After the bedlam of the festive season, I love the peace and quiet of January when I can sit in front of the fire with a very large malt and catch up with the latest episode of Dr Who. If you’ve not been watching, Jodie is brilliant and well worth a watch.
I tend to lean towards the softer, slightly sweeter Speysides such as Mortlach, Linkwood and Glenfarclas.
Mortlach was founded in 1823 in Dufftown and has been a long-term favourite of mine. They make 2.9 million litres a year, and a significant percentage of their annual production goes in to the Johnnie Walker blend. When you can find an affordable single release, it’s really worth considering for your drinks cabinet at home. You can also keep a bottle of Johnnie Walker Black Label (Waitrose, £24) on hand for impromptu guests at this time of year.
Carn Mor Mortlach Sherry Butt 8 year old (Inverarity One to One, £52.99). Morrison and MacKay are independent bottlers based in Perthshire, and they are behind the Carn Mor range. They are very good at picking the right cask at the right age for the perfect dram. They also don’t chill-filter, or add any colour to the bottle, so they produce a good honest old-fashioned style of single malt whisky. They managed to get just 328 bottles of Mortlach from this one cask, and it is an absolute gem, especially at this time of year.
Glenfarclas 15 year old (Inverarity One to One, £54.99). This is my favourite dram from the Glenfarclas range…it tastes of orange peel, cinnamon spice and clove. As such, it is a perfect seasonal dram from a brilliant independent, family owned distillery. Slainté!
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