Autumn – the season of cooler weather, amber leaves, and rich and warming fayre. And whilst Mangrove Global advocates that there really is a whisky for every season – there’s no doubt that here in the UK our palates are especially shaped for the spirit in the cooler days and darker nights.
September not only marks the start of autumn, it’s also the beginning of the grain harvest for much of the crop that’s destined for distilleries. This is especially true in Denmark, where Stauning distillery carefully gathers in the grain that will become its delectable bottles of HOST whisky. So, with many of our beloved spirits beginning life at this time of year, what world whiskies are we expecting thirsty consumers to sip and warm the cockles of their hearts this Autumn? And what trends can we expect to see in the category?
Let’s begin with the overarching flavour profiles enjoyed with the season. Part of whisky’s raison d'être was to heat us up in the long Northern European winters, and so we still seek out rich, dense whiskies with plenty of depth and bite. Expect to see people enjoying the chewiness of wine and sherry cask aged whiskies this season. Australia’s Morris Distillery’s single malt is aged in the company’s own wine, Tokay, and muscat barrels, whilst The English Sherry Cask – voted World’s Best Single Malt 2024 in the World Whiskies Awards – offers a similarly complex and delicious spirit for Autumnal sipping due to its maturation in freshly-emptied PX sherry casks. Other options to try if rich and fruity finishes are your thing, are Japanese whisky, Akashi’s Single Malt 5 Years Old Sherry Cask and Red Wine Cask; Ireland’s Glendalough Mizunara Cask; and Israel’s Milk & Honey Elements Sherry (title holder of World Whisky of the Year 2023)!
There are also some great full-bodied whiskies coming out of North America – whiskies as bold and appealing as the countryfolk that make them. New York Distilling, Uncle Nearest, and Bearface are all producing exceptional liquids that fall quite nicely into the seasonal tastes of UK whisky drinkers. And each have SKUs in the range that lend themselves particularly well to mixing or sipping neat.
When it comes to whisky cocktails – we expect to see stronger, neater drinks become popular in autumn. Old-fashioneds continue to be a firm favourite, but we are starting to ‘mix it up’ a bit with less traditional recipes. Bartenders are levelling up the base spirit with premium world whiskies and complementing the flavours of the spirit with different bitters and garnishes. Spices and dessert-based flavours are expected to trend into 2025, so expect to see variations that include chocolate, ginger and coffee, as well as the more traditional twists like orange or cherry.
Autumn is also a season punctuated by celebrations. Halloween, Diwali, and Bonfire Night bring us all together and usually involve some sort of communal food and tipple. This year Diwali actually falls on 31 October, with people of various faiths celebrating with the lighting of candles, followed up by bonfires and fireworks a plenty on 5 November. Celebrate all of the above with the fabulous peaty whiskies springing up all over the world. If you’re new to peated whiskies, Yamazakura’s peated blend is a gentle introduction to the flavour profile, whilst Milk & Honey’s Elements Peated, the English Smokey and Stauning Smoke pack a punch of smokiness that thoroughly matches the occasion.
“There really is nothing better than curling up with a dram as the nights start to draw in,” said Stef Holt, Curator of World Whisky at Mangrove Global. “Whilst not all world whiskies come from countries with cold climates, each and every one of them offers something warming and delicious; flavours that we in the UK are drawn to in the autumn and winter months.
“The innovation in production and differing climates of world whiskies is creating unique flavours that really are distinct to what’s coming out of Scottish distilleries. So, it’s definitely a great time of year to explore and be a bit adventurous with your preferred drinks of the season!”
You can browse Mangrove’s portfolio of fine, independent spirits, including the best-in-class world whisky portfolio at www.mangroveuk.com/our-brands.
