Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796) was a great Scottish poet and even a symbol of Scottish culture. His famous passages praising love, "My Lover Is Like a Red Rose", "The Scotsman", which expressed patriotic enthusiasm, satirical poem "The Prayer of Elder Willie", the poem "To La Blake", the narrative poem "Two Dogs", "Happy Beggar", etc., are not only famous in Scotland, but also famous in the world.
Robert Burns' date of birth, known as Robert Burns Day on 25 January, has now become Scotland's unofficial national day. On this day, the heart of the Scottish commemoration is the Burns Supper or Burns Night.
The traditional Pence dinner usually begins with a classic Scottish soup, culminating in haggis (a classic Scottish food, which is actually haggis belly, which is stuffed with minced lamb hearts, lungs, livers, oatmeal, spices, etc., and boiled in lamb tripe), followed by Robert Pence poetry recitations and toasts. Of course, the wine in the glass must be Scotch whisky.
So, what whiskey do Scots generally drink on Pence Night? In fact, any type of Scotch whisky will do. But the real "Pence Fan" will definitely choose a barrel of strong alcohol, sherry barrel-aged single malt whisky, preferably peat type. Why?
In 1796, when Robert Pence died, there was no blended whisky or vatted malts in Scotland. It wasn't until 1865, when William Gladstone, treasurer of the Palmerston/Peel government, signed the Spirits Act of 1865 to legalize whisky blending.
So, in the days when Robert Pence was alive, the only thing you could drink was single malt whisky, and it was almost always privately brewed. It was not until the promulgation of the Excise Tax in 1823 that the legal production of Scotch whisky became widespread.
In addition, until the First World War, Scotch whisky was always bottled in barrels of strong alcohol. During World War I, the British government lowered the standard for bottling whisky to 40% ABV in order to reduce the alcohol abuse of workers in the arsenal after lunch or dinner.
Therefore, the real "Pence Fan" will choose the wine in his cup based on these three points.
- Glen Scotia Victoriana
Whiskies from the Campbeltown appellation may be the first choice. Once the centre of Scotch whisky making, it was once known as the world's whisky capital. Grand Victoria is called Victoriana because it imitates the style of whisky from queen Victoria's reign. So, Grand Victoria is probably the closest to the Scotch whisky style that Robert Pence recognized and loved. The wine has an alcohol content of 54.2% ABV, slightly peat, first matured by Bourbon barrels, then 30% by PX shelly barrels, 70% by heavy baking American oak barrels, and finally mixed, non-condensing filtered, natural color.
—Springbank Cask Strength 12 YO
Barrel strong alcohol content of 55.9% ABV, 100% matured by Bourbon barrel, the wine has a shocking wave like a thick wine, sweet and long aftertaste, while with a clear smoked peat coal flavor, sweet overflowing. If Robert Burns had been alive, he would have loved the style too.
- Lomond Inchmoan 12 YO
Inchmoan, named after the name of a small island in the Loch Roman region (Inch-moan), means "island of peat" in Scottish Gaelic, and for centuries local residents have used mangan island peat to make fires. 46% alcohol, non-condensing filter, distilled by the traditional swan neck and straight neck of these 2 different pot distillers, and then into the first fill and refill Bourbon barrel maturation, honey sweet, fruity style, supplemented by soft smoke and warm spices. According to Michael Henry, the distillery's chief bartender, this 12-year-old distillery's heaviest peat style whisky was issued to commemorate the history and heritage of the distillery, the distillery chose 3 different peat styles to blend together, with spicy, herbal mud and smoked peat notes, and the resulting whisky has a strong sense of balance and has a complex and thick peat character.
— Benriach Smoky 12 YO
One of the new core collections launched in 2020, the 46% ABV by alcohol is ripened by Bourbon, Sherry and Madeira barrels, with sun-dried fruit and warm festive spices added to the smoky single malt, perfect for chilly evenings.
—Benromach 21 YO
Introduced shortly after Gordon & MacPhail's acquisition of Ben Normanke Distillery, the 43% ABV alcohol content is matured in first-filled sherry and bourbon barrels, with notes of fresh plums, raspberries, orange peels, blackberries, ripe apples, figs, golden raisins and spices/cooked wine, with notes of cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg on the palate, accompanied by notes of old leather and dried tobacco, as well as hints of chocolate. Overall, it's a fruity one that still offers the subtle levels of complexity known for premium whiskies, with a long, elegant aftertaste.
—Laphroaig Cask Strength 10 YO
The alcohol content of each batch is different, but the average is relatively high, such as the 12th batch is as high as 60.1% ABV. If you want a powerful peat smoked whisky, Laforg 10 Years Barrel Strength is perfect. Sweet cookies, cedar and manuka honey accompanied by tobacco, old leather, candles, vanilla, toffee, let you bread straight in the thick fog of peat smoke. Laforger's Càirdeas collection, which comes to the shelves every summer, is also an excellent choice, with the 2020 edition aged in Bourbon and secondary-filled Porter barrels, finishing in a red wine barrel where dark chocolate, menthol and Laforg's iodine-rich peat fumes are intertwined.
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