6 Scotch Whiskies For Your Burns Night Celebration This January 25

Burns Evening is the celebration of the life and works of one in every of Scotland’s most well-known sons – Robert ‘Rabbie’ Burns. First celebrated in 1801, this event is now a worldwide affair historically involving readings of Burns most notable works, consuming haggis with neeps and tatties, the sound of bagpipes … and naturally, a dram of Scotland’s nationwide drink.

There are a couple of traditions to uphold throughout a Burns Supper, which embody welcoming the haggis with a piper procession and a whisky toast. Listed here are a couple of suggestions to affix within the festivities, whether or not you need to take pleasure in them with or with out the haggis.

Aberfeldy

This award-winning Scotch is affectionately generally known as ‘The Golden Dram’ as a tribute to its water supply, the Pitilie Burn, recognized for its high quality and wealthy deposits of alluvial gold. Aberfeldy Single Malt Scotch Whisky is available in 4 wealthy expressions: 12, 16, and 21 12 months outdated and a restricted version 18 12 months outdated, completed in Bolgheri Italian pink wine casks.

Whereas they’re historically served neat, the 12 12 months outdated flavors play properly with numerous elements on cocktails akin to The Jolly Scotsman.

The Jolly Scotsman

2 oz. Aberfeldy 12 Yr Previous Single Malt Scotch Whisky

½ oz. Lemon juice

¼ oz. Cointreau

½ oz. Cranberry syrup

2 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters

Add all elements to a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for ~30 seconds and pressure right into a coupe martini/champagne glass. Garnish with a rosemary sprig and an orange slice with cloves.

Compass Field

A relative newcomer to the trade, Compass Field is an progressive distillery producing distinctive blended Whiskies. It is the one firm that makes use of the time period “whiskymaker” – initially utilized by founder John Glaser, who now additionally has James Saxon working with him as whiskymaker.

Collectively they supply uncommon “parcels” of whisky all through distilleries in Scotland and produce uncommon and compelling blends. Their most iconic core vary of blends are Peat Monster, Hedonism and Story of the Spaniard; the most recent mix is Orchard Home. As well as, they produce Artist Mix and Glasgow Mix.

The primary whisky created by Compass Field in 2000, Hedonism is the flagship whiskey of the corporate. Notes of vanilla cream, toffee and coconut characterize this multi-award profitable dram.

“Burns Evening sees a handful of our passions coming collectively – creativity, storytelling and scrumptious Scotch whisky,” says Saxon. “It’s clear from Robert Burns’s poetry and literature that he knew learn how to have a great time. With that in thoughts, we’ll be celebrating him this 12 months with a Rob Roy created with Hedonism, a whisky impressed by pleasure and the perfect marriage of grain whisky and American oak maturation.”

Rob Roy

2 oz. Hedonism Blended Grain Scotch Whisky

¾ oz. pink vermouth (at Compass they like Cocchi Vermouth di Torino)

Sprint of Angostura bitters

Ice

Stir Hedonism with pink vermouth, a splash of Angostura bitters and ice, then pressure and pour right into a coupe glass, and garnish with a Maraschino cherry.

The GlenDronach

Initially based in 1826, The GlenDronach distillery is housed within the Boynsmill Property and the historic Boynsmill Home in Aberdeenshire. Working beneath completely different possession for nearly 200 years, the distillery was an early innovator of sherry cask maturation. Right this moment, Rachel Barrie capabilities as Grasp Blender of The GlenDronach, Benriach and Glenglassaugh distilleries, bringing 26 years’ expertise in her craft.

The GlenDronach boasts 4 core expressions: 12, 15, 18, and 21 12 months outdated, matured within the distillery’s signature Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks. There’s additionally an expression that sees a second maturation in Port casks, which imparts a deep cherry wooden colour and enhances the fruit flavors.

The GlenDronach 15 was named “Finest In Present Whiskey” from 3,000 submissions from across the globe on the 2020 San Francisco World Spirits Competitors.

Benriach

Benriach Distillery, based in 1898 in Scotland’s Speyside area, prides itself on having a particular portfolio of Single Malts full with unpeated, peated and triple distilled whiskies. Within the early Seventies, Benriach started distilling whisky within the nineteenth century type, utilizing malted barley smoked with Highland peat, an unconventional transfer in a area recognized for crafting unpeated whiskies.

In 2017, Rachel Barrie joined as Grasp Blender, launching a brand new portfolio in 2020. Apart from the core vary, Benriach releases particular editions such because the Smoke Season, Malting Season, and Cask Editions. Barrie makes use of a variety of eclectic casks, together with virgin oak, rum, pink wine, Sherry, Port, Bourbon, and even Marsala to craft her distinctive blends.

For one thing actually particular, The Thirty ($760.99) is an awfully uncommon single malt, crafted utilizing 100% peated Benriach spirit, one of many solely peated Speyside malts ever accessible at this age.

The Penicillin

2 oz. Benriach The Authentic Ten

3/4 oz. Recent lemon juice

3/4 oz. Honey-ginger syrup

1/4 oz. Benriach The Smoky 10

Candied ginger for garnish

Add Benriach The Authentic Ten, lemon juice and honey-ginger syrup right into a shaker with ice and shake vigorously. Pressure right into a rocks glass over recent ice. High with Benriach The Smoky Ten. Garnish with a bit of candied ginger

Honey-Ginger Syrup

Mix 1 cup honey, 1 (6-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced, and 1 cup water in a saucepan over excessive warmth, and produce to a boil. Cut back warmth to medium and simmer 5 minutes. Chill in a single day, then pressure and discard solids.

Craigellachie

Proud to name themselves quaint, Craigellachie maintains processes they’ve used since 1891. The Speyside producer nonetheless makes use of worm tubs, condensers that convert the spirit from a gasoline to a liquid by working the vapor by a copper tube set in a pool of chilly water, of their distilling course of.

All Craigellachie expressions are non-chill filtered, include no caramel coloring and are bottled at 46% ABV. Style profiles embody roasted pineapple, toasted marshmallow, heat vanilla and spice. Probably the most distinctive expression is the Craigellachie 13 Armagnac Cask End ($64.99), initially matured for 13 years in American oak, in a mixture of refill and rechar Bourbon barrels, then transferred to Armagnac casks from the famend Bas Area. It options flavors of baked apples with cinnamon and notes of caramel, along with the signature syrupy pineapples.

Royal Brackla

Established in 1812 by Captain William Fraser, Royal Brackla is one in every of Scotland’s oldest distilleries. It is named ‘The King’s Personal Whisky’, the primary to be granted a Royal Warrant, by King William IV, in 1833.

Obtainable solely in New York, Chicago, and Washington D.C., these excessive finish whiskies have a chic character, created by malt grasp Stephanie Macleod’s maturation and ending strategies utilizing chosen barrels from first-fill, refill, and rechar American oak and numerous sherry kinds. The extraordinarily wealthy 21 12 months outdated ($599.99) is completed in a mix of Pedro Ximenez, Oloroso and Palo Cortado sherry casks for a fruity dram with spice overtones.