5 Fantastic Whiskies to Enjoy with Your Burns Supper
‘O thou, my muse! Guid auld Scotch drink!’ – Robert Burns – Scotch Drink
Each year, on January 25th, Scotland, and many other parts of the world come together to commemorate one of the greatest poets to live, Scotland’s national bard and lyricist, Robert ‘Rabbie’ Burns. The celebration? Burns Night.
Burns Night is one of my favourite holidays in the calendar, and as a whisky aficionado, it’s hardly surprising. Burns himself was a huge fan of Scotch. So much so in fact, that he penned a poem in its honour entitled ‘Scotch Drink’.
Burns Night takes place on the evening of January 25th every single year, as this was Burns’ birthday. The celebration typically involves a traditional Burns supper, consisting of haggis, neeps, and tatties, along the traditional recital of ‘Address to a Haggis’, another of his classic works which is often accompanied by a toast featuring a fine dram of whisky.
If you’re celebrating Burns Night this year, or if you simply want to toast the memory of one of the greatest poets to ever live, here are 5 whiskies that would be perfect to enjoy with your Burns Supper.
There’s just something about a peated, smoky Islay expression that just seems to work with a traditional Burns Supper. The smoky, peaty notes help to cut through the richness of the haggis and make an amazing whisky cream sauce. If you’re a fan of a peated malt, Ardbeg 10 Year Old would be the perfect accompaniment!
Touted as the world’s peatiest single malt, it’s rich, complex, full-bodied, dark, and mysterious. It’s of course heavy on the peat, and there’s a fair old kick of smoke there, but it offers so much more. There’s honey, caramel, floral notes, dark chocolate, citrus fruits, and even a spiciness not too dissimilar to a fine rye whiskey.
This is a quality drop that will set you back around fifty pounds, which is very reasonable for a dram of this nature.
Bowmore 15 Year Old Sherry Oak Cask
If you’re looking for a dram that’s a little sweeter and a little more lavish for your Burns Supper, this sherry oak cask, 15-year-old dram from Bowmore is well worth checking out.
Another Islay expression, there’s definitely a peaty smokiness there, but it’s certainly not as pronounced as the Ardbeg expression.
Expect caramel hazelnut notes, sweet sherry aromas, boozy Christmas pudding, honey, dried fruits, and vanilla custard with a slightly sweet, slightly oaky finish.
This dram works particularly well on its own, rather than in a sauce, though a wee drop or two stirred through a peppercorn sauce will actually work surprisingly well. You’re looking at around £75 – £80 for a bottle.
Ah, good old reliable. If you’re looking for an affordable safe bet that appeals to most whisky drinkers and does exactly what you need it to do, pick up a bottle of Glenfiddich 12 for your Burns Supper.
Glenfiddich 12 is a Speyside expression through and through, from arguably the region’s most famous distillery. It’s light and fruity, with subtle floral honey notes that compliment richer meats such as haggis perfectly, without overpowering the neeps (mashed swede or sometimes turnips) and other veggies.
Glenfiddich 12 may not be the most adventurous dram on our list today, but it’s a very popular Speyside that is evocative of the lands that inspired Burns himself. A bottle will set you back between £35 and £40 on average, though it’s often on offer so keep your eyes peeled.
Glen Scotia Campbeltown Harbour
When most people think of Burns and his work, they think of landscapes synonymous with Scotland that helped inspire him. Heather-laden moorland, jagged highland cliffsides, dense forests, lush green valleys and glens, and rundown old farmhouses.
Another of his inspirations however, that is widely overlooked, is the Scottish coast. ‘On the Seas and Far Away’ for example, is one of my favourite Burns works, yet is one which is often overlooked. This is probably due to Burns himself not being happy with the song, though I personally love it, as I’ve a soft spot for the UK coast.
I’m bleeting on about the Scottish seaside because it’s the inspiration for this next dram I’m about to recommend, which comes from Campbeltown’s own Glen Scotia.
Glen Scotia Harbour pays homage to the maritime influences behind this whisky. There’s plenty of honey and floral notes, along with fruity flavours and aromas, vanilla, sweet oak, caramel, and seaweed and salty sea spray.
It’s the slightly saltiness of this dram that I feel will really work for your Burns Supper, not only with your main, but also with dessert. A sticky toffee pudding served with a vanilla cream custard with a shot or two of this in it will taste like heaven and will cap off your supper perfectly.
Again, if you’re on a budget, you can pick up a bottle for around thirty-five notes.
Great Drams Rare Cask Series Invergordon 20 Year Old
Finally, as Burns Night is such a special occasion, if you are looking to celebrate in style, might I be so bold as to recommend this 20 year old single cask single grain whisky from Great Drams and our rare cask series?
This expression from Invergordon Distillery is a real crowd pleaser and is one of our most exciting releases to date. It’s soft, smooth, elegant, and refined in equal measure.
There are plenty of sherry notes here from the cask, along with creamy toffee and fudge, ripe winter fruits, bread and butter pudding, and caramel toffee apple. There’s a whisper of smoke and a lightly oaky finish that’s one of the smoothest you could wish for, with an amazing oily mouthfeel.
Want my advice? Enjoy this dram neat with your Burns supper. By all means use other whiskies in your sauces and dishes, but enjoy this whisky neat, because it really is something special.
If you do wish to grab a bottle, you may wish to act fast, as we currently only have 5 bottles remaining (as of this writing).
Greg
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