40% alc./vol.
40% alc./vol.
Producer: George Ballantine & Son Ltd
In 1827 George Ballantine set up a grocer's shop in Cowgate, Edinburgh and began supplying whiskies to his customers. In 1865, when he opened a larger store in Glasgow, he began experimenting with making his own blends and the Ballantine's brand was born.
Appearance: Clear, deep golden amber with burnished gold highlights.
Aroma: Biscuity malted barley with buttery popcorn and cinnamon spice.
Taste: Big, rich and rewarding. More biscuity malted barley but the popcorn is served with honey, butter and salt.
Aftertaste: Lightly salty, rich barley and cinnamon spice.
diffordsguide rating: 4.5/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: George Ballantine & Son Ltd
Introduced in the 1960s, this is a blend of grain whiskies and single malts from Speyside, Highlands, Islay and the Lowlands.
Appearance: Bright honey gold.
Aroma: Honeyed with notes of vanilla and fresh apple juice.
Taste: Touch of honeyed sweetness, rich maltiness, spicy oak and a wisp of smoke.
Aftertaste: Lingering salty peaty notes.
diffordsguide rating: 5/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: Diageo
Britain's best-selling scotch is blended from up to 40 different whiskies. In 1994, Bell's gained an eight year age statement but this proved short lived and was dropped a few years later due to a lack of aged stocks.
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Appearance: Clear, mid-golden.
Aroma: Malted barley with a slice of fruitcake, vanilla crème anglaise, herbal and fresh floral notes.
Taste: Assertive, with youthful black peppery smoky woody maltiness, herbal nut oil and faint grassy eucalyptus.
Aftertaste: Dry, spicy oak with lingering smokiness.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: Burn Stewart Distillers Ltd
Established in 1879 by three brothers who were tea blenders in Aberdeen, it's believed the Graham brothers' original blended Scotch whisky comprised peated Speyside malts, but Black Bottle is now based on Islay malts.
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Appearance: Clear, golden amber with polished gold highlights.
Aroma: Biscuit and nubuck leather malt with light smoky peaty, spruce needles, cinnamon and nutmeg spice.
Taste: Initially subtle leathery vegetal palate eventually explodes with salty, cinnamon spiced oak, peat and smoke. Lacks roundness - a tad too forceful.
Aftertaste: Long, lingering vegetal, salty peat. An approachable window to the Islay whisky style served with smoothing nubuck leather.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: Diageo
In 1879 James Buchanan moved to London to work as a sales agent for a firm of whisky blenders and brokers. In 1884 he set up James Buchanan & Co. to establish his own blended Scotch whiskies, using his own name as a personal guarantee of quality.
Appearance: Clear, deep golden amber.
Aroma: Nutty malted barley (acorns and cashew nuts), dried fruit and fruitcake, floral and light grassy notes.
Taste: Well-rounded and elegant with prounced maltyness, dried/stewed fruit, cut grass, milk chocolate and dry nutty wood - think balsawood.
Aftertaste: Long, nutty malty finish.
diffordsguide rating: 5/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: Chivas Brothers
The marketing folk at Chivas Regal describe the beautiful Highlands' Strathisla malt whisky distillery as the "spiritual home" of Chivas. Strathisla and other Pernod-Ricard owned Speyside malts are indeed the main malts on which this blend is based.
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Appearance: Pale gold with hints of yellow.
Aroma: Linseed oil, a whiff of smoke, a hint of pear and a slight hint of fibreglass resin.
Taste: Starts rich and smooth before developing with a touch of smoky vanilla, Christmas cake, butterscotch, preserved lemon tang, pepper, spice (hint of clove).
Aftertaste: Nutty, spicy, dry finish.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: The Edrington Group Ltd
Cutty Sark is a blend of grain whiskies and more than 30 single malt whiskies, predominantly from Speyside, matured mostly in American oak ex-bourbon casks (no age statement is declared). After blending, Cutty Sark benefits from an extended marrying period of six months in cask prior to bottling.
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Appearance: Clear, pale straw gold.
Aroma: A light, grassy, vanilla, butterscotch and milky chocolate biscuit nose with orange zest and citrus aromas.
Taste: Equally light, slightly sweet, lightly malty palate with hints of cream of soda vanilla, jasmine tea, orange zest and fleshy tropical fruit.
Aftertaste: Relatively short but pleasing honeyed, fruity, lightly malty finish with chargrilled sweet corn-on-the-cob flavours.
diffordsguide rating: 4.5/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: John Dewar and Sons Ltd
After a 12 years maturation and blending, Dewar's 12 is returned to individual oak casks to undergo approximately 6 months marrying, hence its label says 'double aged'. Although a blend of various malts and gran whiskies, Dewar's is heavily influenced by the use of Aberfeldy single malt whisky.
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Appearance: Clear, mid golden amber.
Aroma: Cacao powder and buttery fudge with lemon verbena, vanilla, apple skin, pears, macadamia, blackened Christmas cake, honey and faint dried apricot.
Taste: Slightly sweet, salty buttery fudge, nutmeg, cigar tobacco and cacao power with green apple skin, custard-like vanilla, burnt butter and root ginger spice.
Aftertaste: Pronounced saltiness with caramel, burnt toast charcoal, dry oak and lemon zest.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: John Dewar and Sons Ltd
Created in 1899 by Master Blender A.J. Cammeron, the first master blender at John Dewar and Sons Ltd. Heavily influenced by Aberfeldy single Highland malt which is central to the blend. Dewar's White Label is the Number 1 selling Scotch whisky in the USA.
Appearance: Clear, mid golden amber.
Aroma: New leather, beeswax, heather and honey with stewed pear, bamboo wood and pollen heavy blossom.
Taste: Toasty malt, heather, toffee and fudge with ginger. Faint melon fruit and wisps of smoke.
Aftertaste: Slightly smoky vanilla fudge.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: William Grant's Scotch Whisky Company Ltd
William Grant's Family Reserve was first created in 1898 by the eponymous William Grant and is still owned by members of the Grant family today. The now iconic triangular bottle was launched in 1957 and was designed by Hans Schleger, one of the 20th Century's most important graphic designers. Grant's Family Reserve was originally called 'Standfast' after the battle cry of the Grant family.
Appearance: Clear, golden amber.
Aroma: Chargrilled sweet corn, leather, pencil shavings, cinnamon and linseed.
Taste: Slightly salty, spicy oak, roasted coconut, honeycomb, subtle peat and cinnamon spice.
Aftertaste: Leather, honey and dry spicy oak.
diffordsguide rating: 4.5/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: International Beverage Holdings
Named after a London firm of wine and spirit merchants established 1757, Hankey Bannister launched this blend aimed at the gentry in the 1890s. The firm was taken over by Saccone & Speed in 1932, which was in turn was acquired Diageo. Inver House purchased the brand from Diageo in 1988.
Appearance: Clear, golden amber.
Aroma: Light honeyed toffee apple with grain whisky notes evident.
Taste: A light palate with more honey and hints of toffee.
Aftertaste: Slight burnt corn metallic note to an otherwise pleasant finish akin to licking aluminium.
diffordsguide rating: 3.5/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: Diageo
The number four Blended Scotch Whisky in the world, J&B Rare comprises a blend of some 40 different whiskies. This blended Scotch whisky attracted an A-list following in the 1960s including Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Sammy Davis Jr.
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Appearance: Clear, pale golden.
Aroma: Malted barley and vanilla custard with a dusting of nutmeg spice.
Taste: Light, mellow palate, with barley, vanilla custard fruitiness and crème caramel.
Aftertaste: Custard and fudge with lingering crème caramel and nutmeg.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: Johnnie Walker & Sons
Introduced in 1909, Johnnie Walker Black contains some 40 single malts including Talisker, Cardhu, Lagavulin and a high proportion of Islay malts. Originally called 'Extra Special Old Highland Whisky', the name was changed to 'Black Label' in 1909 due to customers ordering by the colour of the label.
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Appearance: Clear, deep golden amber with burnished golden highlights.
Aroma: Elegantly rich and pleasantly smoky with butterscotch, crème caramel, vanilla and mandarin zest with oily nuttiness.
Taste: Big robust flavour with light peat smoke and faint saltyness set against slight honeyed sweetness, vanilla fudge/toffee and dried fruit/fruitcake.
Aftertaste: Long, lingering elegantly salty peat smoke and toasty malt with sultanas and sherry. Sublime.
diffordsguide rating: 5+/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: Johnnie Walker & Sons
First released in 1909 and now sold in more than 200 markets worldwide, Johnnie Walker Red Label is the world's best-selling blended Scotch whisky.
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Appearance: Clear, golden amber.
Aroma: Nubuck leather, toasted bread, honeycomb, spicy cinnamon oak, delicate peat, ripe pear and chocolate brownie.
Taste: Slightly salty sweet and silky. New leather barley, toffee apple, milk chocolate, light cinnamon and nutmeg spice with wisps of smoky peat.
Aftertaste: Lightly smoked leathery chocolate sponge with cinnamon spice.
diffordsguide rating: 4.5/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: Wm Teacher & Sons Ltd
A blend of at least 35 Scotch single malts, Teacher's is noted for its high malt content of over 45% with The Glendronach and heavily peated Ardmore historically particularly associated with the blend.
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Appearance: Clear, light bright golden.
Aroma: Malty grain with vanilla, butterscotch and nubuck leathery apple juice. Faint perfumed floral aromas.
Taste: Pronounced smoky vegetal peat, malty nubuck leather and tobacco leaf with light cinnamon and nutmeg spice.
Aftertaste: Persistent malty, lightly smoky finish. Fabulous value for money.
diffordsguide rating: 5/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: Tomatin Distillery Co Ltd
This 'deluxe' 12 year old blended Scotch is named after a novel by Sir Walter Scott. Antiquary was originally blended by John and William Hardie, who founded their partnership in Edinburgh in 1857. It is known for its diamond shaped bottle - the stealth bomber of the whisky world.
Appearance: Clear, pale golden amber.
Aroma: Red apple, chamois leather and buttery croissants with faint cinnamon and nutmeg spice.
Taste: Dry, lightly smoked peaty notes balance sweet red apple, cashew nut and chargrilled sweetcorn with spicy freshly sawn oak.
Aftertaste: Leathery finish with lingering spicy oak.
diffordsguide rating: 4.5/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: The Edrington Group Ltd
The Famous Grouse is the No.1 whisky in Scotland and No.6 blended whisky worldwide. Its origins lie in the early 1800s when Matthew Gloag established a grocery and wine shop at 24 Atholl Street, Perth.
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Appearance: Clear, mid golden.
Aroma: Grainy malt, creamy toffee apple and fudge with of milk chocolate, fruit cake, sherry and orange marmalade.
Taste: Toffee, fudge and caramel influenced, surprisingly soft leathery palate with a creamy mouth feel.
Aftertaste: Long fruity finish with a delicate hint of peat and a clean citrus edge.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: Diageo
This blended Scotch whisky was created when William Sanderson, a blender in Leith, produced 100 different blends and asked a panel of tasters to choose their favourite. Obviously, they preferred blend, or vatting, number 69 and he started marketing the brand in 1882, originally in port wine bottles.
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Appearance: Clear, golden amber.
Aroma: Buttery floral and honeyed notes over a malty base.
Taste: Well balanced malted barley, grain, honey and restrained salty smoke with fruit cake, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Aftertaste: Salty, lightly smoked malty finish.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: John Dewar and Sons Ltd
Appearance: Clear, mid golden amber.
Aroma: Slightly burnt pie crust and stewed apple with blackened banana, soapy floral notes and cinnamon spice.
Taste: Sweet cereal, stewed and spiced apple with chamois leather and spicy old leather.
Aftertaste: Leather, pear and apple fruit, and cinnamon spice.
diffordsguide rating: 3.5/5
40% alc./vol.
Producer: John Dewar and Sons Ltd, 1700 London Road, Glasgow, Scotland
First blended by William Lawson in 1849.
Appearance: Clear, mid golden amber.
Aroma: Salty tar and oily fish served on well-done toast with cream-of-soda vanilla, ripe mango and a floral garnish.
Taste: Malty cereal with notes of vanilla and tropical fruit countered by subtle notes buttery tar, spice and smoked currants.
Aftertaste: Breakfast cereal, vanilla and tar with gentle cinnamon and nutmeg spice.
diffordsguide rating: 4/5
