With St Andrews Day approaching on 30th November, as any Scottish person will know, it is the perfect excuse to get out the whisky and have a wee dram!
But what if you live in Spain, and fear there could be shortages? What will you do? Don´t worry! Spain has their very own selection of whiskies. Furthermore, Spanish whisky even dates back to 1959.
Spanish whisky
Spain is better known for its wines, but especially its Sherries. Did you know, you can only officially call a Sherry by that name if it is produced in the Sherry triangle of Jerez? But here is something perhaps you didn´t know!
Many rare and expensive Scottish whiskies are aged in Spanish Sherry barrels! What this means, of course, is that Spain already has an abundance of these barrels to make use of. What better way, than to use it for Spanish whisky!
InSpain.News has gone to considerable trouble to try out some of these whiskies in the interest of research for our readers. So, let us list some of them that you can enjoy here in Spain.
Nomad Outland Whisky
Nomad Outland Whisky starts its journey in Scotland and is finished in Jerez in Spain. It is a blended whisky made with a selection of more than 30 malts and grains between 5 and 8 years old. These are then mixed and matured in sherry casks in Scotland for three years. The produce is then sent to Jerez, where it is finished in Pedro Ximénez barrels for a year before being bottled.
Double-V whisky
This is a Spanish blended whisky distilled from various fermented malt whiskies from Scotland that are subsequently aged in white oak barrels to achieve an intense and aged flavour.
Whisky DYC 12 Years
If you like your whisky the proper way – “neat”, then this is perhaps one of the best DYC whiskies for you because it is made from a process that, as its name suggests, takes 12 years. This whiskey is aged in Jerez barrels to achieve a unique flavour with a lot of body and is very soft on the palate.
Whisky Constitution
Less well-known but certainly not lacking in quality is Constitución whisky. This is a 10-year-old single malt whisky produced, apparently, with a portion of Scottish malt. It is very rare as they only make 2,000 units each year.
For those of you that prefer whisky the “non-traditional” way, there are various whisky cocktails you might want to try.
Your other national drink
If you want to keep it all things Scottish, then simply add a splash of water or a chunk of ice. Or if you want to take a step further, add some Irn Bru. (Irn Bru is a traditional hangover cure in Scotland)
Some more exotic options
A match made in heaven – add a generous measure of Drambuie to your whisky.
If you fancy something fresh – add some sugar, ice, and fresh mint to your whisky?
Blood and sand – add some blood orange juice and cherry liqueur to the whisky, and pour into a Manhattan-style glass, and even non-whisky lovers will enjoy this.
The Italian Job – add some amaretto and serve with whisky on the rocks. This Godfather of cocktails was said to be Marlon Brando´s favourite,
The traditional cure for the common cold
The traditional cure for the common coldA hot toddy! – warm-up your whisky with a little hot water and add honey, lemon. Cloves, ginger and cinnamon are optional. Cures all!
If you are celebrating St Andrew´s Day, you may want to have a special dram alongside your haggis, neeps, and tatties. But, whichever way you have your whisky, enjoy!
For more information on a traditional Spanish “cure-all”, click here.
