The Classic Malts of Scotland: History, Regions and Bottles
A guide to the six Classic Malts of Scotland launched by United Distillers in 1988: Dalwhinnie, Talisker, Cragganmore, Oban, Lagavulin and Glenkinchie.
In 1988, United Distillers (now part of Diageo) launched a marketing range that did much to popularise single malt Scotch: The Classic Malts of Scotland.
Prior to the late 1980s, the vast majority of Scotch whisky was produced for blended scotch brands such as Johnnie Walker, Bell’s, and White Horse. Most single malt went into blends, and few distilleries bottled their own. By picking six single malts from across Scotland, each chosen to show a different regional style, the Classic Malts presented single malt as a category drinkers could explore region by region.
The Six Classic Malts
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| Distillery | Age | ABV | Classic Malts Region | Usual Style |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glenkinchie | 12 Year Old | 43.0% | Lowland | Light, floral, grassy |
| Dalwhinnie | 15 Year Old | 43.0% | Highland | Honeyed, light, unpeated |
| Cragganmore | 12 Year Old | 40.0% | Speyside | Malty, fruity, lightly smoky |
| Oban | 14 Year Old | 43.0% | West Highland | Coastal, fruity, light smoke |
| Talisker | 10 Year Old | 45.8% | Isle of Skye (Islands) | Peated, peppery, coastal |
| Lagavulin | 16 Year Old | 43.0% | Islay | Heavily peated, rich |
The Six Expressions in Detail
Glenkinchie 12 Year Old (Lowland)
Located in East Lothian, about 15 miles south-east of Edinburgh, Glenkinchie is marketed as “The Edinburgh Malt”. Founded in 1837, the distillery has one of the largest wash stills in Scotland, and its spirit is light and grassy. Originally featured in the Classic Malts as a 10 Year Old, the core expression was transitioned to a 12 Year Old in 2007. It represents the delicate, aperitif style typical of the Scottish Lowlands.
- Current in-stock price: £47.95 at Hard To Find Whisky
- Explore Glenkinchie Whisky
Dalwhinnie 15 Year Old (Highland)
In the Cairngorms National Park, Dalwhinnie is one of the highest and coldest working distilleries in Scotland, at a little over 300 metres above sea level. Founded in 1897, Dalwhinnie condenses its spirit in worm tubs: copper coils in large tubs of cold water outside the stillhouse. Worm tubs give the vapour little copper contact, which leaves the new make heavier and slightly sulphurous; after 15 years in oak the whisky is usually described as honeyed and light. Diageo labels it Highland, though the distillery sits in the Badenoch and Strathspey area that the 2009 regulations include in the Speyside region.
- Current in-stock price: £52.95 at Master of Malt
- Explore Dalwhinnie Whisky
Cragganmore 12 Year Old (Speyside)
Founded in 1869 by the distiller John Smith beside the Spey and the railway at Ballindalloch, Cragganmore has unusual flat-topped spirit stills and worm tubs. Diageo describes Cragganmore 12 as complex, with malt, fruit and a light smokiness.
- Current in-stock price: £44.50 at Master of Malt
- Explore Cragganmore Whisky
Oban 14 Year Old (West Highland)
Established in 1794, before the harbour town grew up around it, Oban is one of Scotland’s smaller distilleries. It runs just two pot stills, condensed in worm tubs. It was chosen to stand between the island malts and the mainland Highlands, and the 14 Year Old is usually described as fruity and coastal, with a little smoke.
Talisker 10 Year Old (Isle of Skye)
The oldest working distillery on the Isle of Skye (founded in 1830 on the shores of Loch Harport), Talisker has wash stills with U-shaped lyne arms and condenses in worm tubs. Its peated malt is specified at 20 to 25 ppm phenols, measured on the malted barley. The 10 Year Old is bottled at 45.8% ABV and is usually described as smoky and peppery.
- Current in-stock price: £39.15 at Master of Malt
- Explore Talisker Whisky
Lagavulin 16 Year Old (Islay)
Operating on the south coast of Islay since 1816, Lagavulin uses malt peated to about 36 ppm phenols, measured on the malted barley, and distils slowly in pear-shaped pot stills. The 16 Year Old is aged for at least 16 years, mostly in refill casks, and is heavily peated with a rich, sweet side. For the scale behind those ppm figures, see peat, phenols and ppm explained.
- Current in-stock price: £72.95 at Master of Malt
- Explore Lagavulin Whisky
Regional Reality vs The Classic Malts
While the Classic Malts collection popularised the concept of regional whisky styles, the geography of Scotch whisky under the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 differs slightly:
- The 5 Protected Regions: Under UK law, the five protected Scotch whisky regions are Highland, Lowland, Speyside, Islay, and Campbeltown.
- The Islands: The “Isle of Skye” and “Islands” are legally part of the Highland region. Campbeltown was left out of the 1988 Classic Malts, usually explained by United Distillers owning no distillery there.
- Flavour as Tendency, Not Rule: Today, the regions tell you where a whisky was distilled, not how it tastes. Some Speyside distilleries make heavily peated whisky, while Islay distilleries like Bunnahabhain and Bruichladdich make unpeated malts. Our guide to Scotland’s whisky regions covers the law in more detail.
Comparing Single Malt Prices
Compare current prices for these and other single malts at the UK retailers we check:
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