Putnam Single Malt

Putnam Single Malt is listed as a Scotch, which makes it a malted-barley whisky. The listing gives no age statement, region, cask type, or ABV, so what follows describes what single malts usually offer. It is not a measured profile of this bottle. Single malt means the whisky comes from one distillery and is made from malted barley. That generally gives a cereal and biscuit backbone, with fruit, honey, and gentle oak. Depending on the cask and the distillery's approach, expect something from soft vanilla and orchard fruit to a trace of smoke. Check the label for the details the listing leaves out. Pour a small measure neat first, to see where the bottle sits. Scotch of this type is traditionally sipped with a little room-temperature water. A few drops, added gradually, loosen the aromas and often bring out the malt and fruit while softening alcohol heat. A single large cube works if you prefer it cold, though chilling mutes the aromatics and can make the finish seem shorter. If the bottle turns out to carry peat, start with the water and skip the ice so the smoke stays defined. A Glencairn glass suits the first pour. The tulip shape concentrates the aroma, and nosing is where malt whiskies show most of their character. Once you know the profile, switch to a rocks glass for easy sipping or for building drinks. In cocktails, a single malt of this kind can stand in for bourbon or rye in an Old Fashioned. Use a small amount of sugar or demerara syrup and two dashes of Angostura. The malt gives a drier, more cereal-led drink with less caramel sweetness. A Rob Roy, which is a Manhattan made with Scotch, sweet vermouth, and bitters, shows off the malt directly. A Whisky Highball is built with two to three parts chilled soda to one part whisky over plenty of ice, with a lemon peel. It stretches a bottle well and lets the fruit and grain come through without heaviness. If you plan on mixing most of it, a Whiskey Sour with fresh lemon and a touch of egg white is another good use.