Celebrating Burns Night without a good dram of Scotch Whisky just wouldn't be right, it might be even more important than the Haggis!
This supper to commemorate the life of Romantic poet Robert 'Rabbie' Burns, voted the greatest Scot of all time in 2009, takes place on the 25th January each year - the day he was born in Alloway, Ayrshire in 1759.
Traditional Burns Suppers begin with the famous Selkirk Grace, a reminder to be thankful that we can eat when others may not be able to:
Some hae meat an canna eat,
And some wad eat that want it;
But we hae meat, and we can eat,
Then the headline dish, the Haggis, is served alongside Burns' iconic Address to a Haggis. A toast is then given for the Haggis, the first of many Whisky toasts at a good Burns Supper!
Maclean's Nose Blended Scotch Whisky - £38.50
Our first suggestion for Burns Night is this outstanding blend made by esteemed bottlers Adelphi alongside leading whisky write Charles Maclean. Using a portion of malt whisky from their Ardnamurchan distillery alongside other West Coast malts and a small portion of grain whisky, they have produced a whisky that balances complexity and coastal highland character with delicious softness. Aromas of citrus peels, light woodsmoke and salty sea air leads into a palate with delicate caramels, baked apple and a lingering savoury finish.
Wholly Smoke Blended Malt Scotch Whisky Batch No. 1 - £49.50
An exceptional example of the new wave of premium blended whiskies from small artisan bottlers, Wholly Smoke Batch No. 1 brings together 4 casks of peated malt from Islay and Speyside to produce a balanced dram with robust smokiness. Unmistakeable brackish, iodine-y Islay peat on the nose is softened by rich butterscotch and lemon curd aromas. Bold and robust on the palate, with a smooth smoky finish.
Blair Athol 13 Year Old Highland Single Malt Whisky Adelphi Single Cask Selection - £99.50
A true rarity, we have just a couple of bottles of this outstanding Single Malt from the Blair Athol distillery, aged for 13 years in a first-fill Bourbon barrel before bottling just 288 bottles at a cask strength of 58.3%. The only official release of Blair Athol is matured in sherry casks, making this a very special whisky indeed!
The alluring, layered aroma combines vanilla, cinnamon, nectarine and heather honey. Despite it's high strength, it has a superb lightness and smoothness on the palate, creamy and moreish with an exceptionally persistent finish of honeyed fruits. The perfect balance of approachable and fine, sure to blow away your Burns Night supper guests!
Ardnamurchan Single Malt Gift Set - £33
How about turning your Burns Night into an impromptu Single Malt tasting with this selection of four superb whiskies from the Ardnamurchan distillery? Known as 'Scotland's Greenest Distillery' for both their verdant surroundings and commitment to sustainability, we have come to really love the output of this Western Highland distillery.
In the Gift Set you receive a 5cl miniature each of: their flagship AD/ release, a fully Sherry cask matured whisky, a malt finished in Jamaican Rum casks and a rare Sauternes cask finish (a previous release which is no longer available as a standalone bottle!).
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