Malt Whisky Flavour Map

The Whisky flavour map originally put together by whisky expert David Broom, together with Diageo is a superb way of finding whiskies to suit your palette, from light smokier whiskies in the top left to richer more delicate malts in the lower right. Now it’s available as an SVG making it evebn easier to can buy your favourite whiskies straight from Master of Malt or the Whisky Exchange.

Medicinal, dry smoke pepperynessPungent smoky, peaty richnessFloral, herbal, grassy freshnessNutty, barley, biscuity subtlenessFresh fruit, citrus crispnessSpiced, stewed fruit ripenessSpiced, woody complexityDried fruit, sherry richnessSMOKYDELICATELIGHTRICHArdbeg 10Laphroig 10Caol Ila 12Lagavulin 16Lagavulin Distillers EditionBowmore 12Bunnahabhain 12Bruichladdich 15Glenkinchie 12Springbank 10Talisker 10Highland Park 12Oban 14Arran 10Arran 14Dalwhinnie 15Glen Ord 12Glenmorangie OriginalJura OriginAn Cnoc 12Old Pulteney 12Talisker 18Royal Lochnagar 12The Glenlivet 12The Glenlivet 15The Glenlivet 18The Glenlivet 21The Glenlivet 25Macallan 10Dailuaine 16Singleton of Dufftown 12Cragganmore Distillers EditionCragganmore 12Balvenie 12 DoubleWoodCardhu 12BenRiach 16Glenfiddich 12Glenfiddich 15Glenfiddich 18Glenfiddich 21Glenfiddich 30Linkwood 12Islay WhiskyLowland WhiskyCampbeltown WhiskyHighland WhiskySpeyside WhiskyThe Malt Whisky Flavour Map, created by Diagio

Top Left: Light & Smoky Whiskies

Typically whiskies in the upper part of this corner have the more medicinal, drier smoke notes. Malts towards the left tend to display simpler almost mono-dimensional characteristics.

Top Right: Rich & Smoky Whiskies

Whiskies in this corner of the map will be the most pungent with rich sweet peat-smoke notes and be bigger bodied. Generally, the further out from the centre of the map, the more intense this character becomes.

Bottom Left: Light & Delicate Whiskies

This section of the map will tend to account for a lot of whiskies. As malts occupying positions further from the centre of the map, having no peat smoke overtones, the flavour balances are more intricate. Generally, the further from the centre, the most tantalising and elusive the aromas become and the more subtle the flavour.

Bottom Right: Rich & Delicate Whiskies

You might expect a contradiction here – rich and delicate? In reality, whiskies which find themselves here have flavour combinations rather than contradictions; clean sweetness with delicate hints of pine freshness or toffee with hints of pear fruit. The further towards the corner, the greater the contrasts may become.