2 Million People Drink Famous Grouse

Single malt scotch gets a lot of attention. But it's not the most popular type of whisky.

More people drink blended whisky than single malt scotch. So, we thought we would talk about non-malt type of whisky.

What Do We Mean By ‘Non-Malt’ Whisky?

A ‘non-malt’ can be made from any kind of grain. That’s why it's called a ‘grain’ whisky.

Grain whisky is made from any cereal grain. You’ll often see wheat, corn or rye grains used. But it could be anything.

Malt whisky is made from malted barley. Single malt is a term reserved for whiskies produced at one single distillery. Many people will tell you that single malt is of higher quality than any blended whisky. But that’s not necessarily true. There are some fantastic grain whiskies out there.

What’s the most popular ‘Non-Malt’ Whisky?

The Famous Grouse is by far the most popular grain whisky. Over 2 million people drank The Famous Grouse last year. That’s 500,000 more people than the next most popular grain whisky, Bells.

The Famous Grouse has been the highest-selling whisky brand in Scotland since 1980. The majority of its sales in the United Kingdom are during the Christmas period.

Blended Whisky And Investment Opportunities

Blended whisky is made up of whisky produced by many distilleries.

The Famous Grouse, for example, was first produced by Matthew Gloag & Son in 1896 and is now owned by The Edrington Group.

The single malt whiskies used in The Famous Grouse include Highland Park and The Macallan. These are two of the most expensive whisky brands for collectors.

But most of the whisky used for blends is not as famous as Highland Park or The Macallan. Many distilleries in Scotland produce single malt whisky that’s exclusively used in blends. The only way that some of those whiskies are tried as single malts is when someone buys and bottles a single cask.

Because there is a lot of demand for these unique single cask whiskies, they present good investment opportunities.

If you'd like to learn more about investing in whisky, complete this form and we'll email our Ultimate Guide to Whisky Cask Investment.