January is often a drab and dreary time, unless you're on board travelling warmer climes in the Caribbean or even the Med. For those further north, it's often wet and cold, so a celebration such as Burns Night, is a welcome opportunity to bail on Dry January early and celebrate the best of the whisky industry.
We know whisky is a popular tipple amongst superyacht owners, in fact, Roman Abramovich toured his Eclipse around Scotland's best whisky distilleries accessible by superyacht. It's a great opportunity to pick up some new fine casks for your vessel and to crack into any you've been saving, knowing hundreds around the world will also be raising a glass on the 25th.
What is Burns Night?
Burns Night commemorates the late Robert Burns, a famous Scottish poet. It falls on his birthday, the 25th of January and is celebrated with a whisky-fuelled dinner called a Burns Supper. The meal consists of haggis, neeps and tatties (potatoes and swede, for those who don't know) and lashings of whisky sauce. In short, there's a lot of whisky involved.
Enjoy our edit of the finest whiskies to be enjoyed on board this Burns Night.
Macallan 36-Year-Old
A smooth tipple with palatable sweetness, The Macallan 36-year-old has honeyed notes balanced with exotic fruits and a hint of nutmeg. The creamy texture allows you to savour the sweetness and the hints of spice, this whisky has plenty of body. With only 90 bottles of this 36-year-old made and a unique style to the typical Macallan profile, this small batch falls under the Director's Special label and is well-worthy of a Burns celebration.
shop nowRoyal Salute 52 Year Old
We've mentioned this fine whisky before but it's an elegant expression worth shouting about. With a really distinctive and enjoyable flavour profile, it is in a league of its own to the rest of the Royal Salute offering, which already serve as great, reliable whiskies in their own right. With a bouquet of toffee apple and chocolate-covered hazelnuts to a sweet palate of marmalade, fresh pear and a hint of spice, this is a whisky to be enjoyed by the dram.
shop nowGlenlivet 1981
For a rich, full-bodied whisky with plenty of character, the Glenlivet 36-yea-old is a worthy choice. On the nose alone there's a number of inviting scents from sweet raisins, toasted brioche and ripe green fruits through to an exciting palate of spiced apples, dried fruits and toffee flavours.
shop nowGlenfarclas 1953
A rich, Speyside vintage, in its striking bottle, was released in 2013 in honour of the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. With only 60 bottles available, this is a rare collector's piece. Bursting with character, drinkers can expect it to be quite savoury and spiced on the nose, whilst the palate holds flavours of coffee and chocolate, balanced with grapefruit and cinnamon.
Shop nowGlenfiddich Grand Cru
A bottle that looks the part for the Burns celebrations, the Glenfiddich Grand Cru is an exciting expression from this Speyside distillery. Using a combination of European and American oak casks before ageing for up to six months in a French oak cuvée wine casks. Sweet on the nose with notes of honey, brioche and sweet pink lady apples, which follows through to the palate with flavours of baked apples, vanilla and pear.
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