Inescapable Spirit

A countdown of the best whiskies to enjoy this Christmas, each paired with the perfect festive hit

- by EUAN DUGUID

THE tree is up, the lights are twinkling and the dram is slipping down nicely. Then, from somewhere in the background, Noddy Holder cuts through the reverie: “It’s Chriiiiistmas!”

Love it or loathe it, festive musical curation is unavoidable. Short of full-on hibernation, it’s part of the modern-day season we all have to accept.

And leaning into that inescapable spirit, I’ve found myself thinking not just about the soundtrack, but about the drams that soundtrack deserves.

So here it is – my Christmas Top 10: a single malt countdown where each whisky is paired with a festive hit. Think Top Of The Pops, but with more sherry casks and fewer shaggy sideburns.

Glenmorangie The Original (10 Year Old): Last Christmas by Wham!

Like George Michael’s Wham! heartbreak classic, The Original is a seasonal staple. Soft, honeyed citrus and gentle vanilla from ex-bourbon oak, it’s the whisky equivalent of that jumper you dig out every year: familiar, reassuring, maybe a touch sentimental, and you wouldn’t be without it.

Talisker 10 Year Old: Stop The Cavalry by Jona Lewie

Talisker 10 isn’t a carol, but it’s got more brass than a Salvation Army band. Maritime smoke, pepper, and briny swagger take you straight to a Skye shoreline on Christmas Eve. And just like Jona Lewie’s antiwar lament, there is real depth beneath the catchy refrain. When the cold bites, you will be very glad of its warmth.

Aberlour A’Bunadh: Fairytale Of New York by The Pogues & Kirsty MacColl