8 whiskies to set Burns Night alight
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Talisker 8-Year-Old Single Malt (Special Release 2020)
This 2020 release from Talisker is matured in pot-still Caribbean rum casks – which might sound like heresy to fans of the famously peppery Skye malt. But this is no corny Piña Colada. It’s magnificent, combining Talisker’s more elemental notes – salt, pepper, iodine, smoke – with high-toned hints of pineapple, citrus and fruity green olive that add a wonderful luminosity to the spirit. Talisker at its most attractive. £89.95, masterofmalt.com
Nc’nean Organic Single Malt Whisky
A really exciting debut whisky from the ultra-eco Nc’nean distillery on Scotland’s west coast. Made from 100 per cent organic Scottish barley, using 100 per cent renewable energy and bottled in 100 per cent recycled glass, it’s 100 per cent delicious: balanced, supple, with notes of pear tarte Tatin, pineapple, lemongrass, creamy Horlicks and a spicy ginger finish. Very pretty bottle too. This distillery is one to watch. £47.95, ncnean.com
Rosebank 30-Year-Old
One of the most prestigious releases of the past 12 months, this limited edition from famed Lowland distillery Rosebank – which closed in 1993 but is now being revived – is worth getting your hands on, even if it means joining the waiting list. Thirty years in cask has built up a very distinguished patina of flavour, but Rosebank’s signature elegant notes of orchard fruit and meadow flowers still shine through. €2,300, worldwinewhisky.com, or join the waiting list at rosebank.com
Compass Box Hedonism Felicitas 20th-Anniversary Whisky
Grain whisky is usually consigned to playing a supporting (albeit very important) role in blends – but in this stunning anniversary bottling from boutique blender Compass Box, it has the starring role. Light-bodied but wonderfully silky, it has notes of fine spices, coconut-y gorse flower, honey, Earl Grey tea and ginger biscuits. Rare as hen’s teeth but worth the hunt. $199.99, thewhiskeydealer.com
John Walker & Sons 200th-Anniversary Celebratory Blend
Released to mark the 200th anniversary of Johnnie Walker, this special-edition blend is a homage to the more robust blends that made it famous around the world in the 19th century. Flavoursome, chewy, even slightly sooty, this is a big-hearted, satisfying dram that’s also great in a hot toddy – which is how it would have been enjoyed back in the day. £55, amazon.co.uk
The Balvenie Tun 1509 – Batch 7
The latest instalment in The Balvenie’s much-loved Tun 1509 series – named after the tun the whisky is married in before bottling – features whisky drawn from 21 handpicked casks, with a big dose of sherry butts and hogsheads giving it concentrated dried-fruit notes and fragrant spices. The mid-palate is sweet brandy snaps, the finish peppery and dry. A whip-smart dram from one of Speyside’s greatest distilleries. £300, masterofmalt.com
Highland Park Cask Strength
This cask-strength (ie bottled straight from the cask, undiluted) single malt sees the historic Orkney distillery Highland Park return to form. Rich, powerful and smoulderingly sweet, with notes of heather honey, flapjacks and nutty bonfire smoke, this is the ultimate winter dram. It’s bottled at an uncompromising 63.3 per cent – so you can dial it down with a drop of water to suit you. Ideal with haggis. £61, thegoodspiritsco.com
Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake
This latest limited edition from the ever-innovative Glenmorangie is finished in Tokaji wine casks – but a sweet tooth is not required, despite what the name might suggest. The Tokaji cask layers up the distillery’s signature golden pineapple and stone-fruit characters with notes of almond and jasmine tea. The finish is fine and dry. A beautifully turned dram that would be a great conclusion to dinner. £75, thehouseofwhisky.com
And, for a bit of fun, a non-alc option:
Rapscallion Cranachan Soda
This 0 per cent abv tribute to the classic Burns Night dessert cranachan (a delicious mess of oats, whipped cream, raspberries and whisky) sounds completely bonkers – but somehow, in the hands of Scottish craft-soda company Rapscallion, it works. Flavoured with raspberries, toasted oats, lemon zest and star anise, it’s good on its own or, for the really adventurous, as a mixer. £32 for 12, rapscallionsoda.com
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