With Robbie Burns Day approaching Jan. 25, I find myself digging deep for a personal nexus with Scotland. Heck, if the late Ugandan dictator Idi Amin can don a kilt and declare himself King of Scotland, then surely an eighth-generation Canadian can find a tenuous connection.
Let's see: My grandmother was a McDiarmid, and it helps that I'm marrying into a good Scottish family this summer. What's more, I visited Scotland once and I wore a Black Watch kilt in army cadets. I'm also a huge fan of Sean Connery and I've watched the movie Highlander. Twice.
Still, it feels disingenuous to feign Scottishness by proxy. Deep down, I know I'm a Wonderbread Canuck.
Many Canadians pine for cultural associations, but I believe we should celebrate our watered-down bloodlines. The beauty of being non-denominational is that we can dabble in the best other cultures offer without committing to the worst. To wit, single malt whisky and haggis, respectively.
Obviously, you don't have to be Scottish to enjoy single malt. Moreover, Scotland doesn't have a lock on reputation. Some of the finest whiskies hail from such places as India, Japan and Australia. South of Hadrian's Wall, Wales and England are getting in on the act, too.
The Victoria Whisky Festival, Jan. 19 to 22, is the best opportunity to sample and learn about new and established single malts from Scotland and elsewhere. Unfortunately, tickets are always sold out months in advance. Nevertheless, several excellent whiskies that will be causing a stir at this year's festival are now locally available, including the following in a range of styles:
GLENFARCLAS HIGHLAND SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY, 15-YEAR-OLD
Glenfarclas Distillery, Speyside, Scotland
700 mL, 46 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV), $110
Family-owned and operated since 1865, the Glenfarclas Distillery produces single malt Scotch in the traditional smooth Speyside style the region is known for.
Finished in sherry casks, this whisky is amber in colour with complex aromas of sherry, clove, allspice, citrus and butterscotch. On the mouth, it is full-bodied and sherry sweet with a long, pleasing finish.
THE COOPERS CHOICE, 8-YEAR-OLD
Craigellachie Distillery, Speyside, Scotland
700 mL, 46 per cent ABV, $100
Single malt custom bottlings often run in excess of $200 a bottle, so the Cooper's Choice from Craigellachie Distillery is a rare bargain.
Finished in sherry wood, this whisky is rich in copper colour, with pronounced notes of sherry, spice, clove and a hint of orange citrus that linger in a long, spicy finish.
NIKKA WHISKY SINGLE MALT, 15-YEAR-OLD
The Nikka Whisky Distilling Co., Yoichi, Japan
700 mL, 45 per cent ABV, $189
A chemist by training, Masataka Taketsuru became enchanted with whisky at an early age and travelled to Scotland to learn the art of making it.
There, he met his Scottish wife and became renowned as a master blender, before returning to Japan in 1920 to produce Japan's first whisky and found its first whisky distillery in 1934.
Since then, Nikka has developed a deserved reputation for some of the finest blended and single malt whiskies in the world.
The 15-year-old single malt is a complex whisky characterized by subtle aromas ranging from sweet dried fruit to smoky peat.
Rich and oily on the palate, its combination of bittersweet flavours includes orange citrus, anise, clove, pepper and a touch of chocolate, all backed by gentle smoky peat that leaves a smooth, silky finish.
CHAPTER 9, THE ENGLISH WHISKY CO.
St. George's Distillery, Norfolk, England
700 mL, 46 per cent ABV, $120
The English Whisky Co. was founded in 2006, making it the first whisky distillery in England for more than 120 years. Even so, the distillery has won several awards and praise for its range of products. In particular, Chapter 9 is a peated single malt that is impressive beyond its three years.
Aged in bourbon casks, it is pale gold in the glass, with aromas of citrus, pine, spice and peat. Smoky and slightly medicinal in the mouth, this whisky balances its peaty characteristics with sweet malt and spice in a long gentle finish.
Note: If you have difficulty finding these whiskies, your best bet is The Strath Ale, Wine & Spirit Merchants at 919 Douglas St., which arguably has the best whisky range in the city.
