We’ll Take a Cup o’ Kindness Yet
Despite his short life, Robert Burns’ poetry ushered in a new mythology of Scotland, romanticising the mystique of the Highlands and immortalising Scottish camaraderie and spirit. Now himself immortalised as the national poet of Scotland, his life and works are celebrated every 25th of January, Burns’ birthday.
The evening has become a celebration of all things Scottish, with guests adorned in traditional ware; hosts giving voice and life to Burns’ written works; warm fare of haggis, neeps and tatties served; and attentions seized by a chorus of bagpipes. When you’re a wine & spirits merchant, we like to celebrate the occasion with a whisky tasting of mighty standing.
In 2026, we returned to the grand halls of King Edward the VI College to celebrate Burns, not once, but twice. With the whisky climate ever-changing, we took the opportunity to celebrate two sides of the industry: the old guard of Scotch, instrumental in propelling the industry to the heights it now enjoys, represented by Gordon & MacPhail, and the new blood of the industry, breathing new energy into tradition, represented by the Glasgow Distillery.
Part I – Gordon & MacPhail – A Legend in Scotch Whisky
Independent bottlers offer a whole other realm in which we may enjoy our whisky. These are businesses that acquire casks and bottle them outside of the original producer’s remit, perhaps adding their own novel twist and often releasing in small batches. The approach is ubiquitous in the modern day, but there was a time in which this format was in its infancy.
Gordon & MacPhail (G&M) are not the oldest independent bottler, but they are perhaps the most influential. Whiskies of great maturity are now synonymous with quality, fetching high prices and praise, but this was not always the case. Through incredible foresight in the early 1900s, G&M were instrumental in pushing the boundaries of maturation, placing great attention on quality-of-cask and experimenting with extended time in wood. Amongst other great achievements, it now also means they are custodians of the oldest maturing whiskies in the world. Who better, then, to represent the old guard of Scotch?
Leading the procession was Luke Todd-Wood, the UK Sales Manager of Gordon & MacPhail. Luke cast the spotlight on the Connoisseur’s Choice range, a series from G&M that was conceived in the 1960s, showcasing whiskies from some of Scotland’s oldest distilleries and bottling them as single-cask expressions. The series was groundbreaking at its time, as many of these distilleries historically never saw the light of day as a single malt, opening up a swathe of Scotch enthusiasm as drinkers explored the vast complexity and diversity of flavour in its truest form.
Guests enjoyed whiskies of remarkable age, from enticing, indulgent Glendullan to floral, elegant Tomintoul; from salty, noble Highland Park to meaty, robust Craigellachie, and more. An extraordinary tasting of fine single malts that wonderfully represented the diversity and elegance to be found in a category renowned for its commitment to honest, quality whisky.
Part II – Glasgow Distillery – Rising Star to Mature Stalwart
The whisky industry has enjoyed a steady climb in sales and popularity for some decades now, reaching a zenith around 2022. The monumental growth brought with it a host of new producers, and the last decade or so saw around 100 new whisky distilleries established in the UK alone. In this second part of our Burns celebrations, we flipped the coin to celebrate this new blood in the industry.
Glasgow Distillery epitomise this new wave. Forget your white-stone remote establishment, with its towering chimneys and iconic pagodas; this is a function-over-fashion industrial unit in the heart of Scotland’s second city. Classic Lowland style? It’s there, but it’s not the only style. Glasgow produces three styles of malt: light, triple-distilled, unpeated malt; double-distilled, unpeated malt; and robust, smoky, double-distilled peated malt. Arguably, the triple-distilled is the closest to the classic Lowland style, perhaps even echoing old-guard neighbour Auchentoshan.
Suffice it to say, Glasgow is a distillery that bears incredible breadth. Glasgow Distillery Marketing Executive, Libby Barmby, joined us to guide guests through the core range expressions from the distillery, each showcasing one of the three distillates produced there, before moving on to three rare releases. Distillate style and cask variation have been strong points of the distillery since their whisky became available for purchase, and with the distillery now in excess of 10 years old, age statements have been added to the toolbelt, too.
A particular favourite of the night was the Constantia dessert wine cask expression, exuding tantalising richness. The final dram was also of particular intrigue, as Libby treated guests to a distillery-exclusive Moscatel single cask. This latter expression sold out at the distillery the very same day as our Burns celebration, leaving just one spare pouring bottle remaining. As such, in a spark of altruistic spontaneity, Libby auctioned the final bottle to the audience, with the money raised destined for local charity, Mary Stevens Hospice.
For Auld Lang Syne
Drams were had, haggis devoured, poems brought to life, and halls filled with the din of merriment and bagpipes. All told, a successful testament to the bard.
Our Burns Night tastings usually go on sale in late November or early December, and tend to sell rather quickly. If you wish to join in next year’s merriment, mark the reminder in your calendar now and sign up for our newsletter. But don’t let that stop you from enjoying fine spirits in the meantime; there are plenty of events that have recently been added to our 2026 roster. Head to the ticketed events section of our website and seize your chance to partake in a night to remember.