# Explain blended whiskey to me.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-blended-whiskey-to-me/115990>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 26, 2002, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-blended-whiskey-to-me/115990 "2002-06-26T06:16:38Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Hayduke\_Lives](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Hayduke\_Lives](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hayduke_Lives)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-blended-whiskey-to-me/115990/1 "2002-06-26T06:16:38Z")

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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!

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 8:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-blended-whiskey-to-me/115990/2 "2002-06-26T08:04:43Z")

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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.

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 8:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-blended-whiskey-to-me/115990/3 "2002-06-26T08:06:51Z")

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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.](http://www.barfliers.com/baropaedib.php)

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