Ignore The Snobbery And Get Into Blended Whisky

We person Robert Burns to convey for possibly nan top poem astir immoderate crockery ever – a poem truthful bully that it inspires an full federation to dedicate an evening of each twelvemonth to eating haggis, moreover though astir group find it benignant of gross.

No? If nan “Great Chieftan o’ nan Puddin-race” were that delicious, we’d each beryllium eating it each nan time, surely? And yet Burns’ Address to a Haggis is enticing capable to dispel immoderate specified doubts conscionable once a year. I particularly for illustration nan spot astir slitting it unfastened truthful nan agleam entrails spill out: “And then, O what a glorious show / Warm-reekin, rich!”

The poem is, really, an statement against culinary snobbery, and successful favour of a sensuous appreciation of nan present and now. So it’s unusual how, erstwhile it comes to scotch whisky – nan accepted accompaniment to Burns Night feasting – thing approaching nan other cognition prevails. It wasn’t truthful agelong agone that azygous malt scotch – “as noble a merchandise of Scotland arsenic immoderate burgundy aliases champagne is of France,” arsenic the Highlands writer Neil Gunn had it – was, for illustration haggis, small appreciated extracurricular Scotland. However, complete nan past fewer decades, nan style has rebounded truthful successfully that azygous malt (that is, whisky produced from malted barley successful 1 distillery) is almost a luxury marque successful itself. When Tom Hiddleston’s supplier poses arsenic a sleazy investor successful The Night Manager, this is nan portion he demands. Distilleries specified arsenic nan Macallan person meantime leaned into nan premium marketplace pinch manner collabs and elaborate packaging. Prices person inflated. Snobbery, too. And, on nan way, a definite Burnsian gusto has been lost.

Happily, a counter-trend is taking root, towards making Scotch nosy and, situation I opportunity it, affordable again. If you’re willing successful liquid arsenic opposed to label, I’d urge seeking retired independent bottlers – smaller operators who bargain up casks from distilleries and property them successful their ain warehouses (with a spot of judicious Googling, it’s not truthful difficult to fig retired which prestigious distillery nan liquid actually comes from, either). Indeed, it was these independent bottlers who helped create nan request for azygous malts successful nan days erstwhile distilleries mostly concentrated connected blends.

Then again, what’s incorrect pinch blended whisky? For astir of nan 20th century, nan astir revered whiskies were blends of atom and malt from each corners of Scotland. The American John Glaser helped to revive liking successful nan class pinch his Compass Box brand, recently disposable successful Waitrose, and 1 of its early releases was pointedly called This Is Not a Luxury Whisky. Even much pointedly, Compass Box published nan afloat look online, incurring nan wrath of the Scotch Whisky Association successful nan process.

The constituent is, Scotch is simply a awesome point upon which “to deliberate thoughtfully”, arsenic Gunn had it. But it’s besides beautiful nosy conscionable necking it pinch mates, lobbing it into a shaker or, my individual fave, mixing it pinch coconut h2o (try it!). There’s plentifulness to support you going, each twelvemonth round.

Four awesome modern scotches

Compass Box Orchard House £42 (700ml) Waitrose, 46%. A cheerful whisky! Light, crisp, pinch faint pear eau de vie notes.

Elixir Elements of Islay Campfire £79.95 (700ml) Master of Malt, 54.5%. Damp, smoky, faintly doggy: nan Islay style successful excelsis.

Thompson Bros 8-Year Old Blended Malt SRV5 £34.25 (700ml) The Whisky Exchange, 48.5%. Warm-reekin, rich! An amazing-value blend.

Monkey Shoulder £30 (700ml) Tesco, 40%. A good Scotch for cocktails.