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Discover five top Scotch whiskies to take to a Burns Night supper – and sound like an expert, with tips on what to say about them.
You don’t have to be Scottish to enjoy Burns night. You don’t even need to like haggis. But you’re missing out if you don’t enjoy a dram or two of good Scotch on the 25th of January.
Luckily for me, one of my wife’s friends, John, is from Glasgow, and has invited us to a few Burns Night Suppers over the years. First course is always cullen skink, a comforting haddock soup. Then it’s ‘haggis, neeps and tatties’ – served during John’s recitation of ‘Address to a Haggis’.
It’s traditional to turn up with a decent bottle of Scotch. But choosing the right one can be daunting. Here are my five favourite malts, guaranteed to impress at your next Burns Night.
1. The crowd pleaser
Glenfiddich 12-year-old, Speyside
If you’re looking for a safe bet, you can’t go wrong with a Speyside single malt. This 12-year-old is the standard-bearer for Glenfiddich – one of the region’s most famous distilleries. It’s a light, fruity style of malt, with notes of butterscotch, pear and honey. If you’re tasting a few whiskies on the night, this would be a good one to start off with.
What to say about it:
The Glenfiddich distillery is surrounded by breathtakingly beautiful scenery – hence the name, which is Gaelic for ‘valley of the deer.’
2. The complex and oaky one
Balvenie 12-year-old DoubleWood, Highland
This is a rich, warming malt with a deep amber colour. As the name suggests, Balvenie DoubleWood was matured in two types of oak barrel. After 11 years in ex-bourbon casks, it is given a final nine-month rest in used Oloroso Sherry casks. This has added lovely richness and sweetness to the malt, with notes of dried fruits and toasted nuts. One to savour.
What to say about it:
Most of the colour and a lot of the flavour of whisky comes from its time in cask. The secondary cask ageing has added an extra dimension to this fine malt.
3. The rule breaker
Compass Box Spice Tree, Scotland
Received wisdom says that single malts are the best. But the team at Compass Box set out to prove differently. They blended three different Highland malts and matured them in custom-built casks, made from both French and American oak. The result – The Spice Tree – caused a sensation in whisky circles, with its layers of oak and spice. A great talking point.
What to say about it:
A single malt is a whisky distilled from pure malt at one distillery. But there’s no reason a whisky made from pure malt from several distilleries can’t be just as good. Discuss.
5. The smoky one
I’m not one of those whisky fans that believes that smokier is always better. But I do love a drop of Ardbeg, despite the fact that it claims to be ‘the world’s peatiest single malt’. That’s because its richness is easily able to support the peat. With its rich toffee flavours and smoky coal-tar notes, this Islay classic is one of the best-value single malts available, in my opinion.
What to say about it:
Peaty whiskies like Ardbeg get their smoky character from the peat fires used to dry the malted barley. Peaty flavours range from salty and mossy to coal-tar, smoke and iodine.
5. The experimental one
Glenfiddich Orchard Experiment, Speyside
Being one of Scotland’s oldest distilleries hasn’t stopped Glenfiddich from leading the field in innovation. Part of their new Experimental Series, this malt was matured in barrels previously used for storing apple brandy. A delicious, intriguing whisky with hints of apple blossom and fruit blending seamlessly with sweet malt and soft oak notes.
What to say about it:
Donald Trump once banned Glenfiddich from his resorts, after the distillery named Michael Forbes ‘Scot of the Year,’ for refusing to give up his home to make way for a golf course.
Take the tour
Regions of Scotland Tasting set
If you’re not sure what style you like – or you fancy trying a wide range of whiskies – go for this Drinks by the Dram tasting set. The box includes five miniature bottles, each containing 3cl of single malt whisky. The distilleries vary, but the idea is to showcase the five classic Scotch whisky regions: Lowland, Highland, Speyside, Campbeltown and Islay.
What to say about it:
Campbelltown was once the ‘whisky capital of the world’ with over 30 distilleries. Sadly, most of them closed after the great depression of 1929. Just three remain: Springbank, Glen Scotia and Glengyle.
As the bard wrote: “the best laid plans of mice and men gang aft aglay”. But turn up to a Burns Night supper with one of these fine Scotch whiskies, and you’re guaranteed a warm welcome.
Slàinte!
About the author
Chris Larkin
A seasoned copywriter with over two decades experience, Chris has been part of the team since 2021. At Laithwaites HQ, you’ll find him either working on our latest catalogue or creating informative content for our website. Qualified to WSET Level 3 Wine, Chris is as geeky about wine as he is about copywriting. But when it comes to choosing a special bottle, he is a traditionalist, and loves a good Bordeaux or Mâcon Chardonnay.
