Bread, beer and whisky from one year to the next

What else do you need for the glum darkness of a Scottish December as it merges into a new year?

I hardly ever make any sort of bread but seeing a recipe on Innis & Gunn's site for their IPA bread gave me renewed confidence in my baking skills. The recipe here, worked a treat. For good measure, I threw in a variety of other ingredients to add interest to the mix and to 'beef' it up a bit - black Greek olives, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and some battered brazil nuts. I'm not usually an IPA fan - tastes too much like a bunch of flowers for me - but Innis & Gunn's habit of maturing their liquid in casks makes this the most palatable.

Around the same time, a triple barrelled package with a combined age of 67 arrived from Whiskybroker. Though myself and others were disappointed that the promised Macallan didn't materialise, due to price apparently, the other releases were both of significant interest and high quality.

Having exhausted my previous bottle of grain, the Invergordon 25yo was a welcome addition to the shelf. It has all the hallmarks of an aged grain - smooth, creamy with lots of vanilla but this one has a little lemon zest in there.

In all my years of imbibing, I had never knowingly drank an Auchroisk. Whiskybroker's 21 year old is an excellent place to start. Smooth, sweet and so damn tasty with a wee hint of wood.

Lastly was the 21yo Ardbeg. Much sought after though more so for the reputation of it and the perceived kudos at having such a bottle on the shelf. The nose is fantastic - lots of peat and saline that takes me back to Airigh nam Beist. As is usual for the age, the peat on the palate is not as pronounced but is there nevertheless. Dignified and quiet and well worth it at the price.

And there's enough left over for an impending Burns' Nicht.

Winter fuel: the good and the not

Funnily enough, our two national alcoholic beverages go down better in the dark months. Scotland has a good reputation for whisky and winter - at least in terms of events. Starting with St Andrew's Day and continuing through the old winter Solstice festival - now known as Christmas - and then to Hogmonay before finishing with Burns' Nicht, Scotland is the place to be for barry booze in the dark months.

The quality of our beer has been somewhat more mixed though. Recent years has arguably given us an explosion of sorts in the number of ales, porters and lagers available from local or small enterprises. Some of it is every bit as good as anything from Belgium or Germany. Some though is as every bit as bad as what the bodach used to make in his garden shed.

Here's a sample...

• Innis & Gunn. Wow! Not only is the standard supermarket range expanding but there's always one or two extra special releases at this time of year. The Highland Cask is superb - bursting with all the flavours you'd expect from a beer aged in casks that once held 18 yo whisky. This year has seen several supermarket offers on the Original, Rum Cask and Blonde which cleared the shelves in no time. All of them superb and start at a healthy 6.6% abv.
• Ola Dubh. 8% abv. Darker than an Auld Reekie close on a January night. The standard is matured in casks that formerly held Highland Park 12. This is a meal in itself from Harvieston Brewery. Usually retails at around £3 but some offers recently had it for a decent £2 odd.
• Paradox. By Brewdog. Aged in ex-Isle of Arran casks and similar to the Old Dubh above but with a whopping 10% abv. Mouthfilling and satisfying stuff. Try it with veggie haggis. The best product I've tasted from the Brewdog kennels.
• McEwans Champion. Very malty and with some serious dark fruits in there. Comes across as a traditional bevy that my grandfather might have enjoyed down in darkest Gorgie Dalry. 500ml of 7% Scots ale. Has a slight bitter aftertaste but goes well with scran once again. Widely available at supermarkets and the price has fluctuated somewhat between £1.25 and £2.

The sheer amount of ales and porters available now makes it easy to snag a fair amount of driftwood too, if you pardon the nautical theme. Williams Brothers in Alloa are one of the better ones and their Midnight Sun 'dark and spicy' porter is as good as any other on the market. Traquair House and their Jacobite Ale at 8% abv is another hero.

Some of micro-breweries can produce the odd guid yin though its fair to say that maybe some should stick to home brewing for their pals. As much as I like the islands, some of the 'local' brews there are underwhelming to say the least. Colonsay make some palatable if uninspiring brew. I've also had the misfortune to taste two of the Islay Ales and the less said about that the better though thankfully Islay's more traditional 'cottage' industries are still producing stunning malt whisky.

Whisky is for another day though it's only fair to namecheck some that have kept the hame fires burning this winter...
Laphroaig 13yo 60.6%, October 2011 bottling from Cadenheads.
Bunnahabhain 20yo 49.7%, January 2012 bottling from Whiskybroker
Longrow CV 46%, distillery bottling from the Springbank family
Glen Scotia 12yo, 62%, 'Immense, manly, meaty and peaty -93.48' from SMWS
Invergordon 18yo grain, 'Extraordinary taste intensity - G5.3' from SMWS

The beer of Brugge and the Garden of Earthly Delights.

Its amazing to think that some people - Little Englanders? - perceive Belgium as 'boring'. Sure, its a bit flat. But any country that can produce the maniacal genius of Hieronymus Bosch, the beauty of Bruges/ Brugge and the sheer quantity of quality beers is worth respect. Being good at empire building aint cool no more.


Apart from being visually stunning, Brugge has its own Whiskyhuis. I was mildly disappointed that this turned out to be a shop and not a bar but it does sell sample drams at reasonable prices. For 2 Euros, you can try the likes of BenRiach Curiositas or the rum finish as well as many standard malts. For a little more, you can have a 26yo Glenesk or a choice from two Littlemills if closed distilleries interest you. There's a Berry Bros Caol Ila and cask strength miniatures from Arran. I understand that tastings are arranged so keep on eye on their website if you plan to visit and want to taste more than beer.


The beers though are stupendous. I didn't see any Stella Artois in Brugge though other well kent names like Leffe and Hoegarden are so ubiquitous here that they sell it in cans for peanuts. I managed to sample 6 or 7 beers during my stay - three nights aint enough - and the pick of the bunch has to be the typically trappist Achel Bruin which comes in at the relatively light 8%. A thick creamy head lies on a dark brew and gives the drink the appearance of a Gaelic Coffee. The taste though is superb - apple pie with molasses and yet more apples.


The local beer comes from the Halve Maan brewery of which the Brugse Zot is the most widely found. Their best though has to be the Straffe Hendrik Brugs Tripel Bier at 9%. Not to be confused with this is the similarly delicious Brugge Tripel - available in pubs and late night supermarkets. The best option though is to visit the legendary Café 't Brugs Beertje - a cosy wee place that stocks 300 or more beers. On the wall here is a framed memorial to whisky and beer writer Michael Jackson. Another wee howff is the hard to find De Garre. It lies at the end of a tiny narrow close off the street that connects the main Markt square to the Burg. Its well worth tracking down and the house beer of the same name is another dark and strong beauty. I didn't dare ask for the strength. They also serve 'tapas' of cheese in this ancient looking tavern.


Brugge is a gem of a place and well worth a visit. A weekend isn't enough as there's more than enough streets, bars and cafes to keep you entertained if the museums don't get you. If Brugge gets too much, hire a bike and head to the nearby Damme with its own selection of bars. Have a Westmalle Dunkel at 9% and hope that the canal doesn't get you on the return journey.