Opinion: A whisky expert on why single grain whisky deserves a bigger spotlight

As a whisky sourcing manager, Glen Melia follows customer trends to stock the very best whisky in the world. Here’s why he believes single-grain whisky is ripe for reinvention  

In the rush to promote single malt brands, the humble single grain whisky has lost ground. A constant favourite of distillers for its gentle complexity and sweet, floral personality, the presence of single grain in the international whisky market has somehow faded. 

Even in Scotland, which openly celebrates the more delicate nature of whisky by having an entire region in its honour, the Lowlands, the traditional grain appears to have lost its voice.

But ask the distillers, blenders and bottlers who devote their lives to making whisky what they prefer and the single grain will be centre stage. 

Training our palates

So, how has our focus been turned away from the humble grain? Partly it’s fashion and partly it’s competition. Single malt and heavily-peated or sherried whiskies can be fantastic, and the world agrees. They deliver delicious flavour and viscosity by the glass. But they also train our taste buds for extremes, convincing us that heavy flavours are better than lighter ones. In doing so they also rob our ambition of the pleasure of gentler flavours as they seek to celebrate the meaty, the peaty and the sweet.  

For me, single grain whisky is ripe for reinvention. Its delicate nature ensures that every interaction with wood or wine shines through from the very first sip. You can more easily taste the presence of oak in single grain whisky in a way that you might struggle to describe in more heavily peated or single malts.  

Add a wine or sherry finish and the impact can be equally huge. The herbal undercurrent of single grain is the perfect platform to carry the personality of other cask finishes. But, to achieve this takes mastery and the distiller has to make even more careful choices around casks and finishes than they might with a more robust pour. 

Measuring light

Single grain whisky is defined by the idea of light – the colour, aroma and palate are each light in their own way. The nose of a single grain is deliciously fruity and herbal. It can carry citrus notes like apple and lemon as individual components. The colour can be crisp gold or distinctly green or yellow, while the palate arrives without burn or surprise – it captures your senses slowly and with a softness that is refreshing.

Single grain whisky is also incredible value for money. You can find very old vintages of around 33 years old for prices that you would pay for a 12-year-old single malt. Independent bottlers have long championed the category and offer incredible single cask and numbered bottlings, making them perfect for gifting or building a collection.  

For now, at least, single grain is still under the radar, allowing you to add an obscure release or ghost distillery bottle to your collection for relatively little cost. For me, the single grain category is an unsung hero of the whisky world, and until that changes, there are significant savings to be made and great whiskies to experience.

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