Explain blended whiskey to me.

[Hayduke_Lives]

My dad bought a bottle of “blended whiskey” to serve to guest we’re having this weekend. (I wonder why he doesn’t serve the expensive bourbon he’s so fond of:rolleyes:;)) Anyway, the label says “80% grain neutral spirits”. Isn’t grain neutral spirits just straight alcohol, like Everclear? And isn’t Everclear just vodka minus some water? So is that what blended whiskey is, whiskey and vodka? I don’t get it. Please fight my ignorance.

:DHey, I gotta know this stuff for when I’m actually legal to drink!

[pulykamell]

Short answer is a resounding NO! Blended whiskey is not a mix of vodka and whiskey, but rather a blend of whiskeys from separate distillaries. A single whiskey come from one distillary.

At least that’s how it applies to Scotch whisky.

I’m not sure what stuff you have, but it sounds dodgy to me.

[pulykamell]

Hold on:

BLENDED WHISKEY
Blended whiskey came into prominence in the United States during world war II, when distillers made the most of their dwindling stocks of whiskey by mixing them with unaged grain-neutral spirits. By U.S. law, blended whiskey must contain at least 20% straight whiskey. The rest may be unaged grain neutral spirits, pure alcohol with little or no flavor-and that’s exactly what the cheaper, inferior blends tend to be. Actually, there are two types of blended whiskey: the aforementioned cheaper brands in which straight whiskey is blended with grain neutral spirits, and those in which straight whiskeys of varying character and qualities are blended together to produce a distinctive product. Most Scotch, Bourbon, Canadian, rye, and Irish whiskeys currently on the market, including the very best available, are blended whiskeys and fall into this second category.

From here.

Seems the US has a slightly differring definition than the Scots.