Single Malt. Could a rotgut meet the definition?

[Still Life]

It seems the term 'Single Malt' can get the disagreements a-flying here.

If it is the unblended product of a single distillery as I often see it described here (and elsewhere), doesn't that pretty much cover most all spirits we make?

Let's say The Happy Squirts distillery puts out an unblended rotgut of a smeared drink on the cheap, couldn't they call it a Single Malt?
The term appears overblown by this definition.

The other camp says it's a single grain sugar --regardless of the grain bill.
That looks like a better description.

Which one is current group-think?

I expect to get blasted by this question. Let 'er fly.

Signed,
Cornfused in Missouri

[Pikey]

Interesting !

I've never had any doubt that a "single malt" - can only be made entirely from malted barley (although I can see some potential discussion there) - In my case I use a malt extract (somebody else has mashed and condensed it) and additional sugar - but I have not and won't describe it as a "single malt" even though it comes from a single can ! - just "easy whisky".

It must come from a single source distillery AND - a single source - whether that be a single batch of distillate, a single barrel, or a single batch of malted barley in the first place - I dunno. (I don't think "out of a single bottle" would be good enough !)

[Swedish Pride]

i think its 100% malt from the same distilery, so could be lots of different batches and different malts.
I may missremember, it's the norm in my house

[Pikey]

i think its 100% malt from the same distilery, so could be lots of different batches and different malts.
I may missremember, it's the norm in my house

So "Blended" within the distillery for consistency ?

[cuginosgrizzo]

The "correct" definition of Single Malt is that it is made from malted barley and coming from a single distillery. It may very well be a blend of different batches of different years. I cite as a very good single malt Ardbeg Uigedail, which is a blend of Ardbeg whisky of different ages, some young some older.

There is no quality assumption in this, so yes, if Happy Squirts distillery should produce a very bad whisky only with malted barley and only from their distillery, that would be a very bad single malt...

[Still Life]

Thanx for the responses.
I'm sticking with the malted barley/single distillery then.

[RafaelArroyo]

Legally, the main requirements are that all the whisky in the bottle must be pot stilled, from the same distillery and made from 100% malt. Even for Scotch (which has the additional requirement of being aged over 3 years), that doesn't really guarantee quality. I think the phrase keeps its prestige because if you're going to make rotgut whisky, it's much cheaper to make a blend since you can extend your malt with neutral.