What Is Whisky Vatting? Vatting VS. Mixing, Defined

The phrases ‘whisky vatting’ and ‘whisky mixing’ had been, till comparatively just lately, used interchangeably to confer with a normal mixing of whiskies. The time period ‘vatting’ was banned beneath scotch whisky rules from November 2011. 

Nonetheless, as the worldwide whisky business has expanded the terminology utilized by these inside it has change into extra particular and standardized. These days there is a crucial distinction between the phrases ‘vatting’ and ‘mixing’ within the scotch whisky business. Let’s speak about it.

What Is Whisky Vatting?

The phrase ‘vatting’ is derived from the phrase ‘vat’, which refers to a big vessel that’s utilized in whisky manufacturing for mixing and treating whisky. These remedies embrace diluting, filtering, style testing, and including E150a (or spirit caramel) if required. 

In trendy follow, whisky vatting refers back to the act of mixing a number of barrels from a single distillery to create what is named an ‘expression’. 

That is usually completed to attain a constant taste profile for a specific model or expression. For instance, The Macallan Concord Assortment bottlings, one among Macallan’s restricted version collections, are made via the vatting of a number of Macallan casks. 

Actually, all single malt whiskies – until they’re particularly said as being single cask – are the results of whisky vatting. Even age assertion whiskies, equivalent to The Macallan 25 12 months Previous Sherry Oak, are vatted. The age assertion is correct as long as the youngest whisky within the vatting is used as the idea for the age assertion. 

In That Case, What Is Whisky Mixing?

Mixing, alternatively, includes combining whiskies from completely different distilleries. These can embrace each malt whiskies and grain whiskies.  

The purpose of mixing is to create a fancy and well-rounded product with a singular taste profile. Blends are a extra accessible method of ingesting whisky than single malts. Well-known blends embrace Johnnie Walker, Ballantine’s, and Dewar’s. 

There are three several types of blended scotch whisky: 

• Blended malt – 100% malt whiskies blended from completely different distilleries
• Blended grain – 100% grain whiskies blended from completely different distilleries
• Blended scotch – malt and grain whiskies blended collectively from completely different distilleries

So, to recap: 

• Vatted whisky – whisky produced from mixing of a number of casks from the identical distillery.
• Blended whisky – whisky produced from mixing malt and/or grain whiskies from completely different distilleries.

In abstract, vatting focuses on harmonizing whiskies from the identical sources to keep up a constant model for a specific distillery expression, whereas mixing goals to create a fancy however recognizable profile by mixing whiskies from completely different distilleries.

The place Does The Confusion Come From?

For the reason that two phrases was once interchangeable previously, many older bottlings bearing the textual content ‘vatted malt’ would, by as we speak’s requirements, be thought of single malts. One such bottling is Andrew Usher’s Previous Vatted Glenlivet, because the whisky is believed to have initially come from The Glenlivet Distillery. Analysis suggests, nonetheless, that Previous Vatted Glenlivet later developed into the primary acknowledged mix. Thestates, “A mix of Glenlivet & Different Scotch Whiskies”. This simply goes to point out how interchangeably the phrases had been used. 

Nonetheless, this doesn’t imply that every one whiskies described as ‘vatted’ on the label are single malts. By trendy requirements, it has all to do with the place the whisky got here from. If the entire whisky is from one distillery however is a mixture of a number of casks then it’s vatted. If the whisky comes from numerous completely different distilleries then it’s blended. 

What About Single Cask Whiskies?

Single cask whiskies are drawn and bottled from a single cask. These expressions are very fashionable amongst whisky followers as no two casks will produce the identical end result, making the whisky completely distinctive. 

Nonetheless, opposite to logic, single cask whiskies might be vatted as nicely, to some extent. Two or extra casks of whisky might be vatted collectively and, so long as the resultant liquid is completed in a single cask, the whisky itself might be labeled as ‘single cask’. 

Ending refers back to the strategy of a whisky that was matured in a single cask being transferred to a different for the ultimate few years of maturation (normally 1-3 years). Generally, whisky is completed in a cask kind completely different from the one during which it was beforehand matured with a purpose to impart a distinct (however extra delicate) profile to the whisky. For instance, many whiskies are matured in ex-bourbon (the commonest cask kind within the business) after which completed in ex-sherry to impart a candy, sherry affect. 

Most Whiskies Are Vatted

So, there you have got it. Vatted whisky, though not an official time period in scotch whisky laws, encompasses all whisky that’s not single cask or some kind of blended scotch whisky. 

The jargon and authorized technicalities of the whisky world might be overwhelming. If you need to learn the steering intimately please go to the Scotch Whisky Association website, the place they hyperlink to the related laws and reply FAQs about defending scotch whisky.