Celebrate Burns Night with some beautifully crafted whisky
If you’re planning to roll out the tartan carpet to mark the birth date of Robert Burns, here are some single malt whiskies to pipe in a classic Burns Night menu.
For a snifter to launch that Sunday evening of poetry and ditties, a whiff of stardom surrounds Arran Malt Robert Burns Single Malt (£29.99, 70cl, www.arranwhisky.com). The official Burns whisky and named after ‘The Bard’, who was born just across the water from Arran in Ayrshire, it’s certainly in tune with a celebratory supper.
Smooth and delicate with floral notes and a deliciously creamy feel, it’s rounded off by sweet, nutty fruits, vanilla and spice on the finish.
A new release from Ardmore which produces some of the smokiest malt on Speyside, the distillery cite The Ardmore Legacy (currently £20 from £30, 70cl, Tesco) as a good introduction to peated, single malts.
The new-look label with a rare golden eagle (which can sometimes be seen soaring overhead and is an emblem of the distillery) replaces its core expression, Ardmore Traditional Cask, and offers a nose of heather smoke, with toffee, caramel and honey mixed with light charcoal notes.
The enticing smoky character in a whisky like this makes a wonderful match with the spicy notes in haggis, and single Islay malts such as Lagavulin 16 Year Old Whisky (£46.50, 70cl, www.31dover.com) are one of the most intense, peaty malts available.
Rich and pungent with smoke and seaweed on the nose, a beguiling medicinal character and subtle sweetness on the finish, it’s the perfect Scotch to sling back with haggis, neeps and tatties.
But if the thought of a wee dram laced with dense, peaty smoke makes you want to run to the hills, don’t
despair. There are plenty of mellow malts to tap into and serve with cock-a-leekie soup or smoked haddock chowder.
The orangey, signature style of Dalmore 12 Year Old Whisky (£34.50, 70cl, www.31dover.com) is a great choice if you like the sound of a rich, fruity style with orange marmalade, candied orange peel, spice and creamy toffee.
Aged in ex bourbon and sherry casks, Dalmore is complex yet approachable and the stag’s head emblem on the label can be found in the world’s best whisky bars.
However, following the recent trend for no-age statement Scotch, it’s not always easy to distinguish your favourite single malt (made at a single distillery) based on how long it’s matured in the cask.
According to Ewan Lacey, general manager of the International Wine and Spirit Competition, there’s a movement away from whiskies which are categorised by how old they are, and a movement towards the style the whisky follows, like Highland Park Dark Origins (£64.95, 70cl, www.thewhiskyexchange.com) to make it easier for consumers to find something they like.
With the focus on character rather than age, Dark Origins takes its name from the distillery’s founder, Magnus Eunson, a smuggler who used to work in the dead of night to craft his golden liquid.
This new expression uses twice as many first fill sherry casks than the classic Highland Park 12 Year Old to create the rich mahogany colour and richer palate with sherried spice and signature sweet smoke.
Meanwhile, another pioneer of the spirit, Glenrothes’ latest release is unlike other malts that have been bottled by age – The Glenrothes Vintage Reserve (£39, 70cl, www.bbr.com) is a blend of vintage malt whiskies from the last three decades.
Complex and described by malt master Gordon Motion as being “mellow, with soft fruits, citrus and honey,” it contains 10 different vintages from 1989 to 2007 and represents the best of a particular year when it’s mature and ready (whatever its age) to be blended together.
With a floral bouquet, soft, creamy texture and ripe, berry fruits, it’s a lovely expression and offers something a little different to inspire a rousing rendition of Auld Lang Syne.