There are a few places on the planet where whisky — or whiskey — is a cultural icon, not just an adult beverage: Kentucky, Ireland, and Scotland quickly come to mind. Sometimes it’s a matter of tradition or story, and sometimes it’s about a signature style or flavor profile. In the case of Edrington’s The Famous Grouse, it’s a combination of all four.
Matthew Gloag created the first recipe for The Famous Grouse in 1896, and while many may assume this storied history might equate to a change in quality or recipe, in actuality, the "fingerprint" of Gloag’s delicious blended Scotch whisky is still present. In fact, the ability of the blend to stay as close to the original specifications as possible is a point of pride for the brand and contributes to its international popularity. The Famous Grouse’s Master Blender Craig Johnstone said the whisky is the best seller in Scotland, England, and Sweden. Yes, Sweden.
Johnstone sat down with us to talk about The Famous Grouse and the tradition of blending whisky. The Scotland native has a story to rival many origin narratives, including a degree in astrophysics from the University of Edinburgh, learning single malt production in Tasmania, and getting his first gig in a distillery on his 18th birthday at his local distillery.
“I was a tour guide at a distillery near Edinburgh, and I learned the basic process of whisky production as well as the deep connection the product has with Scots and tourists alike,” Johnstone said.
Johnstone worked his way up from distiller to distillery manager to maturation manager at Lark Distilling Co. in Tasmania before moving back to Scotland in 2022 to assume his current duties. We asked him to explain some of the basic terminology of Scotch whisky and where the craft of blending fits into the tradition.
The Rules of Scotch Whisky
“At its core, whisky is a wood-aged, grain-based spirit,” Johnstone said. “To be Scotch whisky, it has to be distilled and matured — aged in oak barrels — in Scotland for at least three years, and to be single malt, it has to be bottled in Scotland too."
The terminology can be confusing, so Johnstone broke it down for us.
Single Malt. This whisky is the product of one distillery, made from 100% malted barley, distilled in copper pot stills in a batch process.
Single Grain. If any part of the single malt Scotch process is broken, the whisky becomes grain whisky. Single grain whisky signifies it is from a single distillery. This product can be from barley, but other grains are allowed too. In fact, The Famous Grouse blend utilizes maize and wheat as well as barley.
Blended Scotch Whisky. This is a blended whisky that can utilize a combination of single malts and single grains. Matured in oak for three years.
The more general rules are that the whisky must be matured in oak, and producers use a combination of American, French, and other European cooperages depending on the flavor components they want. Additionally, the finished product must have an ABV above 40%, and Johnstone said that his target is 40% for The Famous Grouse.
Understanding the Malt
So what does “malt” mean in Scotch production? It’s part of preparing the barley for distillation. The grain is exposed to enough water to start the germination process, a cycle in which the starch is exposed. This is converted to sugar and then alcohol later in the distillery. For maximum efficiency, the germination is stopped before the starch begins to break down.
Traditionally, the germination is stopped in a drying process. For those distilleries that had access to smokeless coal like anthracite, there was very little flavor added to the grain. For others, like the Orkney and Islay distilleries, anthracite wasn’t available, so they went with peat. The resulting smoke from burning peat gives many Scotches their smoky (or, simply put, peaty) flavor profile.
“The modernization of distilleries altered that process,” Johnstone said. “Most just use dry air now, so the regional differences — once determined primarily by taxes levied on stills — now barely exist. Islay is now the only region true to form based on peat, but after modernization, it’s a choice.”
The Famous Fingerprint
The blend of whiskies in The Famous Grouse begins with what Johnstone calls “two or three pillars,” by which he’s referring to distilleries that provide whisky with a specific set of flavor and style parameters that give the whisky its fingerprint or DNA.
“Matthew Gloag created the recipe in 1896, and the components of that recipe are essentially fixed,” Johnstone said, “but as master blender, I’m tasked with improving those components. We work with a grain distillery in Edinburgh to add the oiliness we like and a grain distillery in Glasgow for the bubble gum sweetness. Each component adds something to the blend.”
The most important aspect of the blending is how it allows Johnstone to create a whisky that has a complexity you usually only find in whiskies with big age statements. The Famous Grouse uses whiskies that are three to eight years old, but the blending of components targets every area of the palate in a way that a single malt can’t do until it's quite old. A considerable proportion of The Famous Grouse has spent time in a sherry cask, which gives the whisky its signature toffee and caramel notes.
To create the Smoky Black, Johnstone adds enough Islay Scotch to “dial up the peat to about a five or six.” It gives the whisky a nice smoky note without overwhelming the blend, so it serves as a great introduction to peated whiskies. The Bourbon Cask has vanilla, citrus, and coconut notes from the American bourbon barrels, and the Ruby Cask turns up the spice and stone fruit notes with port casks.
One of our favorite ways to enjoy both The Famous Grouse and Smoky Black is in a Penicillin cocktail. The tart lemon and spicy ginger perfectly accentuate both expressions and create a balanced cocktail, perfect for sipping on a patio or enjoying alongside a meal.
2 oz. The Famous Grouse
¾ oz. Lemon juice
¾ oz. Honey-ginger syrup*
¼ oz. The Famous Grouse Smoky Black
Candied ginger (garnish)
Add all ingredients except Smoky Black to a cocktail shaker filled with ice and shake until chilled. Strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Gently float Smoky Black on top of the cocktail and garnish with a piece of candied ginger.
*To make the honey-ginger syrup: Add 1 cup of honey, 1 4-inch piece of ginger (peeled and sliced), and 1 cup of water to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and let steep and cool. Strain the syrup through a fine mesh strainer into a glass jar. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
In Closing
The Famous Grouse is famous because it embodies the tradition of blending in a way that continually improves without losing sight of Gloag’s fingerprint. The idea that blended Scotch is in any way “less than” a single malt disappears entirely with one sip of The Famous Grouse in any of its forms.
Ready to find out what makes this Blended Scotch Whisky so famous? Shop the entire Famous Grouse collection here.
