The amount of data on the label of a bottle of single malt whisky can be
overwhelming - especially for relative novices in the wild whisky world.
The 'brand' name on a bottle of single malt whisky is usually the name
of the distillery where the whisky was produced. In that respect, single
malt whisky is different from blended whisky like Johnnie Walker or J&B.

If you are looking for a malt whisky related brand and it isn't listed
on this page, you can use the Google 'search' screen at the left to search
for a specific brand - or any other word for that matter. If it's mentioned on one
of the pages of Malt Madness you'll find it. Otherwise, check out Malt Maniacs or WhiskyFun.

So, if you see a bottle of 'Aberlour' single malt whisky you know it was distilled at the Aberlour distillery.
What does that tell you? Quite a lot, actually - if you've tried some earlier 'batches' or other expressions from this distillery and/or if you know a little bit about how this particular malt whisky was produced. For example, some distilleries use peated barley which gives the malt whisky a characteristic phenolic character. The type(s) of casks that were used for maturation also play a significant role; most malt whiskies are aged in ex-bourbon casks from the USA, but sometimes
ex-sherry casks from Europe are used - or even more exotic casks that used to contain wine, madeira, port or rum.

That is no reason for despair though - dozens of independent bottlers like Gordon & MacPhail and Duncan Taylor buy casks
of whisky to bottle them under their own label. The name of the distillery is usually revealed, but sometimes bottlers use
fantastic names like 'Ballindalloch' or 'Tactical' when they can't or won't disclose the exact origins of the whisky in the bottle.
Amongst the malt maniacs we call these 'bastard bottlings'. Complex enough for you already? But wait, there's much more...
Sometimes a distillery releases different malts under different names. The Edradour distillery also produces the more heavily
peated Ballechin whisky. The Bruichladdich distillery even has 3 different brands; Bruichladdich, Port Charlotte and Octomore.
Buyers should also be wary of vatted malts (blends of different single malts) tarted up like single malts.  These 'vatted malts'
are a different category of whisky altogether, just like (for example) grain whisky or Irish whiskey. Feel free to check out
the Deviant Drams section of the site for information on other types of whisky (like blends and grain whiskies) and whiskies
that were produced in other countries than Scotland - for example Ireland, Japan, the USA, Canada, France or India.

Once again I'd like to point you towards the Beginner's Guide elsewhere on this website for more information about maturation. There usually is a lot of other information on the label as well. For example, it tells you which expression it is. In the 1990's many distilleries only released one or two 'standard' expressions of their malt whisky. Those expressions are usually identified by an age statement but some distilleries pick a more descriptive name - like Aberlour's
A'bunadh shown at the left. This gives distilleries more possibilities to tweak the recipe for an expression.

The list below contains the names of all (active and recently closed) malt whisky distilleries in Scotland, as well as a
couple of alternative names and 'makes'. I've also included the names of the main independent bottlers.
PLEASE NOTE: THIS LIST IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION!!! (AND WHEN IT'S DONE I'LL START A LONGER LIST FOR THE B.G.) 
 
Aberfeldy is a malt whisky distillery in the 'Midlands' region of Scotland, not far from Edradour and Blair Athol.
The Aberlour distillery, located in the heart of Speyside, was founded in 1879 by entrepreneur James Fleming.
The company with the name 'Adelphi Distillery Limited' is actually an independent bottler, not a distillery.
Pernod Ricard closed Allt A' Bhainne when they bought it in 2002, but it was re-opened in 2005.
An Cnoc is the name that was used in the 1990's for the official bottlings from the Knockdhu distillery.
The Ardbeg distillery is located on the isle of Islay. The owners claim Ardbeg was founded in 1815.
The current Ardmore distillery at the edge of the Grampian mountains was founded by Adam Teacher.
Arran distillery is located on the island with the same name, just East of Islay and Campbeltown.
The Auchentoshan distillery is one of the very few remaining distilleries in the Lowlands of Scotland.
Bottles of the Auchroisk single malt whisky were sold under the name 'Singleton' in the 1990's.
The Aultmore distillery started producing whisky in 1897, but was forced to close shortly afterwards.
Balblair distillery was founded in 1790, making it one of the oldest operating distilleries in Scotland.
The name Ballechin is used for a peated whisky that is produced at the Edradour distillery in the Midlands.
Ballindalloch is the name of a part of Speyside, a castle and a number of 'bastard' bottlings (including Glenfarclas).
The Balmenach distillery, founded in 1824,  has also been known under the names 'Balminoch' and 'Cromdale'.
Balvenie started out using second hand stills from Glen Albyn and Lagavulin to produce their malt whisky.
Banff - erm, more about Banff later...
Ben Nevis
Benriach
Benrinnes
Benromach
Ben Wyvis
Berry Brothers
Blackadder
Blackwood is the name of a 'project' we haven't heard much of lately... The things we heard were not good.
Bladnoch
Blair Athol
Bowmore
Brackla
Braes of Glenlivet is the old name of the Braeval distillery. Rumour has is that it will re-open in 2008.
The Braeval distillery will be re-opened in the summer of 2008.
Brechin is an alternative name that was used for the North Port distillery in the Eastern Highlands.
Brora
The Bruichladdich distillery on Islay was reopened in 2001 and quickly gathered a loyal group of fans.
Bunnahabhain
The name Burnside is used for a vatted malt (a.k.a. 'blended malt') of a lot of Balvenie and a little Glenfiddich.
Cadenhead's
The Caol Ila distillery on Islay is named after the body of water between Islay and Jura, the 'Sound of Islay'.
Caperdonich
Cardhu
Celtic Whisky Company
Chivas Brothers is a subsidiary of industry giant Pernod Ricard, owner of Aberlour and Glenlivet.
Clynelish
Coleburn
Convalmore
Cragganmore
Craigduff was the name for a 'bastard' malt whisky released by Signatory Vintage. Some claim it was Glen Keith.
Craigellachie
Craiglodge
Croftengea
Daftmill
Dailuaine
Dallas Dhu
Dalmore
Dalwhinnie
Deanston
Diageo
Douglas Laing
Dufftown
Duncan Taylor
See Littlemill
Edradour
The Edrington Group owns, among other things (part of) the Macallan and Highland Park distilleries.
The Fettercairn distillery used to be know as the Old Fettercairn distillery in the old days.
Fortune Brands is the name of the big corporation behind Ardmore and Laphroaig.
Glen Albyn
The Glenallachie distillery in Banffshire is one of the youngest distilleries in Scotland, founded in 1967.
Glen Avon
Glenburgie
The Glencadam malt whisky was hard to find in the 1990's, but the 15yo OB is now readily available.
Glencraig
The name Glen Deveron was used for the MacDuff distillery - and some of the malts it produced.
Glendronach
Glendullan
Glen Elgin
Glenfarclas
Glenfiddich
Glen Flagler
Glen Garioch
Glenglassaugh
Glengoyne
Glen Grant
Opinion's are divided about whether or not Glengyle is actually a seperate distillery from Springbank.
Glen Keith
Glenkinchie
Glenlivet
Glenlochy
Glenlossie
Glen Mhor
Glenmorangie
Glen Moray
Glen Ord
Glenrothes
Glen Scotia
Glen Spey
Glen Talloch
Glentauchers
Glenturret
Glenugie
Glenury Royal
Gordon & MacPhail
Hart Brothers
Highland Park
Hillside
The name Huntley is used - at least for now - for Duncan Taylor's new distillery in... erm... Huntley.
Imperial
Inchgower
Inchmoan
Inverleven
The Jura distillery used the name Isle of Jura in the past - just like the island where the distillery is located.
James McArthur
Jura
Kilchoman
Kilkerran is the name that is used (for legal reasons) for the malt whisky from Glengyle distillery.
Killyloch was the name of one of the two 'brands' of malt whisky distilled at the Glen Flagler distillery.
Kinclaith
Kininvie
Knockando
Knockdhu
Ladybank
Ladyburn
Lagavulin
Laphroaig
Ledaig
Linkwood
Linlithgow was the old name (or at least an alternative name) for the Saint Magdalene distillery.
Littlemill
Loch Ewe
Lochindaal
Loch Lomond
Lochnagar
Lochside
Longmorn
The Longrow distillery doesn't actually exist - it is a 'brand' from Springbank with a peatier recipe.
The abbreviation LVMH means Louis Vuitton / Moët Hennessey, a large luxury conglomerate that owns Ardbeg.
Macallan
MacDuff  is an alternative name for the Glen Deveron distillery and some of the malt whisky it produces.
Mannochmore
The McKillop's Choice (or MacKillop's Choice) is a range of independent bottlers from Angus Dundee.
Millburn
Miltonduff
Mortlach
Mosstowie
Murray McDavid
North Port
Oban
Old Fettercairn
Old Malt Cask
Old Pulteney
Octomore
Pernod Ricard
Pittyvaich
Port Ellen
Port Charlotte
Pulteney
Rosebank
Royal Brackla
Saint Magdalene
Samaroli
Scapa
Scott's Selection
Signatory Vintage
The name Singleton was used for Auchroisk bottlings in the 1990's; it's Dufftown / Glendullan / Glen Ord now.
Scotch Malt Whisky Society
Speyburn
Speyside
Springbank
Strathisla
Strathmill
Stronachie
The SWA (Scotch Whisky Association) isn't a 'brand' as such, but it's an important lobby group in the industry.
Talisker
Tamdhu
Tamnavulin
Teaninich
Tobermory
Tomatin
Tomintoul
Tormore
Tullibardine
United Distillers
The name Warhead is used for a vatted malt (a.k.a. 'blended malt') of a lot of Glenfiddich and a little Balvenie.
Wilson & Morgan 
 

If an age statement is provided on the label, Scottish law requires that statement to signify the youngest
whisky in the vatting. So, if a distillery mixes a cask of eighteen years old whisky with a cask of twelve
years old whisky for a bottling, that age statement must say '12yo'. When no age statement is provided,
it generally means that it is a relatively young expression from three to eight years old. These days,
most of the big brands like Ardbeg, Balvenie or Bowmore have a fairly extensive range of OB's. The
abbreviation 'OB' means 'official bottling' - i.e. an expression bottled and released by the owners of the
distillery. However, not all distilleries in Scotland actually market a range of their own 'official' bottlings.

On this page you can find a list of the various 'brands' that can be found in the malt whisky world; the names of the various distilleries (and alternative names like Ballechin or Octomore) as well as the names of some of the independent bottlers and the their main series. This is the place to look for an unknown brand; the main page of the DD section only lists distilleries. The rest of this page isn't quite finished yet...

The naming conventions for 'vatted malts' (blends of malt whisky from
various distilleries) and grain whisky are less strict than those for the
Scotch single malts. You can find out more about the different whisky
types in the Beginner's Guide - I'll focus on Scotch single malts here.

The Springbank distillery also produces the
more heavily peated 'Longrow' malts, as well
as a new spirit under the name 'Hazelburn'.
Once again, these are second-hand names
of silent distilleries in the Campbeltown area.