Trick or treat! Or, rather, just treats here at Whisky Magazine. We've rounded up five whisky options for your Halloween menu tonight — from seasonal releases from inspired whisky makers to spine-chillingly good cocktails to mix up.
Scotch Malt Whisky Society's Winter Series
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) has recently announced a new collection of whiskies to take us through the winter season. The collection includes Christmas, Hogmanay, and Burn's Night bottlings, and kicks off the season with a special Halloween edition.
The SMWS' Halloween release is Supernaturally Sweet Smoke (Cask No. 53.483), a 12-year-old peated whisky matured in a first fill ex-Pedro Ximénez cask. The SMWS says the bottling is a balance of sweet and smoky, with notes including spun sugar, plum jam, and maple-cured bacon.
On the label, curious whisky drinkers can scan a QR code to gain access to the story behind the whisky, including a video of SMWS tasting panel chair Robin Laing (the Whisky Bard) reading a seasonal poem. Alongside the release, the SMWS is hosting Halloween events tonight at its Vaults and Queen Street venues.
J Mattingly's Bourbon 31
To celebrate the autumn season, Kentucky's J Mattingly 1845 has released Bourbon 31, a play on its core expression Bourbon 30 with a twist for 31 October.
The new release has been blended specifically to bring out flavours associated with autumn, such as pumpkin and cinnamon. Made using the distillery's double staving process, the blend is made up of bourbon, light, and rye whiskeys.
The distillery says the result has notes including autumnal baking spices, vanilla, brown sugar, and pumpkin bread. As well as Bourbon 31, J Mattingly 1845 is offering Halloween-inspired features in custom whiskey bottle programme — expect Christmas options as well as we move into the winter.
Hannah Whisky Merchant's Samhain Series
This week, Hannah Whisky Merchant — the bottling brand behind Lady of the Glen — revealed its new Samhain series. The limited-edition series draws on Samhain, an ancient Celtic festival that predates Halloween.
Each of the six whiskies in the collection takes inspiration from a different Scottish legend, with labels designed by artist (and occasional Whisky Magazine blind taster) Steven Shand.
Each of the releases would be a suitably spooky choice for a Halloween purchase, but Hunting for the Gorbals Vampire (distilled at Glasgow Distillery) or The Witch of Beinne A'Ghlo (distilled at Blair Athol) strike us as particularly good companions to toast Samhain.
Smokehead's Halloween Hot Toddy
If you're looking to mix up a drink rather than take home a bottle, Islay whisky brand Smokehead has released a Halloween-inspired cocktail recipe warm enough to keep the ghosts away. The Smokehead Hot Toddy is served in a mug and has a tropical twist of lime and pineapple.
Ingredients:
- 50ml Smokehead Original
- 1.5 teaspoons brown sugar
- 3 dashes pineapple bitters
- Garnish with dried pineapple and a lemon twist
- Add 50ml Smokehead Original to a mug. Add 4 dashes of bitters and 25ml of lime cordial. Top up with 150ml hot water and garnish with dried pineapple and lemon twist.
Manhattan
Finally, a Manhattan is the perfect canvas for Halloween inspiration. Whether you use creepy garnishes to liven up your serve (lychee eyeball, anyone?), or raise a glass a part of your vampire costume, a Manhattan's dramatic colour lends a hand to a Halloween drink.
Ingredients
50ml rye whiskey
20ml sweet red vermouth
1 dash Angostura bitters
Pour all ingredients into mixing glass with ice cubes. Stir well. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.