Whisky · Explainer
What is single grain whisky?
Single grain whisky is whisky made at a single distillery from water and malted barley, with or without whole grains of other cereals, and which does not meet the description of single malt. The word single refers to the distillery, not to the grain. Since 2009 Scotch has had five legal categories, and single grain is one of them.
In brief
The key figures
| Legal description | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, regulation 3 |
|---|---|
| Five categories of Scotch | single malt, single grain, blended malt, blended grain, blended Scotch |
| Meaning of single | one distillery |
| Permitted raw materials | water, malted barley and whole grains of other cereals |
| Minimum maturation | 3 years in oak casks of no more than 700 litres |
| Minimum alcohol content | 40% vol |
| Working Scottish whisky distilleries | 151, figure from the Scotch Whisky Association, May 2024 |
| Permitted additions | water and plain caramel (E150a) |
What does single mean in single grain?
Single refers to one distillery: all the whisky in the bottle was distilled at the same distillery.
The word therefore says nothing about the number of casks, the number of vintages or the number of grain types. A single grain can be composed of dozens of casks from the same distillery and then simply remains single grain.
Anyone looking for a bottle from a single cask should look for the mention single cask; that is a different designation with a different meaning.
How does single grain differ from single malt?
According to the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, single malt must come exclusively from malted barley and be distilled in pot stills.
These two requirements do not apply to single grain. The rules describe single grain as Scotch whisky made in one distillery from water and malted barley, with or without whole grains of other malted or unmalted cereals, and which does not meet the description of single malt.
The distinction therefore lies in the raw material and the type of still, not in maturation: three years, 700 liters and 40 percent apply to both.
Which grains are used in single grain whisky?
Malted barley must be included; in addition, whole grains of other malted or unmalted cereals may be used.
The law does not prescribe which other grain that is. The rules only require that whole grains are used and that the whisky is made in the same distillery.
The grain used is therefore by no means always stated on the label. If you want to know, the producer is the right source.
Why does single grain appear less often on the shelf?
Under the 2009 rules, Blended Scotch Whisky is a blend of one or more single malts with one or more single grains, which is why grain whisky is made mainly as a building block of blends.
What is bottled separately as single grain is only a small part of it. Often it concerns casks that have been left lying for a long time or batches from independent bottlers.
As a result, labels in Bathmen regularly show ages of twenty years and more.
What is the difference with blended grain whisky?
Blended Grain Scotch Whisky is a mixture of single grains from two or more distilleries, whereas single grain comes from one distillery.
The same distinction runs through the malt side of the range: single malt comes from one distillery, blended malt from two or more. The fifth category, blended Scotch, mixes the malt side and the grain side.
Whoever keeps the five names apart can read from any Scottish label at once whether it concerns one or several distilleries.
What should you look for in a bottle of single grain?
The label of a single grain shows the name of the distillery, the alcohol content and usually an age.
The age statement always refers to the youngest whisky in the bottle. The guideline of the Scotch Whisky Association only permits a single number in years, so no statement such as average fifteen years and no age in months.
Regulation 9 also stipulates that the name of a distillery may only be used as a brand name if the whisky has been distilled there entirely.
From the shop in Bathmen
Which single grain whiskies are in Bathmen?
The shop in Bathmen stocks 24 single grain whiskies from 18 different brands from 4 countries. Prices range from € 26.99 to € 999.99. The alcohol percentage ranges from 40% to 54.8%.
- Blackadder Single Grain Cambus 29 Years Old 46.3% · 70 cl · Scotland
- Caledonian Single Grain Whisky 40 Years Old Vintage 1974 53.3% · 70 cl · Scotland
- Clonakilty 14Y Amontillado Single Grain Irish Whiskey 48% · 70 cl · Ireland
- Filliers Single Grain Whisky 34 Years Old Family Reserve 52.3% · 70 cl · Belgium
- Girvan Carn Mor 23 Years Old Single Grain Whisky Vintage 1989 52.8% · 70 cl · Scotland
- Haig Club Single Grain Whisky 40% · 70 cl · Scotland
- Loch Lomond Coffey still Peated Single Grain 46% 46% · 70 cl · Scotland
- Loch Lomond Single Grain Scotch whisky 46% · 70 cl · Scotland
- NORTH BRITISH SINGLE GRAIN 1996 20 YEARS OLD CASK 224754 Berry Bros & Rudd 54.8% · 70 cl · Scotland
- RyeLaw Fife Single Grain Scotch Whisky 46.3% · 70 cl · Scotland
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Short answer
Short answers to related questions
- Is single grain the same as grain alcohol?
- No. Single grain Scotch must mature for at least three years in oak casks and retain at least 40 percent alcohol at bottling; otherwise it may not be called Scotch whisky.
- May single grain be distilled in a column still?
- Yes. The rules only prescribe pot stills for single malt; for single grain the law states no still type.
- Does single grain also exist outside Scotland?
- Yes. Irish, Belgian and Japanese distilleries also bottle grain whisky from a single distillery. Only the name Scotch is tied to Scotland.
- What is blended Scotch whisky?
- A blend of one or more single malt Scotch whiskies with one or more single grain Scotch whiskies, as described in the 2009 rules.
- From what age may you buy whisky?
- Vanaf 18 jaar. NIX18: wij verkopen geen alcohol aan mensen onder de 18 en vragen om een geldig identiteitsbewijs.
The reasoning
Sources
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, regulation 3, legislation.gov.uk (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Scotch Whisky Categories, Scotch Whisky Association (accessed 2026-09-07)
- Scotch Whisky facts and figures, Scotch Whisky Association (accessed 7 September 2026)
- Guidance for Producers and Bottlers, Scotch Whisky Association (accessed 2026-09-07)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009, regulation 9, legislation.gov.uk (accessed 2026-09-07)
This page was written and checked by ’t Bockje Bathmen, wine & spirits shop at Brink 2 in Bathmen. Last updated on 10 September 2026.
Verkoop van alcohol onder de 18 jaar is verboden. NIX18.