Hamish's Tipple of the Week: Highball Heaven

Highballs are a particular favourite cocktail of myself and Mrs Hamish. Even though they can be made with any type of spirit, the whisky highball is by far superior. This delightful concoction combines whisky with soda water and ice – a delightful thirst-quencher if ever there was one! The exact origin of the highball isn’t known, with figures such as Tommy Dewar and Patrick Duffy both claiming responsibility for the recipe. What I do know is that it’s a tipple I simply can’t get enough of! The highball is particularly popular with our friends in Japan who have totally mastered the art of the highball. These expressions are truly a sight to behold – we all need to get a bit more aspirational with our highballs! To help you create the perfect highball, I’ve put together a list of my favourite drams to enjoy in the delicious cocktail!

GlenAllachie 8 Year Old

What a treat! The latest fare from The GlenAllachie is an outstanding eight-year-old expression that is bound to impress. Matured for eight years in a combination of Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez puncheons, red wine barriques, and virgin oak casks before being bottled at 46% abv, this expression is a perfectly rounded dram brimming with exceptional sweetness and spice.

Hatozaki Pure Malt

Named after the oldest stone lighthouse in Japan, Hatozaki Pure Malt Japanese Whisky is made from a vatting of 100% malt whiskies which have been aged in three casks – bourbon casks, imported sherry casks, and native Mizunara oak barrels – before being bottled at 46% abv.

Benromach Cara Gold

A fabulous limited release from Benromach! This eleven-year-old single malt has spent its life maturing in first-fill bourbon barrels before being bottled at 46% abv. The dram is made up of a combination of Cara Gold malted barley and Benromach’s usual lightly peated malt, creating a truly special Speyside expression.

Waterford Sheestown 1.1

Part of Waterford Distillery’s much-anticipated Single Farm Origin Series. This is the first release from Sheestown Farm. Sheestown, known locally as “the place of lush grass”, is a rolling, lowland terroir of well-drained loamy soil where Phillip O’Brien has farmed the land for half a century. The liquid was matured in a delicious combination of first-fill American oak, virgin American oak, and French oak casks.

Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve

One of the single malt components of Suntory’s award-winning Hibiki blended malt, Yamazaki has a deep, multi-layered taste that makes it the No.1 single malt in Japan. The Distiller’s Reserve is mild and fresh with fruity notes and aspects of the Mizunara oak casks.