Dive into blends

So about a year ago I bought a bunch (well two bottles) of blended sctoch, Ballantine's and J&B,When I started on them I had no idea about whisky ect. I shottet them like cowboys of old.
When I actually tried to drink them I couldn’t and they ended up being given to my stepfather, who can drink just about anything.

I have since kept to Single malt, and American stuff, but on Saturday I was at my parents and my step dad had two blended scotch. Upper Ten and Ballantine's Finest, the Ballantine’s came in a nice metal box, with ice cube tray, seems a bit fancy for a cheap blend.

I was not really looking forward to trying these, as last time I tried blends it didn’t go to well.First up was the upper ten, in past years it was almost the only whisky you could get in Norway.I let it breath for a few minutes, and nosed it, first impressions were not that good, it had whisky nose, but also a distinct nose of raw grain alcohol, almost vodka like. Luckily the raw alcohol nose did not bleed over to the taste; the taste was typical whisky, not a high or a low.

Next up was the Ballantine's it had even stronger raw alcohol nose, it was overwhelming I didn’t even smell the whisky, only raw vodka like nose. But again the nose did not run over to the taste, the taste was again distinct whisky.

In the end this was perfectly palatable, but blends are so expensive in Norway I don’t see why you would spend £35-40 on blends, when a single malt only cost £45-50.