As Christmas approaches, it’s a great time to check out some warming whiskies to keep the chills at bay. We’ve picked out five very different bottles you might like to try with family or friends or simply with your feet up, relaxing, over the festive period.
The Sassenach
46% ABV
£82
There are many reasons to be sceptical about celebrity-branded spirits, but The Sassenach, which Outlander actor Sam Heughan fronts, seems to be a little different. Rather than just adding his name to the bottle, Heughan created the Great Glen Company, through which he developed and marketed The Sassenach.
Was the result any good, though? We were pleasantly surprised. This is a blended whisky which incorporates 9-year-old and 12-year-old malt whiskies, and a 19-year-old organic grain whisky, which, after blending, is finished in Madeira wine casks that contribute to the plump fruit notes in the whisky.
On the nose, there is a welcome full of ripe apricots, hints of citrus and candied orange, with vanilla and caramel combining with warming spices, including cinnamon and nutmeg. On the palate, these flavours continue, with a touch of honey adding a little more sweetness, which is adeptly balanced with dried fruits, nuts, a hint of sherried oak, and a pinch of pepper. The long finish allows the spices to shine, leaving a warmth that invites you back for another sip.
The Sassenach is elegantly presented, with the golden spirit looking premium in the black and gold packaging, but is it premium to support the price tag? It feels a little rich for a whisky without an age statement, but age is just a number, right?
Smokehead Twisted Stout
43% ABV
£58
If you’ve seen the packaging and the bottle, you won’t be surprised that this addition to the Smokehead range — Twisted Stout — is bold. It’s also very peaty, so if you aren’t a fan of Islay whiskies, this one is probably not going to excite you.
If you are, this one could be an interesting one for your Christmas list. This Islay single malt is partly finished in stout casks — only some of the whisky is aged in the stout barrels, which is then blended with the standard finished whisky to give the desired balance of flavours before bottling.
The flavours are rich and dark, with plenty of smokey toffee notes throughout. There’s an intensity of aromas on the nose, with treacle and chocolate, and a salted caramel hint too. On the palate, there are malted biscuits, vanilla, chocolate and a touch of coffee. That hint of salt persists, too, as does the faint smokiness. The finish brings in the smoky wood, marrying it with malted ale and spices.
It’s full of big, smoky, dark flavours, which you’ll either love or hate — this one is definitely not for the faint-hearted.
Spearhead Single Grain Scotch Whisky
43% ABV
£30
Spearhead, produced at the Loch Lomond Distillery, takes what they like to call an “un-everyday approach” to whisky making. This single-grain Scotch whisky is made using 100% malted barley, which is then fermented for around 92 hours — longer than the average fermentation period. It also uses a continuous distillation process using a copper coffey still rather than a pot still, before being transferred to ex-bourbon barrels for ageing. The whisky is then finished for six months in a combination of fire and infrared-toasted virgin American oak barrels. The result is a light, fruity and sweet whisky, which is perfect for mixing but works well neat, or with water or over ice.
On the nose, there are brambles and berries, which mingle with vanilla and a hint of floral notes, too. There is a familiar hint of caramel at the edges, which, on the palate, develops a little more, adding a slight fudgy sweetness. Apple and limes cut through the sweetness, balancing it nicely. The finish is long and mellows into a sweetness, with toasted marshmallows and a sweet, oaky spice to tingle the taste buds.
Loch Lomond Steam & Fire Single Malt
46% ABV
£45
This single malt whisky from Loch Lomond is double distilled, using both a straight neck and then more traditional swan neck stills. Once distilled, the spirit is aged in three types of American oak casks before going on to spend 10 months finishing in heavily charred casks, which are prepared at Loch Lomond’s on-site cooperage.
The use of the charred casks gives the whisky lots of rich, sweet and buttery characteristics, which hit you from the off. On the nose, there are sweet toffee apples, vanilla and sweet spices, with a hint of smokiness — an aroma that draws you in to want to know more. On the palate, there is sweetness and citrus, warm marmalade with a subtle kick of spices to liven the taste buds before it melts out to coffee and dark chocolate. The finish is medium to long and slightly dry, with that dark chocolate fading to a soft, woody smoke.
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