Top whisky to drink this Burns Night
Tomorrow is Burns Night, the annual celebration of Scotland’s national poet, Rabbie Burns. It’s an excuse, if one were needed, for connoisseurs of Caledonian culture to recite his works; eat haggis, neeps, and tatties; and wash it down with plenty of whisky. If you’re looking for an appropriate tipple to mark the event, here are some suggestions that will ensure you have a dram good time…
Dalmunach 6-Year-Old Wulver
Speyside distillery Dalmunach, has only been operating since 2015. Although it is one of the largest distilleries in Scotland, almost all of its output thus far has been used as a component in the blending of Chivas Regal. The Wulver is the first single malt release from Dalmunach that is not a distillery exclusive. Named after an amiable Shetlandic wolfman, who enjoyed fishing and would share his catch with the needy, the Wulver is the first of three single malt releases from the distillery, which will be named after creatures from Scottish folklore, and available through The Whisky Exchange. The Whisky Exchange Ambassador, Billy Abbott, describes the Wulver as, “Young, crisp and perfect as an aperitif or as a foil to big soups and stews.”
60% ABV, RRP £59.95 (but currently £10 off as “Whisky of the Month”): Buy it here
Glenmorangie Calvados Cask Finish 12-Year-Old
The Glenmorangie Calvados Cask Finish is the fifth in the distillery’s Barrel Select Release series, exploring the flavours that arise from new and interesting cask finishes on small batch single malts. Whisky which had spent more than a decade ageing in American white oak bourbon casks, was finished in casks that for 20 years held Calvados du Pays d’Auge, from Normandy, in France. “Glenmorangie Calvados Finish is a wonderful addition to our Barrel Select Release series,” says Director of Whisky Creation, Bill Lumsden. “Entwining scents of baked pears, vanilla and jasmine with tastes of toffee apples, lemon balsam and spice, this rare whisky takes all that is good about Glenmorangie, to richly delicious new heights.”
46% ABV, RRP £75: Buy it here
Lochlea 5-Year-Old
To coincide with Burns Night, Lochlea is releasing its first age statement whisky. The distillery is located on a farm in South Ayrshire, where Burns actually lived and worked between 1777 and 1784, from the time he was 18 until the death of his father. The distillery uses barley grown onsite, a long fermentation process and slow distillation, to produce an atypical Lowland whisky, with a strong, fruity character. The 5-Year-Old is intended to demonstrate how Lochlea has been ageing its spirit in exceptional casks over the last half-decade. To do this they have vatted two first fill ex-Bourbon casks, one first fill Oloroso sherry cask, one double-matured Oloroso Sherry cask, and one double-matured Pedro Ximenez Sherry cask, resulting in a single malt with a deliciously rich flavour and texture. Two of the casks were from the distillery’s first filling, in 2018.
50% ABV, RRP £89.99: Buy it here
Kornog 2016 6-Year-Old
We know from his Address to a Haggis, that Burns had a low opinion of French cuisine. He poured scorn on ragout and fricassee, going so far as to suggest that the latter would make a pig vomit in disgust. However, he might have been more accepting of this 6-year-old French whisky, produced by the Celtic Distillery in Brittany. Kornog 2016 is a peated whisky, which was aged for six years in a single Pedro Ximenez sherry butt, the result of which is a confection of smoke, pear frangipane and Black Forest cherry gateau.
60.5% ABV, RRP £99.95: Buy it here
Mortlach 20-Year-Old
The Mortlach distillery character is famously robust, but here the fearsome “Beast of Dufftown” has – according to its display box – been “tamed for 20 years”. Aged exclusively in Sherry casks, the traditional “meatiness” is muted, and flavour of olive oil dominates pork crackling. On the palate ripe fruits, bitter coffee, and warming spices come together in a seasonally appropriate embrace, and a medicinal hint of liquorice provides a satisfying finish. This enjoyably complex whisky is the perfect option for those whose relationship with Burns is more contemplative than carousing.
43.4% ABV, RRP £300: Buy it here
Talisker Glacial Edge 45-Year-Old
If you really want to push the boat out, consider Talisker Glacial Edge. This 45-year-old whisky is the oldest release ever from Skye’s oldest distillery. It is also the final instalment in their Xpedition Oak series, which adopted an experimental approach to the secondary maturation of high-age whiskies, and drew inspiration from Talisker’s maritime heritage. On this occasion, the whisky was finished in barrels that had been fractured by ice, a unique process which exposed increased surface area, promoting greater interaction between the spirit and the wood, and delivering a whisky that exemplifies the coastal character of the brand.
49.8 % ABV, RRP £4,500: Buy it here