Spirit & Spice

Appears in
top 1000Spirit & Spice
Spirit & Spice

By Ghillie Basan

Published 2019

  • About

Spices can elevate whisky beyond the realms of taste, comfort and tradition to being downright sexy.

The descriptive tasting notes on the bottles and in whisky manuals are a testament to their seduction, such as ‘crisp aroma of fresh linen’, ‘enticing flavours of the Orient’ or maybe ‘comforting like soft pillows’ or ‘silky and lingering’.

A hint of spice can flirt on the nose and palate with mystique and warmth, a touch of playfulness against the luxurious background of oak casks infused with sweet sherry, bourbon, rum or cognac or the smokiness of the maverick peat. Whisky can offer opportunities to quietly savour and dream: for a moment the aromas and flavours transport your palate and your mind to a different place or time, but it is often the spice notes that carry your thoughts and take you on that journey. Such is the power of the spirit in all its intriguing complexity.