, as the ABV percentage drops, the preservative effect of that alcohol reduces, and oxygen begins to have an effect. There are molecular changes that produce more complex flavours and even an obvious note such as vanilla takes on different tones.”

One view is that a more subtly flavoured spirit is actually beneficial when aged for many decades, because the new flavours created by maturation really sing out from the mellow background.

The 51-year-old Invergordon is stunning, but the 21-year-old Strathclyde is fantastic too, because it’s taken a different (albeit shorter) journey. Oliver says, “The 2004 Strathclyde was filled to refill sherry butts, which had probably been used for malt whisky in between. The lighter, creamier grain whiskies such as Strathclyde are best suited to a shorter period of ageing – shorter in grain terms, I mean, i.e. 18-30 years, rather than up to 50 or more (which suits a somewhat heavier grain such as Invergordon). This is the perfect time for it – 21 years. It does have the fundamental sweetness, but it has benefited from a slightly more active wood – it’s darker than you’d expect at that age, and has sherry spices and a certain dryness to it too.”

It seems it’s time for grain whisky to shine.

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