Whisky World

With Richard Elias

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WITH Christmas and Hogmanay vanishing into the distance, a date to illuminate the darkness of January brings a welcome opportunity to raise a glass.

And to celebrate the birthday of Scotland’s best-known and best-loved poet, a new single malt has been released.

The exclusive Robert Burns edition of the Arran Single Malt is described as a “homage” to the Bard.

It has been matured in sherry and bourbon oak casks, developing depth over time without losing its natural freshness.

Crafted on the Isle of Arran, it embraces the island’s pure water and maritime climate to shape the character of this whisky.

The release is a nod to both Burns and the place which honours him.

The history of whisky-making on Arran saw several illicit stills producing whisky which many claimed to be “among the finest whiskies available”.

It was then smuggled over to Dunure in Ayrshire — then the centre of the illegal distilling trade — before being shipped to the gentry in Glasgow and Edinburgh among other places.