Fraser Campbell adds that “the purpose of learning how to blend whisky is about understanding the history of blending Scotch by deconstructing different flavours and how they come into play. Most blended scotch is like an orchestra that is playing together for the first time and Dewar’s is like an orchestra that has been playing together for 6 months. The result is unmatched harmony and a smoother scotch.”

The secret steps behind blending Scotch

Step 1: Learn the difference between Scotch Single Malts and blends.

‘Single Malt whisky’ is produced and bottled from a single distillery, whereas ‘blended’, as the name suggests, is a blend of two or more malt and grain whiskies. The world of whisky is complex, with the ‘blended whisky category being the most prolific. Blends are the backbone of Scottish whisky – making up 90% of all whisky exports.

Step 2: Identify your flavours.

The most obvious flavour profiles being smoky, cereal, fruity, floral and grain. An appropriate analogy would be that of a chef, taking in different ingredients and combining them to create something more harmonious and consistent than the individual parts.

Step 3: Know what overall flavour you want to achieve.

Much like making a dish, or creating a painting, you will have an overall idea of what you want to achieve, though the journey to get there might have some surprising twists and turns. Getting to know the individual whiskies is paramount, as this will let you understand which flavours, aromas characteristics you want to shine through in your blend.

Step 4: Make notes on personal preference.

A person’s blends usually tell us a lot about their personality. Starting with the base, make notes of all the different whiskies added. By adding your preferred flavours let your blended whisky rest. Blend the components, taste and repeat.

Step 5: Blend, bottle and enjoy!

South African whisky enthusiasts can enjoy the distinguished double-aged Scotch blends from the Dewar’s portfolio of premium and super premium whiskies including DEWAR’S 12-Year-Old and DEWAR’S 15-Year-Old that form part of the white label core range. These whiskies are blended from 40 different single malts and grain whiskies and crafted using the DEWAR’S oak marrying ageing process. The oak marrying process involves returning the hand-crafted blend to specially selected oak casks for up to six months. The result is a smoother taste with a long, lingering finish; a taste that wins medals and applause, making DEWAR’S the world’s most awarded blended Scotch and the fifth largest blended Scotch whisky brand in the world. Dewar’s 12YO currently retails for R299,00 and Dewar’s 15YO retails for R419,00.

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