For many people, there is a season or occasion for certain drinks. Mint juleps for the Kentucky Derby. Champagne at weddings. Wine by the glass at a fancy dinner…or by the box, alone in your apartment after a bad breakup. For a lot of folks, whisky is often a drink they associate with the cooler months of the year. We get it. One of the great things about exploring any kind of food or beverage is the associations you make when you think about them. So linking the bold, smoky tastes of an Islay scotch with the chill darkness of winter makes all kinds of sense (unless you’re enough of a fan – like some of us – who will drink an Islay in all seasons). We’ll also be quick to admit sitting by a dock near a bay with a good gin and tonic is about as classic a summer drink as you can get.
Yet we also believe that whisky should not be secluded to the depths of colder climes. It is so much more than something to keep you warm at night beside the fireplace. Dare to explore whisky in the warmer months of the year and invoke new memories. Try it in a new place, with new people. Even, dare we say it, add a bit of ice. Pair it with foods of all kinds, from snacks and appetizers to desserts. Below are a few delights from our catalog of reviews we think would start you off on your summer journey rather swimmingly. We’re not trying to rank, so alphabetical order will suffice.
 | Brenne Estate Cask (France) Only six years on the market, Brenne has been growing leaps and bounds ever since. Propelled by a unique flavor profile, a loyal and ever-growing fan base, and the slick marketing chops of company founder Allison Parc, we foresee world domination somewhere down the line. The cognac barrels used to finish aging the whisky impart a punch of nuts and fruits and sweetness while giving you something to talk with your friends about while the grill is warming up. |
 | Balvenie 12 Year Doublewood (Speyside, Scotland) About as classic as you can get in any season, the Balvenie 12 is a quintessential scotch and rightly belongs in any home bar. Moreover, it shines in the summer differing fruits and honeysuckle on the nose, a sweet palate brought to you by partial ex-sherry cask finishing, and a finish trailing off with apples that doesn’t linger too long before inviting you to take another sip. This whisky is smooth and sips easily, asking to be enjoyed and savored on those fading summer nights, simple to appreciate without inviting too much contemplation. |
 | Clynelish 14 Year (Highlands, Scotland) The Clynelish is the perfect dram to bring along with you to the beach. Let the kids play in the water looking for sharks or build sand castles nearby while you stretch out on your chair or towel under the umbrella and take a wee nip of this. Some notes of black pepper and spice are countered by cherry and honey to create a bold, refreshing dram that fits surprisingly well on a sweltering afternoon. |
 | Dalwhinnie 15 Year (Highlands, Scotland) Bring a little of this with you on your next summer camping trip. Affordable and easily found, this scotch smells like toasted marshmallows, has a bouquet of daisies and oak on the tongue before sinking into lavender at the end. There are a few sour bits here and there, but they’re subtle like you might find in some beers. Works surprisingly well in humid environs and is something that’ll feel even better after you reach your campsite and set up your tent near the end of a day of hiking. Watch for mosquitoes. |
 | Glen Garioch 1797 Founder's Reserve (Highlands, Scotland) A quintessential Highland malt, this scotch serves up flora and fauna in spades. Brimming with butterscotch, oak, honey, heather and a little bit of grain that almost evokes pie crust on the front end, the Glen Garioch 1797 Founder’s Reserve doesn’t skimp on the back end either. Fruits, pepper, lime zest, vanilla, coffee and honey escort you out the back end. Smooth and brimming with all the right kinds of summery goodness, and attractively priced to boot. |
 | Glenkinchie 12 Year (Lowlands, Scotland) We despaired of ever finding a Lowland scotch we loved until this recent find from Pencaitland. The citrus, mint and caramel on the nose give way to strident toasted grain with a touch of peat smoke that matures as it finishes. This whisky has a panoply of flavors that highlight perhaps one of its greatest attributes: balance. Nothing overpowers, nothing falls off or fades away before it should. Everything is where it should be and falls into place in your mouth. Go ahead, take a sip. You know you want to. |
 | Knappogue Castle 12 Year (Lowlands, Scotland) One of our early Irish loves, Knappogue Castle is a great introduction to the wonders of Irish whiskey. Never overpowering, this sipper has a mix of unusual flavors that might not at first blush seem to go together. Or maybe it’s just us. We got maple syrup and green apple jolly rancher on the nose, white grapefruit pith, nutmeg and coconut on the palate that finishes with a refreshing, subtle citrus that will surely bring a smile to your face with a memory of summer long after the season has left us. |
 | Lot No. 40 (Canada) Who says Canada can’t make exceptional whiskies? Not us, and not you if you paid attention to our World Whisky Day tasting in 2017. Lot 40 is a great example of a whisky easy to find, easy to own, and one that works well both neat and as an ingredient in a cocktail. There’s a sparkling sweetness from reminiscent of brown sugar and cinnamon vying with some orange zest and sassafras that is surprisingly deep and broad in the mouth, reminding us in some ways of an Islay. Fly the maple leaf for this fellow. |
 | Tamdhu 10 Year (Speyside, Scotland) It’s not often we stumble upon whisky pairings with food, but a happy accident led us to discover that the Tamdhu 10 goes exceptionally well with cheesecake. We tried a few sweeter deserts after, and while this compliments many, the unique properties of cheesecake stand out. It makes sense, with the sherry influence and notes of chocolate, caramel and hazelnut on the tongue, coupled with a great mouthfeel. The sweetness isn’t cloying either, but demands to be shared with friends on a bright sunny day among the glens. |
 | Westland American Single Malt (United States) Despite all the praise we gave this one about it reminding us of Christmas with cedar, evergreen and mint, we were bowled over by how well it worked in the summer too. Against all reason! The sweetness comes to the fore at this time and you get a little bit more of the spice and woody aspects of the whisky. We don’t have a review of it yet, but the distillery’s sherry cask finish would work even better by adding some added fruit complexity to what’s already a very promising base. Don’t believe us? Guess you’ll have to get your own. |
We hope at least some of the above struck a chord with you. Were there any outstanding gaps that jumped out to you? Did we not include your favorite? Feel free to let us know or leave a comment below!
