12-Year Aged Whisky Blind Test: Single Malt and Blended Rankings Match Perfectly

In the whisky community, opinions often arise that "blended whisky tastes bad" or is "poor quality whisky." While blended whisky is characterized by lower unit costs due to the frequent use of continuous stills, this does not necessarily translate to a difference in taste quality. According to a video (released on September 9, 2026) from the YouTube channel 'Introduction to Liquor - Interesting Behind Stories of Alcohol,' participants conducted a blind test on three types of 12-year-aged single malts and three types of blended whiskies to identify the differences.

Blind Tasting Results of 6 Types of 12-Year Aged Whisky

The participants conducted a blind test to distinguish the whiskies contained in six glasses, which were differentiated by color, based on their aroma and taste. As a common characteristic of the 12-year-aged products, it was mentioned that the alcoholic kick was felt during the tasting process. The participants in the video pointed out this commonality, stating, "It is rare for the alcohol proportion to be low in 12-year aged whiskies." The specific characteristics for each glass are as follows.

The blue glass showed a combination of apple, fruit, flower, and grass aromas, but had a strong alcohol scent. The green glass had aromas of fruit, honey, and grass, while the black glass showed smoky flavors along with the taste of dried fruit. The transparent glass was characterized by a nutty taste, and the gold glass felt sweet and nutty. For the red glass, there were opinions that it smelled like newspaper, an attic, or a basement. In particular, for the red glass, a specific description followed: "a feeling of hay added to a damp barn."

Confirmation of Single Malt and Blended Rankings and Identities

After the tasting, the participants distinguished between blended whisky and single malt whisky and ranked their respective tastes. Surprisingly, the results showed that the rankings of the two participants matched perfectly. An unusual situation occurred where the rankings of the two participants matched across all sections for the first time in 6 years. The final rankings were tallied in the order of 1st Gold, 2nd Green, 3rd Blue, 4th Black, 5th Transparent, and 6th Red. The results after confirming their identities are as follows:

• Gold (1st): Macallan (Single Malt)
• Green (2nd): Glen Grant (Single Malt)
• Blue (3rd): Chivas Regal (Blended)
• Black (4th): Johnnie Walker Black (Blended)
• Transparent (5th): Aberlour (Single Malt)
• Red (6th): Old Parr (Blended)

During the identity confirmation process, the participants showed a high accuracy rate by correctly identifying Macallan (Gold) and Johnnie Walker Black , among others. As a result of the test, single malts and blends were mixed from 1st to 3rd place, leading to the conclusion that the taste difference between single malts and blends is not very distinct in the 12-year aged category.

Conclusions Drawn from the Blind Test

Through this test, the participants confirmed that "at the 12-year aged level, the difference between blends and single malts is marginal." It showed that single malts do not necessarily monopolize the top rankings and that the taste of whisky can vary depending on individual preference. The participants mentioned that capturing the characteristics of aroma and taste was not easy, adding, "There is an underlying thought of 'if it tastes good, must it be a single malt?'"

Furthermore, since this experiment was conducted targeting 12-year aged products, it concluded with a suggestion to conduct comparative tests targeting high-aged whiskies in the future, excluding smoky flavors. The participants shared that if one possesses a large collection of whisky, enjoying such blind tests with acquaintances is a good way to spend time.