Burns Night Whiskies

Burns Night has always been about more than reciting poetry and piping in the haggis. At its heart, it is a celebration of place, identity, and shared experience. Whisky sits naturally at the centre of that table, not as a luxury flourish, but as a cultural companion. I have selected some of my favourite recommendations below for you to celebrate with this Saturday January 25th:-

Isle of Raasay Cask Strength

Few distilleries encapsulate modern Scottish whisky momentum quite like Isle of Raasay Distillery. Founded in 2017 as the first legal distillery on the Hebridean island, Raasay has moved with unusual speed from curiosity to cult favourite. That trajectory was confirmed this year when its Single Malt Scotch Whisky Cask Strength was named World’s Best Scotch Whisky at the Las Vegas Global Spirits Awards, achieving a remarkable 99/100 score.

The Cask Strength release is built on Raasay’s signature Na Sia (“The Six”) maturation recipe. Peated and unpeated spirits are matured separately in rye whiskey casks, virgin Chinkapin oak, and Bordeaux red wine casks before being married together. Bottled at natural strength, non-chill filtered and without colouring, it delivers a confident expression of Raasay’s lightly peated house style.

There is depth here: dark fruits, sweet spice, gentle smoke, and a saline edge that speaks clearly of island maturation. It is a whisky that works well on Burns Night precisely because it does not shout. Instead, it invites attention, rewarding slow drinking and conversation as the evening unfolds.

Tamdhu 12 Year Old – Atlantic Salmon Trust Edition

Burns Night is also a moment for reflection, and Tamdhu Distillery has chosen to mark the occasion with a whisky that carries a message beyond the glass. Its Tamdhu 12 Year Old Atlantic Salmon Trust Edition, released exclusively through Waitrose, supports conservation efforts for one of Scotland’s most endangered species.

Fully matured in Oloroso sherry casks, as all Tamdhu whiskies are, this special bottling retains the distillery’s hallmark richness and texture. Soft vanilla, sherried oak, orchard fruit and gentle spice sit comfortably within a style that feels reassuringly traditional. Bottled at 41.3% ABV and presented in a gift box, it is a whisky designed to be shared.

The connection between whisky and salmon is not superficial. Both depend on clean, cold water, and both are deeply tied to the River Spey. With wild Atlantic salmon populations having declined by around 70 percent over the past three decades, this release gives Burns Night drinkers a chance to support tangible environmental work while enjoying a classic Speyside dram.

Annandale Man O’Words 10 Year Old

Robert Burns spent much of his later life in Dumfries, making Annandale Distillery a natural inclusion in any Burns Night selection. The Man O’Words 10 Year Old is an unpeated single malt matured in a first-fill ex-Buffalo Trace bourbon cask, bottled without chill filtration or added colour.

This is a whisky of clarity and restraint. Orchard fruits, soft vanilla, and buttery toffee define the profile, offering a gentle counterpoint to heavier, sherry-led styles often associated with Burns suppers. It is particularly well suited to earlier in the evening, or for those who prefer elegance over intensity.

Priced firmly in premium territory, it reflects Annandale’s patient, cask-led approach and its commitment to producing whiskies that favour balance over spectacle.

Tomatin’s Burns Night Line-Up

For hosts looking to build a Burns supper around whisky rather than simply serve it alongside, Tomatin Distillery offers one of the most considered approaches this year. Its four-strong Burns Night line-up is designed to follow the rhythm of the meal itself.

Tomatin 10 Year Old, matured exclusively in bourbon casks, brings freshness and lift, making it an ideal pairing with Cullen skink. Lemon zest, green apple and gentle sweetness cut neatly through the soup’s creamy richness.

As the haggis arrives, Tomatin Double Cask steps in with baked apple, vanilla and soft spice from its combination of bourbon and Oloroso sherry casks. It is approachable and well judged, designed for sharing rather than analysis.

Dessert sees a shift in tone. Tomatin 12 Year Old Sherry Cask, fully matured in sherry oak, introduces dried fruits, chocolate and honeyed depth, pairing naturally with cranachan or clootie dumpling.

Finally, once formalities are done, Tomatin Cask Strength Bourbon & Sherry closes the evening. Bottled at natural strength, it delivers weight, warmth and concentration, suited to lingering conversation and final toasts to the Bard.

Loch Lomond and Glen Scotia

Burns Night is also an opportunity to explore Scotland’s regional diversity, something Loch Lomond Group highlights through two contrasting single malts.

Loch Lomond 18 Year Old represents the distillery’s distinctive production approach, combining traditional swan-neck stills with straight-neck stills and supported by an on-site cooperage. Matured in three types of American oak and bottled at 46% ABV, it offers baked apple, rich toffee and a restrained thread of wood smoke. It is polished, full-bodied, and quietly complex, well suited to reflective moments during the evening.

From further west comes Glen Scotia 12 Year Old, a bold Campbeltown expression matured in first-fill bourbon casks and bottled at 46%. Maritime notes, tropical fruit, citrus and caramelised sugar define its character, delivering a style that feels unapologetically coastal. It brings energy and contrast to a Burns Night line-up, reminding drinkers of Campbeltown’s singular place in Scotch whisky history.

Burns Night remains a celebration of words, music, and memory. These whiskies do not compete with that tradition. They support it, offering different ways to raise a glass to Scotland’s past, present, and future.