Single malts might have grabbed all the headlines in recent years, but there’s a growing feeling that there are two whisky categories that have been somewhat neglected but whose time will eventually come. And I’m starting to get the feeling that that time really isn’t that far away at all.

The first is grain whisky. Grain whisky is made in a totally different way to single malt whisky, on continuous stills which extract high strength alcohol by forcing grain beer against pressurised steam in large columns. It is the whisky which is mixed with single malts to make blended whisky, and it has had limited success on its own.

That’s partly because it has unfairly earned a reputation for being bland an uninteresting. But there are many examples where its sweet and vanillery components make for a delightfully refreshing alternative to single malt, and more than that, there are grain whiskies which are world class.

Indeed its biggest weakness can be its biggest strength. On the down side, grain whisky does not have as much flavour as single malt when it is first made.  – but the upside of this is that it is a blank canvas and if you put it in a high quality cask and leave it for long enough, all sorts of magic happens. Leave it for in excess of 30 years and it’s capable of developing the bourbony characteristics of the American oak bourbon cask but combining them with distinctly Scottish notes.

I’m fortunate enough to have tried a 50 year old grain whisky, and it is stunning example of what grain can be about.  Independent bottler Mahesh Patel is so convinced by grain that two aged grains from the 1960s form part of his four whisky Sirius range..

I think these sort of releases will become more common in the coming months as distillers look to new areas as they try to meet the huge demand for whisky worldwide and people discover the joys of aged grain. Grain also tends in general to be less expensive than single malt whisky, so it provides a great opportunity to taste genuinely old whisky.

The other category which is growing and set to stir the excitement is blended malt whiskies – and there’s an irony in this because blended malts are different to blended whisky because they don’t use grain. In the right hands they offer the opportunity to create something genuinely new taste-wise while moving away from traditional whisky imagery and packaging.

There are some real crackers around. Peat Monster and Spice Tree from Compass Box are blended malts, the Double Barrel range from Douglas Laing bring together malts from just two distilleries, and Clan Denny Islay and Speyside do exactly what they say on the tin, bringing together the best flavours for each region from a range of distilleries. And don’t forget The Big Peat, a surefire winner with Whisky Shop customers for nigh on two years now.

Exciting stuff – and absolute proof that  there’s always something new to excite the palate.

Dom’s weekly round up of the highlights from the world of whisky

Top drawer

The Whisky Shop has had an excellent working relationship with The Dalmore in the last two years, and the Highland whisky has risen from nowhere to a top selling whisky across the whole Whisky Shop estate.

Brand owner Whyte & Mackay’s other main malt, Isle of Jura, is also a a popular choice among Whisky Shop customers. So it comes as no real surprise to hear how well both malts are doing.  So well in fact that the Dalmore is now officially the world’s fastest growing single malt, according to new figures from leading research analysts IWSR.

The data reveals that the Dalmore is currently the fasting growing malt year on year with value growth of 69 per cent, taking over from Whyte & Mackay’s other single malt brand Jura which is now the second fastest growing malt in the world with value growth of 56 per cent. The phenomenal performance of the two brands compares with average growth of only 12 per cent across the top 25 malt brands globally – which in itself is pretty impressive.

Commenting on the figures, John Beard, Chief Executive of Whyte and Mackay said: “The global whisky market is continuing to experience a significant boom in sales and, within the malt category, competition is fierce to capitalise on this growth. So it’s testament to the hard work of our staff and the consistent quality of product that both of our malt brands are growing faster than any others out there. The Dalmore, in particular, is performing extremely well in this market and we are experiencing a growing demand from the world’s top retailers.”

Great news for a great whisky.

Denny does it every time

If you haven’t tried Clan Denny, then you should. Clan Denny Speyside and Islay are blended malts – a mixture of malts from different distilleries – and they do exactly what they say on the tin, offering the drinker the definitive experience for each regain. I don’t know who’s putting these whiskies together but they have always been good and the latest sample of Clan Denny Islay is the best yet – rich, smoky, peaty, sweet and full bodied.

I’ve been drinking a lot of classic Laphroaig and Ardbeg recently – never a struggle, certainly not a chore for me – and Clan Denny Islay matches up favourably even in this superlative company.

Congratulations Spain and Italy

There are many people who feel that the last two weeks of European football have been a disappointment  but I’m not among them. I’ve loved every moment of the tournament – well most: I’m English – and I’ll miss the nightly pre match ritual of loud rock music and a good whisky before sitting down to invariably choose to support the team which goes on to lose.

I’ve had some great whisky moments over the last two weeks – Redbreast 12 year old before the Ireland games (in one of which a player from my team Leicester City scored a goal), Glen Garioch before German games (don’t ask me why), Glenfarclas before Spain matches (sherry casks, you see), Glenlivet 15 year old before any of the Eastern European countries played and Laphroaig before England’s matches.

I had to listen to the England v Sweden game in the back of a car with John Glaser so rather than drink Mackmyra that win will be associated with Compass Box Spice Tree, though that whisky was my regular choice for Italy matches. Happy days…

But congratulations to Spain and Italy, who reached the final on merit. I love both countries – we have holidayed in either one of them practically every year since we had children 14 years ago – so my loyalties are split.

I’ll make a decision after a Glenfarclas and Spice Tree on Sunday evening. God help whoever I decide to root for.

Manic March gives way to awesome April this week, but not before one or two more wonderful whisky twists. Plenty to keep whisky fans interested then, including: