Some thoughts on blends

Some thoughts on blends

By Tommy Byrne

Many purists will flay me for this, but I recently had a change in attitude vis-à-vis blends in general. It is true that the majority of blends are produced industrially. It is also widely admitted that they generally do not offer as much complexity as the majority of single malts. Often too expensive, their prices are mainly based on a rigorous marketing strategy funded by millions of dollars. However, it is not right to say that blends are inferior products strictly aimed at a market of uninitiated consumers.

All blends are not intended to be drunk neat in a Glencairn glass. Raising your eyebrows when spotting someone pouring a J & B, Johnnie Walker Red Label or Ballantine’s on the rocks and then adding mineral water or cola is foolish, because these blends are specially designed for mixology. Now, doing the same with a Johnnie Walker Green Label or a Buchanan's Red Seal is pretty stupid and you may lecture that person on the do’s and don’ts of whisky etiquette!

How many times I wish I could have had a simple glass of Jameson’s or Johnnie Walker Black Label in a tumbler instead of a young  Speyside malt with too many hints of green fruit, such as a Balblair 2000. With the rising popularity of single malts since the mid-90s, it is important to stress that the majority of whisky production has declined in quality. Major brands of single malts are over playing the card of their glorious past in their marketing department, and many whiskies are no longer quite the same, the Macallan distillery is a perfect example illustrating this point. This gives blends an advantage with their impressive consistency toward single malts. After all, there is a time for everything. A time to enjoy complex single malts carefully matured in fine sherry casks, and a time for blends, on those evenings when you do not want to break your head analyzing the many subtleties of our drink.