GREAT SCOTCH! IT’S WHISKY GALORE...

These drams are all great value whatever your budget – perfect for celebrating Burns Night...

1 The Famous Grouse Whisky £14, supermarkets, off-licences This is my absolute favourite of all the well-known blended whiskies. Whether I’m making cocktails or just simply having a straightforward whisky and soda or Scotch on the rocks, this is my chosen brand. Not only is it wonderfully silky-smooth, marvellously fragrant and harmonious, it is also stunning value for money. Tasted ‘blind’, Famous Grouse is consistently my winner of the big brands.

2 Milroy’s Finest Blended Malt Whisky £19.95, Milroy’s, tel: 020 7437 2385, www.milroys.co.uk One of the most complex and rewarding of the sub-£20 whiskies, this is made for one of the finest whisky shops in the UK. Assembled from a unique collection of selected malts coming from distinguished Highland and Speyside distilleries, this is an ultra-fine, rich and mellow whisky with class and breeding. And while it is medium-weight, it is also fabulously persistent on the palate.

3 Talisker 10-Year-Old Isle of Skye Single Malt Whisky £30, supermarkets, off-licences Apparently, this is the finest of all malts to accompany haggis! Not having tasted this combo, I cannot comment, but I can tell you that the peat-smoky and seaweed-tinged palate marks this heroic whisky out as one of the nation’s favourites. I remember my first taste of Talisker 20 years ago like it was yesterday. A glorious, rich, heart-warming dram with real bravado and character.

4 Bruichladdich 10-YearOld/The Laddie Ten Islay Single Malt Whisky £33, supermarkets and off-licences I’m a massive fan of this distillery and their innovation is second to none. Just have a look at their website and you will see the vast array of bottlings they make. This excellent whisky is made from unpeated spirit and is a landmark in their production. With its beautiful orchard, meadow and toastedbun notes, this is a distinguished aperitif-style single malt.

5 Scapa 16-Year-Old Orkney Single Malt Whisky £56.95, Royal Mile Whiskies, www.royalmilewhiskies.com This rare, limited-edition single malt has none of the peaty notes of other ‘Island’ malts, so is more suited to those who prefer complexity and an enthralling fragrance of nuts, ginger, crème brûlée and figs. Apparently, there are only three workers at the Scapa distillery, Scotland’s most remote dram-producer, so this is definitely a handmade product!

6 Glenfiddich 19-Year-Old Age of Discovery – Madeira Cask Finish, Single Malt Whisky £89.95, www.the drinkfinder.co.uk This is my blockbuster whisky this year and it’s a magnificent work of art. It is made by ageing the magical brew in American and Spanish oak casks initially then, for the final stages of maturation, transferring it to oak casks previously used for fine Madeira wines. The result is a stellar dram that’s as intricate and intriguing as any I’ve ever tasted.