Celebrating World Whisky Day With Diageo

May 02, 2023

Celebrating World Whisky Day With Diageo

Let’s get started with the basics. Scotch Whisky is one of the most highly regulated spirits in the world which helps to ensure the consistency and quality of every bottle. It must originate in Scotland using and be made only cereal grains, water and yeast. After distillation it must be aged for at least 3 years in oak barrels. Scotch also must be bottled at a minimum of 40%, and unlike some other spirits, the age statement on the bottle refers to the youngest whisky used to make the product. If you’d like to deep dive into Scotch Whisky, then click here. Moving beyond production there are several different categories of Scotch, so we wanted to take you through some of the key ones along with a recommendation for a bottle to try.

Single Malt Whisky is made from 100% malted barley originating from a single distillery. Each single malt is unique to the distillery that produced it and will vary based on the region where it was produced. If you’re looking to try a single malt for the first time, we’d suggest trying The Singleton of Dufftown. The Singleton is a collection of distilleries across Scotland. The Singleton of Dufftown sings of poached orchard fruits, with a mellow caramel sweetness. It has a toffee-like finish.

Peated Scotch has a smoky flavour introduced in the liquid during the malting phase of production and is typical of Highland and Island distilleries. If you’re looking to taste smoky whisky for the first time, we think that Talisker is an ideal starting point. Talisker 10-year-Old is made by the sea with its distillery sitting on the shores of the Isle of Skye. On the nose, you’ll find that sea spray and seaweed while that same heady maritime quality is evident on the palate. Toasted malt and a gentle toffee carry towards a smokiness reminiscent of a beach bonfire.

Blended Scotch is the most popular category of whisky worldwide and is a mix of different Whiskies from different distilleries. Blended Scotch is an example of a product that is greater than the sum of its parts. If a single malt is a solo, a blended whisky is the sound of the entire orchestra. To experience Blended Whisky at its best we’d suggest starting with Johnnie Walker Black Label. It is created with whiskies aged for a minimum of 12 years from the four corners of Scotland, including Cardhu, Strathmill, Cameronbridge and Caol Ila. Each whisky is carefully chosen by our blenders to create Johnnie Walker Black Label’s unique flavour profile – bursting with pineapple and tropical fruit, creamy toffee, and a plume of smoke to finish.

Make sure to try out all our combo suggestions, and if you come up with any of your own, please share and tag!

Johnnie Walker Highball

  • Johnnie Walker Black Label combined soda water is the ultimate way to sample a new Whisky
  • 30ml Johnnie Walker Black Label
  • 120ml Soda water
  • Lemon Zest
  • Cubed ice

Method:

  1. Grab a tall highball from the fridge and fill with ice. Add ingredients and stir. Garnish and serve
  2. Standard Drinks: Approx. 0.95 Standard Drinks

 

The Singleton Plus Two Orchard

  • The green apple and nuances of stone fruits from the Singleton is paired perfectly with apple and pear juice, finished with a spritz of soda.
  • 45ml The Singleton 12 yr old
  • 45ml Apple & Pear juice
  • 45ml Soda Water
  • Mint Sprig garnish
  • Cubed ice

Method:

  1. Grab a rocks glass from the fridge and fill with ice. Add ingredients and stir. Garnish and serve
  2. Standard Drinks: Approx. 1.5 Standard Drinks

 

Talisker Hot Toddy

A smoky twist on a warm winter classic, Talisker 10 Scotch Whisky is perfectly complemented with honey and Lemon flavours

30ml Talisker 10 yr old 20- 40ml honey 20ml lemon juice 125ml hot water 1bay leaf 1 cinnamon quill 1 star anise Nutmeg garnish No ice

Method:

Heat the honey, Lemon Juice, water, mead and spices in a pot. Bring to the boil and let simmer for ten minutes. Add 30ml of Talisker into a heatproof mug and strain in the mixture. Garnish with a little grated nutmeg

Standard Drinks: Approx. 1.1 Standard Drinks

Food pairing:

The Johnnie Walker Highball is the perfect drink for afternoon drinking or standing events where food is offered in a canape format. This highball pairs perfectly with meats and charcuterie, grilled cheese or fried wontons as well as dishes that would normally require a squeeze of lemon. It also pairs well with deserts with an element of spice or custard like a custard tart.

The Singleton is a wonderfully versatile Whisky and works well with a number of food occasions. We enjoy The Singleton Plus Two Orchard with something light like a Roasted Pumpkin or Roast Beef salad or fried bar snacks such as Cajun Spiced Wedges or Cheese & Bacon Twists.

Talisker Whisky is a richly flavoured Malt with a smoky, salty palate. We recommend serving the Talisker Hot Toddy with a Blue Cheese Jaffle.

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