Dram Good!

Whisky for Hogmanay and Burns’ Night

By Gavin D Smith

Winter brings with it two of Scotland’s greatest traditional celebrations, namely Hogmanay and Burn Night (25th January), and neither would be complete without a dram or two of fine Scotch whisky.

Happily, for those looking to raise a glass, there is more choice than ever before within the realms of Scotch, from longaged, sherry casks-matured and peaty full-bodied drams to young, fruity, light expressions, ideal perhaps for mixing. At the close of 2020 there were no fewer than 134 Scottish whisky distilleries in production and, of those, more than 30 have opened in the last decade alone.

Whether relaxing at home, celebrating in a bar, at a Hogmanay party or at a Burns Supper, whisky is a wonderful social lubricant, bonding friends and strangers alike, and all the while paying homage to one of Scotland’s greatest commercial successes.

Facts and figures

According to the Scotch Whisky Association, 36 x 70cl bottles of Scotch whisky are shipped from Scotland to 166 markets around the world each second, totalling over 1.14bn every year, and in 2019, Scotch accounted for 75% of Scottish food and drink exports, and 21% of all UK food and drink exports. More than 10,000 people are directly employed in the Scotch whisky industry across Scotland.

Choose your drams

Clearly, it would be unpatriotic not to support our wonderful industry, and this is the perfect time of year to indulge yourself and your friends in some fine whisky without breaking the bank. So why not explore beyond your usual choices using the suggestions below?

In terms of whisky styles, winter occasions such as Hogmanay and Burns Night may call for some fuller-bodied single malts, perhaps with the influence of sherry cask maturation and/or an element of peatiness. Isle of Rasaay

Tamdhu

Sweet and peat

For those wishing to combine sherry and peat influences in their dram, there is the ever-excellent 16-year-old 43%abv Lagavulin (£65) from Islay, while an attractive lower-profile Islay single malt to combine sweetness and smoke is the 46%abv Kilchoman Sanaig (£52), aged in a mix of oloroso sherry and bourbon casks.

A sense of smoke

For an all-out peated Islay whisky, Douglas Laing’s blended malt (including spirit from several undisclosed Islay distilleries) Big Peat offers fine value (£37), a lot of guts and great balance. If you like some smoke in your whisky but prefer it not to be too medicinal, we suggest Machrie Moor, 46%abv, (£45), distilled on the Isle of Arran.

One single malt not to be missed is Glenmorangie’s limited edition 13-year-old Tale of Winter (£75), finished in Marsala wine casks from Sicily, and boasting notes of fruit and honey, cocoa, cinnamon and cloves. Visit www.glenmorangie.com for whisky cocktail recipes, including a delicious Winter Old-Fashioned, made with Tale of Winter.

Sherried sweetness

For lovers of sherried drams, why not give some of the biggest names a swerve, and opt for the lower profile but excellent Tamdhu? The 12-year-old 43%abv expression retails for around £45, but if you want a really bold and intense sherried whisky experience, opt for the Batch Strength variant, currently in its 6th iteration and bottled at a hefty 56.8%abv (£80).

Sherry-rich alternatives include fellow Speysider the 15-year-old Glendronach Revival, bottled at 46%abv (£62) and matured in a mix of Pedro Ziminez and oloroso sherry casks for a rich, complex, flavoursome dram.

Far away from Speyside, in the Kintyre capital of Campbeltown, is Glen Scotia distillery, which offers the 46%abv sherry-finished Double Cask (£40). After initial bourbon cask maturation, the whisky is transferred to Spanish Pedro Ximinez casks, giving a sweet and spicy kick to accompany its slightly oily, coastal character.

Whiskies from the new crop of Scottish distilleries certainly deserve our attention, as there are some really impressive youthful drams out there. For us, highlights include Ncn’ean Organic Single Malt – Batch 8, 46%abv (£47), produced on the remote Morven peninsula in the West Highlands. Its highly accomplished whisky is nutty, with juicy fruit and cereal notes, spice and black pepper. It also comes in an extremely unorthodox bottle for a malt whisky, which helps make this a great gift.

Another favourite is Isle of Raasay Single Malt, 46.4%abv, distilled in the Hebrides since September 2017. It comprises peated and unpeated spirit, matured in three differing cask types, including Bordeaux red wine casks. In terms of character, it offers aromatic peat, vanilla, red berries, tangy oak and savoury spice.

Remember the blends

So far, we have only featured malt Scotch whiskies, but there are also many excellent blends available, priced to suit all pockets. At their best, blends combine many different yet complementary stylistic characteristics into a harmonious whole, greater than the sum of its parts.

A characterful and original choice is the superb Compass Box Glasgow Blend (£35). A malt-rich independent bottling, with sherry and bourbon-cask influences, plus a hint of peat, giving a rich, smoky, satisfying experience.

Another less obvious option is Black Bull 12 Year Old, bottled at 50%abv (£41) by Duncan Taylor, featuring a relatively high percentage of malt whisky, and matured in ex-sherry and bourbon casks. The result is a full-bodied blend, yielding toffee, vanilla, citrus fruits and chocolate notes.

Moving up the price range, one of the very best blends for special occasions in our opinion is Johnnie Walker Blue Label, 40%abv (£145) - sophisticated, balanced, smooth, and with great depth. Delicious and satisfying!

Scotch whisky is renowned the world over for its excellent quality and its integrity, and the Scotch whisky industry is also at the forefront of environmental responsibility. Among a raft of initiatives, it has set a target of achieving overall carbon neutrality by the year 2040, and earlier this year, Nc’nean became the first distillery in the UK to achieve an independently verified net zero carbon footprint.

All the more reason then, to celebrate two of Scotland’s most revered annual occasions with the nation’s most revered drink – Scotch whisky!

Ardshiel Hotel, Kilkerran Road, Campbeltown, Argyll PA28 6JL – tel: 01586 552133 - www.ardshiel.co.uk

Over 700 malts to choose from in this Campbeltown hotel’s whisky bar, which stocks a fantastic array of local whiskies, and many more besides.

Ballygrant Inn & Restaurant, Ballygrant, Isle of Islay Argyll PA45 7QR – tel: 01496 840277 – www.ballygrant-inn.co.uk

Located between Bowmore and Port Askaig, the Ballygrant Whisky Bar is home to over 900 malt whiskies, including many rare and remarkable drams from the ‘whisky island’ itself.

The Bon Accord, 153 North Street, Glasgow G3 7DA – tel: 0141 248 4427 – www.bonaccordpub.com

The Bon Accord has more than 400 whiskies on its gantry, and is known for its old and rare bottlings. These include a 70-year-old Glenlivet and a 72-year-old Macallan.

The Grill - 213 Union Street, Aberdeen AB11 6BA – tel: 01224 583563 - www.thegrillaberdeen.co.uk

Established as a restaurant in 1870, The Grill is a true old school bar with some 600 whiskies on offer, going right back to a pre-war Macallan.

e Quaich Bar

Usquabae e Grill

Highlander Inn, Craigellachie, Banffshire AB38 9SRT – tel: 01340 881 446 – www.whiskyinn.com

Located in the Speyside village of Craigellachie, The Highlander is patronised by locals and tourists alike. Over 300 whiskies are available, with the emphasis on diversity in terms of ages and bottlers.

The Quaich Bar - Craigellachie Hotel, Victoria St, Craigellachie, Banffshire AB38 9SR – tel: 01340 881204 – www.

craigellachiehotel.co.uk.

The Craigellachie is situated in the heart of Speyside and its famous Quaich Bar boasts around 1,000 single-malt whiskies.

The Pot Still, 154 Hope St, Glasgow, G2 2TH – tel: 0141 333 0980 – www.thepotstill.co.uk

A central Glasgow institution, with a stock of more than 800 whiskies, the Pot Still also hosts regular tasting events and sells delicious locally-made pies!

Usquabae, 2-4 Hope St, Edinburgh EH2 4DB – tel: 0131 290 2284 – www.usquabae.co.uk

In the west end of Edinburgh New Town, just off Princes Street, Usquabae boasts an extensive whisky menu, while also majoring in Scottish produce when it comes to accompanying meals.

Whiski Rooms, 4-7 North Bank Street, Edinburgh EH1 2LP – tel: 0131 225 7224 – www.whiskirooms.co.uk

Whiski Rooms restaurant and bar enjoys great views over Edinburgh’s New Town, and stocks more than 300 whiskies, plus an on-site tasting room and adjoining whisky shop.