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Top 10 whiskies to drink on Burns Night

24 January 2025 By Jessica Mason

The top 10 whiskies recommended for Burns Night have been named by drinks experts. Here’s a selection of drams from those in the know.

Burns Night takes place on 25 January and marks an annual celebration of the life and poetry of Robert Burns. It is customary for Scots to host Burns Suppers, featuring haggis, neeps and tatties, and a quaiche of whisky. Interested in joining in? Here are a few recommendations for what to drink.

To help make your Burns Night a success, experts at The Whisky Shop have outlined the top 10 whiskies to toast Scotland’s national bard.

In first place is Arran’s Robert Burns Single Malt which was inspired by Burns and has been endorsed by the Robert Burns World Federation. According to its taking notes it is a “rounded, smooth, malty and sweet expression” and retails for £45 via The Whisky Shop or £37.50 if bought directly from the Arran Whisky webshop.

In second place is Our Barley by Lochlea Distillery which is based in Ayrshire and opened in 2018. What makes this special is that the distillery is located on the farm where Robert Burns lived and worked in the 18th century. Plus, the single malt features aromas of boiled sweets and freshly cut grass and retails for £48 through The Whisky Shop or £45 from The Leith Export Co.

In third place is The Smoky Twelve by Benriach Distillery which is based in Speyside. According to the experts, the whisky is understood to be “as close as we can get to the kind of drams The Bard himself would’ve enjoyed way back in the 1700s”. With flavours of ripe fruit, oak spice and a sweet smokiness it is available for £58 from The Whisky Shop or £47.99 via Master of Malt.

Rounding out the top five the experts chose the Glen Scotia 15 Year Old and the Balblair 25 Year Old. The Glen Scotia 15 Year Old was admired for its “sweet notes of vanilla and undercurrents of spicy ginger” while the Balblair 25 Year Old boasted a “warming finish”. The former can be bought for £79 via The Whisky Shop, while the Balblair 25-Year-Old is rather special and available for £595 from Berry Bros. & Rudd.

Also included in the suggested top 10 are the Glenturret 7 Year Old Peat Smoke 2023, the Glenkinchie Distillers Edition Double Matured, and the Arran 10 Year Old. According to the expert retailer, the Glenturret 7 Year Old Peat Smoke 2023 was identified in the listing for its “light smoke, vanilla and sweet aromatics”, while the Glenkinchie Distillers Edition Double Matured was noted for being “fresh and floral” while the Arran 10 Year Old offered “rich vanilla sweetness”.

The final whiskies named are the Talisker 10 Year Old and the Timorous Beastie Blended Malt. Talisker 10 Year Old is revered to be an “absolutely perfect pairing” for haggis, while the Timorous Beastie Blended Malt is inspired by Burns’ poem ‘To a Mouse’.

Speaking of the event, the experts explained: “With this dark and chilly January dragging its feet, Burns Night couldn’t come quicker. With suppers, ceilidhs, tastings, and other events, there are plenty of ways for us all to celebrate ol’ Rabbie Burns’ birthday, and all of them include the best tradition of all, Scotch whisky.”

The experts added: “So whether you’re serving up a Burns supper with haggis, neeps and tatties, or having a quieter, celebratory dram, we’ve got a spectacular selection of Scotch whiskies to choose from.”