5 Whiskies to Enjoy this Autumn and Winter

Well, it’s that time of year again. The nights are now closing in fast, the air is turning chillier, and the leaves on the trees are beginning to ever-so-slightly change from green to a golden-amber colour instead. Yep, autumn’s on the way, which means that Jack Frost won’t be far behind.

This year, we didn’t exactly enjoy a hot summer. In fact, calling it warm would be a stretch, and with the Met Office now confirming that it was colder than average, it’s time for us to look for ways of keeping warm instead. This is where choosing the right dram of whisky can be so effective.

If summer is a season of Pimms and lemonade, Aperol Spritz’ and fruity cocktails, autumn and winter are definitely seasons for warming your cockles with a fine whisky or two.

To help you decide upon which whisky to go with, here is the Great Drams recommendation of 5 whiskies to enjoy this autumn and winter.

Dalmore Port Wood Reserve

I personally love autumn and winter in the UK. We’ve got Halloween, Bonfire Night, Christmas, New Year, Burns Night, and plenty of other celebrations to look forward to. It’s also an excuse to dig into hearty pies and stews, get cosy by the fire, grab a good book, and indulge in your favourite whisky. The following whisky would be ideal.

Matured in American white oak casks before being expertly finished in port pipes from port giants W&J Graham, The Dalmore Port Wood Reserve is perfect for the colder months of the year as it blends fruity, creamy, and toffee apple flavours with sweet, sticky, and spicy notes.

Despite having no smokiness, at 46.5% it’s the perfect chest-warmer for those chilly autumnal nights.

Laphroaig Quarter Cask

Come on, you didn’t expect us to talk about winter whiskies and not recommend at least one Islay expression did you?

This 48% ABV single malt scotch really packs a punch. It draws its inspiration from the smaller casks which were typically used for whisky maturation in the 19th century. Laphroaig take the whisky from their larger barrels and place it into smaller quarter casks where it is left to mature.

The whisky is heavy with peat smoke on the nose as you might expect, combined with floral notes and a touch of chocolate truffle. There’s a strong oak influence in the flavour, combined with toffee, chestnut puree and a hint of sticky dates.

The smoky, yet creamy finish really lingers and serves as a great reminder that this is a dram ideal for winter.

WhistlePig 12 Year Old Rye Whiskey

Rye whiskey is making somewhat of a comeback, not only in America, but across the globe as well. When you look at just how fantastic WhistlePig 12 Year Old Rye Whiskey is, that’s really not a surprise.

At 43% ABV it’s the weakest dram on our list so far. Don’t let that fool you, though, if you’re looking for a whiskey that warms you from head to toe, this is the drop for you.

There’s plenty of spicy peppery notes on the nose, just as you’d expect from a rye. This is complimented beautifully by citrus fruit aromas, and more than a sprinkling of tinned tropical fruits.

The fruity notes continue on the palate as you pick up dates, raisins, prunes, and grapes thanks to the madeira wine casks used to mature the whiskey. There are also apple and cinnamon flavours which are synonymous with the autumn and winter, nutmeg, orange peel, and sweet vanilla oak.

The finish is perfectly balanced, leaving you with more oak, stewed fruits, and winter baking spices.

Talisker Port Ruighe

Port is a drink which is especially popular in the winter. Whether you’re sipping on it after your Christmas dinner, or enjoying a glass of Ruby with a cheese board, we can’t get enough of it in the winter.

Needless to say, because port is typically associated with autumn and winter in this country, I’ve selected this Island single malt whisky from Talisker for our next recommendation.

Talisker have taken their signature Skye whisky and finished it in ruby port casks to give it a sweet and spicy edge reminiscent of a fine port.

This dram has everything you could want from a winter warmer. There are ruby port flavours and aromas, there’s earthy, ginger nut biscuit notes, raisins, milk chocolate, oak, and bonfire smoke. There is also a fantastic body to this dram, and at 45.8% ABV, it’ll certainly put hairs on your chest.

GreatDrams Benrinnes 9 Year Old PX Cask Finish

Finally, if you’ll excuse the shameless plug, we have our very own GreatDrams Single Cask, Single Malt, Benrinnes 9 Year Old PX Cask Finish from our Rare Cask Series. This is a dram we’re particularly proud of, and as it’s won multiple awards we’re obviously doing something right.

I’ve chosen this whisky because it is full of the flavours you’d expect to find in winter. As it was initially matured in second-fill Oloroso sherry casks for more than 8 years, before being finished for a further 9 months in first-fill Pedro Ximenez casks, this is a dram perfect for sherry lovers. Sherry is, of course, another drink we often associate with Christmas.

As well as strong sherry influences there’s plenty of festive baking spices, ripe winter berries, and a hint of oak and vanilla. The finish is rich and creamy, with more sherry notes hiding in the background, begging to be discovered.

Tags: autumn and winterwhiskies

Greg

My name is Greg, and I’m a brand strategy consultant, writer, speaker, host and judge specialising in premium spirits. My mission is to experience, share and inspire with everything great about whisky, whiskey, gin, beer and fine dining through my writing, my brand building and my whisky tastings.