Whiskies that warm you up – a selection of smoky and autumnal single malt whiskies
The time is coming when evenings are getting longer and the wind is starting to bite. This is exactly the time for something that will warm not only the body but also the soul. And although autumn can be survived with just tea and a blanket, sometimes something stronger is needed, something with a little smoke and a lot of character: Scottish whisky. This is the time of year when heavier or peaty whiskeys taste best. The smoke, spice, and depth of flavor are perfect for long evenings, rain outside the window, and moments when you just sit and think. So if you're looking for the perfect companion, we've prepared a selection of our favorite whiskeys for this time of year.
Kilchoman Sanaig
This is a very pleasant smoky whisky from Islay. It was matured in a combination of sherry and bourbon casks and bottled at 46% alcohol content, without coloring or cold filtration. It is earthy, spicy, and intensely sherry-flavored. It has notes of citrus, peat, sea salt, leather, dark chocolate, and baking spices. It is a great companion for cold weather.
Meikle Toir The Sherry 0ne
Much like the previous whisky, this is a smoky and intensely sherry-flavored whisky, but this time from the Speyside region and the workshop of master Billy Walker from GlenAllachie. so if you've ever wondered what a smoky GlenAllachie might taste like, we recommend trying this Meikle Toir. The whiskey is bottled at 48% alcohol content, without coloring or cold filtration. The taste is intense and heavy, slightly spicy, with notes of coffee, peat, black pepper, oak, caramel, figs and tobacco.
GlenAllachie 10 Cask Strength
Like the previous whiskey, this one also comes from Billy Walker's workshop, but it is not a peated whiskey. GlenAllachie 10 Year Old is predominantly matured in sherry casks and bottled at cask strength, without chill filtration or coloring. Its taste is intense, warm, and spicy.
You can taste notes of cinnamon, oak, baking spices, coffee, honey, chocolate, forest fruits, ginger, and nuts. If you like whiskies with character, we definitely recommend trying this cask strength whisky!
Loch Lomond 12 Year Old Inchmoan
We return to smoked whiskeys, this time with a 12-year-old whiskey from the Loch Lomond distillery in the Highland region. This whiskey was matured in bourbon barrels and bottled at 46% alcohol content, without coloring or cold filtration. This whisky is oily, meaty and rich. The taste is dominated by notes of oak, leather, black pepper, honey, dried herbs, vanilla, sweet BBQ, earthy peat and candied fruit.
Torabhaig Cnoc Na Moine
Peat and sherry are, in our opinion, inseparable, so we decided to mention one island whiskey that combines these two elements perfectly. Torabhaig is a relatively new distillery founded in 2017 on the island of Skye, but in that short time, they have managed to come up with bottlings that have captivated whiskey enthusiasts. The Cnoc Na Moine whisky was matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks and bottled at 46 % alcohol content, without coloring or cold filtration. The taste of this whisky is dry and earthy, with an intense peat flavor. It is dominated by notes of black pepper, oak, peat, BBQ, tobacco, sour forest fruits, and salty sea breeze. However, if you would like to try the distillery's house style without the disruptive influence of sherry casks, we recommend trying their Allt Gleann bottling.
Ledaig 10 Year Old
Having mentioned the presence of disruptive influences, you need not worry about them with this whisky. It is a pure yet complex single malt whiskey from the Tobermory distillery on the island of Mull. This whiskey has been aged for 10 years in bourbon barrels and bottled at 46,3 % alcohol, without cold filtration or coloring. If you are a fan of subtle peat, sea saltiness, and sweet vanilla, this is exactly the whiskey for you. Its flavor is dominated by notes of earthy peat, black pepper, citrus, malt, vanilla, sea salt, garden fruit, leather, and oak.
Bunnahabhain Moine
The Bunnahabhain distillery on Islay is famous for its unpeated whiskies, but we think that's precisely why it's worth paying a little more attention to this stronger peated whisky from their portfolio. This whisky was matured in a combination of sherry, bourbon, and red wine casks, which added complexity to its flavor. It was bottled at 46,3 % alcohol without chill filtration or coloring. The taste is layered, earthy, and smoky, dominated by notes of sour forest fruits, nuts, coffee, orchard fruits, chocolate, honey, black pepper, lemon zest, vanilla, caramel, raisins, and sea salt.
Glen Scotia Victoriana
Finally, we have saved a whiskey that we associate with the aroma of Christmas baking and smoldering embers. This whiskey comes from the Campbeltown region and is full of intense and spicy flavors. Its taste is dominated by notes of ginger, hot coals, vanilla cookies, burnt sugar, salted nuts, baking spices, cocoa, cinnamon, and toasted lemon peel. It is bottled at 54,2 % alcohol, without coloring or cold filtering, and matured in heavily charred oak barrels that previously held bourbon and sherry.
Each of us probably has a different idea of how to spend cold winter evenings. But if, like us, you've decided to spend them in the company of whiskey, we hope that you've found something that interests you among our recommendations, something that will turn even the coldest evening into a moment of comfort.
You can find all of these (and many more) whiskeys in our selection, and perhaps you will find your new winter favorite among them.
