IN THE WORLD of blended Scotch whiskies, grain whisky is the backup singer, providing a soft, sweet complement tomalt’s more emphatic character. But because it’s typically produced in bulk, with unmalted cereal grains (usually wheat or corn), grain whisky hasn’t, traditionally, gotten much respect. “People assume it’s inferior,” said Ben Ellefsen, managing director of spirits company Atom Brands. “It’s an often misunderstood, often maligned beast.”
But with bottlers and distillers worldwide releasing single-grain whiskies...