Malty
- Cereal
- Bread
- Biscuit
- Almond
- Nutty
- Chocolate
- Cocoa
- Coffee
Whiskies that taste of the grain they are made from. Think warm bread, toasted nuts and a square of chocolate.
See malty whiskiesWhat malty tastes like
If a whisky reminds you of a bakery, it is probably malty.
Tastes like
Bread, cereal and toasted nuts
Feels
Soft, round and comforting
Great for
Your first steps into whisky
You will probably like malty if you enjoy
- Toast and honey
- Hazelnut spread
- Mocha
- Granola
- Malted milk
Where malty comes from
Malt Malting
Barley soaks in water until it sprouts. Warm air then dries it, giving it a biscuity taste.
Dried over a peat fire, it tastes smoky instead. That is peaty
Brew Fermentation
Yeast turns the sugars into alcohol. A short fermentation keeps the bready, cereal taste. A longer one brings out fruit.
Rest Maturing
The whisky rests in wooden casks for years. Time and sherry casks take it from bready to nutty and chocolatey.
- Bread
- Nuts
- Chocolate
Malty whiskies to try
Whiskies with malty as their main flavour.
Eight malty notes to look for
From light and bready to dark and roasted. Most malty whiskies lean one way or the other.
Cereal
Porridge oats and sweet grain
Bread
Fresh crust and warm toast
Biscuit
Shortbread and digestives
Almond
Marzipan and soft nuttiness
Nutty
Toasted hazelnut and walnut
Chocolate
Milk chocolate and cookies
Cocoa
Dry cocoa, less sweet
Coffee
Roasted beans and espresso
Malty plus one more
Most whiskies have a second flavour. Pick one and see what malty turns into.
Toasty and comforting
Like warm toast with caramel spread.
- Vanilla
- Toffee
- Toasted bread
4 to start with
Your first malty flight
A flight is a few whiskies tasted side by side. These go from easy-going to special, so you can taste how malty changes.
Start here
Step up
Nikka Coffey Malt
Malty Woody€50Malted barley made in a rare kind of still. Soft pastry and chocolate.Go deeper
Treat yourself
My malty flight
Find your own flavour profile
Answer a few quick questions and we will match you with whiskies you are likely to love.
Take the flavour test