Indulgent Valentine’s gifts for whisky lovers
Whisky makes for a truly luxurious Valentine’s Day gift. We have picked four top Scotch whiskies to give – or to pour – to make for an evening of warmth and romance. There are also options to buy a voucher to tour two of these exceptional distilleries.
Tamdhu
Tamdhu Speyside Single Malt Whisky is a hidden gem and comes beautifully packaged, too. Every drop of this brand is matured in rare oloroso sherry casks. These casks impart a refined, distinctive character with sherry cask richness unfolding on the palate. Buy Tamdhu’s charitable Atlantic Salmon Trust whisky exclusively at Waitrose (£50/70cl) whereby a donation is given to the charity for every bottle sold. Head to any good spirits retailers for other expressions including the revered Tamdhu 21-Year-Old.
Glengoyne
Glengoyne Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky is created near Loch Lomond in some of the slowest stills in Scotland. This refined, fruity, delicate whisky is an exceptional, award-winning collection of Scotch whiskies that are made on a site where stewardship of the land is all important. The first Scottish whisky distillery to create wetlands as part of its operation, Glengoyne supports the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust and has a special edition Single Cask Whisky priced at £190 / 70 cl. You can even make it p[personal for this special day with a personalised bottle (priced from £53.50/70cl for Glengoyne 10 Year Old). Glengoyne’s Timekeeper gift pack is presented in a ruby red box, making it a perfect choice for Valentine’s Day. This includes a bottle of Glengoyne 12 Year Old accompanied by a tasting glass and booklet (£50 / 70cl).
For an experiential gift, consider a voucher to visit Glengoyne Distillery for the Malt Master ‘Whisky Making’ Experience (£110), and extend the Valentine’s Day romance into a mini-holiday.
If your loved one is a non-conformist who likes whisky to stand out from the crowd, Smokehead is the brand to pick. Picture the traditional, elegant Scottish whisky bottle; then picture the exact opposite. This is a bold, peaty, smoky, range of Islay Single Malt Whiskies. There are 8 in the collection, each extraordinary and all featuring a distinctive skull motif on the bottle. Be bold – just follow the heady romance of that Smokehead smoky flavour. Perfect for those who spurn pink hearts and red roses. Prices from around £41 / 70cl.
Rosebank
For a truly luxurious gift, buy the whisky that was recently crowned The Best Whisky in the World: Rosebank 31 Year Old Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (£1800 /70cl). Rosebank 31 Year Old – Legacy Release Two is a rare Lowland Single Malt Scotch Whisky, triple distilled and matured for over three decades in a selection of refill casks.
Rosebank legacy series whiskies were made before this historic distillery reopened in 1993 after being closed for decades. This is prestigious and glamorous. Another superb gift option is Gift Box (£450), a pairing of old and new Rosebank: a 20cl bottle of Rosebank 32 Year Old and a 20cl bottle Rosebank New Make Spirit, produced at the revived distillery.
Alternatively, opt for a gift voucher to visit Rosebank Distillery. The Rosebank Discovered event(£50 pp) includes the opportunity to sample rare, aged Rosebank making this an extra-special experience. This destination was recently awarded ‘Best Tourist Destination in Scotland’.
