Burns Night: 6 Top Whiskies All Scotch Fans Must Try

Larkfire founder and whisky enthusiast James McIntosh reveals his favourite drams for Burns Night after visiting over 50 distilleries in the past four months

A whisky enthusiast has selected six of the best scotch whiskies to try ahead of Burns Night on January 25^th.

James McIntosh – co-founder of ‘wild water’ whisky mixer Larkfire – has compiled the list after visiting more than 50 distilleries in Scotland in the past four months.

James, who likes to add a splash of Larkfire to the whiskies recommended below, has put together tasting notes for those looking to try something different this Burns Night:

1)  The GlenAllachie (Cask Strength, 10-year-old):

We love The GlenAllachie distillery and the people there. It’s a definite must-visit on the whisky trail. This particular whisky has a nose of heather, honey, toffee apples, and a taste of vanilla with Caribbean spices. Billy Walker, co-founder of The GlenAllachie, is a legend in the industry, and won the Master Distiller/Master Blender of the Year at the Icons of Whisky Awards in December. Lovely drinking!

www.theglenallachie.com

2)  Glengoyne (18-year-old):

This is a picture-perfect distillery. We recommend the 18-year-old expression, which uses 50% first-fill sherry casks. It has a tremendous depth and mouth feel, with a taste not unlike a lightly spiced apple strudel.

www.glengoyne.com

3)  Bunnahabhain, Caorag:

Caorag – or ‘small-peat’ in Scottish Gaelic – is a hand-filled exclusive distillery release. A perfect balance with a sweet sherry influence and warming peaty flavour. It’s perfect for a dark January night.

www.bunnahabhain.com

4)  Scapa, The Orcadian:

This whisky offers a very sophisticated, honeyed flavour. It’s mellow and easy-drinking with a very delicate taste. Worth trying in a Mizuwari-style, served using Larkfire.

www.scapawhisky.com

5)  Aberfeldy (12-year-old):

A fantastic whisky with a longer fermentation period, encouraging a honeyed sweetness which works nicely with its little hint of spice. A beautiful Highland single malt, an absolute triumph.

www.dewars.com

6) Blair Athol (12-year-old):

A fantastic, rich, sweet Highland single malt, from the Flora & Fauna range. Notes include dried apricots and treacle toffee. We enjoyed drinking this at the unique Mash Tun tasting bar, which certainly adds to the experience.

www.malts.com/en-gb/visit-our-distilleries/blair-athol

James McIntosh travelled the length and breadth of Scotland, visiting countless distilleries ahead of the launch of award-winning ‘wild water’ Larkfire, which releases and enhances the depth of flavour of whisky.

Larkfire was launched after a study by Swedish chemists Björn Karlsson and Ran Friedman in the Scientific Reports journal helped prove that water boosts the concentration of flavour compounds at the surface of whisky, enhancing the flavour.

The wild water was recently named Best Premium/Adult Drink at the World Beverage Innovation Awards, and is sourced from the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

James said: “In Scotland there is incredible passion and care involved in making whisky, so if you enjoy a splash of water with your dram, it’s important not to undo any elements of the complex distilling and aging process by ensuring you’re adding the best possible water.

“People often add tap water to scotch, but the water has been recycled several times before it reaches your glass, and the added chlorine and fluoride interfere with the delicate whisky flavours. Bottled water also has a high mineral content which affects the aroma and taste.

“However, Larkfire is the perfect water to mix with whisky as it is pure and naturally soft with an exceptionally low mineral content thanks to the billion-year-old Lewisian gneiss rocks, a key feature of the geology of the Isle of Lewis.”

A percentage of Larkfire sales flow back into the islands via a partnership with The Stornoway Trust, a community landlord which looks after 69,000 acres of land on the Isle of Lewis, where the water is sourced.

Larkfire is the only known canned water for whisky and is now available for just £1 a can at www.larkfire.co.uk.

In honour of Burns Night this weekend, we’re giving away a free Glencairn Whisky Glass (worth £6.95) with every 70cl purchase of Cotswolds Whisky online and in-store.* To receive your free Glencairn online, simply add the glass to your basket along with your 70cl bottle of Cotswolds Whisky, and the discount will be automatically applied.

Cheers!

SHOP NOW

* Offer applies to our 70cl Cotswolds Single Malt Whisky, Founder’s Choice Single Malt Whisky, Peated Cask Single Malt Whisky, Lord Mayor’s Reserve and Summer Festival Release only.
* Subject to availability.
* Offer available online and in-store.
* Valid until midnight on Sunday 26th January

New Kentucky Owl Allocations Are Here
Limited Availability on Bourbon’s Newest Collectible Superstar

One of the most coveted brands over the past two years, Kentucky Owl has quickly become a must-own label for the most dedicated Bourbon collectors. Today we have our allocations of two limited gems: Batch #9 and their 10 Year Old Batch #3 Rye. Batch #9 Bourbon is their newest flagship release, their highest proof to date, and “the most robust” rendition ever, according to their master blender. It combines barrels ranging from six to fifteen years old, and just over 800 cases are produced for the world. Our price is about the sharpest you’ll find, with some online listings going for twice our retail. The 10 Year Old Batch #3 Rye was released right before their #9, and as with all the other Kentucky Owl releases, it is a one-time-only production. It is reminiscent of the best-selling inaugural release that quickly became an all-time K&L best seller. Both are extremely limited, and what is in-stock is destined to sell quickly.

Kentucky Owl 10 Year Old “Batch #3” Straight Rye Whiskey (750ml) $189.99 View

Kentucky Owl Batch #9 Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) $349.99 View

Laphroaig 17 Year Old 1989

2007 time warp… 1989 vintage selected for the Islay Festival

Widely regarded as one of the very best Feis Ile bottlings – we’re delighted to have sourced a small parcel of these rare bottles, originally exclusive to visitors of the Laphroaig Distillery shop. Laphroaig 17 Year Old 1989 Vintage Islay single malt Scotch whisky. Bottled for Feis Ile 2007 – Islay Festival of Malt and Music. Specially selected and bottled for friends of Laphroaig from the finest casks of their age, on the occasion of the 2007 Feis Ile and opening of the new Friends Lounge. Limited release of 4,000 bottles. A wonderfully complex Laphroaig. Salt, smoke, seaweed, liquorice and lemon just for starters.

Laphroaig Distillery was established in 1815 on the rocky south coast of the Isle of Islay off the west coast of Scotland. This malt whisky distillery continues to malt barley using its traditional malting floors and malt kiln. In 1994 the distillery was awarded the Royal Warrant. The core range is quite extensive and supplemented by limited releases including a 21 year old was issued in 2015 to celebrate 21 years of Friends of Laphroaig. Independent bottlings are also available from Signatory, Cooper’s Choice and Hunter Laing. Laphroaig distillery also participates in Feis Ile, the Islay Festival of Malt and Music.

Buy – Laphroaig 1989 Feis Ile 2007 – £500.00

Mark’s Whisky Ramblings 293: Auchroisk 15 Year Old 2000 Old Malt Cask

Mark Dermul, Belgian whisky blogger, tries a little known whisky: Auchroisk. It is a pretty young distillery, only founded in 1974. It is a workhorse for the blenders and hardly sees the light of day as a single malt. This is a single cask, released a few years ago, in the famous Old Malt Cask series by Hunter Laing. It’s a bit young for the Old Malt Cask series, no? Anyway. Let’s taste!

https://youtu.be/1vs_gEvYQF0

Black Butte Whiskey by Crater Lake Spirits and Deschutes Brewery Wins Best in Show at 2019 Sunset Magazine International Spirits Competition

Silver medals awarded for Crater Lake Reserve Dry Gin and Rock and Rye Whiskey

BEND, Ore. – Crater Lake Spirits, one of America’s pioneering craft distilleries, and Deschutes Brewery, America’s 10th largest craft brewery, have been awarded Best in Show for the 2019 release of their collaborative Black Butte Whiskey in the inaugural Sunset Magazine International Spirits Competition. The esteemed judging panel represented large volume buyers, influential media, successful distillers and other professionals from the spirits industry.

Black Butte Whiskey is a 94 proof American malt whiskey distilled from Deschutes’ popular Black Butte Porter beer. Aged three years in #4 char American oak barrels, the resulting whiskey retains the malty, chocolatey notes of Black Butte Porter and woody, earthy flavors from the oak. Bottles of the limited-edition 2019 batch are currently available while supplies last at the Crater Lake Spirits Tasting Room in downtown Bend, Oregon as well as retailers in select markets. Drinks by the glass are also available at the Deschutes Brewery pubs in Bend, Oregon, and Portland, Oregon, and the Portland International Airport pub. More information on availability can be found at www.craterlakespirits.com.

“We are thrilled by this win and to earn Best in Show against such a deep field of brands is really an honor,” said Alan Dietrich, Crater Lake Spirits CEO. “It means even more to be here with our partners at Deschutes Brewery. Both of our teams have worked tirelessly to redefine the traditional American whiskey category.”

“We’re honored to receive this recognition that speaks volumes to the uniqueness and complexity of this whiskey,” said Deschutes Brewery founder, Gary Fish. “The idea for this collaboration was born decades ago through conversations over beers and the result has generated incredible excitement from both craft beer lovers and spirits fans.”

In addition to the Best in Show accolade, Black Butte Whiskey was named Best American Craft Luxury Whiskey. Crater Lake Spirits also received silver medals for its Reserve Dry Gin and Rock & Rye Whiskey. Crater Lake Reserve Gin is 90 proof, new American style dry gin distilled using hand-picked central Oregon juniper berries, coriander, Seville orange peel, glazed orange peel and grapefruit. It is also gluten-free and kosher. Crater Lake Rock & Rye is a modern interpretation of a pre-prohibition classic crafted with rye whiskey, dark cherry, blood orange, and house-made bitters.

About Crater Lake Spirits

Founded in 1996, Crater Lake Spirits is one of the nation’s original craft distilleries and is one of the most awarded craft distilleries in the country. Flagship brands are traditional American style gins, vodkas and whiskies all produced at their distillery in Bend, Oregon. To learn more visit www.craterlakespirits.com.

About Deschutes Brewery

Deschutes Brewery, family and employee owned since 1988, is one of the quintessential beers of the Pacific Northwest. Founded on the guiding principles of true craftsmanship, ultimate quality, and extraordinary consumer experience, Deschutes Brewery is recognized for defining beers such as Black Butte Porter, Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Fresh Squeezed IPA and the non-stop release of pioneering small batch experimental and barrel-aged beers. Deschutes can be found at its brewpubs in Bend and Portland, Oregon, Tasting Rooms in Bend, and Roanoke, Virginia and at accounts in 31 states across the country. Visit Deschutes Brewery’s beer finder at https://www.deschutesbrewery.com/beer-finder/ to find a Deschutes beer near you. www.deschutesbrewery.com

SAMPLE EDINBURGH’S BIGGEST BOBBY BURNS COCKTAIL MENU WITH THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY 

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society are providing an endless selection of the classic cocktail available at 28 Queen Street, Edinburgh

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) are celebrating Burns Night by offering the capital’s largest Bobby Burns cocktail menu, using rare single malt whiskies from their 12 flavour profiles.

The iconic cocktail can be varied to perfectly suit any taste as it uses scotch whisky as its main ingredient, along with vermouth and a splash of liqueur, often Benedictine.

The Society’s catalogue of unique single cask single malt whiskies, which are all categorised by flavour, allow for the ultimate customisation of the drink. Whisky lovers can experiment with twelve twists on their tipple with flavour profiles ranging from Old & Dignified to Young & Spritely.

A lighter whisky makes for a refreshing drink with citrus notes, whereas a more matured malt will allow for a much sweeter Bobby Burns variation.

The sumptuous cocktail’s true origins remain unclear, with the first known recipes for it appearing in the 1930 ‘The Savoy Cocktail Book’ and initial popularity in New York, however it is now drunk to toast the famous bard’s birthday annually.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society will be running their ultimate Bobby Burns menu at their venue at 28 Queen Street, Edinburgh, from 22^nd Jan to 2^nd Feb.

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was founded in 1983 through a spirit of friendship – a small group of people who used the discovery of single cask whisky as a reason to get together and enjoy each other’s company. The SMWS now has more than 26,000 members across the world.

https://www.smws.com/

f: https://www.facebook.com/thesmwsuk

i: https://www.instagram.com/smws_uk/

t: https://twitter.com/SMWSUK

yt: https://www.youtube.com/user/SMWSsilverscreen/videos

#SMWS 

Notes:

About The Scotch Malt Whisky Society 

• The Scotch Malt Whisky Society was established in Edinburgh in 1983 and now has more than 26,000 members and branches around the world
• The SMWS bottles rare single cask, single malt whisky, and a range of other spirits
• The Society bottles single malts, unique single casks and exclusive blends
• The Society has bottled whisky from more than 138 distilleries from Scotland and beyond
• The Society offers a new batch of around 20 single cask, single malt whiskies every month
• The Society offers a variety of membership packages which can be tailored. Please see https://bit.ly/2uqKanT
• For more information about the Society, visit https://bit.ly/2HHiNyC
• Twitter: @SMWSUK Facebook: @thesmwsuk Instagram: @smws_uk

Fisherman’s Retreat Edition 6

Bruichladdich – Rivesaltes cask

12 year old
Distilled 23rd May 2007
Bottled September 2019
Bottles 249
ABV 50.4%
500ml
Price £90

“At 50.4% the addition of a little spring water allows the spirit to reveal some beautiful aromas. Initially, you are welcomed by the fruitiness of pomegranate & plump ripe grapes with floral hints of honeysuckle & gorse in bloom, followed by an updraft of heather and moorland flowers with coastal drift of Atlantic breezes”. Jim McEwan.

WEMYSS MALTS KICK OF THEIR 15^TH ANNIVERSARY YEAR WITH ‘BLACK GOLD’; A 30 YEAR OLD SINGLE SHERRY CASK BOWMORE.

The third exclusive release for the Wemyss Malts Cask Club; Black Gold is an exceptional single cask single malt from Bowmore distillery. Black Gold is single sherry hogshead cask of 1989 Bowmore that has matured for 30 years and bottled at a cask strength of exactly 50.0%ABV.

Bowmore is the oldest distillery on Islay and one of the oldest distilleries in Scotland, tracing its distillation roots back to 1779. In keeping with its over 200 year heritage and tradition it is one of the few remaining Scottish distilleries that still malts and kilns its own barley with local Islay peat.

The whisky has been noted for its deep, polished rosewood colour and a complex combination of flavours such as dried dark fruits, treacle toffee and earthy kiln smoke.

Black Gold follows on from the first and second releases (Smoky Nectar and Antique Armchair) of single cask Islay malts offered exclusively to the Wemyss Malts Cask Club members. The Cask club offers exclusive bottlings of the most exciting and interesting bottling’s and early access to new releases from Wemyss Malts.

“Black Gold is a strikingly distinctive single cask, single malt whisky and a great release to start the 2020 celebration of the 15th Anniversary of the founding of Wemyss Malts. I hope Cask Club members will enjoy, savour and share among friends the remaining 172 bottles as I purchased the first one for myself and have already enjoyed a few drams of it.”

-WILLIAM WEMYSS, DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF WEMYSS MALTS

Black Gold will be released exclusively to Wemyss Malts Cask Club members via www.wemyssmalts.com/cask-club at 12pm on Thursday the 23rd of January and is priced at £599 for the 700ml bottle and gift box. Membership to the Cask Club is free to join and can be signed up to from the same website.

Cask Club members will require there login password: Join the Cask Club for the password!

The Whisky Exchange Great Portland Street
Wednesday 12 February
7:00pm-8:30pm
£40
Limited spaces. Tickets on sale now. 

Book now

In Taiwan’s north-eastern Yilan county, both location and climate are integral to a distillery which has won some of the most prestigious whisky awards on earth. Kavalan makes its whiskies with water that flows down directly from the Xueshan, the second-highest peak in Taiwan, and uses un-peated malted barley from Scotland. The resulting spirit is then aged in an atmosphere which is helped along by the warm winds blowing in off the Pacific Ocean.

Prized by both fans and critics worldwide for its aromatic and floral character, Kavalan uses a variety of casks to mature its distillate, including those previously used to hold sherry, bourbon, wine, port and brandy.

It is with great pleasure that we invite you to taste these marvellous whiskies, and to celebrate our most-recent Kavalan single cask, which is aged in an ex-rum cask and exclusive to The Whisky Exchange.

The Line-Up
Kavalan Podium
Kavalan King Car
Kavalan Sherry Oak
Kavalan Solist Port Cask
Kavalan Solist Amontillado Cask
Kavalan Rum Cask TWE Exclusive

ABOUT THE HOST

Nathan is an award winning bartender-turned-whisky ambassador, and has spent the last 13 years working in the hospitality industry including renowned cocktail bars Callooh Callay and Swift. Nathan works on the whisk(e)y portfolio for Speciality Brands training bartenders, creating cocktails and waxing lyrical about the whisky category across the country.

The Whisky Exchange Great Portland Street
Wednesday 12 February
7:00pm-8:30pm
£40
Limited spaces. Tickets on sale now.

Book now