Single Malt age statements

[Rum Runner]

The topic of age statements on Single Malts came up on the Ministry of Rum forum, so I thought I'd bring the topic over here.

I am aware that the age stated has to be the youngest in the bottle, and that in theory older Malts can be included in the "blend".

In the case of Single Malts that carry a distillation and bottling date (either from original bottlers or independent bottlers) I would assume that very little, if any, older Malt was added.

Anyone with "inside" or "outside" knowledge of how much if any older Malt is blended into these bottlings?

Any and all thoughts,opinions, questions, answers are encouraged.

[Count Silvio]

I was in the belief that Single Malts were not blended at all (even inside the single distillery) and that the age in the bottle is the real age of the entire contents of that bottle. I am no whisky expert, however. This is an interesting topic you have started.

[Rum Runner]

I have been a fan of Single Malts for a long time, but I am not scholar by any means.

I too would presume that a Malt labeled 10, 12, 15, etc., would be entirely of a single year. Of course the Distillery would blend the different casks of that years produce to provide a sastisfactory taste profile in keeping with House Style. Certain casks may be held for further ageing, and casks that mature outside the house style could be disposed of through sales to outside blenders and bottlers.

Scotch producers are not obligated to state an age on the label. If they do state age, current regulations (I believe) state the age on the bottle be the youngest in the bottle, and does not forbid the addition of older Malt to the final product.

Angelsword brought up the topic of "Single Cane" on the rum forum, which logically led to the discussion of Single Malt. I felt that maybe the Administrator of the rum forum would not be comfortable with the thread turning into a Whisky discussion.

Maybe the good Count will allow a bit of leeway here if Angelsword and others wish to broaden the thread here to include the concept of "Single Cane Rum" as it involves similarities or differences to Single Malt.

In my limited web research of the subject I came across this trinity of websites with a truly eyeopening amount of fabulous information on Malt Whiskys.

[Count Silvio]

I encourage this kind of discussion so if you had any doubts about such a topic on MoR, you may have leeway here.

I think similar restrictions should be applied to "Single Cane Rum" that Single Malts currently have if there was a product like that. Obviously without restrictions the term would not mean much. It is certainly an interesting concept worth thinking about.

Hmm, perhaps Baron Rupert Von Liberis has something to say about this.

[Rum Runner]

I encourage this kind of discussion so if you had any doubts about such a topic on MoR, you may have leeway here.

I think similar restrictions should be applied to "Single Cane Rum" that Single Malts currently have if there was a product like that. Obviously without restrictions the term would not mean much. It is certainly an interesting concept worth thinking about.

Hmm, perhaps Baron Rupert Von Liberis has something to say about this.

Thank you for proceeding with this thread Count.

If one were to muse about the concept of a "Single Cane Rum" along the same lines as Single Malt, then I think the unmodified word "Cane" is troublesome. With "Malt" at least we know how the barley was processed. If we take it that rum comes from some sort of cane by-product, the unmodified word "Cane" does nothing to further define what's in the bottle.

[Count Silvio]

Perhaps then it should not be allowed to be made from any kind of by-product but strictly from sugar cane juice. There appears to be already atleast one product that calls itself Single Cane Rum, that is made from sugar cane juice.

[Rum Runner]

It appears there was a product labeled "Single Cane Rum" from Mexico under the Porfidio marque. The link to Ron Porfidio in the link you provided above ends in a dead domaine. Profidio was a producer of very high end Tequila/Agave spirits supposedly.

After some research on the web I found much colourful info on Herr Grassl of Porfidio and his experiences. He seems to be a bit of a P.T. Barnum in the spirits marketing business. Here is the link to his latest incarnation

I wonder if Angelsword is aware of this brief "ascension" of the term "Single Cane"?

If we take your proposal Count and define "Single Cane" as Rum produced (in an English speaking Country) from a single distillery and only from fresh juice, Then how shall we term single distillery produce from cane syrup or molasses?

[AngelSword]

I was not aware that the term "single cane" had been used by Porfidio. I wonder if it is used as a trademark and papers were filed. It may be used descriptively. Descriptions cannot be trademarks.

But the question remains as to what term might describe rums from a single distillery instead of a blend.

[Rum Runner]

I was not aware that the term "single cane" had been used by Porfidio. I wonder if it is used as a trademark and papers were filed. It may be used descriptively. Descriptions cannot be trademarks.

But the question remains as to what term might describe rums from a single distillery instead of a blend.

I do not know if Porfidio has trademarked "Single Cane".

How about the term "Distilled, Aged and Bottled by XXXX"?

[AngelSword]

How about the term "Distilled, Aged and Bottled by XXXX"?

Too Obvious!!!

[Count Silvio]

If we take your proposal Count and define "Single Cane" as Rum produced (in an English speaking Country) from a single distillery and only from fresh juice, Then how shall we term single distillery produce from cane syrup or molasses?

That is the problem isn't it?

How about the term "Distilled, Aged and Bottled by XXXX"?

I think Angelsword is looking for a more attractive single term for marketing. How about "Singe Distillery/Estate/Plantation Rum" and Single Cane if it is made from fresh juice?

I will have to think about this more accurately by a glass of good Single Malt.

[Rum Runner]

How about the term "Distilled, Aged and Bottled by XXXX"?

I think Angelsword is looking for a more attractive single term for marketing. How about "Singe Distillery/Estate/Plantation Rum" and Single Cane if it is made from fresh juice?

I will have to think about this more accurately by a glass of good Single Malt.

Marketing firms are paid handsomely for conjuring up such notions...What is our ransom to be in undertaking this endeavour Count?

[Rum Runner]

I might propose the term "Natural Cane Rum" to distinguish juice made rum (from a single distillery) from processed cane byproduct rum.

This eliminates the un-sexy term "juice", as well as the copycat term "single" (from the Scotch trade) in the designation, while maintaining an image of purity and integrity.

It also "blends" nicely with somebodys company name.

[Count Silvio]

Marketing firms are paid handsomely for conjuring up such notions...What is our ransom to be in undertaking this endeavour Count?

A cask of fine rum or whiskey!

I might propose the term "Natural Cane Rum" to distinguish juice made rum (from a single distillery) from processed cane byproduct rum.

This eliminates the un-sexy term "juice", as well as the copycat term "single" (from the Scotch trade) in the designation, while maintaining an image of purity and integrity.

It also "blends" nicely with somebodys company name.

You could be onto something but I cannot help but get the image that there is also "Un-natural Cane Rum." What about Pure Cane Rum?

Perhaps in the end we can have a poll with the best suggestions and cast our final votes.

[Rum Runner]

You could be onto something but I cannot help but get the image that there is also "Un-natural Cane Rum." What about Pure Cane Rum?

Perhaps in the end we can have a poll with the best suggestions and cast our final votes.

I find your suggestion equally acceptable.

And the poll idea is splendid.

[Count Silvio]

I just had a funny thought. Could Rhum Agricole made by a single distillery be called Single Agricole? Would these Single XXX rules/descriptions also apply to Cachaça if they were used to describe rum products?

[Rum Runner]

I just had a funny thought. Could Rhum Agricole made by a single distillery be called Single Agricole? Would these Single XXX rules/descriptions also apply to Cachaça if they were used to describe rum products?

I doubt that the term single would be allowed inside the AOC Martinique marque, But I see no reason why other Agricole producers could not use it. In use I'm not sure the term single would further define agricole because as far as I can tell there is no multi-still "blended" agricole on the market. I'm open to being made aware otherwise.

To your question about applying to Cachca...I'm afraid I don't understand the question. Maybe you could help me there?

[Count Silvio]

As in Single Cachaça > Cachaça made by a single distillery, or are they always made by a single distillery?

[Rum Runner]

Ah. Now I understand. Well, you have me there. I don't have enough knowledge of Cachaca. Perhaps our man in South America has the scoop.

[Baron Rupert Liberis]

I encourage this kind of discussion so if you had any doubts about such a topic on MoR, you may have leeway here.

I think similar restrictions should be applied to "Single Cane Rum" that Single Malts currently have if there was a product like that. Obviously without restrictions the term would not mean much. It is certainly an interesting concept worth thinking about.

Hmm, perhaps Baron Rupert Von Liberis has something to say about this.

Hmmmmmm!

My knowledge of Rum is entirely lacking in regard to this, yet I feel no shame! There are far too many good single malt whisky's out there yet to be tasted to do more than trifle with other spirits.

As for the age stated on Single Malts, it is always the length of time the whisky has remained in the barrel, give or take a few months. This why you get such oddities as 37yr old, or 32yr old malts, that can then sit in bottles for a few decades and reach outlandish prices.

May I offer my apologies for the prolonged absence whilst here, I've been busy taking care of business. I do hope that my late comments will not deter you from continuing on the subject of 'that sailors drink'.

[JaRiMi]

I thought I'd reply to this post after seeing it, as I am somewhat connected to whisky industry and perhaps can offer some additional information here..

Single malt = simply means malt whisky, from one distillery. Typically original distillery owner bottlings are blends of malt whisky of different ages, and many different barrels.

Single malt whisky with an age statement = malt whisky from one distillery, many barrels blended & married together. The YOUNGEST whisky gone into the bottling is what the age statement refers to, i.e. Caol Ila 12yo - means youngest whisky barrels blended into this are 12 years old.

If necessary or so desired for taste, any amount of older Caol Ila single malt can be mixed into the blend for taste consistency or desired character. For example, when Ardbeg released their "Introducing 10 years old" around 2001, the distillery people told me that even 25 year old whisky was added to the mixture to create the flavour profile. Of course distilleries try these days to avoid excessively adding older whisky to such a product, simply because they can typically sell these older whiskies as such - for a far greater price.

In some cases, such as Ardbeg Uigeadail, what the distillery owner did was apparently to marry quite young (possibly less than 10yo) whisky with really old casks: reason was that due to the distillery being closed for a number of years and warehouse being poorly managed by previous owners, the very old casks had lost so much alcohol that they could no longer be sold as single malt scotch whisky (the alcohol content had dropped below 40%, which is the legal limit).

Single malt whisky which gives just bottling date and distillation date, but bottles number in thousands = typically this is a mixture of malt whisky barrels from one single distillery that contain whisky distilled at same time. As far as I know, no older whisky is added to such a bottling.

Single cask Single Malts = here we are truly talking of unique products that come from a single barrel of malt whisky from one distillery. Depending on the design of the barrel and the age of the whisky, the number of bottles vary typically between 100 - 600. Occasionally two or three casks are mixed; in this case the bottle shows clear reference to the number of casks used. Such bottlings are typically released at cask strength, which can be over 60% of alcohol for older bottlings. Nowadays almost all if not indeed all Scotch malt whisky is diluted to 63,5% (I recall this off the top of my head) or around that strength before being put into a barrel - this means that in the future no cask strength whisky will attain such alcohol strengths as some of the older ones do (example, Rosebank 25yo, bottled at cask strength of 61.4%).

Often single cask single malts are bottled by independent bottlers who own parcels of various whiskies, and bottle them with their own label (still usually informing their customers of which distillery the whisky originates from). Such indie-bottlers are for example Douglas Laing & Co., Cadenheads, Art of Whisky etc. On occasion a distillery also may release single cask whisky, and these unique products are much sought after.

Apart from these classifications, there are Vatted malts (malt whiskies of various distilleries blended together), and of course Blended whiskies (a blend of various malts, with a varying amount of cheaper grain whisky included).

[peetie44]

JaRIMI,

Excellent post. Thanks for all the info.

CHEERS!

[forrest]

To further elucidate upon JaRiMi's excellent post above, there is also available from Scotland, a category designate called 'Single Grain'.