International Blends

by **shoganai** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 7:40 pm

Does anyone produce blends that include whiskies from different countries? Like Scottish malts mixed with Japanese malts, or malts mixed with bourbons, etc.??

by **Deactivated Member** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 8:12 pm

There are one or two who've vatted Scottish & Irish single malts.

Jon, Mark & Robbo's "Smoother Sweeter One" is a mix of Cooley from Ireland and Bunnahaibhain? from Scotland.

"Celtic Nations" (by Bruichladdich) is a mix of Cooley from Ireland & Bruichladdich from Scotland.

However, I think that I heard that the Scotch Whisky Association (bless their cotton socks, the little old innovators that they are) have outlawed such vattings.

by **The Fachan** » Sun Jul 01, 2007 8:26 pm

You will find in some markets around the world cases where local produced "whisky" has been belended with scotch whisky and bottled, these tend to be known as ad-mix by some companies.
Usually the countries involved are in South America or South East Asia.

by **irishwhiskeychaser** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 9:31 am

Yes, I was of the opinion that it was quite common in some Japanese blends. But whether or not they do it any more I do not know.

by **The Fachan** » Mon Jul 02, 2007 9:41 am

Its still common practice in many countries. thailand and the Phillipines come to mind with Venezuela and Colombia also.
I agree, hopefully its a practice on its way out.

by **Aidan** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 6:21 am

I presume the scotch whisky assoc. can only stop people calling such a vatting scotch. They can't make it illegal for anyone to mix scotch with another nation's whisky.

I have no objection to the practice, as long as it produces something nice.

by **kallaskander** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 9:02 am

Hi there,

our friend Kevin has asked the SWA about that.

http://www.thescotchblog.com/2007/06/ke ... .html#more

There is a German whisky which used to be called Red Fox in its early days until the SWA made objections to the usage of an English name to a whisky which used Scottish malt and Germain grain. The name today is Racke Rauchzart but it is not very smoky anymore. And they do not use German grains any longer but buy the grains in Scotland as well.

Scotch is blended with local grain distillate the world over and is sold as whisky. The only thing you can not do is mixing scotch with non grain spirits and call it whisky and the other thing you can not do is mixing Scotch with home made whisky and call it Scotch whisky. But whisky is the name if grain destillates are used.

Greetings
kallaskander

by **Mike Ralston** » Tue Jul 03, 2007 6:19 pm

An Australian distillery in Tasmania used to produce something called 'Cradle Mountain Double Malt'; a vatting of their own malt with malt from Springbank distillery in Campbeltown.

Don't know if it is still being made...

by **bond** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 8:09 am

Aidan wrote:I presume the scotch whisky assoc. can only stop people calling such a vatting scotch. They can't make it illegal for anyone to mix scotch with another nation's whisky.

I have no objection to the practice, as long as it produces something nice.

Could not agree with you more. Its not like the Association is the International Court of Justice or something.

by **Reggaeblues** » Wed Jul 04, 2007 1:16 pm

eelbrook writes:" I heard that the Scotch Whisky Association (bless their cotton socks, the little old innovators that they are) have outlawed such vattings."

Oh dear. I mixed a bit of Ardbeg Ten and some Macallan CS t'other week, just outa curiosity. isn't that akin to "international" in whisky terms? Does that make me an outlaw?

Oops, must go. Hear come the men in black...

by **JPYank** » Sat Jul 07, 2007 1:54 pm

Karuizawa puts out some vattings of Scottish malts plus their own malts. I believe Karuizawa Monogatari Pure Malt 8 Years is one such vatting.