What is blended whisky? The Living Souls North British 17 Year Old explains

Blended whisky does not always have the best reputation: it is often seen as the accessible alternative to the "real" single malt. The Living Souls North British 17 Year Old shows that a thoughtfully composed blend, with sufficient age and enough malt, can have at least as much character as a single malt — and sometimes even more balance.

What is blended whisky?

A blended whisky is a mix of one or more single malt whiskies (distilled from malted barley, in a pot still, at a single distillery) with one or more single grain whiskies (usually distilled from corn or wheat, in a continuous column still). This is a different product from a "blended malt," in which exclusively various single malts are blended, without grain whisky. In a blended whisky, the ratio of malt to grain largely determines the character: the more malt, the fuller and more specific the flavor; the more grain, the softer and more accessible.

Why blend whisky?

Traditionally, blenders used grain whisky to temper the often intense, sometimes rough taste of malt whiskies into a balanced, consistent whole — making whisky more accessible to a wider audience and ensuring a recognizable house style from batch to batch. Most well-known blends therefore contain relatively little malt and a lot of grain. Living Souls reverses this logic: by giving the malt whisky a leading role instead of a supporting one, a blend is created that retains the smoothness of grain whisky but approaches the character of a single malt.

How Living Souls applies this

The North British 17 Year Old is a 50/50 blend: half sherry-aged Glenrothes malt, a Speyside single malt known for its rich, fruity sherry character, and half North British grain whisky, sourced from one of Scotland's oldest and largest grain distilleries in Edinburgh. While most blends contain only a small proportion of malt, this 50% Glenrothes provides a full, sherry-driven core, while the 17-year-old North British grain whisky softens that core into a smooth, round finish — without overpowering the fruity character.

Why this is worth knowing

Judging a blend based solely on category does the craft of blending a disservice. The ratio of malt to grain, the age of both components, and the choice of cask determine the result just as much as with a single malt — sometimes even with more variables to play with. The North British 17 Year Old is exactly such an example: a blend deliberately composed to showcase character, not to cut costs.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between blended whisky and blended malt?

Blended whisky combines single malt with single grain whisky. Blended malt combines exclusively various single malts, without grain whisky.

Is blended whisky of lower quality than single malt?

Not necessarily. The quality depends on the whiskies used, their age, and the ratio of malt to grain — not on the category on the label.

What is in the Living Souls North British 17 Year Old?

A 50/50 blend of sherry-aged Glenrothes single malt (Speyside) and North British single grain whisky (Edinburgh), both 17 years old.

Why do most blends contain less malt than this one?

Traditionally, blenders primarily use grain whisky to create a smooth, consistent, and affordable whisky. Living Souls deliberately chooses a higher proportion of malt for more character.

Where does North British grain whisky come from?

From the North British Distillery in Edinburgh, founded in 1885 and one of the oldest and largest grain whisky distilleries in Scotland.