The 5 Best Single-Malt Whiskies For Celebrating Burns Night, Scotland's Annual Celebration

Burns Night, Scotland's annual celebration on January 25 of the poet Robert Burns' birthday and all things Scottish, is centered around the Burns Supper, which includes haggis, a few drams of whisky, and other treats. Burns (1759 – 1796) is considered the national poet of Scotland for his work that celebrated a variety of aspects of the country, including its whisky. I was in Scotland not long ago and got a taste of both its single-malt whisky, its haggis, and what the Burns Supper is all about.

While brands such as The Macallan — a must-know whisky for beginners — or Glenlivet may be the best-known single-malt Scottish whiskies here in the United States, there are many others that are equally delicious (and often less pricey) with which to raise a toast to the author of "Auld Lang Syne." Burns had a preference for Highland whisky, and I've included several from that region. I've also included a Lowland distillery, one on the border between the two, and another from the island of Islay (famous for its peated whisky) in the mix. Now, raise a glass to Burns and Scotland, the homeland he celebrated, and which continues to celebrate the great poet in return.

Glenmorangie, the more than 180-year-old Highland distillery located near Tain in the northern Highlands, uses its famously tall copper stills (the tallest in Scotland) to help produce exceptionally light, creamy single malts bursting with notes of fruit, citrus, and vanilla. The Original, the brand's flagship 12-year-old, exemplifies this with hints of peach, orange, honey, and subtle baking spice on the palate. It's an easy sipper. The distillery is also known for its cask innovations and experimentation under the leadership of master distiller Dr. Bill Lumsden.

Fondly called "Dr. Bill" around the distillery, he's a bit of a mad scientist in the single-malt world. Besides often aging the liquid in a variety of unusual casks, he's used wild yeast, an unusual type of malted barley called Marris Otter, and aged whisky with botanicals, all while remaining within the bounds of the country's strict Scotch Whisky Regulations, a key factor that makes single-malt whisky special. A Tale of Spices, one of the distillery's limited edition whiskies, is a prime example of what the brand is known for. Finished in Moroccan red wine casks, charred oak casks, shaved toasted red wine casks, and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks, the whisky is rife with layers of spice from cumin to ginger, along with sweet dried fruits. I believe Robert Burns would approve.

Tullibardine is a Highland distillery in Blackford, Perthshire, that was once the site of a brewery dating to the Late Middle Ages (thus the 1488 date on the bottle). The distillery was established on the site in the 1940s and had its ups and downs before the independent French wine and spirits company Terroir Distillers took over in 2011. Today, Tullibardine is producing award-winning whiskies that perform well above their price point. The company distills, matures, and bottles on site.

Among Tullibardine's offerings is the Marquess Collection. It features nine expressions, many with unique caskings, such as The Murray Triple Port. There are nine expressions in its Signature Range as well, including the flagship Sovereign, a tasty everyday sipper, and a good number of matured single malts (15-, 18-, 20-, and 25-year olds) that have garnered multiple awards. Tullabardine also has three U.S. exclusives (Artisan, a 12-year-old, and the Double Wood) that are in line with the southern Highland tradition of lighter bodied whiskies. The Artisan is a lovely introductory Highland single-malt at a great price with tasting notes on the palate of vanilla, barley sugar, oak, and a touch of spice on the finish. Enjoy this lighter whisky with a bite of haggis and a Burns' poem.

Auchentoshan (pronounced "ock-un-tosh-un") is a Lowland distillery just outside of Glasgow that uses unique triple distillation (akin to what you see in Ireland) to produce exceptionally delicate single malts rife with vanilla, citrus, and toffee. It's been around since 1823, has achieved a variety of national and international awards for its various expressions, and comes in at a good price point, which makes it surprising that it isn't all that well known in the United States. Auchentoshan has been cited as highly underrated by more than one expert.

The brand's flagship 12-year-old is aged in both American ex-bourbon oak barrels and sherry casks for a whisky with tangerine, vanilla, and honey on the palate with oak on the finish. It stands up on its own, but makes a wonderful base for a variety of cocktails as well, if that's how you prefer enjoying Burns Night. Among its celebrated expressions is Three Wood, which spends around a decade in ex-bourbon barrels, then two more years each in Oloroso sherry casks and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. The result is a whisky with tasting notes of dark chocolate, woody spice, and dried fruits on the palate. The brand deserves a place at the table for your Burns Supper.

Glengoyne was founded in 1833. Besides being the southernmost Highland whisky distillery, it also lays claim to having some of the slowest stills in Scotland, taking three times longer than the industry standard. The resulting whisky is light, fruit-forward, and complex. While the distillery is in the Highlands, just north of Glasgow, its whisky is matured in the Lowlands, just on the other side of the dividing line, making for a unique dram that encompasses both whisky-making traditions.

Among Glengoyne's core expressions are both a 10- and 12-year old. The former is finished in ex-sherry casks and is a light-bodied whisky with apple, pear, toffee, citrus, and tropical fruits on the palate. The 12-year-old is similar, but with the flavors intensified. One of its latest expressions is White Oak, a departure from the brand's signature style of finishing in ex-sherry casks. It's the first time the distillery has only used American oak to age its whisky using both first-fill ex-bourbon barrels and new lightly charred white oak casks. The result is a taste of oak, citrus, vanilla, and warming spice on the palate. There's also the 24-year-old version, which builds off the younger expression with the addition of floral notes and more toasted oak. Any of Glengoyne's expressions will do for the toast of haggis at your Burns Supper.

The Ardbeg distillery is located on the island of Islay, the celebrated home of some of Scotland's most heavily peated whiskies. It went legit in 1815 (I've been told the distillery is even older, but 1815 was when founder John Macdougall finally applied for a distilling license). Given its location on Islay, it's no surprise Ardbeg is famously smoky, but what I found the most surprising was how well balanced these complex whiskies are. Ardbeg's flagship 10-year-old brings lots of smoke, but it doesn't overwhelm the whisky's sweetness and notes of citrus, vanilla, grilled fruit, and touch of brine reminiscent of the Sea of Hebrides that can be seen from the distillery.

Ardbeg offers a wide range of expressions, including its 5-year-old Wee Beastie, which is even smokier than the 10 but somehow still makes for some excellent cocktails. A standout is Ardbeg's An Oa, named after a nearby peninsula, the Mull of Oa, which helps shelter the distillery. This whisky is aged in a combination of ex-bourbon barrels, charred virgin oak, and Pedro Ximénez sherry casks and then spends time in a French oak marrying vat. If the unique casking sounds similar to what Glenmorangie does, that's because Dr. Bill Lumsden is the maestro of both distilleries (Glenmorangie saved Ardbeg in 1997 after it closed). An Oa's tasting notes include its signature peatiness balanced with citrus, cloves, butterscotch, and oak on the palate. Ardbeg, like all the whiskies in this round-up, do Robert Burns proud.