Whisky Blog, Features
A fireside dram – five great whiskies to warm you up for winter
Nov
As the nights get longer the desire to crack open a special bottle of whisky becomes even stronger. Here are five bottles perfect for a fireside dram
Draw the curtains, throw a log on the fire and get ready to crack open a bottle to help you wind down towards the end of the year. Long nights, cold winds and (hopefully) quieter agendas all combine in November to create a perfect whisky experience. Our shelves groan with special bottles but only very select releases have the flavour, texture and personality to become a true fireside dram. Here are five of our favourites.
Teeling Blackpitts
First up is a peated Irish to match the smoke from your fire. It’s the Teeling Blackpitts bottling from 2020. This 46% single malt was created to meet the demand for a peated whiskey in the Irish market but triple distilled to give it that extra layer of smoothness. It’s been matured in ex-bourbon and sauterne casks and this combination delivers deep and sweet fruit flavours that balance beautifully with the bourbon notes.
It’s a non-age statement release that is named in honour of the Blackpitts area of Dublin that once thrived behind the location of the current distillery. A superb choice for a fireside dram on a cold Autumnal night.
Arthru Keshcorran
The third release in the Creation Trilogy, Athru Keshcorran was aged for a total of 14 years: 11 in ex-Bourbon and a further three in Tokaji casks. Hungarian Tokaji is a dessert wine that adds rich sweet, gentle spice and fruit flavours to the layers of this fine single malt. This is a triple-distilled Irish whiskey and is bottled at 48%. A tiny drop of water will open it up beautifully.
Created by renowned Scottish distiller, Billy Walker, It favours the palate over the nose with an intense level of fruit underpinning the sweetness of the malt and Tokaji on the taste. The finish is long and woody with a touch of caramel and honey.
Glenallachie 15
The rebirth of Glenallachie in recent years sent waves through the whisky world, delivering bottle after bottle of incredibly rich and personality-filled releases. It’s a small distillery with a big future. They’re popular, independent and highly bankable. The value of their releases is destined to increase in future decades and becoming part of that success now is a great journey for collectors and drinkers to be on.
Their 15-year-old is a case in point. It’s wonderfully priced and comes with a punch of flavours that is ideal for anyone looking for a Glendronach alternative. Master distiller, Billy Walker, considers this the jewel in the crown of their releases so far. Bottled at 46% and boasting honey, chocolate and figs on the nose, it comes with layers of fig, mocha and thick dark treacle on the palate. Finishing with honey, ginger and spice, it’s designed for a fireside dram.
Glengoyne 18
Glengoyne claims to operate the slowest stills in Scotland and if there’s a slower way to do things they’ll find it, they say. They air-dry their barley, spend six years seasoning and preparing their casks and, once they’ve put the lid on a barrel, it stays that way for as long as possible. And so it is with this very special 18-year-old release that first appeared on the shelves in 2012.
This Highland single malt is a proper special occasion pour and bottled at 43%. Matured in ex-bourbon plus refill and first-fill sherry casks, it has a beautiful gold colour that carries a rich and spicy flavour. It’s sherry-forward so you can bank on lots of fruit and sweet layers. It’s wonderfully warming and floods the palate with honey, butterscotch, custard and caramel.
Tomatin 18
Tomatin is a big operation with 12 stills producing whisky non-stop for other brands and blends at its distillery outside Inverness. Thankfully, it has started to look inward and develop its core range of Tomatin-branded whisky. It’s a superb line-up and includes a 12-, 14- and 18-year-old as well as a Dualchas, Legacy and Cask Strength bottling.
This 18-year-old from our shelves is a wonderful entry point at the higher end of the scale. Matured in ex-bourbon and first-fill oloroso, it comes with all the dried apricot, honey and cream that this combination of cask suggests. It’s highly aromatic and full-bodied with an ABV of 46%. This is a wonderfully warming and spicy whisky that is perfect for long nights in front of the fire. A multiple-award winner, it has quickly come to define the modern personality of this Highland whisky brand.
